LIMERENCE ﹐ the maze runner.

20

Archie was the first person Clara saw when she woke up.

"Archie?"Clara whispered, her voice was hoarse and her lips were dry and cracked.

"Clara? Oh my God, Clara, I was so damn worried! What the hell were you thinking, running into The Maze like that? You're lucky you didn't die out there!" Archie told her.

"Thanks for the lecture, Archie,"Clara replied. "Now, can I have some water?"

Archie smiled warmly. "It's good to have you back, Clara," he said and pulled her into a hug.

"Archie?"she started.

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't kidding about the water - I actually am thirsty."

"Oh, right,"Archie said and ran off to get her a glass of water.

Once he returned with the water, he handed it to Clara, and she drank every last drop of it.

"So are you okay?"he asked her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit,"she answered.

"Yeah, well, I have even shittier news for ya," Archie told her. "Gally is insisting on a shucking Gathering."

"That asshole,"Clara grumled.

"In his defense,"Archie started,"You broke the Number One rule."

"Yeah, to save someone,"Clara shot back.

"Yeah, I know,"Archie said.

"When is the Gathering?"Clara asked.

"I'm not sure, I'm not a Keeper or anything,"Archie said. "But knowing Gally - probably today."

❀✿❀

Archie had been right - there was a Gathering that day.

Clara and Thomas were sitting, facing the eleven other boys, whose chairs were arranged in a semicircle around them.

The Homestead was empty beside for them and a small table in the corner. Clara couldn't help but notice that the room smelt of mildew.

Newt was there, sitting in the chair to the right of Alby's empty chair.

"Are you okay?"Thomas whispered to Clara nervously.

"No,"Clara whispered back. "You?"

Thomas shook his head as a response.

"In place of our leader, sick in bed, I declare this Gathering begun,"Newt started off, with a subtle roll of his eyes as if he hated anything approaching formality. "As you all know, the last few days have been bloody crazy, and quite a bit seems centered around our Greenbean, Tommy, seated before us."

Thomas's face flushed with embarrassment.

"He's not a Greenie anymore,"Gally said. "He's just a rule breaker now. And so is Clara."

"Okay, would you please just shut up for once?"Clara said irratably as there was a rumbling of murmurs and whispers.

Newt shushed them, then said,"Gally, try to keep some buggin' order, here. If you're gonna blabber your shuck mouth everytime I say something, you can go ahead and bloody leave, because I'm not in a very cheerful mood. And Clara, have some respect for the Keepers, would ya?"