From The WICKED Start | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

18. Brew

"Gally has settled in well," Teresa remarked. It was already afternoon and we hadn't talked much until just after lunch, when we sat at the table with them.
I looked up and noticed that she had thrown something on the big screen. Gally was sitting in the kitchen with Fry Pan, Alby and two other boys. They seemed to be taking a break, which I hadn't noticed as I had just finished my daily report.
Gally had now completed the second hut and had to wait for new supplies to come up with the box on Friday.
The last box before Newt.
For a few days now he had been helping Fry Pan with the cooking, with him only peeling potatoes and the same, as Gally could not cook at all. It had been quite amusing to watch how he had behaved the first time.
When he wasn't helping Fry Pan, he worked in the fields or in the garden, which was more his style and which the cook obviously preferred.
Teresa was right. Since Gally had received my message he had been much more open and friendly to the other boys. So we had achieved what we wanted to achieve.
I had already overheard one or two conversations between him and Alby about whether I would really be sent into the maze and whether I would be able to remember more if I sent them letters now.
I wondered that too. What would happen if they showed me my message there? If they told me that I had known Gally before under guarantee, even though I might not remember him? Would memories come back? Was that possible?
And would he and Alby try to get something out of me? Would they believe me that I didn't know anything about WICKED, because that would probably or pretty sure be the case?
I did not know. But I would find out soon.
When I turned back to my report, which would not be too long today, Teresa had taken the picture off the big screen again. Nevertheless I could still see the three of them in front of me, since I had the task of observing them and my monitor therefore showed the same. I had to smile when I saw Gally say something and the other two started to laugh. It was so nice to see that he was doing well and to know that I had played a big part in that.
I still couldn't tell how grateful I was to Teresa for helping me so much so far and how grateful I would be if our plan worked, even if I couldn't remember her afterwards.
The thought of that hurt a little bit. I would forget all my friends who were still here if I was sent into the maze. Maybe some of them would follow, but Thomas would never been send into the maze. And neither would Teresa, of course.
I had to think of Minho, who was willing to risk everything to help me, although it was of no use to him at all, except that he was doing the right thing, as he himself had said. I would miss him, even if I wouldn't know it. In the same way I would miss Zart, Heath, Ben and all the others I saw every day at dinner and with whom I got along well.
I quickly shook my head to wipe the thoughts away and concentrated on finishing my report until the end of the day.
When I finished, there were 30 minutes left before we finished our work and I watched, lost in thought, as the boys all met around the campfire after dinner and talked.
Gally was sitting between Alby and George and they were talking about what he should build next when Fry Pan sat down with them.
"Hey, Gally, come with me. I wanna show you something."
Gally got up and followed him to his kitchen, where he leaned against the counter and waited for what he had to show him. He came back with a jar filled with a brownish liquid and handed it to Gally.
"Try this. I mixed it myself. Might need a general overhaul though. What do you mean? Wanna help me out?"
Gally sipped the liquid and obviously had to control himself not to spit it out again immediately. It looked so funny that I had to laugh and got a confused look from Teresa.
"What did you put in this?"
"I tried a little bit. Pretty sure it has a relatively high alcohol content."
Gally just nodded, he had apparently already noticed that.
"Alright, I'll help you. Come on, let's get going."
They started mixing different things together and seemed to have a lot of fun, especially after they had tried it over and over again.
Gally seemed to have a talent for it, because it really didn't take long until both were satisfied with his creation.
Probably because they had already tried so much that they were drunk.
Sure, neither of them had ever been served alcohol here, so something like that is guaranteed to knock you out fast.
"What are they doing?" Newt asked and put a hand on my shoulder.
"Oh, I think they're just burning alcohol, right?" Thomas laughed. "Come on, it's quitting time. Have you finished your report?"
I nodded and handed it to him.
Together we set off for dinner. But when we arrived in the dining room, our paths parted again, because Newt and I sat down at our regulars' table, where most of us had almost eaten up, while Thomas and Teresa sat down at their table completely alone as usual.
As I glanced over the other tables, I saw Rachel and remembered our date tonight. I wouldn't have had far to go to see her, as she slept in the same corridor as we did. Nevertheless, I should check again to see how I could get to her room the quickest. I decided to do that while Newt was showering. That way he would not suspect anything. All that remained was to hope that he wouldn't wake up when I was gone.
After we ate up, we went to our room together and it didn't take long before Newt took my hand. We interlocked our fingers and his warmth flowed through me.
"Zart was back with the girls, did you notice?" he asked casually.
"Hm? No, I didn't."
"Oh, I thought you were looking for him. You looked at their table for so long once."
Newt was just much too attentive. So he noticed right away that I had looked over at Rachel, even if he had misinterpreted it.
"He seems to get on well with this girl. I'm happy for him," I tried to give in.
"Yes, you're right."
Silently we reached our room and Newt decided to take a shower immediately. I sat down on my bed and watched him pick up some fresh clothes and then disappeared into the bathroom.
When I heard the water running I quickly climbed onto my bed, opened the flap, took out the map and quickly looked for the connection to Rachel's room. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult at all and I was able to remember the way. Even before Newt turned off the water I had stowed the map away and was sitting on the bed again.
After he left the bathroom, I took a shower, got dressed, brushed my teeth and returned to him.
He lay on his bed and looked at the ceiling. Silently I slipped under the blanket and snuggled up against him. Why was he always so wonderfully warm?
"Hey," I whispered.
"Hey," he replied and took me in his arms.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked, leaning on my elbow and looking at him, still in his arms.
"Far too much. But it doesn't matter now. Now I'm only thinking about you." With that he turned to me and looked me in the eyes.
I had been able to resist his gaze for some time now, but his brown eyes hypnotized me again and again. I lost myself completely in them until he interrupted me by kissing me. I immediately closed my eyes and concentrated only on him.
And again I forgot everything around me, everything I had thought about that day. There was still so much time before I had to go to Rachel. So much time in which we could just be together.
This time I knew what was going to happen. Still, again I was tingling all over me, and most of all where he was touching me, as if his hands were giving me goose bumps everywhere they touched me. They were more determined than yesterday, but still so wonderfully careful.
My feelings overwhelmed me, just like yesterday. Still, I somehow managed to be more active myself this time, not like the first time, when I had trusted almost all the time that Newt knew what he was doing.
When I was lying there again, only in my underwear, and he briefly detached himself from me to take off his own trousers, I didn't wait for him to kiss me again, but pulled him towards me and kissed him, this time more demanding from me.
I knew it wouldn't hurt anymore today. Yesterday it hurt much too briefly for that. This certainty took away all my fear and this time I showed him that I wanted it now in any case and that he didn't need to be as careful as yesterday.
And he was not. And I liked it, even though I was sure that I would be a bit uncomfortable later.
That I liked it even more than yesterday Newt seemed to notice. I looked into his face and saw him shining at me, which made me smile, before I kissed him again and buried my hand in his hair while the other one clawed his back. I thought for a moment that he would probably have scratches tomorrow, but I knew that this would definitely not bother him and quickly forgot the thought.
Far too overwhelming were the feelings I felt at that moment.
Breathing heavily, he let himself fall down next to me at some point. I looked over at him and had to grin. He returned this grin, still breathing fast, as if he first had to calm down again.
"Wow," he whispered. "That was... overwhelming."
I felt myself blushing slightly. "Yes, I thought so too."
"You're amazing." He looked me straight in the eye again. "And so beautiful."
"I love you," I whispered and buried my face in his chest.
"And I love you."