Born Again

Chapter three

"You sure you're awake enough for this?" Minho asked as they walked. They were going to Minho's house, only a few blocks away from where Thomas lived.

"No," Thomas answered sleepily, making Minho laugh.

"Oh well. You'll be fine," he decided, walking up the porch to his house.

"Thanks."

Thomas was immediately overwhelmed when the door opened. Or maybe that was just because he was tired. And homeschooled. Either way, these two people overwhelmed him with greetings.

"Hey guys," Minho said, greeting his friends. "Meet Thomas. Thomas this is Ben and Alby."

Ben, a tall blonde, the one who attacked him in his dreams, smiled warmly at him and nodded a "hey". Thomas nodded back but decided to stay wary of him.

Alby, the shorter one with dark skin, shook his hand.

"So this is the Greenie?" Alby asked Minho. "Strange to be getting one halfway through the school year."

"I was homeschooled," Thomas explained again. "Mom got promoted. Had to go to public school. Also, Greenie?" He knew exactly what the word meant but felt obliged to ask anyway.

"It's what we call the newbies," Minho explained. "Now, come on in. S'mores are waiting."

The boys crossed through his house, a surprisingly tidy place, and out the backyard. There was nothing in the yard except the porch with a fire pit on it. There, a boy sat, blowing at the small flames.

"Quit working on the fire," Minho told the boy. "Come say hi to the Greenie, Newt."

Newt turned around and Thomas felt his heart skip a beat. This was the one from his dream, the one Thomas killed.

"Hey. Thomas, right? You—" Newt frowned. "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Uh, fine," Thomas stuttered. "Just tired."

Minho laughed. "Of course. See Thomas is. . ." He went on telling his homeschool story but Thomas wasn't listening.

He sat on the log next to Newt, staring at the boy. It was strange to meet somebody and already know so much about them. He knew about Newt's family, his sister specifically. He knew how he got his leg injury, even if he hadn't seen the limp yet. And he knew how he died, with the knife or gun. Either way, Thomas remembered it being the worst thing he ever had to experience. For the first time since he met Chuck, he prayed the dreams weren't completely accurate.

"Tommy!" Newt exclaimed, snapping Thomas back to the present. "You just gonna sit there staring or do you want a s'more?" He held out a stick, a marshmallow already on the end.

Thomas took a deep breath, exhaling his worries. In reality, he barely knew Newt. They might not even be friends. Plus, Thomas could tell his death was a long ways away, the same way he could tell Chuck's was close. Right now, he should just enjoy the s'mores.

Thomas took the stick. "Yeah. S'mores. Sorry."

   Minho leaned over, whispering loudly. "Are all homeschoolers this antisocial?"

   He earned a punch from Newt who laughed. "Bug off, Minho. Poor kid's had to deal with public school for the first time." He grinned at Thomas. "Don't worry, shank. We're all familiar with its horrors."

   Thomas smiled. Yeah. Newt was just as good in real life as he was in his dreams. He hoped that's where the similarities stopped.

~~~

Hours later, after Alby and Ben had gone home and Minho went to bed, Thomas found himself sitting against the log. He faced the fire instead of away from it, deciding to change that part slightly.

   Unsurprisingly, Newt sat next to him a moment later. He handed Thomas a drink. "Here."

   Thomas grabbed it. "Gally's recipe?"

   When Newt gave him a strange look, Thomas realized what he said.

   "How did you—"

   Thomas quickly took a sip then spit it out to avoid the question. "Ugh. What is that?" He asked, hoping to work around his mistake.

   "Gally's recipe, like you said," Newt answered, still giving him that curious look. "It's a trade secret and he only told us. Not sure how you knew."

   Before Thomas could say something intelligent like "uh" Next laughed.

   "Glad you enjoyed it though," the blonde said sarcastically.

   "Uh, yeah. Sorry."

   "Don't be," Newt answered. "We all hate it. Anyway, tell me what homeschooling is like."

Thomas looked back at the flames, thinking. How to explain homeschooling to somebody who was unfamiliar with it? He had no idea.

   He felt a small tap on his head.

   "You still in there, Tommy?" Newt asked, an amused smile played on his face.

"Uh," Thomas said, snapping back into reality. "Yeah, Sorry. Homeschooling, right. Well, I don't know. Best thing that's ever happened to me, I guess."

   Newt laughed. "Best thing, huh? Not even your best friend or anything?"

   Thomas stared.

   "You don't have a best friend?!" Newt exclaimed. "Bloody hell. I didn't know being homeschooled meant you didn't go outside."

   "It's not like that," Thomas explained. "I have friends. Chuck and Teresa. It's just . . . we aren't that close." He didn't tell him why. Thomas knew they were going to die. Chuck, being his neighbor, Thomas really couldn't avoid. Plus, the kid was so lovable, he really didn't want to avoid. Teresa, he could, but he liked being around her. She was nice, caring, sweet, and put up with his antisocial tendencies. Whether she died or not, Thomas wouldn't give up being her friend.

   Still, she had way more friends than just Thomas. Plus, he had a feeling she mostly tolerated him more than anything. That was alright with him. He didn't want to be incredibly close when—if. If she died. Not when.

   Newt put a hand on Thomas' shoulder and smiled softly. "Well, you've got me now. Minho and I. We'll be your friends."

   Thomas smiled back and that's when he knew. If Newt died, one way or the other, it would destroy Thomas in a way unimaginable.