Into The WICKED Maze | A Maze Runner Story (English Version)

5. Lunch

I was just wondering when lunch was going to be served, because my stomach was rumbling after all this excitement, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"If you like, you can come along, there will be lunch soon," said Fry Pan and I smiled gratefully at him.
Together with Minho and the cook, I walked towards the makeshift kitchen and sat down at a table, while Minho got us each a plate. There was some meat and potatoes.
I tasted something and had to admit that it was really delicious. I kept on eating quickly, because after the first bite my stomach felt as if it hadn't had anything for weeks.
When I had finished eating and we were still alone with Fry Pan, I asked the question that had been on my mind the whole time: "What are they going to do with Stan now?"
I felt Minho sitting up beside me. He was apparently as curious as I was.
Fry Pan cleared his throat and sat down opposite us. "Well, if he feels the same way as George - Alby must have told you about it - then I guess we'll have to banish him. But until then there's still some time to go, Nick will definitely want to make sure that it's not different with him. After George had been banished, he was unresponsive for days. They were the first ones here, together with Alby. The loss has hit them hard. Like us all."
I looked at him with an embarrassed look, but there was no time for further questions, because the other gladers were just coming in for dinner, making a terrible noise. They talked about what had happened and - and I found this a little bold - about me. When they saw me, they quickly fell silent, but I thought I heard that they were a little fascinated that I could run so fast as a girl. How nice.
Fry Pan stood up and opened something for everyone. When Gally had his plate, he sat down beside me and grinned at me.
"That was pretty impressive just now."
I looked at him a little bit uncomprehendingly. "I just ran. And besides, Minho was as fast as me."
He seemed to want to reply to something that was probably related to my gender, but then he fell silent as he didn't want to annoy me. Instead, he just kept grinning at me and it was almost a bit strange to be lit up all the time.
"Shit, did I miss you," he whispered so loud that only I could hear it. Now I had to smile, too.
Stealthily I peered over to the table where the leaders were sitting, Newt among them. Again I was tingling when I saw him and I still didn't understand it. What was wrong with me? Had I been like that before?
Suddenly he looked directly at me and I flinched involuntarily because he had caught me staring at him.
Why am I so embarrassed?
Quickly I looked elsewhere, but I was sure he had noticed, because I felt his look on me a little longer. I noticed that my cheeks turned slightly red and I felt all the more ashamed.
Oh man, what a mess.
When Gally had eaten up, it came in handy and I asked him to let me look at his work. He was enthusiastic about the idea and so I followed him and only after a few meters I noticed that Minho was also with us. Apparently he felt connected to me because we had arrived here together and I had to admit that it felt good to have someone who was as confused as I was.
We sat down in the shade and watched Gally fine-tune the roof before calling Alby to come and see his cabin.
"One more bed and you can finally sleep in peace. But you'll have to build it yourself."
"It's long done. Hey Minho, can you give me a hand, I've got it over there by the forest."
Minho got up and followed Alby towards the small forest Stan had come from before noon. As I thought back to the sight of him, my back ran down cold and I wondered how he was doing by now. I really hoped he would make it. I did not want to banish him, even though he was a stranger to me.
From my seat, I watched Alby and Minho fetch Alby's homemade bed and take it to the hut and chatted with Gally. He told me that they were building the huts for the keepers so that they had some space and that he could finally start with his own when he had finished building Newts.
When he talked about Newt in this way I took the opportunity to learn more about him. "When did Newt come here? That long as well?"
I tried to sound as indifferent as possible, but Gally seemed to see right away that I cared a lot.
"He came up a month after me - one before you. Why? Are you interested in him?" He winked at me and grinned.
"Nonsense. I just want to know as much as possible about the other gladers," I lied, but Gally didn't believe me, I could see that.
"Now I'm building him his own hut, maybe you can visit him there sometime."
Again he winked at me and this time I jumped up and threw a piece of wood at him, which made my ribs hurt again. But it was worth it.
Gally laughed out loud and Minho looked at him with interest as he sat down with me again.
"Don't ask, he's crazy. He's trying to get something on me."
Minho now looked at me uncomprehendingly and now I too had to laugh, holding my ribs.