black veil ◦ scorch trials || thomas

19.

NINETEEN ; OKAY

     If she thought about it, she has had more guns pressed against her head in the past few days than most people do in a life time.

     Evan didn't know why exactly, but the thought made her chuckle. It was dry and humorless, but a chuckle all the same. She could feel the twitch of the barrel against her head, as if the person holding the gun was confused.

     Most likely wondering she was crazy and should be shot. Evan would understand, because she was going crazy. Why she hadn't shown effects like Brenda was beyond her, but Evanna knew it was only a matter of time before she would go Crank on everyone.

     "Back up!" a voice ordered. Evan heard Jorge mutter a response. The barrel pressed harder against her head. The shock was gone by now. It didn't faze her anymore. "You two, over here."

     Holding her hands up, Evan slowly stood up. She wanted to reach out for Brenda; she wanted to call for help; she wanted to turn around and smack whoever was poking a rifle in her back. Evanna did none of that.

     She watched as two unfamiliar hands grabbed Brenda by her wrists and pulled her up. They shoved her into Evan who held onto her tightly. The two shuffled over to the others. Evan clenched her jaw as the barrel poked harsher. She was seconds away from snapping.

     "Don't," Brenda rasped, her voice breathy and barely audible, but she heard her. It was as if Brenda had felt Evan tense up and knew she was silently seething in rage. The girl glanced at Evanna and subtly shook her head. "Just let it go."

     And so she did. Evan tried not to think about the incessant poking and the irritation surfacing from deep within. She focused on holding Brenda up right, focused on her breathing and where she was walking.

     Jorge glanced worriedly at the two girls before averting his gaze back to the two standing before them, rifles aimed and loaded. Evan stumbled into place next Frypan, whose hand shot out to steady her. She gave him a grateful look.

     The two before them sounded like two girls. Evan watched them cautiously. One had dark skin, black hair and a black scarf wrapped around the lower half of her face, she had been the one to tell Evan to get up. The other was pale with blonde hair, her voice was a little higher.

     But then the dark skinned girl frowned. Confusion was clear as day in spite of not being able to see half of her face. She pulled her scarf down, a single name falling from her lips.

     "Aris?"

     All heads turned to said boy, the same confusion on their faces. Evan kept her eyes on the two girls. The other pulled her scarf away, too, looking just as disbelieving as the other.

     Aris was quick to stumble forward and throw his arms around the girl who had said his name. "Oh my god, Harriet?"

     He looked just as surprised as the others. How was it that he knew these two girls, and why did they look so young? Evan was lost, wondering what in the world was going on and if this was all part of Marcus' trap. If these two girls worked for WICKED.

     "What the hell are you doing here?" the girl, Harriet, asked. She sounded relieved, happy and just all around bewildered.

     Aris didn't get an answer out before the other girl stepped forward and hugged him, too. She was considerably shorter than the boy, causing Aris to duck down awkwardly. Evan felt something warm bubble up in her chest when the girl's cheeks flushed a light pink.

     She didn't want to, but Evanna glanced at Thomas. He was watching the two with furrowed eyebrows and an unreadable expression on his face. It looked like skepticism, hesitancy. But there was a glint in his eyes that made it seem like envy. Perhaps even longing.