T W E L V E
.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

I never told Minho I overheard his phone call the next day. And he pretended like it didn't happen.

He was his usual self, joking around and starting some arguments with everyone. I did feel a jolt of happiness hit me when I put on the clothes he bought for me, but after that I felt just as miserable as the night before.

I hadn't slept very long. Maybe three hours, but I could live on that. All I did was take a coffee at breakfast and it would be fixed.

So there we sat, at a long table with our plates in front of us. The next day we would already leave Norway. We decided to stay in the hotter countries the longest, so we could visit both cities and the beach there.

I ate in silence, for once not in the mood for jokes. Winston, who sat next to me, tapped on my shoulder, whispering, "You okay, Quinn?"

I smiled brightly at him. Yet fake. "Yeah. Thanks, Winston."

He nodded and continued nibbling on his croissant as I fidgeted with mine a bit. From under my eyelashes, I glanced at Minho.

He seemed to have made it up with Thomas and was now laughing with him. But his smile wasn't very bright. Actually, I had never seen him smile widely. In his eyes I could always see if it was real, though.

This time it was hard to tell, but it didn't seem as fake as mine. He was still holding up.

"So today we'll go on a bus tour through the mountains." Newt grabbed the attention again. "Just seeing some nature and everything. We'll pack our bags when we get back, because we're taking the night ferry."

Everyone nodded before they continued their own talks. I had lost count on how many times I secretly glared at Minho, but I did it again.

And caught him staring at me already. Then he turned away to continue eating.

Despite the fact that we were having breakfast, I couldn't help but to take out my phone when I hear a bleep, finding someone texted me.

Minho

Why's Quinn sad?

Why's Minho sad?

I ain't sad. But you are. What happened?

I glanced at him again, he glanced back. He never stopped until I broke the eye contact.

Nothing, just thinking

Hm

Don't hm me. And get manners, we're eating

I'm not the one that picked up the phone after hearing one little beep.

🖕

🖕🖕

I exhaled and put the thing back in my pocket.

He didn't even know me and already cared more than anyone ever did.

Then again, my phone made a noise. This time it actually went off, so all the eyes were on me. I grabbed it, which made my elbow accidentally knock over a glass of milk.

Newt was the first to get up from his seat when I froze in my place. He walked closer to me, held up his hand and reached out.

I flinched.

He froze too now. Stared at me, his eyes filling with both confusion and pity. Just like everyone else's eyes.

Just then I noticed the tissue in his hands. A shaky, but relieved breath left my mouth.
He's wasn't going to hit me. He only wanted to clean the milk because I didn't move.

Until I got up, struggling to press the green button on my phone. "I'll- I'll pick up real quick." I said quietly before rushing away, swallowing away all the guilt in my throat.

"Hello?" I never looked who actually called and already picked up when arrived in the hallway.

"Quinn?" A female voice. "Quinn, honey?"

My mouth nearly fell open. "Mom?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's me, Quinn." She sounded relieved. Happy. "I'm doing better, honey. Healing."

"Really?" I straightened my back. "Mom, that's amazing." A smile was starting to grow on my face.

For once she wasn't drunk. For once she could talk normally. For once she managed to put a smile on my face.

"Yeah." A sigh. "The progress is going faster than I thought. Easier. You went on holidays, right?"

I got tears in my eyes from happiness. She remembered. "I'm in Norway right now. With my friends."

"And? Are they treating you a little nice?" She was already teasing me like she did in the good old days.

I let out a laugh. "Yeah. They are. I bought clothes, Mom. Well, Minho bought clothes for me. He's a friend, too."

She snickered. "A friend, hm?"

I chuckled again. It was quiet for a while. Between both of us. I let a silent tear fall.

"Look. They won't give me much time to call, Honey. So I've got to hang up. Is that okay?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "That's okay. I'm glad you're doing better."

"I'm glad, too. Have fun, Quinn."

"Bye, Mom."

A last beep and her voice was gone. I smiled to myself. Laughed out loud until the laughs turned into sobs. Both happy and sad ones.

I didn't care that I was crying in the middle of a hallway. No one was there anyway. My back slid against the wall, and I cried until I felt better.

And until my phone went off. Again.

"What?" I snapped to whoever called.

"No hello? Alright."

My heart nearly stopped. "Bye, Aiden."
And I hung up.

He called again. I refused to press the green button, and blocked the number after he called a few more times.

I made my way back to the others, attempting to smile after all the crying and hoping they wouldn't notice.

"Everything alright?" Thomas was the first to check up this time.

I nodded. "Yeah. Perfect."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The talk I had with my mother kept repeating in my head when we sat in the bus, driving through the mountains.

The bus was divided in two floors. We sat in the lowest one, spread all over the place. In front of me was a square, white table with two couches— the ones we sat on— attached to it.

Minho sat across from me. Next to him sat Newt. Next to me was Teresa. I stared out of the window in silence, only able to reply in mutters if someone talked.

I didn't mean to, but today I just couldn't put on a fake smile. I couldn't.

For the millionth time that day, a phone rang. Minho's phone. He stared at the screen, eyes lighting up before he greeted whoever it was.

"Yo, man." He looked around him. "Mhm. Yeah."

Worry crashed into me. If that was Aiden on the phone, I was in big trouble.

"On a bus, yeah. No, tomorrow we'll be on a ferry." Minho explained. "The Netherlands? Tomorrow, too." A long pause. "No, we'll only go there at the end of the holiday."

Greece. My breathing got taken away. It must've been Aiden.

"Thanks. You enjoy it, too." A smile and Minho put his phone back in its place.

"Who was that?" Newt wondered.

"Business friend." Minho shrugged, not sharing too much information. But it was enough for me to know who it was.

"You okay?" Teresa was whispering to me. "You're a bit pale. Carsick?"

I shook my head, fast. "I'll be fine. Thanks."

The Gladers

Thomas The Train
This bus stinks

Newttt
Shut up

Minho
Maybe because you're in it, Thomas

Thomas The Train
I don't think I'm gonna make it through these holidays like this... with these people

Teresa
Shut up, you love us

Thomas The Train
Only a few of you

Another message showed up at the top of my screen. I clicked without thinking, not smart.

Unknown Number

I need money. Please, Quinn

I'm not giving you anything else. Leave me alone, Aiden

You're afraid of what you'll feel when you do this kind of shit because you don't want to feel anything. Just give me something. I know where you're going tomorrow, so just give it.

Why?

Reasons. Just give me the money

I blocked that number too. How many friends their phones could he lend before he would leave me alone? Jeez.

"Everything all right?" Minho lifted an eyebrow. He was staring at me, right in the eyes, while Teresa and Newt were talking.

And I was honestly sick of people asking that question over and over again. "Perfectly fine."

"Are you sure?" He leaned closer over the table.

My face stayed blank. "Very sure."

The other eyebrow raised too. "Take your mask off when I ask you if you're okay."

"What kind of Shakespeare quote is that?" I rolled my eyes, denying he was speaking the truth and I lying right in his face.

A small laugh was the only thing that made me calm down a bit, but then he turned serious again. "Are you okay?"

"Memory loss? Because I just told you I was fine."

"Hm." He rubbed his chin. Leaned back again. "Fine as long as you're breathing, right?"

My jaw clenched. "Leave it."

He smiled in such an annoying way it made me want to punch something. He was teasing. Teasing as it made me more pissed by the second.

"Alright, then." He lay his hands on the table and looked up again. "I'm here. Talk to me or not, but I'm here."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

A/n: I don't have much to say about this 🤷‍♀️

But I hope you enjoyed!! - Vera