INTERTWINED ~ THE MAZE RUNNER

~SEVEN~

   As usual, Addison awoke before everyone else. In truth she had been awake most of the night and had merely nodded off only a few times. One of which-while she was incapable of protesting- Newt was able to carry her to bed with the others. The boy was surprised he had managed the distance with his limp. But he had felt much better when he had pulled the blankets around her form. Somehow he had felt as though he had known her just as long as Alby with the way she fit perfectly into the circle of keepers. The blond wasn't sure what he would do if he lost her too.

   Addison rolled over for the thousandth time and silently watched Chuck's sleeping form. Her eyes then squinted through the dim light to the other boys around her. She took in their innocence with a sorrow filled heart.

   Addison had pushed herself up and out of her hammock unable to bear her restlessness any longer. She had quietly shuffled around the sleeping boys and headed toward the kitchens.

    She greeted Frypan with a tired nod as she came to the counter. He could only give her a small smile back as he placed a plate down for her. In truth she wasn't hungry at all, but took it for his sake with a small smile. She gave a quick wave to the other cook before she turned on her heel toward her usual seat.

    Addison mostly toyed with her food, her eyes staring blankly at the maze wall. Her usually keen senses seemed dull as she hadn't registered the other runners sitting down around her. They too had proceeded to pick at their food and make meaningless conversation.

    "Hey shanks! Your lunches are ready!" Frypan called, placing a few sacks on the counter. None of the boys moved, only shared weak glances and hung their heads.

    "Won't need them today, Fry." Henry spoke up and the others nodded in agreement. Addison's head snapped up instantly as she let his words sink in.

    "Yeah, we quit." Connor continued, "there ain't no way in hell I'm running that clunk place no more."

    "What about finding a way out?" Addison spoke.

    The boys gave her deadpanned expressions as Henry spoke in a hushed tone, "We've been running long enough to know that there isn't a way out."

    The girl closed her eyes then nodded slowly. They had a right to fear what was out there. Hell, she was beyond terrified. But unlike the boys around her, she refused to be weak. Addison didn't understand where that stubborn nature came from, but if it meant keeping others alive then she planned on using herself as a support beam as long as she lived. This was no different

    "I want to get them out alive. I-I want to get out alive." Minho had once told her.

    She then turned her attention to Frypan, who had aggressively snatched the lunches back while he grumbled to himself. The poor boy was trying to keep himself together to feed everyone and there seemed to be no respect for it.

    Addison stood quickly with her plate and called, "Fry, wait!"

    Frypan narrowed his eyes on her. The girl simply slid her barely eaten breakfast onto the counter- he hated when people never ate his food.

   "I- can I take one?" She gestured to one of the lunch bags. The boy glanced at her plate again and sighed.

   "Can't have my favourite she-shank starving now can we?" The dark boy swapped her plate for a sack.

   "Thanks Fry." She didn't wait for a response as she snatched the sack and turned on her heel. The runners watched in confusion as the girl raced across the glade.

~*~

    Addison lingered in the doorway, surprised to find it had been untouched from the day before. Usually it would have been full of boys, or atleast a trace of them left behind. But then she remembered their sudden change in personality as they rejected their most prideded job.