NIGHT BEDS ━︎━︎ THE MAZE RUNNER

PROLOGUE.

        IF SHE WERE TO GUESS, she only got a couple hours of shut eye. Less, maybe two or three. There was no where else to lie down anyway, and the night before got her even more paranoid than ever, that she would one day wake up and realize she's no longer in the safety of her friends; but in a Berg or a train heading to WICKED labs.

        She reached her arm above her, shielding away the flashlight that blinded her eyes. With a groan, she slaps Frypan's hand away as he laughed. "Rise and shine, ya shank."

       "What time is it?" she grumbled to her friend, sitting up properly from the dusty backseat of Jorge's truck. She looked out the truck window. It was still dark out, but she guessed it was probably 5AM. She wasn't usually an early riser and she would probably scare the hell out of people who would scare her awake. The last time someone woke up MK a bit too early before dawn broke was back in the Glade. The lanky, dirty blonde boy had his hand caressing her cheek as he kissed her forehead, afterwards whispering sweet things to wake her up instead of hovering over her, shining a flashlight right into her face.

        Fry shrugs. "I don't know but Vince expects all of us to be awake by now. You want some water?" He leaves the truck and sprints to a cooler.

        Last night, WICKED attacked The Right Arm base camp, capturing several teens to bring back with them, including Minho. MK couldn't get to him on time, because guns were blazing everywhere so she took cover behind a giant rock. She refuses to believe it will be the last time seeing one of her best friends.

        After thanking Fry with water, she chugs the liquid down her dry throat and presses the cold bottle against her forehead and then down her neck, feeling droplets of water trickle down her skin. She sinks back into the same position she was lying down in the backseat and closes her eyes once again.

        Sweat was trickling down MK's skin. She wished it wasn't so hot, and complaining about it wouldn't change anything. She wipes her forehead and neck with a cloth and then played around with the tools she used for the day, distracting herself from the heat.

        "Y/N."

        There was only one person who called her that. Gally. He was sweating too, but it didn't bother her. "Shall we?"

        He slams her against the tree that stood with the others in the Deadheads. The bumps on the trunk pierced onto her, shooting pain across her back. She could only laugh it off.

        "Ow! Careful!" she giggles, holding onto his shoulders for support.

        Gally smirks and pulls her closer to him, feeling the softness of their lips against each other passionately. He had just finished working in the hot sun with the builders, and the first thing he'd do right after ending the day is spending time with the only glader he has mostly cared for.

        Despite being deep in the woods, MK couldn't stand the eery feeling of being caught. She stops kissing him and pursed her lips.

        "Can we please go?" she asks, taking a deep breath. "They're gonna think we ran into the Maze or something."

        "No they won't. It's crazy, you're not one to be affectionate, are you?"

         She shrugs.

         "Can't spare a few minutes with Captain Gally?" he said with a smile. She could tell even through the facial expression, he was quite hurt that she wanted their privacy to end so soon.

        "I'm sorry." She smiles shyly and buries her head in his chest. She expected to feel his arms wrap around her, but he frees himself from her touch and runs his hand through his hair.

        "You know what? I think you're right, Fry's probably finishing up dinner. I wish it wasn't so gross, but who am I to judge?" The sound of his voice, it didn't sound sweet anymore, but more, annoyed and pained. He takes a breath before walking away, not even waiting for her to catch up. She stood still by the tree until she could no longer see him.

        "I apologize in advance," Vince says, standing on top of a tipped over vehicle. "I know some of you aren't early risers and we all saw what went down last night. We are never gonna let that slide. Ever. Especially if it came from WICKED. To hell with them!"

        MK finishes her last bite of her apple before tossing it over to a nearby bush. Everyone, including Thomas and the remaining members of the group huddle up together to hear Vince's speech. MK couldn't listen to him exactly, his words were just . . . words, as if she heard them but her mind was in dreamland. So many things were clogged in her head: Minho, Teresa's betrayal, the trackers located inside them, the groggy feeling, the numbness, WICKED taking almost everyone with them, completely dead inside, numb.

        She tries to snap out of whatever blanking out session she had at the moment when Thomas turns his head at her, mumbling something possibly a question.

        "Huh?" she says.

        "Nevermind. How are you holdin' up?" How am I holding up? How are you holding up?

        "Uh, I'm pretty pissed off. I'm sure everyone here is too," she says, chewing her nails. "I'm sorry about Minho."

        "I promised that I'll get him back," he says softly. A few people behind began to sneer, "Shh!" at the two. They stood quietly, trying their best to listen to Vince ramble on and on for another minute.

         MK couldn't listen to Vince anymore. She shuffles to the side until she reached the end of the crowd, and sat down at a nearby rock. She stares at the direction where the Bergs and helicopters came from, and at the time where they arrived was when MK smiled, and it had been a while since she did. She was absolutely positive that they could work with The Right Arm and figure something out, just as long as WICKED and cranks weren't near them any longer.

          She looks down at her left hand, spreading her fingers apart to get a better look of the ring she had wore since the Glade, a ring made out of tin foil and it surprisingly never ripped off. It fit perfectly.

           And he made it for her.