CHEATING DEATH - A Maze Runners' Tale • 001

CHAPTER 20

After Minho and I took turns showering I changed into my pajamas and we went to the kitchen where frypan had prepared something for us to eat. Halfway through our meal however Minho and I both fell dead asleep at a picnic table leaving our food to go cold as we got some much needed rest.

Just when we thought we were getting our energy back we were both poked awake by newt who led us to the homestead and into the gathering room. When we entered and Thomas was sitting in the middle all the tired was scared out of me. Minho took our seats beside each other an were wide awake by now.

"Do you know what this is about?" I asked Minho just to make sure we were on the same page.

"Probably somthin' about that shank runnin' into the maze." He answered and I nodded in agreement.

"If newt leads this meeting I'm gonna fall asleep again." I said as I rubbed the tired out of my eyes and slouched further in my chair.

"If you slouch any further your gonna fall of the chair." He said.

"No comment." I said as I folded my arms.

"Did you just say no comment?" He questioned sarcastically as he leaned over to me.

"If you two won't bloody shut up I'll kick you out and you won't get a say in the final decision!" Newt shouted at us and we went silent.

Newt opened the meeting unenthusiastically and everyone quieted down for the most part as zart was first to give his opinion.

"I don't really know, he broke the number one rule but now we know we can survive out there and beat the grievers." Zart said inconclusively and I watched as Thomas' face fell with a relieved sigh.

"I bet Minho was the one who really got rid of the grievers." Gally interrupted. I looked at him giving him a harsh look but he didn't see it so I tore off my shoe and threw it directly at his head effectively shutting him up so newt could continue.

"Thanks Margo, frypan, your next." Newt said and frypan began speaking.

"Put him on the freaking council and have him train us on everything he did out there." Frypan said and newt scribbled on his note pad.

When he was done he pointed to the next person and cam stood up to speak. I don't thing Thomas had ever met cam but I think he'd want to after what he said next.

"I agree with frypan." He stated and newt wrote what looked like a tiny dash on the paper.

"Winston?"

"Look I'm sorry greenie but you broke the rules I think we should stick him in the slammer for a week with only bread and water." Winston said and gally erupted in a round of applause for the answer.

I slammed my feet on the ground and stood up ripping my other shoe off and throwing it full force at gally once again making him stop. I sat back down and crossed my legs as newt thanked me once again.

Unfortunately gally was the next to speak and he didn't hesitate to speak his mind.

"This slint-head comes up in the maze all confused. Next thing ya know he's runnin' around the maze actin' like he owns the place. I think hes a spy for the people that put us here." I had enough after that. I raised my hand politely and newt allowed me to speak.

"Eyebrows, you do realize I did the exact same thing when I came here and you just turned a blind eye at it. I was running in the maze like I owned it after like three days and you didn't make a fuss about it so why are you now?" I questioned then sat back down as I watched gally react to me winning this argument.

"Fine than. I say we give him the slammer for a month then come back to this." He said ending his vote.

"Minho?" Newt asked.

"I saw what this shank did with my own two eyes. He stayed back while I ran off like a panty-wearin' chicken. I nominate this shank to replace me as keeper of the runners." Minho said and I put my hand over his to let him know I agreed with him fully. He looked at me and I nodded before I stood up, being the last one to speak my mind on the matter.

"How much time to we have?" I asked newt as I walked up to him.

"As much as you want." He answered with a smile knowing I was about to bash everyone's opinion because I had the most evidence.

"I probably can't change your minds but I do want to say a few things about what he did out there that make me completely agree with Minho. First of all this kid dragged Alby up a wall. Second, he got the grievers off our tail by getting them to chase us off a cliff and doing this jump out of the way thingy, anyway the point I'm trying to make is when I ran into the maze when I wasnt supposed to I was able to make it out alive just like Thomas. Not to mention i got promoted not punished so for some of you that says a lot on how you feel about being fair." I said then folded my arms and stood there.

"But are you forgetting that I tried to put you in the slammer too?" Gally argued.

"For a week, not a month." I corrected him.

"Alright, I've heard enough. Tommys gonna leave so we can discuss this in private." Newt said but gally clearly wasn't done yet.

"This is all a bunch of cow Klunk." He said and stormed out of the homestead slamming doors in his wake.

Minho got up and came to the center where newt and I were standing and we huddled together to have a word.

"Someone's gotta see where he's bloody goin'." Newt said and Minho and I nodded with agreement.

"Minho can speak for both of us until I get back. Ill take Thomas out too." I said as we backed away and I moved towards the door.

I waved at Thomas to come over to me and he followed me out of the homestead. chuck was there to greet us but I ignored him as I saw gally sneak into the maze.

I ran as fast as I possibly could until I knew if I didn't turn back I wouldn't make it. I turned back around never actually figuring out where gally went. I slowed to a jog most of the way since I wasn't actually wearing shoes I was in socks and pajamas. Gosh I was stupid for volunteering when I didn't even have shoes on.

When I made it back the gladers were all eating dinner when Minho ran towards me and pulled me into a big hug.

"You stupid shank. You left your shoes in the gathering room." He said as he pulled away from me and smiled.

"Don't you think I know that." I replied sarcastically.

"So did you find him?" Newt asked as he came over.

"Nah. I was just following sounds but the last place I saw him was when he was runnin' into the maze. Doors'll be closin' soon enough so he's probably trying to prove he can stay out a night too." I said as I walked to frypan and got myself a plate of food.

"Well we decided tommy would get the slammer for a night then he would officially become a runner." Minho said proudly.

"Nice." I said just before I began scarfing down my food like I hadn't eaten in days.

Once I was done with dinner I went to the med-jack hut to check on Alby. As far as I knew he had stoped screaming and was just mumbling a bit but I wanted to see for myself. I sat next to Alby's bed and ended up falling asleep in the chair until I felt someone pick me up and carry me out of the hut.

When I opened my eyes I saw Minho was taking me to the homestead. He shushed me when I tried to say something so I just closed my eyes again and the last thing I could remember was being laid down in bed with the sheets being pulled over me and a kiss on the forehead.