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

23. A friend

At some point I had calmed down enough to take a shower before I set off for dinner. I pushed the negative thoughts away from me and it was much easier when I entered the dining room and the presence of the other young people surrounded me.
I was surprised to find that Thomas and Teresa were not sitting at their table as usual but were waiting for me next to Heath and Zart. As I sat down with my meal opposite them, where Ben had saved a seat for me, I looked at them with raised eyebrows and looked at Teresa in particular.
"What are you doing over here?" I asked while eating some salad.
"Guess who's the reason we're here. You, of course. We wanted to see how you are doing and have a nice dinner with you." Now Teresa was being nice again. I just couldn't figure this girl out.
"This is really... nice," I smiled at her.
Despite her nice gesture, I noticed that she kept giving the other boys looks, as if she didn't feel at all comfortable with them. But I didn't care, I was just happy to have all my friends here, especially now when I was really not feeling well.
The chair on my right was left free, as if no one wanted to sit on it. Even when Minho joined us he sat down next to Thomas, although he would have been much closer to the conversation next to me.
It was as if no one wanted to sit on the chair Newt had been sitting on for the last few weeks, as if they wanted to spare me somehow. To be honest, I thought it was a bit weird and would have liked to have Minho next to me, but I didn't say anything.
I had noticed how the others looked at me. As if I was fragile and as if they had to be careful not to hurt me.
Strange. It hadn't been like that when they had taken Gally.
Everyone saw how close Newt and I were.
That sounded far too corny. But I had no other explanation.
I was finished first and took my tray away after saying goodbye to the others.
Only when I had left the dining room and was already on my way to the lifts did I realise that I was not alone. Someone followed me and I flinched when I realised that and spun around.
Teresa.
She had a small bag over her shoulder and looked at me in surprise at my reaction.
"What the...?" I started, but then fell silent when I noticed the bag. What was she doing?
"What's the matter with you? I thought I would spend the night at your place tonight. Just to make sure you were okay. Besides, I have something to tell you. I've been making progress." With those words, she just kept walking, and I couldn't help but follow her.
We reached my room and all the way I was already thinking about what she had to tell me. Was it about Newt? Or was it about me?
I opened the door and we entered the room. Teresa looked around and muttered something like "Sweet". Then she put her bag on the free bed and sat on it too.
"Why is the air shaft door open?" she asked suspiciously.
Shit.
"Oh, I guess I hadn't fastened it properly after the last time I was with Newt at his sister's. It must have popped open..." I prayed she'd buy that while I quickly put a screw back in to close the flap.
She said nothing more, which I took as a good sign. After the flap was closed again, I sat down on my bed and looked at Teresa with eyebrows raised.
"Well, I am very grateful to you for staying with me tonight. But I'm pretty tired too... Perhaps you'll tell me about your progress?" I was hoping this would stop her from asking more questions.
She seemed to buy my tiredness and if I was honest, it was only now that I realised how drained I really felt.
"All right, so look..." She took a breath and I looked at her with tension. "I had a pretty good chat with Miss Paige today. I told her about you and Newt and how close you guys are. She agrees with me on the point that, similar to Gally, we can't erase Newt's memory like we did with the other subjects before. Simply because his feelings for you are far too strong and he clings to them far too much. We assume that he will gradually remember you again when he is in the maze. In the beginning it will be like with Gally, but dreams and maybe even something like flashbacks will make him remember. At least that is what his brain activity suggests.
At the same time we agreed that it would be an interesting study to find out what happens when you run into each other again in the maze, both with memories erased as far as possible. Will you recognise each other? And if not, will you fall in love again?"
When I still looked at her without understanding and said nothing, she added: "Do you understand? Miss Paige has agreed to let us send you into Newt's maze next! We did it, Anna!"
Completely overwhelmed, I stood up and fell around her neck. "You did it. Thank you, Teresa."
When I dropped back on my bed and Teresa came back after a short time in the bathroom and made herself comfortable on the other bed she said: "Actually it's a pity. You are doing a really good job. And, well... I feel like this is the first time I've got a friend here..."
I leaned on my right elbow and looked at her in surprise. Then I said, "We're friends, Teresa. And I will remain your friend when I am in the maze. Do not forget that. In return, maybe you can make sure that Aris doesn't send a Griever after me."
We both had to laugh and Teresa threw her pillow at me. I threw it back and we laughed even louder.
"Yes, that's how I always imagined it. A sleepover party with my best friend... Well, I only have one."
Again we laughed and even after we had wished each other a good night and turned off the lights I could hear Teresa giggling softly.