Thanks for all the reviews and the names. They were all amazing! I think I'm going to go with Linewt, so thanks Sakura Ann Kinimo-san! Oh and if you don't mind, can you leave me a name for Ben and Lizzy? Thanks! Okay. On to the story..
Two were gone. I couldn't lose the last one. I just couldn't.
Three days earlier..
Day 1: (This is the day after chapter 7. Sorry this is kinda confusing!)
I woke to Ben shaking my shoulders lightly and pushing my hair out of my face.
"Morning, beautiful," he smiled. I smiled back. At least last night, he had forgiven me. Otherwise, I had a pretty shitty day. Gally and Rosa seemed to make the perfect duo, or couple, whatever. They made me sick.
"Morning," I smiled back and reached up to him for a kiss. He laughed afterwards and slipped on his runners pack and handed me mine. Oh, yesterday, after Minho had gotten back from the Maze, he had started to see if I could even keep up with him. Surprisingly, I could. Minho had finally decided late last night that I should try running in the Maze with him today despite Newt's rather annoyed and angry face. I didn't even care.
"Come on," Ben said after I had changed into a soft grey tank top, black running shorts, and new running shoes and slipped my hair up into a tight ponytail. He held my hand as we walked towards the Runners area for weapons and such.
"Here," Minho who was already there with his hair styled in it's usual perfect way. I couldn't understand how. He handed me two long, very sharp knives, which I placed in my pack and three small daggers for throwing. At what, I wasn't entirely sure. Well, I did. The Grievers. But I had never exactly seen one, so I didn't know what to expect.
After the three runners, Bill, Minho, and Ben, and lastly me, had packed all our weapons and lunches, we began to jog towards the Maze. I loved the feeling of the wind blowing against as, like an invisible force, and I loved finally feeling free. And what made me most happy was that I could finally help the other Gladers. I was surprised to see Newt and Alby standing by the doors with neutral expressions.
"Be careful out there. Especially you, Lizzy," Alby nodded his head, patted us each on the shoulders, and walked back to the Homestead. Newt turned towards me with a frown and crossed his arms.
"What?" I snapped.
"Just be careful in the Maze. Honestly, I think you shouldn't even be in there," Newt said.
"Hey!" Ben almost growled. "Don't talk to her. If she wants to run with us, then she can."
"I'm actually worried about what happens to her. Now, you listen to me Ben," Newt stepped forward so only Ben and I could hear him. "Don't let her out of your sight." And then he walked away without another word. Shrugging my shoulders, I followed the Runners into the Maze.
It was almost time to go back whenever we stopped at the sight of a crumpled thick envelope resting in the vines.
"What the hell?" Minho said and walked forward. He pulled the envelope free as we gathered around him with curious faces. Dumping the contents out of his hand, it revealed several sheet of paper and what looked like a couple of photos.
"They're addressed to..," Minho said, glancing up at us. "They're for you, Lizzy," he handed me the papers, photos, and envelope. After a moment of silence, we agreed to go back and then read the contents of the envelope. But running back towards the "safe" Glade, I couldn't help but feel like someone was coming after me.
After we had finished mapping our section we had covered that day, I sat in our room, alone, and pulled out the papers and photos. I realized then that the several sheets of paper were all part of one thing: a letter. I started to read:
Dear Lizzy,
I know that you're confused and worried and absolutely terrified. I would be too. But you need to understand that I can no longer protect. WICKED is watching all of us now. Me and Teresa. We've been trying to protect you ever since you ran into the Box to protect Newt. I know that we can never be, but I'll always love you, Lizzy. Even if it breaks my heart watching you be with other people, I just want you to be happy. I truly do. I can't tell you a lot. WICKED would kill me and you, and I won't risk killing the one person I love in this diseased and wrecked world. But I'll tell you this. They're going to come for you and the ones you love, so be careful. I'll try my best to keep you safe, but I'm sad to say that it's not much. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But there's something else too. WICKED won't kill you. You're too important of a variable to kill, much less harm. But they can tear you apart Lizzy but killing your loved ones. Again, I'm sorry. Teresa says she loves and misses you, too. Lizzy, just be careful. And no matter what, don't get stuck in the Maze. They're coming. I have to go, Lizzy. I'm so incredibly sorry that I can no longer protect you. I love you. -Thomas
Someone loved me before the Maze? Newt and I were together too? Who was Thomas? Tears ran down my face as I thought of all the people I had left behind. Thomas.
"I'm sorry too, Thomas," I said to no one and sobbed. Why didn't I love Thomas? I said. Maybe I could have found a way to save these people on the other side. No. I loved Newt. That's why. But why was it that Ben and I were together? Wiping away my tears, I tucked away the letter and took out the photos. Three of them. On the back, there was something written on each of them in a neat tidy scrawl. The first one was Maria, the second Rosa, and the last one Ben. I gasped as I turned over the cards. Your cousin, your sister, and your best friend.
I couldn't even look Ben in the eye as we got ready for bed.
"So what was in the package?" he said as he pulled off his sweatshirt.
"Oh, nothing. The dumb ass Creators decided to send me a whole bunch of random shit on paper saying some crap about working harder in the Glade. I don't even know," I let out a fake laugh, praying that Ben would believe me. After a pause, he nodded and slipped into his hammock.
"Goodnight, Lizzy," he said.
"Goodnight Ben," I said, letting the tears roll down my cheeks once again.
Day Two:
After breakfast, it had been decided that I would be joining the Runners. The thought of being in the same group as Lyndon was disgusting, but I had yearned and wished to be a Runner for weeks. I wasn't just going to give that up. Fortunately, I had the day off so I could sort things out with the letter and Newt. As I kissed Ben good-bye, I saw Newt in the Gardens chatting with Zart. I jogged up to talk to them.
"Hey, guys," I said, cheerfully.
"Hey, Lizzy," Zart smiled back.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the Maze," Newt frowned, crossing his arms.
Sighing, I turned to Zart, "Could you give us a minute?" He nodded and walked away.
"What?" Newt frowned.
"Okay, stop it. I'm sick of fighting. What's wrong with you, Newt? What is it with you? For the past few days, you have been nothing but klunk to me! Why!" I cried out.
"It's nothing," Newt grumbled. But I knew it sure as hell wasn't "nothing."
"Spit it out," I crossed my arms and glared at him.
"It's nothing! Okay, Lizzy!" he almost yelled and stomped away. Sighing, I walked towards Maria, who was coming towards the Gardens from breakfast. She wore a soft sky-blue shirt and white shorts-the exact opposite of my black and black.
"Hey!" she chirped. "What's wrong?" she asked after seeing my sad expression.
Because I couldn't exactly tell her that something called WICKED was going to kill her, Rosa, and the guy that I liked, I simply said, "Nothing." She shrugged and headed towards the Gardens.
"So, you and Minho?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Um, yeah, I guess," she grinned, and started telling me about recent events between the two. I spaced out about the first couple minutes. It was only after I had left Maria to go find something else to do, I realized that I would also be destroying Minho.
After lunch, the Runners still hadn't gotten back yet, and I was starting to get really worried.
"They'll be back soon," I muttered under my breath and walked towards the Med-hut. I wasn't a Med-jack anymore, but I still wanted to help them, especially after I had ditched them to be a Runner.
"Hey, Clint," I said.
He smiled and waved at me before going back to sewing up one of the Builders, who had cut up his shoulder.
"Look, I'm sorry for leaving you guys," I sighed and plopped down in a chair.
"It's alright, Lizzy. Besides, you're a pretty good Runner too," he smiled and finished sewing up the Builder.
"Alright. I just wanted to check in, and thanks Clint," I said before dashing out to the Maze doors. Newt was already there. I almost groaned as I jogged towards him, a neutral expression on my face.
"We never finished our conversation," I approached him, my arms crossed.
"It wasn't much of a conversation, Lizzy," he muttered and glanced back at the Maze doors, as if debating if talking to me or going into the Maze was worse. I guess I wasn't as bad as the Maze because he chose to stay.
"Excuse me, Newt?" I shouted. "Okay, you know what! I'm sick and tired of you, Newt! Just say something already instead of grumbling on and on and pissing me off!"
"What do you want me to say, Lizzy!" he shouted back. I was about to say something when I was interrupted by Newt.
"Fine! I'll tell you! I'm sick and tired of watching you and Ben. I'm sick and tired of being stuck in a damn Maze with no way out. I'm sick and tired of chasing after a girl that doesn't even love me!" Newt screamed. I could only stare at him with my wide slightly open and my eyes shining.
"Newt," I started.
"Don't," he stepped away, turned around, and left...again. So, I'd been right. Newt did have feelings for me. Even though I had Ben, and I was sure that I liked him, I couldn't help but feel broken at the thought of Newt leaving me forever.
Don't worry! There's more coming later tonight or sometime tomorrow in the morning or afternoon. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks!