'Tommy', the nickname, made him feel like home, made him feel peaceful, like a hope that everything will be alright. Newt was the only person he liked so far. He seemed really nice and friendly.

All his peace started to vanish as he saw Newt walk away. He sat by the tree, not being able to move as again the lack of knowledge hit his brain. He made the list of things he knew so far, as if he feared he would forget them again.

My name's Thomas. This place is called the Glade. These people call themselves Gladers. I can't harm anyone of them, not that I was going to. I can't go outside this place, and I have to do something to live here. He lost his train of thoughts when a short and pudgy kid, not over twelve or thirteen, came up to him. "Hey! My name's Chuck, I'm your guide."

It got dark. All the Gladers were near the fire, celebrating the fact that they survived one more month in the Glade. But the last thing Thomas wanted right now was to celebrate.

After knowing a maze outside these walls surrounded them, and he wasn't allowed to go there, he felt angry, more than scared. He wanted to be alone, so he walked away from the Gladers and sat down facing the wall which had the exit some time ago and rested his back on a big log.

Chuck came up to him with something to eat, but Thomas didn't feel like eating.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Newt came up behind him, which made him jump a little. He put one hand around Thomas's shoulder, in which he was holding some kind of drink, and from another took whatever Chuck had brought for him. "Thanks, Chuckie." he grinned and then sat down beside Thomas. He didn't mind Newt's company. He felt like he was the best person to be with right now. Out of everyone he met so far, Newt was the only one with a smart and calm personality.

Chuck said nothing and left. For a long time, both of them just sat there saying nothing, looking at the enormous wall in front of them.

Finally, Newt looked at him and broke the silence. "Hell of a first day, Greenie. Here. Put some hair on your chest." He offered him the drink he was drinking. With no second thoughts, Thomas took it from him and tried to drink it, but the taste burned in his tongue and he splashed it out of his mouth, right in front of him into the grass.

"Oh... Oh, my God! What is that?"

Newt laughed, "I don't even know."

Thomas looked at him, surprised.

"It's Gally's recipe. It's a trade secret."

Thomas looked at Gally, where he was wrestling with some other boy. "Yeah, well, he's still an asshole."

Newt looked at him. "He saved your life today."

That was true, to be honest. If Gally hadn't stopped him from entering the maze in time, he would have died being crushed by those walls.

"Trust me. The maze is a dangerous place."

He looked at Newt, feeling lost. "We're trapped here, aren't we?"

"For the moment. But...," Newt pointed at where the Gladers were standing, "you see those guys? There, by the fire? Those are the runners. That guy in the middle there, that's Minho." He pointed at one of the two boys he saw enter the glade right before the walls closed. "He's the Keeper of the Runners. Every morning, when those doors open, they run the maze... mapping it, trying to find a way out."

A small bubble of hope started forming inside him. "How long have they been looking?"

"Three years."

And that bubble burst. "And they haven't found anything." The pitch in his voice got a little high.

"It's a lot easier said than done. Listen." The older boy leaned in. Thomas could see the sparkle in his eyes from the firelight far away. The same fire making his freckles visible and highlighting his soft, messy blonde hair. "Hear that? It's the maze, changing. It changes every night." Newt leaned back to his original position.

"How is that even possible?" Came out with the breath Thomas didn't know he was holding.

"You can ask the people who put us in here, if you ever meet the bastards... Listen, the truth is... the Runners are the only ones who really know what's out there. They are the strongest and the fastest of us all. Best of Best, those guys."

"Why aren't you one?" he asked instantly.

Newt's gaze returned to Thomas sharply. "Was till I hurt my leg few months back. Hasn't been the bloody same since." He reached down and rubbed his right ankle absently, a brief look of pain flashing across his face. The look made Thomas think it was more from the memory, not any actual physical pain he still felt. Thomas didn't want to press on that, so he asked him about the Runners.

"They have to be the best... because if they don't make it back before those doors close... then they are stuck out there for the night. And no one has ever survived a night in the maze." Newt told him.

"What happens to them?"

"Well, we call them Grievers. Of course, no one's ever seen one and lived to tell about it. But they're out there."

Thomas fell silent. He couldn't think of anything to ask Newt.

"Right," Newt said, "that's enough questions for one night. Come on," he looked at Thomas, "You're supposed to be the guest of honour."

"Oh, no..." Thomas still didn't feel like celebrating.

"No! No, come on." He pulled Thomas up with his one arm —he was so strong, it felt like he could rip Thomas's arm off. He rested one arm around his shoulder, making Thomas walk with him. "Let me show you around. Come on." His arm around him felt warm and comfortable. Somehow it made him less anxious to walk around the other Gladers, who until now, he didn't want to talk to.

While walking through the crowd, he pointed at Gally and other boys surrounding him. "There we got the Builders. They're very good with their hands… But not a lot going on upstairs." He made a gesture, pointing at his brain, and then smiled at them when they looked at him.

He introduced him to Frypan, Keeper of the cooks; Zart, Keeper of Track-hoe; Winston, keeper of the Slicers; and two med-jacks, Clint and Jeff. Everyone seemed to like Newt. It delighted every person he introduced to him to meet him. Something told him that he wouldn't have gotten these cheerful responses from everyone if it wasn't Newt who was introducing him. He was glad Newt made him come here.

Walking away from them, it hit Thomas that maybe he should tell Newt about wanting to be a Runner. He was the only person with whom he could talk freely, besides Chuck, and he felt like the right person to talk to.

"Hey, Newt."

"Hmm"

"What if I want to be a Runner?"

They stooped, walking, and Newt looked at him in disbelief. "Have you listened to a word I've just said? No one wants to be a Runner. And, besides, you gotta be chosen."

"Chosen by who?... whoa!"

Gally just pushed a boy, he was fighting, making Thomas trip.

Gally looked at him. "What do you say, Greenie? Wanna see what you're made of?" He said, challenging him to fight.

Everyone started chanting 'Greenie' to cheer him.

Thomas looked at Newt as if asking for his permission. Newt just shrugged and made a look that said, 'It's your call.'

Thomas entered the circle. He saw everyone gathering excitedly to see him. Even Minho, who until now looked like he couldn't care less about what was going on, came up close to watch him.

Gally explained to him the rules. After being shoved down by Gally two times, he finally tricked him to fall outside the circle. Alby was the first one to shout, "There you go, Thomas!" and others followed.

Everyone cheered his name. Newt came up to him, pat his back and handed him the drink he was drinking before. This time he drank it in one go. Frypan and others came up to shake his hand. Even Gally shook his hand. "Welcome home, Greenie."

Seeing everyone around him celebrating, he didn't feel that much sad now. He felt carefree for a moment. He thought. Maybe it won't be that bad after all.

I really hate drinking. To my dear readers, do not do underage drinking unless someone trapped you inside a big maze for over three years.