𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗨𝗦, thomas (tmr)

Chapter Twenty

"The Greenie ran into the Maze!"

"They're gonna shucking die out there!"

Clara found herself as one of few that wasn't saying a word to all that was erupting around her. Newt, Gally, and Chuck were all the same; a vast contrast to the boys shouting and arguing out of panic and fear.

"Can everyone please just shut up?"

Newt's demand was instantly met, and everyone was now staring wide-eyed at the usually calm second-in-command who looked more stressed than ever before. He was out of his depth with all of this, but he had to try his best to try and keep everyone calm.

"Look, they're stuck out there now, so there's nothing we can do."

Not the most helpful thing to say.

Clara watched Newt questioningly for his word choice, and only received a helpless look in return. The girl straightened up, finding herself reminded of the many times she and Nick would have to calm down the Gladers in past times.

"What Newt meant to say was that Minho's fast. We know that if anyone has a chance of surviving the night, it's him."

She paused then, thinking of their unconscious leader and the Greenie stuck in there with Minho.

"I have faith in Thomas, too." She decided, realising that she did believe what she was saying.

"What about Alby?"

To her surprise, no one questioned why she'd trust the Greenie to survive a night in the Maze. Instead, they wanted to know her thoughts on Alby, which was a question she didn't find herself wanting to answer.

"I-"

"-Let's not speculate." Newt cut in, a grim expression on his lips.

A few Gladers whispered their disagreement to one another, but ultimately stayed quiet. This gave Newt the chance he needed to lurch into action.

"Clara, I'm making you my second,"

As Newt began to bark out orders, Clara found herself zoning out. It all felt far too familiar, too similar to what happened with Nick. She couldn't let the same thing happen to Minho, Alby and Thomas.

But there was nothing she could do.

She should've ignored Gally. She should've ran into the Maze. She should've helped Minho get Alby back to the Glade.

But what was the point in dwelling on that now?

She zoned back in to hear Newt saying, "So we should all get some rest. Everyone, get to bed. Now."

Forcing her mind away from Nick and everything she thought she did wrong, she knew she had to jump in to help get the boys to listen to Newt. None of them would want to go to bed - it would be impossible to sleep thinking about what could happen to the boys stuck in the Maze - but it wasn't much use having them awake and panicking.

"Newt's right. Go on guys, go."

She spoke gently, and somehow her soft words of guidance resonated with the Gladers. The boys began to wander off towards their hammocks both hopelessly and dejectedly.

As Clara remained still by the Maze doors, next to a now quiet Newt, she found herself wanting to cry. She kept it in, only smiling at the Gladers walking away to their hammocks, and then letting her face fall when she and Newt were finally alone.

They needed to mentally prepare themselves for all the questions they'd inevitably get in the morning. And Newt apparently had the perfect idea on how to do it.