forgotten│the maze runner

t w e l v e

  Suejin felt her skin crawl. "You found what?"

  "A dead Griever." Minho replied, briefly looking up from the map papers in his hand.

  "Like dead dead? Just out in broad daylight?"

  "Yeah," Minho nodded. "Just the other day."

  "No way," Suejin said in disbelief. She picked up a few papers, helping Minho arrange them. It was the crack of dawn, and they were in the Map Room. Some of the papers had been left unarranged, so the two of them stood side by side, working together before their usual run. 

  An awkward tension hung between the both of them. She hadn't really spoke to him since that day with Flo; she mostly avoided him. None of them mentioned anything about Ben. His name was almost taboo now in the Glade; it was as if he barely existed in the first place.

  "Where?" She asked, curiosity betraying her resolve to ignore him.

  "Around Section Eight. Near the Cliff."

  "So... what are you going to do?"

  "Well," he deadpanned. "Alby said to haul it back over here."

  Suejin coughed. "I'm sorry, what?"

  "We're just going to take a look," he flicked her in the head playfully. 

  She glared up at him. What are you trying to pull, Minho? She thought. 

  He ignored her scowling. "Alby and I are going into the Maze this morning. I told all the other shanks to take a rest."

  "What about me?" Suejin muttered, already knowing the answer.

  "No."

  "That's your favorite word isn't it?" Suejin responded dryly. "Well don't worry your buggin' head, I'd rather not run with you anyways."

  Minho raised an eyebrow. "Easier said than done."

  "Then why'd you wake me up this early then?" Suejin said irritably. "If it's just to piss me off, I'm feeding you to the damn Grievers, Minho."

  "Slim it, Greenie."

  "Suejin."

  "Greenie." Minho finished, an almost malicious glint in his eyes. Suejin knew he gained a childish pleasure from vexing her, and she hated it more than anything. "I'm not that jacked," He said, earning a derisive snort from Suejin. He ignored it, continuing. "I want you to be my second in command."

  She looked up, meeting his eyes. "Me?"

  "Why not?" Minho shrugged nonchalantly. "You're faster than most of the other shanks, know the Maze like the back of your hand, and buggin' stubborn, so you always get things done." She rolled her eyes at the last one. "I'd say," he trailed off momentarily, eyes darkening a little. "You're more than perfect."

  Against her own will, a tiny blush sprouted across her cheeks. She let out a small laugh awkwardly averting his eyes. "Ha-ha." She shoved him a little. "Minho actually being nice? Unheard of." She trained her attention back to the papers below, a nervous feeling forming in her stomach.

  "Yeah," Minho mumbled to himself, echoing her words. "Unheard of."

  She finished arranging the last few papers in silence. "That should be it." She looked up to see him staring at her. Had he been watching her this whole time? "What is it?" She asked in annoyance.

  "Nothing." He muttered, but if Suejin didn't know any better, she would say that his face had turned a shade of crimson. "Just making sure you're doing it right."