The day had gone by really slowly. Really, really slowly. Ava had finally gotten back to the glade, however was very confused to see the Gladers crowded around something. She jogged over, pushing through the tight circle of people only to be absolutely horrified. Both Newt and Thomas were in the middle, shouting at each other.
"What are you guys doing?" Ava demanded, striding inbetween them.
"Is it true?" Thomas asked, a hint of anger in his voice.
"Is what true?"
"You and him?" She gasped quietly.
"Who told you about that?" She asked, however, her brother just went quiet. "Thomas, who told you!"
"So it is true?"
"Yes, yes! It's true, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Over my dead body, Ava." She turned towards Newt, only now noticing he had a quickly forming bruise on his cheek.
"Did you hit him?" She fumes, looking at her brother. "What is wrong with you!"
"He's gonna break your heart!"
"No, you don't know anything! You don't even know how it is! I'm sorry to say this, brother, but he knows me so much better than you. He listens to me. It's obvious he cares."
"I care." Thomas argued.
"Do you?" Newt spoke. "Okay tell me, did you know about the dream she had? The dream where she was being taken back?"
"No."
"And did you know, that the other day, she came over all excited because she remembered something else? A song. A song that you used to sing to her when she was scared."
"No."
"And did you know, that whenever she can, she covers her ears with her hair, because she thinks they're her worst feature and that if I she them, I'm gonna fall out of love with her?"
"What? You're in love with her?"
"Yes. Yes, I am. So how dare you stand there and say that I'm the one who's gonna break he heart. You're supposed to be her brother, her blood relative, and you don't even know her." Ava couldn't even take this anymore. She didn't want to be in the middle of this.
"I'm done with this." She turned, taking Newts hand. "Come on, Newt."
"What do you mean 'Come on, Newt'? Who's side are you on?"
"Not yours!"
-----
Ava sat beside Newt, her head on his shoulder as she stared at the ground.
"I'm really sorry about Thomas." Ava muttered.
"It wasn't your fault." Newt assures her. "I don't even know how he found out. I never said a word, and you've been in the maze all day."
"The only people that knew where Chuck and Minho." She pointed out. "They wouldn't ever rat us out like that."
"Ava, I need you to take this." He said, placing a small crystal in the palm of her hand and closing it in there. "For good luck, I suppose. It's always made me feel better when I'm in a bad place."
"But I'm not in a bad place. I'm with you." Newt released a sigh, this filling Ava with worry. She sat up to look at him. "What?"
"I don't want to drive a wedge between you and your brother. He's the only family you have."
"Newt, wiat, don't do this."
"I think it's better if this ends. Better for you, because you don't have to lose your brother."
"Please."
"I'm sorry, Ava." With this, he gets up and leaves her there on the ground. Tears start to roll down her face uncontrollably as she feels the pain of a heart break. Suddenly, someone is pulling her into a tight hug. She breathed in their smell, and released a comfortable sigh when she realised it was Minho. She hugged him back, still gripping the crystal tightly in her hand.
-----
The next day, Ava sat at the small picnic table, despite the fact it was still dark. She hadn't slept anyways, so what was the point in lying there much longer, wishing this had happened differently. Unfortunately for her, it was quickly getting light, so she wouldn't be alone for much longer. The next thing she knew, a loud siren started to go off, to the shock of Ava. She covered her ears trying to drown put the noise. She saw Gladers rushing towards the middle of the glade, where the box would usually come up. She decided to follow them, curious to see what's going on. The sirens stopped as Gally opened the box. Inside was a girl. She looked up at them wide eyed and fearful. Ava wondered if that's how she looked when she arrived at the glade, but didn't have time to question it, as the girl had grabbed her, pulling her down into the box.
"Here, here take this. Just take it." She said hastily shoving a piece of paper in her hand. "Ava. You're Ava, right?"
"I am."
"You- you can get us out of here. They told me you can do it. But they said- they said they didn't mean to send you up here, because you know the way out."
"Okay, why don't you come with me. We'll go and talk, okay."
"I don't feel safe with all of these people looking at me." She mutted, her voice suddenly quiet.
"No one's gonna hurt you, not while you're with me." Ava assured her. "That's Minho, he's gonna help you out of the box, okay." The girl nodded as Minho reached down for her. As soon as the girl was out of the box, the floor seemed to clack underneath her as it slowly started to shift downwards underneath her. "What's happening? Why is it going down?"
"Ava, come on. You've gotta get out of that box." Gally said, and everyone agreed with him in a slight panic. She reached up, grabbing onto he brother as he dragged her out of the box. The box stopped, as if waiting for her to get back in.
"What the actual hell?" He breathed.
"They want you back, Ava."
