Newt and I might have been up the whole night talking.. but he comforted me, though he didn't manage to make me less sad about Minho.

"Chuck!" I shook the boy awake. "The Doors are about to open!"

Chuck groaned and opened his eyes. The kid looked cute sleeping, but I would rather check up if Minho was alive than him sleeping.
"You look like crap, Jane."

"Thanks, Chuck. You too." I sprinted out of the hut before even saying anything else.

The worry got worse by the second as I impatiently waited for the Doors to open. Soon a few more boys stood next to me, but half of them already gave up on thinking they survived. But I didn't. A part of me told me Minho survived, yet I was so worried I felt like I could break down any minute.

Slowly the Doors started to open. Too slow. But when I finally caught a glimpse of the maze, no one was there. No Minho, no Thomas, and no Alby. All dead.

"No." I breathed, panicking already. I couldn't lose Minho! The tears burned in my eyes, but instead of giving the Gladers another show, I walked off, to the Deadheads.

Every other noise or word flew past me and I could only feel my heart breaking into pieces, leaving me empty, that was how it felt, at least.

With my head still down and tears dropping on the ground, I sat down in the middle of the woods. Soon the sobs came and there I was, crying again, but probably for the worst reason I ever imagined. At least I shared one last kiss with Minho before he left.

My shoulders shook as I buried my head in my knees, pulling them up to my chest. It was awful. Everything was awful. The maze, the tasks, the consequences, Minho being dead...

Suddenly two arms wrapped around me, but I resisted. "Leave me alone." I cried.

The person sighed. "Look up, Shebean."

The familiar nickname made my head snap up. And there he was. Sitting right in front of me, eyes twinkling and the familiar smirk on his face.

"Missed me?"

I gasped and wrapped my arms around Minho tighter than ever, more tears dropping, but this time out of happiness. Minho chuckled and hugged back, wrapping one of his hands around my waist and putting the other one on the back of my head.

"For god's sake yes, I missed you!" I sobbed, my arms clenching around Minho.

He laughed again and got up, though I never let go, so he pulled me with him.

"Are you ever letting go, Shebean?" Minho questioned.

"Maybe." I sniffed as Minho rubbed my back, still letting out some laughs. "I thought you were dead."

"I wouldn't die without saying goodbye," Minho replied.

"Or just don't die," I suggested, making Minho laugh again. A nice laugh.

"Alright then." Minho sighed and eventually let go of me, so I was forced to do too.
"I promise to you, Jane, the only girl, the Shebean, that I won't leave. But you will have to promise too."

"I promise to you, Minho, the Keeper of the Runners, the fastest, that I won't leave." I smiled.

"Don't break your promises." Minho sternly said.

"I won't." I smiled.

About that...

"Good that." Minho nodded.

"So did Alby and Thomas make it too?" I asked as we started to walk back to the others, my happiness returning.

"Yep."

I gasped and sped up my pace when I saw multiple boys gathered around something.

"What happened?" Chuck stared at someone lying on the ground. Alby. Dried blood was on his head and he looked awful, his veins a little dark.

"He got stung," Minho explained, followed by a sigh.

Oh, crap. But he's our leader!

"You saw a Griever?" Chuck gasped at Thomas, who was bent down next to Alby.

"Yeah, I saw one." Thomas breathed.

"He didn't just see it." Minho started, looking at everyone. "He killed it."

HOLY-

~

Gally needed to have a gathering for some shuck reason I didn't get. Thomas killed a Griever, which was very impressive, and now Gally wanted to punish him!

"Things are changing." The Builder stood in the middle of the gathering room. "There's no denying that. First, Ben gets stung in broad daylight. And then Alby." He explained.

"Gally, we all know that. Just skip to the part you're actually going to say something useful." I sighed. Gally gave me an angry glance, and Chuck me a proud one.

"And now our Greenie, here, has taken it upon himself... to go into the maze." Gally ignored me. "Which is a clear violation of our rules here."

"Yeah... but he saved Alby's life," Frypan added.

Gally scoffed. "Did he? For 3 years, we have coexisted with these things. And now, you've killed one of them." He pointed at Thomas. "Who knows what that could mean for us."

"It could mean we find a way out," I responded, not scared to take it upon Gally.

Newt sighed and stepped forward. "What do you suggest we do?"

Oh, he looks kinda h- not now.

"He has to be punished." Gally simply replied.

"Come on." People protested.

"He killed a Griever!"

"He saved Alby!"

"Minho." Newt started. "You were there with him. What do you think?"

Minho glanced at everyone.
"I think... in all the time we've been here... no one has ever killed a Griever before."

I raised my hand. "I kind of did, just not on purpose."

"What?"

"I activated a bomb that burned the Griever to death." I innocently said, almost grinning.

"That's very cool of you, Shebean. I'm proud." Minho gave me a nod, but then started talking again.
"When I turned tail and ran... this dumb shank stayed behind to help Alby. Look, I don't know if he's brave or stupid. But whatever it is, we need more of it."

He took a dramatic pause, looking at everyone once again.

"I say we make him a runner."

Well. That went fast.

"A runner?"

"What?"

Newt laughed, seeming quite excited.

"Minho, let's not jump the gun, here." Someone else said.

"Thomas! Thomas! Thomas!" Chuck started, but when no one joined in, he stopped, me cringing.

"If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine. Go ahead." Gally threw his hands in the air. "But if there is one thing I know about the maze... it is that you do not-."

He got interrupted by the familiar sound. The box. Wait- THE BOX?

Gally and Newt shared a before they glanced to the Box, the others soon following.

"Newt, what do you see?" Someone asked when Newt jumped in the Box.

Doesn't that hurt his li- never mind.

Newt gasped. "It's a girl."

My face lit up and I was about to cheer and boys were about to call dibs, but then Newt added something.

"I think she's dead."

My face dropped as I stared into the Box. A beautiful, but pale girl lay there. Her eyes were closed and I couldn't tell if she was breathing. Her perfect dark hair was in the right position while I looked like a soaking cat in the Box! How did she even manage to look that pretty?

Damn. She's beautiful.

"You kidding?"

"Ah, come on!"

"I was too late with Jane, and now we finally have another one and she's dead!"

"He's right! Minho and Newt just claimed her!"

"Woah, woah, woah." Minho interrupted, giving the boy that talked the sternest glance ever. "You can't claim someone, and especially not Jane."

"But you did!"

"What's in her hand?" Gally interrupted before Minho started fighting, and for once, I thanked Gally, mentally, of course.

Newt grabbed something out of the girl's hand and read it out loud. "She's the last one... ever."

Actually, it sounded more like 'evah', but.. not the point.

I frowned. The last one? No more supplies every month?

"What the hell does that mean?" Newt frowned.

Suddenly the girl gasped for air. Her eyes shot open and she searched around the crowd with them until she made contact with Thomas.

"Thomas..." She gasped. Then she gave Newt one glance before her eyes moved up and closed again.

I would react like that too when I made eye contact with Newt.

"Do you still think I'm overreacting?" Gally asked.