Siggy's Side

When Siggy was first put into the maze, he was - naturally - scared out of his mind. He had so many questions that he knew wouldn't be answered. He felt blind to the world, and trapped within a fake one. He wanted to run, get out, find a way to somehow… feel better. But, of course, the Maze didn't answer Siggy's prayers. It just taunted him every day, causing his first couple of weeks to go terribly.

But once a few more of those dark days had passed, Alby gave something to Siggy. Something so, so special. Alby brought Siggy into the kitchen, and the older boy taught Siggy everything he knew. Slowly but surely, Alby brought out the confidence in Siggy. He gave Siggy something to do, but eventually, it became something Siggy looked forward to. The boy loved it, and it didn't take long for him to become a better chef than Alby. Therefore, Siggy became Frypan; and being Frypan brought Siggy out of his shell.

Frypan became friends with Newt and Minho. He became best friends with Gally. More so, he became Winston's and Zart's rock for when they came up in the box. Frypan spent his years feeding everyone, because it was what he loved and enjoyed. But, well, it wasn't…

It wasn't all enjoyable.

"Ugh, shuck! This sucks!"

"Fry, there's gotta be something better than this."

"Please tell me you're jokin'."

Siggy didn't have much to work with, and that wasn't his fault. Regardless, it never… it never didn't hurt a part of him whenever a Glader would dislike his cooking. It was a jab at his heart, nothing more, but with how many times it happened… It was just… Sometimes, it just made Siggy feel tired. It made him want to give up. It made him want to stop making the same things over and over again. Frypan wanted to make good things - he wanted so dearly to make a good meal for everyone. But, sometimes, he simply couldn't. And that… that reminded him that he was trapped. It reminded him of why he couldn't make delicious meals.

But then…

But then, there were moments…

"Thanks a lot, Fry."

"You're the best, man."

"Appreciate it."

There were moments when Frypan was appreciated. When he was reminded of the reason why he continued on. It was for them. All of it was for them. For the special moments that the Gladers did smile upon seeing his food be put on their plates, that was the source of Siggy's strength. Still, it didn't happen often. Well, it didn't happen often until…

"E-Excuse me, but… what should I call you?"

Until she showed up.

Don't get him wrong, Frypan liked Hope. She was a hard-worker that would never complain; for the two weeks that Siggy had known her, Hope was always smiling and trying her best. However, when she became a cook, things started to change. Every single time that Hope helped Siggy serve food, she would get complimented. She would get thanked. She would get appreciated every single time. At first, Siggy put it off as the boys being nice to the only girl. That they just wanted her attention and such. But then, he noticed something. He noticed how… good she was at cooking. And that realization, plus the years and years of obstinate displeasure from the boys, made Siggy start to feel terrible.

It made him feel like he wasn't doing enough. Or doing well enough. This entire time, was Frypan just a means to an end? Was Siggy meant to be pushed aside? And those questions pushed the poor teenager over the edge. It made him feel angry, stupid, and so very useless. It hurt. It hurt a lot, and Siggy didn't know what to do about it.

He… He was lost.

"F-Frypan…?"

"What?" the boy huffed after hearing Hope call out to him. He was currently doing the dishes in the kitchen, so her voice came from behind him. And Siggy was glad for this fact, because it gave him the perfect opportunity to not look at her. "I'm doing shit, so make this fast."

"S-Sorry, but I just," Hope gulped, "w-wanted to give you something."

Frypan stopped what he was doing: he put the plate he was cleaning down, placed his hands on either side of the sink, and tried his best to keep himself calm. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I, uh…" Hope, noticing the animosity in his tone, started rethinking her approach. "I-If you want me to come another time, I can-"

"No, tell me what you wanna "give me,"" Frypan interrupted, his hands starting to clench around the sink. "Because I doubt you have something that I actually want."

Hope took a step back. "W-Well, that… Now that you say that, I… I don't know if-"

"Stop bein' a baby about it and tell me. At least do that for me," Siggy growled, making Hope's eyes slowly widen in understanding.

"Wait, F-Frypan, are you… Are you angry at me?"

Oh, but that question pushed Siggy right over the edge. It made his heart beat ferociously in his chest, and it caused his entire body to go hot with bitterness. Furthermore, without being able to contain himself any longer, Siggy punched the sink and then turned around to face Hope head-on.

"What the hell do you think, huh?! Huh?!" Siggy bellowed, walking straight up to Hope to back her up against the wall. "You're so smart, you're so perfect, so figure it out yourself! Stop annoying me all the goddamn time and f-off for once! And you don't need to give me anything, 'cause what the hell would I want from an attention-seeking, snot-nosed brat?!"

Huff! Siggy's rigid breath was the only thing heard next.

Huff! Within the kitchen, Siggy's hands were clenched into fists.

Huff… And, below him, was a scared-looking Hope.

Huff. But when Siggy finally noticed that there was something in Hope's hands, he looked down at it, and he saw strawberries covered in some brown substance. Similarly, Siggy looked back up at Hope in puzzlement, wondering what the strawberries meant. But instead of an answer, Siggy was met with sadness and even tears in Hope's brown eye. The look made Siggy understand… what he had done.

"H-Hope, I am…" Siggy took a step back. "I am so-"

"I'm sorry!" Hope yelled before Fry could finish his own apology. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have burdened you like this, and… and I'll never do it again!"

"W-Wait…!" Siggy shouted after Hope had abruptly ran out of the kitchen, dropping her plate of strawberries onto the ground. Then, without a second thought, Siggy jumped over the mess to run after the girl. "Please, Hope, wait!"

The two ran. With Hope leading the way, Siggy was right behind her. Across the fields, into the woods, and toward the infirmary, they ran together. Siggy wouldn't let this one go. He couldn't. He had caused her to cry, and that… that hurt more than feeling useless. It made him feel like a terrible, horrible person. Saying those things, putting all the blame onto another person, wasn't who Siggy was. He was better than that, so…

"Hope, stop!" Eventually, Siggy managed to reach Hope and grab onto her wrist. This effectively stopped her from running away, but it almost perfectly mirrored Frypan facing away from Hope in the kitchen earlier. The situation made Siggy realize how… lonely it felt being turned away from. "H-Hope, please. I know I don't deserve it, but hear me-"

"N-No… No, Frypan, that's not it! That's not it at all!" Hope started arguing suddenly. "It's me! It's me who doesn't deserve it! I made you sad, and I… I was blind to it! I'm terrible! I'm horrible!"

Siggy's eyes widened. Her words… Her guilt… Her sadness… Hope was feeling the exact same way as him. Instead of being angry at Siggy's pettiness, Hope blamed herself. Maybe even more than he did. And because of that realization, Siggy's stomach knotted with guilt. It was a powerful, miserable-feeling guilt that that boy had never felt before. He needed to fix this. Not for him, though. For Hope.

"Hope, this wasn't your fault," Siggy said as firmly as he could. "I-I was acting out and being an asshole, because I…" Siggy dropped his hand from Hope's wrist. "I've been jealous of you."

"…W-What?" Hope murmured, slowly turning her head around. "Frypan, what do you…"

Siggy then explained everything to Hope: his past in the Glade, his instant liking of cooking, his passion for it, and his feelings regarding the other boys' opinion of him. With the tranquil forest around them as their only witness, Siggy poured his heart out to Hope in hopes that she'd understand. Understand that none of what had been happening to him in the past week was her fault. Siggy finally took responsibility for his feelings and his actions, even though it was embarrassing for him to do so.

Nevertheless, Hope never stopped him or interrupted him. She never gave him disgusted or disappointed looks. All she did was listen. Hope listened until Frypan had finished, but since the embarrassed boy was looking down at the ground, he couldn't see her expression. He didn't really want to look at her, either. So, Siggy just looked away shamefully while he finished his final words. "So, Hope, I should be the one apologizing to you. I've been acting like a child, and you didn't deserve to be treated like that. You've been a great help in the kitchen, but if you don't wanna work with me anymore, I will totally… let you… go."

Frypan trailed off, however, when Hope had unexpectedly wrapped both her hands around his right one. Still looking downward, Frypan's eyes widened in confusion and bafflement at what he was seeing and feeling. Hope's hands were warm, soft, and absolutely nothing in his brain told him to reject her touch. Thus, Siggy finally turned his head upward to stare into Hope's eyes. And there, he saw…

"You are appreciated, Frypan," Hope stated while her eyes swirled with admiration and respect. "You are everything to this camp, because you give everything to them. This past week, I've had the pleasure of working beside you. I've seen the light within the Glade's eyes every time that you call dinner or lunch or breakfast. And they might not say it, but you are their comfort, Frypan. Your food is the only thing that is certain for them. The only thing that never fails to make them feel at home after a long day of… not being at home."

Siggy shook his head. "Do you… Do you really think that?"

"I don't need to think about it, Frypan. I know it," Hope asserted. "And look, I may be the "interesting" odd-one-out here, but you're their friend. I am nothing compared to you and how much the Gladers appreciate you. However, if there comes a day that you forget that appreciation, I'll be right at your side to remind you. Right there."

Hope smiled kindly at Siggy, and something within the boy finally snapped. He used the hand that Hope was holding onto to pull her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly. In response, Hope froze: she didn't know what to do other than just stand there. Regardless, Siggy didn't care about her inability to hug back. All he could focus on… was how much he admired this girl right back.

"Thank you, Hope," Siggy whispered into her ear. "I really needed that. Like, really, really, really needed it."

"Hey, it's okay…" Hope murmured into Frypan's chest. "You deserve to be acknowledged for what you do."

"Pfft, yep," Fry snickered, "you are officially becoming my favorite person ever." Frypan then broke the hug and smiled down at Hope. "Now, what did you want to give me? Those strawberries looked good, but… what the hell was on 'em?"

Hope snorted. "It's a revolutionary thing… called chocolate."

Once more, Hope had an idea. But, this time, Frypan was right at her side. He'd tasted her chocolate-covered strawberries and loved them so much that he wanted to make more. More for everyone. So, the two got straight to work preparing a strawberry feast. They worked through the night, dipping strawberries in chocolate and garnishing them in whatever they thought fit.

However, on this night, there wasn't any awkward silence or tenseness in the air. This time, Frypan and Hope laughed and smiled together; they immensely enjoyed one another's company. Their companionship grew stronger, and without either of them noticing, a bond had formed. A bond created by their shared likeness of food.

Frypan and Hope truly were two peas in a pod.

The next morning, on the official day of Hope's half-month anniversary in the Glade, the two were ready to grace that same Glade with an unexpected treat. With each serving of breakfast they handed out, a single chocolate-covered strawberry would be on the side. Just the one. Nonetheless, after everyone had gone through the line, they came back again for more. Or, well, for one more chocolate strawberry. Some had two, some had even three, but all of them had excited smiles on their faces. And that was why Fry and Hope did it: to see those smiles.

"It was all worth it in the end…" Hope whispered to herself. "I'm thankful."

But as Hope was scanning the area where everyone was eating, she noticed something. Something that made her blink and squint her eyes. After a whole night of barely sleeping, Hope thought she was seeing things at first. The more she looked, though, the more she couldn't have been mistaken.

Newt.

As Newt walked over to Alby, there was something… different. It had only been two weeks since Hope's arrival, and for the most part, she had her head down looking at food. Moreover, Newt was always somewhere other than the kitchen, which was where Hope spent most of her time. Therefore, Hope never noticed… the limp in Newt's step.

"Hey, Hope." Just then, Frypan's voice cut through her quizzical thoughts. Instantly, she looked to her left and saw him giving her a friendly smile. "You have my permission to go back to the infirmary and sleep. You've worked hard enough."

"I-I'm fine!" Hope said as quickly as she could. "I'm not tired at all, and I wouldn't want to skip work!"

"Then at least take a shower and wake yourself up," Frypan protested. "You're startin' to get bags under your eyes."

"Yeah, I… I guess I should make myself look better…" Hope muttered under her breath. "You sure you'll be okay, though?"

"Of course!" Frypan chirped. "Who do you think you're talkin' to, girl?"

"Pfft. Okay, I got it," Hope snickered and then started walking away. "C'ya in a bit, Fry!"

Frypan waved back. "C'ya later!"

However, off in the distance, a certain boy was watching as Hope walked off. He still hadn't gotten over what had happened between Hope and him yesterday, and it was starting to weigh on his mind. "I-I'm sorry!" Newt remembered her tone all too well. He remembered how she flinched away like he was going to… hit her or maybe even something worse. Either way, Hope got scared by a simple gesture.

But why…?

Why would Hope be scared… of someone reaching out to her?

A/N: Friendly reminder that "Maze Runner" isn't mine! I only own my OC Hope! :+D

Also, thank you so much for the reviews! They're honestly making my day and giving me a lot of inspiration! 3