Leo 37

The first thing that pulls me gently out of my sleep is a hand on my shoulder. My face lies against the sand. It's soft and cushion-like, rather than grainy like I had expected. As I sit up, my brown jacket falls off my back, rolling into the sand. I had it draped over me like a blanket to protect me from the harsh wind.

"Hey," Newt's voice is behind me.

I roll to my other side, looking at him. He seems better than early. At least, his nose has stopped bleeding, and it doesn't seem to be broken. His face is cut though, from where the sharp rock on the ground cut his face. His consciousness is all I can ask for.

"How are you feeling?" I begin, studying the light bruising along his nose. The purple almost illuminates his face.

"Better," he smiles, though faintly. His brow furrows, and he moves in closer to me. Our faces are so close to each other. "You have a split lip."

My hand flies up to my mouth, feeling along the cut it. It seems as though I do indeed have a split lip. I wonder when I got it. My lip is puffy, and the cut feels fresh.

"It was probably from when Joan grabbed me," I tell him, not that it matters.

He doesn't seem satisfied. Reaching over, his hands land on my lip, brushing over the cut.

"It isn't too bad," he reassures, his eyes lingering on my lips. If I didn't him better, I might think this meant something. Still, everything in my chest is on fire. "You just looked different, is all."

I do look different, don't I? He does too. He looks more worn, as if the harsh desert has broken down his skin, layer by layer. There are lines in his face that are unfamiliar and burns on his cheeks that threaten to flake off. At least now, we are underneath a tent. We are a bit safe.

Even though we are different, I still like the people we have become.

"Have you eaten yet?" He asks.

I shake my head back and forth.

He sits up, struggling not to groan. Reaching over, he unzips his backpack. I follow myself to my feet as well.

Minho is on watch, with Fry. They stand in the corner, whispering to one another as they eye up the desert.

Newt hands me a granola bar. I unwrap it and try to eat is slowly. If I devour it, it'll just make me sick. Newt offers me his water, and this I drink. As quickly as I can, because my throat is burning. Every part of me hurts inside.

I hand him back the bottle. He smiles, slightly, before putting it back in his bag. As he does it, his hip juts close to mine. When he sits back up, he doesn't move it. We are attached at the hip, finally, after weeks apart. Newt wipes his nose with the back of his hand. I lean in, trying to see if there is blood on him.

"Leo, I have to tell you something," he begins, looking around at the sleeping bodies. He glances over at Fry and Minho, who are deep in conversation.

I wait for him to continue. He swallows, looking down at the ground. He glances back up at me, sighing.

"Do you remember the night Minho, Alby, and Thomas disappeared into the Maze?" He asks, his eyes dimming with every second. The purple skin on his nose seems to take over him.

I nod, precariously. Of course I remember that night. That was the night I sedated Dawn. It was the night I kissed him, and the night I realized I would be alone. Our hips are still touching.

"I shouldn't have run," he tells me, looking at the ground. "I just didn't know what else to do. It wasn't fair. I took advantage of you when you needed me."

"What are you talking about?" I ask, my voice only a whisper. My voice sliding over the desert, just like the wind. Hollow, yet preserving. Continuing for miles and miles, further away from here.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," he admits, so quietly that I wonder if I've heard it.

His brown eyes dart away, looking back at the ground. I reach for his hand as he shrugs himself forward, turning away from me. My heart is thumping in my chest. It doesn't make sense. I thought I had kissed him. Didn't I kiss him? Has he liked me all along?

There is a loud thumping overhead, and I stare up at the sky. As always, there is no time for what I want. Danger is coming. The sound echoes, as it gets closer.

"Klunk," Minho dives over to Dawn, shaking her awake.

Fry moves through the rest of the crowd. The sound gets louder and louder. Sand is beginning to stir on the ground.

"What's happening?" I turn to look at Newt. He pulls himself off the ground, grabbing on to our backpacks. "What is this?"

"It's the Berg," he shouts. The sand is getting in my eyes. I close them tightly. His arm is on my shoulder, pulling me up towards him. "It took Thomas."

He has to yell so that I can hear him over the violent wiping of sand. I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder. It's WICKED coming back to us. I don't want to know why. In these seconds, I just need to hold him.

"It's dropping him!" I can hear someone else screaming.

I turn to look out. Barely, through the clouds of smoke, I see it. Thomas is on a tarp, falling down and out of the sky. Newt's hand is firmly wrapped around my back. I wait for him to run, but he doesn't. Dawn charges off with Minho, and they both attempt to lower the boy to the ground, despite the sand around us. The rest of the Gladers run off to join them.

Newt's steps are tentative, and he pulls me with him.

The Berg shoots up into the air, disappearing off into the sun. Everyone is shouting at Thomas, trying to get his attention. I push through the crowd, leaving Newt behind. Thomas is awake, lying in the centre, his eyes wide.

Minho and Dawn are beginning to untie the knots. Doug rips them apart with a knife in his hand. Eventually, Thomas is free. He pulls himself up into a sitting position. I haven't seen him in probably weeks, but he looks fine for someone who was shot. Healthier than the rest of us.

"What are you doing out here?" Thomas asks, squinting. He speaks generally, spinning on his feet. "It's the middle of the shuck day!"

Minho helps the boy up, before pointing him to the shack behind us. Thomas nods, and we trek back to our shelter. I can hear them whispering on the way back. After what feels like eons, we are back.

"Okay," Minho says, pointing Thomas over to the corner of the shelter. He sits down, and we follow suit. I am closer to the back, sitting next to Dawn, who has corralled me next to her. Newt is on the other side of Minho. He glances up at me, but only briefly. Klunk, I need to get him alone.

"Now, tell us about your alien abduction," Minho gestures forward, letting Thomas talk.

"Shouldn't we be moving?" Thomas asks, glancing around. He spots me and cocks his head to the side. "How'd you get here?"

"You first, shank," Minho rolls his eyes. "Believe me when I say we've had our fair share of fun, and I'd rather hear you out first before we get into it."

Thomas nods, though he seems uncertain. I've missed Thomas. I'm reminded of Teresa's accusations though and I freeze. Dawn squeezes my hand gently.

She leans in closer. "I talked to him about Teresa. He's fine."

I like that she can read me so well. I've missed being with her and Michelle, just generally being amongst people I trust. Though we aren't safe, I haven't felt better in weeks.

"So, WICKED got me," Thomas answers. "Obviously you shanks remember that part. I was in and out of it most of the time they had me. The bullet was rusty; they called it an unexpected factor. Guess they wanted me alive."

He glances up again, staring at our faces. His gaze returns to the palms of his hands in his laps. A soft grimace on his face.

"Anyway, they kept talking about finding a Candidate, and marking Killzone patterns. The shot, was a bonus for them, I guess? They said they were down to only a few Candidates. I was the strongest."

"Did they mention anyone else?" I cut him off. Something about this feels weird.

Thomas shakes his head back and forth. A few eyes fly towards my head. Sure, maybe the timing isn't the most tasteful, but it's a validate question. They saved Thomas's life because he was important. I need to know if there are other people who are safe.

"Well, everything makes perfect sense now," Minho sighs, rolling his eyes. I know he doesn't blame Thomas, but I watch the brunette's cheeks redden anyway. "That's why you're the slinthead who's the leader."

"I don't want to be," Thomas says, glancing up at Minho. Though Minho has a glint in his eye, Thomas's face is dead set.

"Well, shuck me if I do," Minho sighs. He cracks his neck.

"It's just another test," Newt looks up at the roof of the building. My eyes fly up too. The wood looks like it could fall apart.

"Means they are still spying," Minho offers.

"They aren't using beetle blades," Aris finally speaks up. Thomas's eyes glance over to the boy, but I can't read his gaze. "Desert's too vast. They've got to be using satellites."

"Wait a minute. You mentioned the gun was unexpected, so they are only expecting certain factors?" Newt continues on, ignoring the tangent. "They saved Tommy's life because they don't want him to die, at least not in that way."

"What makes him so special anyway?" One of the people I barely know asks. His name is Jorge, and he is with Brenda. I'm not particularly good with names, but I'm trying to remember the Cranks. "No offence hombre, but you don't seem different than anybody else."

Thomas leans back, as if he has been shot again. "I'm not special."

"Thomas isn't klunk. They are just keeping him alive for the girls. If he died now, what would Group B do?" Michelle rolls her eyes. She stands up, moving away from the crowd. I watch her stare at the skin on her nails. She looks up, scanning the crowd. "What? They are coming to kill him today, once we reach the base of the mountain. WICKED dropped him off at the perfect time, so that their plan would work. It's about them."

"Group B is getting him tonight?" Newt asks. He looks over to me. "Why didn't you mention that?"

"I lost track of the days," I shrug, turning my head quickly between Newt and Dawn. "Honestly, I had no idea they were coming. I'm so sor-"

"We were underground for shuck knows how long." Dawn rolls her eyes, turning to look at Thomas. "I only know that we have five days to the Safe Haven because Minho told me last night."

"They are taking me tonight?" Thomas asks, looking around. He stands up. I watch the panic cross his face. Maybe he is trying to talk to Teresa. It's not like she would answer him. She hates him now.

"The morning, technically," I answer, remembering the plan. "And I wouldn't mess with them."

"They won't give in like last time," Michelle offers.

Thomas freezes. He steps closer to Michelle but flinches when she looks at him. They've never been close, those two, so I don't know that I can blame Michelle for her hostility.

"What do you mean?" Thomas gulps. He swallows, eyes flying over to me.

"We reunited yesterday," Minho offers. "Leo found us, then those other girls, then Michelle. They beat Newt up."

"I'm bloody fine," Newt interjects. He runs a hand through his blonde hair, brushing it out of his face. The gesture only highlights the injuries on his face.

Minho rolls his eyes. "Please. You were bleeding all over the place and calling out to Leo every second."

My cheeks heat up. Thomas's eyes fly over to mine, and I avert my eyes from his gaze. Newt was injured, so I helped. Point, proof, comma. Although, maybe not if we take the morning into account.

"Minho-"

"Whatever," Minho interrupts the argument. He looks around the group and sighs. His head hangs closer to the ground. He's tired. I feel it too. "We need to get to sleep so we can get to the Mountains."

"We can't just let them take Thomas," Newt turns his head, glaring at Minho.

"While you and Aris take watch, you can discuss a plan then," Minho offers. "The rest of us need to sleep."

Newt's lips tighten, but he doesn't respond. Instead, he stands up moving out towards the edge. Clint gets up too, but his eyes are foggy and duller than I remember them ever to be. He couldn't help me last night when I needed him. I wish we could talk, but I know we can't. I know that if I approached him, he would encase in ice.

Dawn lies down on the ground next to me. I join her, my back firm. Though I could try to sleep, I don't. Instead, I look to Minho. I look to our future, and I realize we have none.

~~~~~

Ahhh! Holy fucking shit! Also, this book is coming closer and closer to the end. We aren't yet there, but we are so close. Then the series will be over before you know it. Blink and it's gone. This has been so many years, and Newt and Leo are finally so close. Oh my God.

I'll see you soon.