Chapter 26

"For a moment I thought you weren't going to come." Julia closed the door behind herself and faced Teresa who was lying on her side on the bed. "Hey, is everything alright? Did Minho do something?" She asked with compassion and fear clear in her voice, standing up she got closer and Julia realised her eyes must have been still red and wet.

"What? No!" She shook her head rapidly. "We just had a really heart-to-heart talk.

"Oh, okay. Sorry." Teresa looked down at her feet slightly uncomfortable.

"No, it's fine. Thanks for worrying by the way." She smiled. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be insane."

"Like today wasn't." Teresa chuckled. They bid each other a goodnight and lied in their beds. It was all so weird for Julia without Newt's warmth and with a quite comfy mattress underneath her. But the darkness overwhelmed her soon enough, and the morning came way too quickly. Jorge awoke all of them by sunrise. Frypan helped him make some food for the road, while the others packed their backpacks. After they'd finished, they were good to go.

It turned out the city had its residents. They were all scruffy dressed and had dishevelled hair. It didn't come to any of them as a shock. They knew, or at least they thought they did, what this people have endured.

Newt was by Julia's side, holding her hand tightly, but only when he brought her closer, pressing her against him she realized few bacon-faced men had been watching her. She shivered, when she saw one of them licking his upper-lip.

Soon they all were aware of how those people were reacting to them. Long stares, the way they staggered, the way they roared. Could it be...? Julia considered them infected with the flare. She tried not to glance at them and keep her eyes on the road or simply ahead.

When Newt stopped she realized they were standing in front of one of the buildings. It had no doors and loud music along with awful smell was coming from the inside. On the outside in a plastic chair was sitting a blond-haired woman with smeared all over her face. She slowly sipped a green liquid from a glass bottle. Jorge walked up to her one of his hands already in a fist.

"Well, well, well, isn't it my favourite, amigo?" She stood up, almost falling down in the process on her unbelievably high heels. She stumbled as she walked towards Jorge with a smirk. "What can I do for you?"

"You know exactly." They were standing really close and Jorge was clearly getting uncomfortable. But when the woman stayed quiet he asked. "Where is he?"

"Who?" She chortled just like people they had passed on their way there.

"You know who you filthy crank! Where's Marcus?!" It seemed Jorge was losing it. Julia exchanged a worried glance with Newt.

"Oh, he…" She chuckled and the sound made them cringe. "Inside. But you better drink some of this first. It's no fun in there without it." Jorge pushed passed her and they all quickly followed him, ignoring the green drink in her hand.

People inside were dancing to brassy music. They were either all over each other or were yelling things at the empty space before them. Julia turned away when one of men smirked at her and she pushed herself closer to Newt and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"There's too many rooms." Jorge stated. "We gotta spread out if we wanna find them." They all nodded, but Newt didn't move until Julia told him it was okay.

She went through a dark corridor, but made sure no one followed her. Those guys were probably too drunk to remember her a second after they looked at her. She was about to turn around and leave, sure the corridor had no end, but she heard a voice. It was quiet and she almost missed it. Inside, something told her not to go, to turn around and run back to Newt. But her legs seemed to have the mind of their own.

She entered a gloomy room, where music was almost inaudible. The entrance was covered with a dirty sheet and she delicately pushed it aside with her palm.

"Who is it?" She heard someone say in a threatening tone. Thought, she couldn't see who it was she swore she heard that voice before.

"David?" Her voice was squeaky, when she said his name. He came closer and his arms dropped and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Julia?" When she nodded her head quickly he ran up to her and hugged her. She couldn't stop the tears that gathered in her eyes from falling. "I'd never thought I'd see you again."

"Same, shank." She laughed through tears. Then as if she remembered something she pulled away. "Is Nicole-" She couldn't finish her question so he finished for her.

"She's here. She's okay." He looked her straight in the eyes, while he said it. And Julia could feel a giant weight being lifted from her shoulder. "We both hide in different rooms during the day, they're drunk either way, but it's safer to blend in at night. Let me take you to her."

" 'Kay." She said and walked out. When they left the bleak corridor they worked arm to arm, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone, when they heard Newt.

"Julia, we found the-" He stopped when his eyes fell on David and Julia remembered the last memory he had with him. "Stay away from her!" He yelled and launched himself at him. He punched him square in the jaw, sending David straight to the floor before Julia could blink. They got themselves attention of few drunken guys around them, but they quickly turned away. It seems this kind of fights must have been a workaday situation.

"Newt stop!" She stepped in between them. His face from furious turned to a deep frown as if he was trying to understand what exactly was going on?

"Julia, what's going on?" His voice showed his confusion, yet anger lingered in it.

"Let's go outside." She exhaled, showing with her head the way out. "Stay here." She told David, not wanting the two to interact, before she'd explained everything to Newt.

"Love, what's going on?" Newt asked her when they went outside. They hid in an alley away from the crowd. "Why is he here? Why's he still alive? Why-"

"Newt! Stop, just… please just let me explain." He folded his arms on his chest, closing his lips. She took it as a sign to start. "When I… was told to leave the Glade…" She sighed not knowing how to tell him. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably and she found it odd that he didn't take her palms in his. "I was terrified to see David there, but… he turned out to be on our side. WICKED controlled him and-"

"Julia, wait!" He raised his hand lightly and then slowly rubbed his temple.

"Newt, when they took me I rebelled against WICKED with him and y-"

"So you're telling me that you trusted him after what he did to you?" He yelled at her, not letting her finish.

"He didn't do anything to me! It-"

"HE TRIED TO BLOODY RAPE YOU!" She couldn't recall him scream. Not at her not like this.

"It was WICKED, Newt. They played with his mind just like they tried to play with mine."

"And I guess it worked out for them pretty well." He scoffed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Newt, just stop it. I thought of all people you'd understand-"

"Understand what? That you bloody sided with this monster just to put up a fight-"

"I did this to protect you, Newt! You were suicidal! I couldn't just stand and watch-"

"I was suicidal because of you!" He screamed and after that a silence settled between the pair. Newt's eyes widened after he realized what he had just told her. "Love, I swear I didn't-"

"It's okay." She interrupted him, finding it in herself to look at him. "It doesn't matter now What matters is that he and Nicole are alive and-"

"Why wouldn't Nicole be alive?" He took a step back and she trembled at the realization. She had to tell him everything now. At the worst possible moment. She closed her eyes and exhaled, before she said.

"This rebellion… Me, David and Nicole took part in it. I was shot in the fight and I just assumed…" Her voice was getting squeaky, but Newt didn't seem to care. "That they were dead." She whispered.

"You thought my sister was dead and you didn't think I should know?!" He never looked at her that way before. It was almost as if he despised her. She wouldn't blame him if he did.

In fact, he did not fully remember Nicole. He remembered small things back from when he and Julia both got some memories back, but he also had this feeling inside him. He just knew he loved and cared for his sister just as much as he cared for Julia. It was strange, because when he would see his sister, she'd probably feel like a stranger.

He couldn't look at Julia after what she'd just told him, so he didn't. He tried to control his breathing. He would forgive her trusting David. If he really was controlled… But she put his sister in danger for stupid-involving-three-people-fight.

He started walking away, moving past Julia, when she caught him by the hand. He pulled away in an instant as if the touch was burning his palm.

"Where are you going?" She asked pleadingly, desperately looking for his eyes, but he wouldn't meet her concerned gaze. Her eyes were slowly filling up with tears just as if they sensed what was about to come.

"Just let me go, Julia." He scowled trying once again to walk away, but she ran up and crossed his path.

"Newt, please don't walk away from me now. Let's talk about this-"

"And what do you want to talk about? That you bloody lied to me? That you conspired with an-almost-rapist? Or that you almost got my sister bloody killed and forgot to mention it?" He snapped. His eyes were looking into hers, while he yelled every single word. And she let him for she knew she deserved it. Yet she wouldn't let him go. She was about to speak up, but he outran her. "Just leave me alone!"

"No, Newt-"

"What do you want from me, huh? Why can't you just shucking let me leave?!"

"Because I promised you'd never be rid of me!" He faced her with anger, disappointment and torment written all over his boyish face.

"Then I release you of your promise-"

"Newt-" She fiercely tried to stop him.

"Just leave! Can't you see what you did to me? What you're still doing you me? Go to him if ya so bloody missed him." He hissed and moved past her. She whispered his name, but he didn't give her a second look.

That way she didn't see the tears that were streaming down his face as every part of his being ached more and more with every step that he took putting more space between them. But for his retreat, he'd see her fall to her knees as she covered her mouth with her palm in agony as his words slowly sank in. Because she lost him again, yet this time she had no hope for getting him back. This time she it was all her fault.

And as he was getting further and further into the city she felt as if her hands were tied while someone was ripping her heart to shreds bit by bit.

When Teresa announced she found Thomas, he helped her get him into a small unused room upstairs. He returned into the main room quickly, thought, in search of the rest of his friends. He found Newt first and told him where Thomas was currently.

He went to look for Fry and Aris, when he noticed him. It's been so long since he had last seen the bastards face, but he knew he'd never forget it.

There stood David, quiet lost between half –alive people. For a second there he thought there was something in the air and he was as stoned as the rest of the bevy there. So he yelled his name. And when the boy turned Minho ran up to him.

David practically ducked just as if he was trying to dodge a punch. Minho noticed someone already hurt the shuckface for his nose was bleeding.

"Minho? I c-can explain!" He stuttered. Minho was about to say something witty, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face Jorge

"I found Brenda. She's upstairs with ya friend, hermano. Let's go."

Just when the words left Jorge's mouth Julia entered the place again. If Minho were to be honest he'd tell her she looked like klunk. But he worried more of what had made her cry so much. Her cheeks were red and wet from tears. Some of them were still in her eyes. But when she noticed them staring she composed herself, or at least tried to, and ran up to them almost immediately.

"Guys?" She asked warily.

"Thomas and Brenda are upstairs. They're hangover, but they'll live." Minho explained. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just tired and…" She looked troubled and he swore she was looking for an excuse. "You should go with me and David." She motioned for him to follow her. "We'll join you in a moment." She told Jorge. The man left with troubled expression, deciding not to dig into teens drama.

"Where's Newt?" Julia stopped dead in her tracks.

"He'll be back soon." She said after a moment. "But we should go."

He followed David and Julia with frown, wondering what was going on. Is she and Newt? Did she tell him? Did they…? NO! That's impossible! It's them they wouldn't… they couldn't…

His brain stopped working when they reached the end of one of many gloomy corridors in the building.

"David?" He heard a female voice. "What are you doing? It's day-time! We're not supposed to-" She stopped talking, when she noticed who walked in.

"Hi." Julia laughed nervously. She was about to say something more, when the girl through herself on her, wrapping her anorectic arms around Julia.

"I'd never thought I'd see you again." She sobbed.

"You're not the only one." A delicate smile managed to form itself on Julia's lips. "But there's someone else." She whispered. The girl pulled away to look behind Julia.

"Minho?" She breathed in surprise and he noticed her eyes were glimpsing with teardrops.

"Nicole…" He said softly, a smile creeping onto his face. She moved toward him fats at first but quickly slowing down. She was standing before him trying to find the right words.

"D-do you… I mean… Can you… You remember me?"