fourteen

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It was a few hours after my conservation with Newt, and we were stood at the opening of the maze, waiting for Thomas and Minho, who were extremely late coming back from the maze.

"Where the hell are they, Alby?" I asked, as Alby, Newt and I stood there impatiently, waiting for Thomas and Minho.

"I don't know," he said, stressed.

"Newt?"

"I have no idea"

"I'm going to find them," I said, stepping into the maze. Newt grabbed my arm and dragged me back.

"Like hell you are," Newt said, not wanting me to get trapped in the maze.

"Good that"

"Shut up, Alby," I said, "I need to find them"

"And what if all three of you get killed? Huh?" Newt said, "I can't lose all three of you"

I sighed, deciding to stay for Newts sake. But we waited, and the doors started to close. Chuck stood by my side, the rest of the gladers walked away but he stayed there with me. Around a foot of the door was still left to close when I saw Minho and Thomas turn he corner, I widened my eyes, knowing there was no way they could make it back in time as there was less than a foot and the doors were closing fast. They were stuck out there.

"I love you, Minho!" I yelled through the door, knowing that I may never get to tell him again.

"I love you too, Angel!"

And then the doors slammed shut, and I threw my fist against it. "Angelica?"

I glanced down at Chuck, who was growing at such an alarming rate that I thought he'd be taller than me soon. "Yes, Chuck"

"You love Minho?"

I chucked at the boy, through the tears, of course he didn't know. "Yeah, I guess I do. Or did?" I sighed, running my back down the wall of the doors. "But he's gone now, no one ever makes it a night in the maze"

I sighed, that's what it took for me to admit to it. Minho's death. I cried with my back against the stone wall. "I'm sorry, Angelica," Chuck said cuddling into my side.

"You're losing them too, Chucky, you can talk to me, if you need too, okay?" I said and he nodded.

*

I woke up, Chuck at my side, both of us still sat by the door of the maze. A blanket had been thrown over us. I felt the doors moving behind me, it obviously woke Chuck too. Standing up, we both eagerly stood, waiting.

After an hour had passed, Gally walked over to me. "They're not coming back, Angelica," he said.

"They're smart! They might!" I said.

"No one survives a night in the maze. Not Thomas. Not Minho. No one," Gally explained. I sighed, knowing he was right.

"I'm not leaving, not until a runner comes back with proof that they're gone, okay," I said, sitting on the ground, waiting.

"Angelica, come on"

"No, Gally, not without proof!"

Another hour passed, gladers walked by, giving sympathetic looks as I longingly waited for the runners to safely return back to me.

I closed my eyes, Chuck was still sat by my side. Alby had come and gone, trying to get Chuck to go work but he refused to leave me, which Alby understood, sympathetically allowing the boy to stay.

"Angelica, do you see that?" Chuck said, I looked at him, then followed to where he was pointing. Two runners turned the corner, looking rugged. "Is that Thomas?"

I sprinted out at the two boys, it was. Minho and Thomas. I ran as fast as possible, heading straight for Minho who soon held out his arms. I ran straight into him, enclosing him in my arms, him doing the same thing. Even when he tried to let go, after many minutes had passed, I didn't let go. I held onto him for dear life, refusing to release him, as if he would slip away and be gone if I did.

"Come on, Angel. We need to talk to Alby," Minho said, gesturing to him and Thomas.

"Please, just don't let go of me," I said, my voice shaking. The boy sighed, tightening the hold he had on me. He told Thomas to go ahead and tell the others what had happened. We stood in the maze, for what felt like hours but was probably twenty five minutes.

Minho sighed, slightly relaxing his grip, bending down and picking me up. Still holding onto him, he carried me out of the maze and into the Glade, over to the meeting hall. He walked in, the others looked over to us, he put me down, releasing his grip on my, but left an arm around my waist.

"You two killed a griever!" Alby was confused, and slightly angry.

"He saved my life," Minho said. I looked up at him, taking in every inch of his face as if I would never see it again.

"We don't know what that'll mean for us," Gally said, "what you have done!" Gally pointed an accusing finger at Thomas.

"What I've done?"

"For three years, we've coexisted with these creatures, and now you've killed one," Gally argued, "who knows what will happen now."

"And how many of us have they killed?" I said, the others looked at me. "George?" I said, looking at Alby. "Ben?" I said, glancing at Minho to see a hint of pain at the name.

"We get it," Gally said, quietly.

"What I'm saying is, maybe it's time we fought back," I said, Minho agreed with me.

"No, no ones fighting back," Alby said. "Tomorrow, we send out a search party, look for the dead griever, find out everything you can. Minho and Thomas, I want you two to lead it."

"No!" I said, the group looked at me. I turned to face Minho. "I just got you back, there's no way I'm letting you go back into the maze."

Minho looked at me sympathetically, "I'll lead the team with Thomas," Minho said to Alby, then led me out of the hall and into the runners hut, where, thankfully, no one was.

"I don't want you to go," I said.

"I thought you hated me," Minho said, with an eyebrow raised.

"I told you I loved you, and you said it back," I said, "things are different now. Everything is changing"

"It'll be okay, Angel, you're never going to lose me, I promise"

He held me, for the second time that day. "Good, I can't do that again," I said, looking at the boy. "You had me so shucking worried"

"You think I'd leave you alone with this group of shanks?" Minho said, a small chuckle emerged from his mouth. "Never"

"I love you, Minho," I said, looking him in the eyes, smiling softly.

"I love you too, Angelica"

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