together - tmr newt

Being a Runner

ROXELLE POV

I couldn't believe he just kissed me. As he pulled away, I asked, "Did. You. Just. Kiss me?" "Sure I did sweetie." He smirked. "You liked it?"

Liked it? "Not really...you see this is the first kiss in my life as far as I know." I hesitated. He grinned and helped me up. "And back to the topic. I have decided to let you be a Runner, on one condition."

"I need to see that you won Minho in a race with my own eyes. I'll bring him over." Then, he walked off to get Minho.

When they arrived, Minho looked nervous for some reason. "You're not the one who should be nervous, Minho. After all, you are Keeper of the Runners." I said, patting him on his back.

"It's not because of that, it's just..." he trailed off. I shrugged. "Let's get on with the official stuff then."

As Newt signaled for us to start, Minho burst ahead. I was lagging behind the older boy. As we neared the finish line, I let my willpower to be a Runner take over, and used all of the energy left in my body to overtake Minho and cross the finish line.

I collapsed onto the ground and breathed in and out. Not surprisingly, Minho was perfectly fine. I guess that's how I will be like in the future. I said to Newt. He gave me a smile and thumbs-up. "I officially announce Roxelle as a new Runner!" He yelled out into the Maze, as if expecting the Grievers to hear and be frightened by a new Runner.

I slept early that day. But nightmares woke me back up. We were in a room, and for some reason, Alby was facing us, holding a pistol aimed at Newt. Everyone was confused, they all thought Alby was dead. But clearly he wasn't. And the nightmare ended as he shot Newt straight in the chest.

I woke up screaming "NEWT!!" He immediately came rushing over. "What happened sweetheart? Nightmares again?" "You...you were shot. And Alby was alive and all of us were there and Alby shot you and I was scared and it felt so ridiculously real so I..." The words came tumbling out of my mouth. Newt placed a finger to my lips. "It's just nightmares. See? I'm perfectly fine. Nothing wrong."

"Except for your limp." I managed a smile.

"Yes, except for my limp." He grinned back. "You better go back to sleep love. First day of your Runner duties tomorrow, Minho wouldn't want you to be late."

Next day, I woke even earlier than Minho and explored the Glade for a little bit. I found a little space behind Frypan's kitchen that hopefully no one knew. I could go there after coming back from the Maze to calm myself down or something.

I found Minho waiting for me at the Maze. Excited for my first day as a Runner, I sprinted over to him. "But first, let me introduce you to the Runners. This here is Thomas..." "This?!" Thomas interrupted. "Excuse me Minho I'm not a 'this'." "Ok whatever Thomas says, we will carry on." He then introduced me to the rest of the Runners, Michael, Tom, who sounded like Thomas, and Minho himself.

He took me to the map room, where all the maps were stored. "Now, we begin official Runner training." He grinned mischievously. As we jogged slowly through the maze, he explained more. "The maze has 8 sections, and they change every night. The walls move out there, and we have to find another way around the Maze. But don't tell anyone else, Roxelle, but there's no way out."

"Excuse me?" Did he just say there was no way out? "Have you told Newt? He's the leader isn't he?" "Yes I told him a while ago." The Asian boy's head hung, as if shameful for not being able to find a way out. "But..." he added, " Thomas here has been making some progress since he got here. Apparently, he and Teresa were the ones who created the Maze actually." They were from WICKED? And how did I even know WICKED? At this, Thomas grinned, and I could swear he blushed.

By the time we returned, the Gladers were already eating. Today was the day of the Greenie fire for Clarice. Newt got me into a hug and found me a place. "Have you noticed how Thomas has been behaving? Whenever we are together, he always looks so downcast." "He's just jealous."

Memories came to me that night again.

"Will this be the last time we see each other, Thomas?" "I think so Jen." Newt embraces me in a hug and I hug him back. "I love you Thomas. Or should I call you Newt now?" "Bye Jen. I love you too."

It changed.

Newt and I are at a park. With Minho and Thomas. "Wait...so Thomas is Newt, Jen is Roxelle, I'm Thomas, and Aeden is Minho? This is confusing." Thomas asks.

"Basically, WICKED changed our names. That's why they are wicked." Minho explained, kicking a plastic bottle on the floor in frustration.

Ok so they changed our names. I was Jen. Newt was Thomas. Thomas was Dylan. And Minho was Aeden.