The Life Trials
Chapter 1
Darkness flooded the field – the atmosphere full of nothing but talking in the distance. Thomas stared up into the sky, his crystal blue eyes examining the beauty of it. He turned to his left. Brenda lay there also, after noticing his sudden movement she turned to face him. Her eyes were beautiful, an unusual shade of brown – a dark chocolate colour. She smiled at him. Her smile was just as beautiful as her eyes.
"What's wrong Tommy?" she asked delicately.
"Nothing" he whispered, immediately turning back to look at the sky again.
Pain struck through him to the point where he felt numb. It had been so long since Teresa had referred to him by that nickname. He remembered her always using it back in The Maze.
Too much had happened since then.
It had been only four months since they had reached the magnificent clearing after stepping through the Flat Trans. It took a while for Thomas to start speaking to his friends again. In fact he spent the first week chucking stones into the distance. His friends would sit around the carefully tendered campfire – watching the lonely, lost soul, in the distance. As they settled comfortably into the second week – Thomas began to offer mumbles and grunts as he passed people, and by the third week he was joining them at dinner again.
Despite his ignorance – he stayed social with one person, the one person who truly mattered.
Brenda.
He felt shy to give her praise – but she had been an angel to him since they arrived. For a long time she didn't say anything to him – she just sat there with him, watching him chuck stones. Sometimes – she would chuck stones with him. When it came to sleeping – she would stay only a few meters away – not taking her eyes of Thomas, waiting until he fell asleep before she did herself.
By the second month Thomas had returned to his usual self – engaging into conversation with his friends again. Minho seemed annoyed with him at first – probably because he had blanked him for ages – but he was quick to put it behind him and return to his somewhat cheery self. Minho had changed a lot after losing his best friend Newt – but he never failed to laugh every night.
Although Thomas had begun to return to his normal self – he still spent his nights falling asleep next to Brenda. It seemed that as time went on – they got closer and closer to each other. Until one day – they slept in each other's arms. They didn't utter a word – they just kept each other warm, perfectly content.
They had slept with each other every night from there onwards, tonight was just like any other night. They would stare at the stars until their eyes couldn't stare anymore – then they would drift into a dream – staying close.
Thomas felt a massive hole inside him without Teresa – despite the fact that he hated her towards the end. Images of her death flashed through his mind every time he fell asleep.
He hated her memory.
Wait – no.
How could he? She was once his best friend. She may have hurt him, not just mentally – but she was the closest person to the beating pump he had as a heart. She was his world – and it crashed down when he lost her.
He realized that Brenda hadn't stopped looking at him - feeling rude – he turned back to meet her gaze again.
She was crying.
"I think is the first time I've seen you cry Brenda" he said softly. He felt guilty. He wanted to put all the memories of Teresa behind. He wanted to settle down with Brenda in some form of a relationship and begin to enjoy his life. Other Gladers had already matched up – the couples that began to appear around him made him feel sick.
But he wanted that.
He just felt like he was betraying Teresa by even thinking about it.
She still hadn't replied to him. In fact, she had began to cry more. It was painful – watching tear droplets trickle down her face.
Even crying – she looked stunning.
She moved her lips – as if she was trying to say something. She kept stopping though, almost like she was in fear of saying it.
Eventually – she spoke – in a soft, delicate tone.
"That's because this is the first time I've been in love, Thomas"
And with that – she turned around, and for the first time since they had started sleeping together – closed her eyes first.