Brenda was fed up with being considered nothing more than an infected, worthless girl. She despised the fearful and disguised gazes of the other refugees, all refusing to get close to her, keeping her in the dark.
Thomas, his fellow gladers and Jorge, seemed to be the only ones who ever listened to her, sharing her ideas and giving her chances to help. Thomas especially. No matter how many times she was shut down by the others, her Thomas was always there to back her up, to tell the others that she had a point. It meant everything to her.
Today however, Thomas was on a supplies run, leaving her alone with the others.
-The Powerful Calla Lily-
"Mind giving us a hand?" Brenda turned to find Newt and a petite red-head struggling to carry an artillery bin full of ammo.
Finding herself being needed for the first time that day, the dark haired girl shot up without hesitation, grabbing the same side as the ginger.
"Okay." Newt tightened his grip. "Were heading to the loading station." Brenda nodded at her friend Newt, cautiously moving with them towards their destination.
Once there, they placed the bin on a shelf, securing it with rope.
'Nice work ladies." The British blondie smiled at the girls, before turning around and walking back to the main camp to join his friends.
This left Brenda alone with the other girl. She decided to take a chance.
"Im Brenda by the way." The short-haired girl extended her hand to the ginger, hoping to make at least one female friend in her lifetime. She was terribly mistaken.
"Keep away from me crank!" The girl pushed Brenda's tiny body away from her, fear and disgust overtaking her freckled features.
In shock, Brenda simply stared at her, failing to understand why the girl would be so afraid of her clean and dormant wound.
The shock only lasted temporarily through, before the brunettes blood began to boil.
Regaining herself, Brenda steeped forward towards the shank. "I'm not contagious bitch." She spat out her words, feeling herself losing control. "You know, I'm sorry you think your so high and mighty! Just cause the blood that runs through my veins isn't a cure for a fucking virus, doesn't mean it's going to hurt you!" She was shaking. Her words more venomous than the bite on her ankle was.
The girl moved several steps back, glaring at Brenda with daggers. "I'm not taking any chances."
The red-headed shank had dug her grave.
So, with an absence of thought, Brenda punched the girl straight in the face, feeling her freckled nose crunch under her fists weight. Once the girls skinny body was knocked down to the cold concrete, the "infected" monster jumped on top of her, crushing the girl with her weight.
"Wanna be twins?" Brenda bit down on the girls exposed collar bone, hearing her cry out in pain.
"Ahhhh! YOU BIT ME!" Frantically the girl began screaming for help, feeling as though the infection was now in her. Of course it couldn't be, she was an immune spoiled brat after all.
"Whats going on here?!" Vince grabbed the short-tempered girl, pulling her off of the bloodied ginger. "What are you doing?" The man shook Brenda's body, his eyes searching for an answer.
Brenda stayed silent, staring at the girl on the pavement, watching with sick satisfaction as her precious blood flowed from her nose. Next, her eyes made their way to the girls reddened collarbone, skimming the darkened skin. Take that bitch.
Although, the vengeful biter was soon taken aback, her pride quickly turning to ashes in her mouth.
Across the pavement, was the only person she truly felt safe with. That special person, who's heavenly dark eyes always seemed to hold her close, were now glossed over in an enigmatic glaze, one that shuffled between the two girls.
"Are you okay?" Thomas rushed to Brenda's side, his affection overtaking her body. "Tell me what happened?" He placed his hand innocently on her cheek.
Brenda suddenly felt utterly ashamed, embarrassed of her rashful action. Someone like Thomas, a well-rounded leader, would never attack one of his own. Her heart plummeted. Without being able to make eye contact, she told Thomas of what she had done, her heart breaking with every word she spoke.
After finishing, Brenda used all her strength to meet her friends eyes, only to be welcomed with confusion and shame. She couldn't take it. The thought of her Thomas not trusting or respecting her... was too much to take. With that conclusion, she ran off, making her way for the shoreline.
-The Powerful Calla Lily-
A soft breeze flowed through the girls growing hair, tossing her dark locks into wild waves. Tenderly, the young girl peeled back the bloodied bandage on her ankle, revealing her scarred wound from the scorch.
Brenda sighed. This one small piece of her seemed to define everything she was, putting her away from the possibility of leadership and dignity, creating divides among those she met.
All her life, this girl had come second place. Weather it was being declined from WCKD, being turned away from safe havens, or being told that "(she's) not her", by a boy whom she had an unexplainable love for. Brenda had never felt desired. Most days, she felt like she was nothing. A burden, a risk to others… a virus. But with Thomas... she felt like she was more.
From the moment they embarked on their journey together in the scorch, she felt special in a certain way. Perhaps it was naive, or even selfish, but Brenda was awestruck by how despite being a incurable stranger, Thomas was willing to give his life for her, holding her from falling when pretty much anyone else would have turned tails and ran.
Sure, she had Jorge, but that was different. He had always been there. Thomas was someone who had stumbled upon her, subsequently changing her life forever. So in many ways, he had saved her.
-The Powerful Calla Lily-
The broken girls thoughts were cut short by the presence of someone sitting next to her on the sand. Turning her head, she found Thomas looking back at her, all judgment stripped from his face, replaced by worry.
"Wanna talk about it?" He settled his eyes on the sand, giving her time to wipe away her tears.
Letting the sand slip between her fingers, Brenda sighed. "Not really." She rolled her brown eyes, scoffing as she did so. "I guess I don't have much of a choice though, do I?"
Thomas then faced the girl, taking in her red, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks. His heart plummeted in his chest.
Seeing the girl who seemed so fearless and ruthless in such a disoriented and vulnerable state, cut deeply into Thomas. Brenda had become incredibly important to him. She was someone he knew he needed in order to make it through everything they were doing. She was his gravity.
Ever since Teresa had betrayed them and they had lost Mihno, he had needed someone to talk with, to open up to about his fears and heartache. That person had been Brenda. For countless hours, she had sat and listened to him, giving him the free space of vulnerability and sympathy, a gift when you consider how fearless and brave Thomas had to always be. She kept him sane.
With that gift, Thomas had begun to notice things. He noticed how the sun shined on her tanned skin, and how she always seemed to hold a smug grin when playing cards in the sleeping quarters before bed, and how she prefusily tapped her right leg when she got anxious. He came to adore her snarky backhanded compliments, and felt himself missing her whenever they were apart. So, seeing his Brenda upset and broken, was more heartache then he felt he could take.
Desperately, he searched his mind for the right words. "What she said isn't right. In all honesty, you have done more for us then any of these shanks. Someday they will thank you. I promise."
Brenda couldn't help but crack a smile, feeling touched by Thomas's soft words. "Yeah. Those ass-hats will be kissing my ass by the end of this." Brenda gently grinned, feeling herself stabilize.
Thomas saw her smile and felt himself floating, flabbergasted by the impact of such a small act.
"What do you say we grab our dinner and bring it here?" He wanted to have her to himself for awhile… to make sure she wouldn't fight anyone else of course.
"That sounds like a good idea." Brenda took Thomas's helping hand and stood up, dusting the sand off her pants as she did so.
Together, the pair began walk towards the cafeteria, shoulder to shoulder.
The silence was broken by the sound of Thomas clearing his throat. "So ahhh…" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, "Can you teach me to punch like that?"
The two erupted into laughter, feeling their worries wash away. They would be okay, so long as they had each other.
I really hope you all enjoyed this! Please feel free to leave a comment and like!:)
Love,
Thepowerfulcallalily