Chapter 7:

Mary woke up late the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky so she assumed it was almost noon. She couldn't believe she slept through the walls opening, that was something that always woke her up. That got her thinking about running and how Minho hadn't woken her up to run her section today. She got out of bed and got changed into something a little more suited for outside the Homestead.

As she walked down the stairs towards the door of the homestead she heard murmuring from the foyer. She looked around and saw two boys, ones she's never seen before talking rather quietly. When they saw her coming towards the door they stopped talking and stared at her.

"What?" She asked, kind of annoyed at the fresh meat singling her out. Who did they think they were? She was the one who's been here since day one. If anything, she should be singling them out. Telling them what to do and what not to do, but she decided to let it go, she was still exhausted from getting stung and frankly wasn't even in the mood to fight with anyone right now. She just wanted to go find Minho. She left the Homestead and started to wonder why Minho wouldn't have woken her up, maybe he didn't know she woke up last night, or maybe he wanted to give her a little more time to recover. She knew Minho's intentions were for the good of the Glade and if that was why he hadn't woken her she didn't mind.

When she left the Homestead she almost forgot about the remodelling of the Glade she saw the previous night when Newt showed her around. She stretched and continued on her way until she saw a group of guys huddled around some plants in the garden, one being Nick. She walked up to them and Nick saw her approach.

"Well if it isn't our brave survivor." He said, getting up from his crouched position on the ground around a couple more Greenies and looking at her. "Guy's this is Mary." He introduced her to the Greenies. Some of them didn't even look at her and she rolled her eyes thinking back to the rule Newt told her about last night that Nick had established.

"Relax guys, I don't bite." She tried to lighten the mood. They didn't seem to take the joke.

"They're still a bit shaken up from everything. They just have to get used to it..." Nick said. He started walking away from the Greenies so they could talk more privately. "How're you feeling?" He asked.

"A lot better really. Why didn't anyone wake me up this morning when the walls opened?" She asked, wasting no time to get to her point.

"We thought you could use the rest... And frankly we didn't think you'd want anything to do with the maze after getting stung." He explained.

"Why wouldn't I? Nick I want to help find a way out." She told him.

"Did you already forget what happened to you the last time you were in there?" He asked, stopping in his tracks and talking to her directly. "Because of it we've been sending people out with running partners so if one person get stung the other can help get them back here." She didn't look at him as he explained to her their new rules. She just looked off into the distance as he talked, too heated to look at him directly.

She shook her head when he finished. "Things are changing way too fast Nick. I'm out for a few months and all of a sudden things are running completely differently." She said. "Keepers... Gatherings... A shucking slammer- really Nick we need a prison?" She asked, trying to keep her voice down, she didn't want any of the Greenies to hear what they were talking about.

"Look I know-"

"Why would we need a prison? And all these new rules..." She said.

"They're to keep everyone safe." He told her, keeping his cool.

"We are safe. As long as those doors close at night we're safe." She pointed at the North door. "All I'm saying is things seem like they're escalating too quickly..." Nick didn't say anything, just listened. "Look I know you want to keep us all safe, and away from whatever the hell is out there in the maze. I trust your judgment that's why we made you our leader... But this all starting to get a little out of hand."

"Out of hand? Mary Things got out of hand when I started catching Gladers trying to look up your top while you were out cold." He said clearly, now getting a little agitated. "We're stuck in the middle of a huge shucking maze! In a giant square and it's just now starting to get out of hand?" He asked. It was Mary's turn to listen up. "I know you don't like these new rules Mary, I get it. But you've missed a lot since you got stung. they're necessary, believe me. I mean Jesus, you have no idea how many times we found Greenies sneaking into the Med-jack hut after they heard there was a girl in the Glade."

"I know... Newt told me last night..." She said, hanging her head, actually thankful that he did something about that.

"Oh and don't even get me started on Newt..." He shook his head. Mary's eyes shot up to his.

"What about Newt?" She asked.

"He's been by your side practically every second since we got that Serum in you. I had to pry him away because he even stopped running his section. When I did pry him away that was when those Greenies would come wandering in. He was all for it when I mentioned the possibility of making that rule about you."

"He was?" She asked. Nick nodded his head. Mary took a minute to think, he never left his side because he thought it was his fault she got stung in the first place. "He blames himself for what happened to me. I can see it when I look at him." She admitted.

"He does... I think he always will." Nick agreed. "We tried telling him it wasn't, that it was just a freak accident-"

"It was a freak accident. He didn't do anything that could have gotten me stung. It would've happened if I was in there alone." She shrugged.

"I know, Newt wouldn't have gotten you stung on purpose, he'd never do that to you." Nick said as they continued to walk side by side. She found it easy to talk to Nick. Ever since the first day she's gotten this vibe from him, he kind of took on the roll of her big brother, he had her back and she had his. He was straightforward and blunt and he told you what was what in a nice way. He really was a great leader and she respected him. "Why don't you take it easy today, you deserve a couple days off." She was about to argue when he held up a hand. "Just until you're feeling better, alright?" He asked.

"Nick I'm fine." She insisted.

"I know that's what you're saying, but you don't look it. You're still shaken up and you're acting different." He said, she didn't think Nick could tell she was feeling different but ever since she had that memory come back to her she's felt off. "There's something different about you, don't think I haven't noticed." He smirked. He could read her like an open book. "You don't have to tell me what it is, I'm sure whatever it is you'll be able to deal with it, you're tough... A lot tougher then some of these shanks that's for sure."

"Thanks." She smiled.

"When you're feeling up to it, your new running partner is going to be Newt... He was the only one who didn't get assigned one while you were out because he was always watching your back while you were sleeping." Made enough sense, Newt was also her best friend, other than Nick so she didn't mind at all running next to Newt out there.

"Okay, sounds good." She nodded.

"Good. Now go get some rest." He said, walking back toward the Greenies.

When the evening rolled in Mary waited by the map room for the runners to return one by one through the maze doors. Minho was the first one to come back, he was tired and looked miserable until he saw Mary land headed into the map room. His face lit up as he started to laugh.

"Well well well... I see you're feeling better." He said as she walked past him and towards the forest. She liked the silence and solitude of the forest, when she walked in deep enough she couldn't hear any of the other Gladers. It was like being somewhere completely different... That was until she reached the East maze door. That ruined the experience. After about an hour of wandering around the forest she walked back out but bumped into Ben.

"Oh sorry." She said, moving around him. She hadn't talked to him since the bonfire that night months ago and didn't really know anything about him... But to be perfectly honest she liked him a lot more than those random Greenies.

"Hey I was actually looking for you." He said. "People kept saying you finally woke up and I had to talk to you." He sounded different from the last time she had talked to him and was honestly surprised how normal he sounded.

"Well you found me..." She said.

"I wanted to come find you. I still feel like you hate me after that night at the bonfire." He began. He wasn't wrong. She did sort of hate him. "I never really got the chance to explain myself and how embarrassed I felt when I woke up the next morning. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable like that..." He said. His voice was sincere and Mary stood there in shock. She realized how much she judged him without hearing his side of the story.

"Wow.. I'm actually really surprised." She admitted, laughing nervously.

"I really hope we can forget this ever happened and just start over." He let out a nervous laugh.

"Of course." She smiled and held out her hand in front of her. "Hi I'm Mary." She introduced herself.

He smiled and shook her hand. "Hi I'm Ben." The two of them laughed.

"It's nice to finally meet the real you." She told him. "Get me in a corner like that again though and I'll have you curled up on the ground crying faster than you can say Griever." Ben laughed nervously. He seemed like an okay guy. After he explained further about how he never really got the chance to talk to Mary after the bonfire and how he wanted to apologize sooner but Mary ran off so quickly the next morning he didn't have the time. She liked how he fessed up to her, explained himself further and they actually got along rather well. He must've had way more to drink than she did. They talked for a while longer before she saw him looking off into the distance behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Newt running back into the Glade from the South door, eyes glued on Ben as he ran into the map room.

"Mary I'm going to be honest here. I know I apologized for the night at the bonfire, but it wasn't a lie when I said some Gladers want you to themselves..." Ben said, looking back at Mary.

"What?" She asked, turning back to Ben.

"Nothing, it doesn't matter." He said shook his head. "Forget I mentioned it."

"No tell me what you mean." She really wanted to know, after he said it at the bonfire she couldn't stop thinking about it either.

He hesitated before speaking. "Don't you think it's a little weird how Newt was in the maze with you when you got stung?" He asked.

"He just wanted to make sure I was alright." She explained what Newt had told her.

"And he never left your side while you were asleep." He added.

"He was looking out for me. Those Greenies were trying to come in." She told Ben.

Ben shook his head. "Yeah but we were supposed to do shifts. Nick wanted all the Runners to alternate watching you just in case you woke up, but Newt wouldn't have it." Ben explained. "He wouldn't let anyone else look after you." Mary looked back over her shoulder at the map room. She didn't want to believe it but Ben had a point. Something in her gut was telling her that he was right. She just didn't want to believe it but Hearing Ben say it out loud just made sense.

"He's just..." She was at a loss for words, trying to think of another excuse to defend Newt.

"Obsessed?" Ben asked.

Mary turned back to Ben. "He's not obsessed. He's just worried. I'd be worried about him too if he just got stung." She tried to tell Ben.

"Hey you know what, forget I mentioned it Mary. I'll see you at dinner." He said, patting her on the shoulder as he walked off. Mary turned around and walked toward the map room. It was no secret Newt and Ben didn't get along, that much had always been obvious... But Newt didn't seem to like it when anyone had her alone. Mary cared about Newt and he cared about her, but sometimes it felt like it was too much. She took in a deep breath and caught Newt as he left the map room.

"Hey." she said, pulling his attention towards her.

"Hey, everything okay...?" He asked, walking up to her. He stood in front of her, she tried to ignore his intimidating height.

"Yeah I actually need to talk to you." She sighed.

"What did Ben say to you?" He asked, curiosity and detest thick in his accent.

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about..." She began.

"After the whole bonfire thing I thought you two weren't really on speaking terms." Newt said.

"He apologized about that just so you know. And I don't really think it's any of your business what we were talking about Newt." She said as she crossed her arms in frustration. "Why do you care so much anyway?" She asked.

"I'm just looking out for you." He said, not liking the way her attitude changed suddenly.

"Yeah you've been doing a lot of that lately, haven't you?" She tilted her head to the side.

"What?" He asked, more like spat.

"You heard me. It seems like everywhere I go you're watching me! I don't need you towering over me every second of the day!" She told him. "I can take care of myself."

"Jesus Mary it's because you just got bloody stung! I'm just looking out for you." He explained.

"Looking out for me, is that what you call it? Newt I wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!" She blurted out. After she said it she wished she could shove the words back into her mouth. Something in his eyes changed as they stood there in silence, staring at each other. "Newt that's not what I meant-"

"So you do blame me." He said. She didn't get a chance to say anything else as he walked past her, bumping her shoulder. Mary turned back to him, calling his name but he didn't turn around. She ran her hand through her hair and winced, wishing she could take back what she said.

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