Chapter Twenty
"Come on, shuck face, just stop!"
Thomas finally heeded the calls from the boy behind him, slowing his pace reluctantly. His lungs very desperate for air and his pulse was still sky-high, adrenaline pumping from their fight.
"You must be jacked in the head." Minho gasped when they finally stopped, leaning over to put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
Thomas reached out to the tree beside him for support, gulping in the cool air. He didn't answer the asian boy's remark, partly because he knew it was probably accurate enough. He looked around them, trying to get his bearings. How far were they from Newt's tree? Thomas felt sick and uneasy being so far away from the blonde. He could only hope the Careers hadn't noticed his friend, and that Newt had stayed put.
"D'you think we've lost them?" he asked instead.
Minho straightened, looking around them with his head to one side. They stayed like that for a long moment, breathing silently and straining to listen. Thomas grew more and more anxious with every passing second, desperate to get back and make sure Newt was okay.
"I think we're good." Minho replied eventually, breaking the tense silence. He looked at Thomas with his strange blue eyes. "Why'd you do that?"
Thomas shrugged under his scrutiny, pretending to adjust his pack. Minho simply waited for an answer.
"Reckless behaviour from a shank who claimed he just wants to get by. You played bait."
Minho's comment was curious, with a knowing undertone that made Thomas feel uncomfortable. He started off in the direction of the tree where he'd left Newt, eager to be back. He didn't need to look over his shoulder to know that the asian boy was following him. They crept through the trees in silence for a while before Thomas spoke.
"He's my friend."
He was listening as he walked, his ears straining between each step and hearing nothing besides muted animal sounds and their own noises.
"Dangerous to have friends out here." Minho commented.
"Yeah, well." Thomas replied absently, halting at the soft sound of a shuffle up ahead. "You and i seem to be doing okay."
Minho chuckled breathily, halting right beside Thomas as they listened to the sound for several minutes before deciding it was just a bird. Minho replied when they started moving again.
"Good that. But if i really wanted to, i could've slit your throat several times over already."
Thomas resisted the urge to look over his shoulder at the other boy, swallowing the uneasy feeling. It was true, and yet so far they'd done okay. He upped his speed, going as fast as he dared over the uneven brush.
"I could've killed you the first night, bow or not." he muttered back.
Minho simply chuckled.
"And yet instead you made a show out of defending that blonde of yours and gave me food and now i'm following you around like a slint-headed shank because of a shucking debt."
Thomas shot him a surprised look.
"What debt? You don't owe us anything."
Minho snorted.
"I owe you well enough. You two probably saved my shuck ass."
Thomas shook his head earnestly, looking back at Minho again.
"No, you don't owe-"
A piercing scream cut him off and the two boys froze in surprise, fear of the noise coursing through them. It left the air electrified, their ears buzzing. A second scream cut through the air and Thomas's stomach turned cold. The cry was pained and terrified, and unbearably young.
