Chapter Text
"There’s a girl here?"
"That’s what I said. Name’s (Y/N)."
Thomas looked around the glade expectantly. Trying to spot her.
"She isn’t here shank." Newt ran his hand through his hair as they walked together through the clearing.
"But you said-"
”- She’s in the maze right now. You’ll see her later.”
Thomas rubbed his face with his hands, trying to take everything in.
"Isn’t it weird with only one girl here?" Newt laughed loudly which only confused him more.
"I suppose it could have been, but you don’t know her." Newt gazed off towards one of the giant concrete openings. "She’s not what you’d expect."
Thomas opened his mouth to ask more questions but stopped himself, aware that he was told not to ask any in the first place. Newt looked ready to talk again so he decided to listen instead for now.
"She’s been here for almost a year, scared the klunk out of us when we got her out of the box. You would think that she’d be scared, just like you are Greenie, but no. At least she didn’t show it if she was."
"She wasn’t phased at all?"
“‘Came out swinging’ is how we all refer to it now.” Newt chuckles at the memory. “Punched Gally straight in the nose.”
"Which one’s Gally?"
"The one who pulled you out of the box." Newt rolled his eyes at the green bean. They don’t normally ask these many questions.
Thomas nodded, impressed at the thought. “So she’s in the maze? I thought we couldn’t go in there.”
"You can’t go in there Greenie. She’s a runner." Newt said proudly, ignoring Thomas’ complaints over his name. "She’s out with Minho right now, they should be back soon."
"What do runners do?"
"Enough questions shank. Go and get some food. Someone will show you where you’ll be sleeping soon."
There was a lot to take in about this place, a lot of questions - too many questions. The idea of there being a girl here interested him the most. Why only one? What was she like? What was she there for?
A boy called Chuck finds him shortly after. Thomas immediately likes him, deciding that he is a sweet kid. They sit together and eat some more of the delicious food.
Someone enters the room clapping Chuck on the shoulder as he goes past. Thomas examines him closely. He didn’t recognise him from the sea of faces ogling down at him when he first came up in the box.
"Hey Minho!" Chuck cheers happily after him. Minho smiles and after grabbing a bowlful of food slides into the bench beside Chuck.
"So you’re the new greenie huh?"
"Thomas. My name is Thomas."
"Uh huh."
Thomas deducted that this is probably the boy that (Y/N) was out with in the maze. He looked over his shoulder to see if she was behind them.
"Finally stopped yakking then has he?" Minho asks Chuck, nudging his head over to Thomas.
"Whaddya mean?" Chuck splutters, his mouth full of food.
"Newt said the green bean here wouldn’t shut up earlier. Kept asking bout (Y/N)."
Thomas spins back into the conversation at the mention of her name. There was something fascinating about her, even though he hadn’t met her yet.
"Nice of you to join us."
"No, he hasn’t said much Minho. Not to me anyway." Chuck shrugs, turning to face Thomas. "What do you want to know about her for anyway?"
Thomas swallows slowly, aware he’s being observed carefully. “I just thought it’s strange that there’s only one girl here. Wondered how it all works.”
Minho shakes his head at Thomas, a look of disbelief on his face. “Of all the questions you have about this shuck place, you ask about her?”
Thomas just shrugs in reply, feeling uneasy.
"Let me tell you a few things about (Y/N). She’s -"
"-She’s awesome." Chuck gushes interrupting their conversation.
Minho laughs loudly, his face lighting up. “That she is. Look, (Y/N) is one of the strongest people in here - level-headed I mean. She even managed to save my tail from the grievers once.”
"Grievers?"
"Don’t interrupt Greenie."
"Thomas."
"Whatever. Do you want to hear about her or not?"
Thomas opened and closed his mouth, nodding in agreement. Minho smirked at him before continuing.
"Before she came along, we had almost given up. Everything looked really bleak. She was the one who got us moving again. She gave us hope of ever getting out of this place."
"Where is she anyway?" Chuck brings Minho out of his thoughts. Thomas was annoyed, eager to learn more about her.
"Alby wanted her for something. She’ll be at the bonfire tonight." He replied casually, stretching out in his seat.
"Bonfire?"
"A celebration of sorts - in your honour Greenie."
"They had one for me too last month. I’m looking forward to this one." Chuck adds, grinning.
After night fell, the celebration came into full swing. Boys danced around the fire, making sounds and rhythms that sparked excitement and energy through the cool air.
Thomas sat on a log next to Newt, observing the others. Waiting for a glimpse of (Y/N).
"That’s Winston, keeper for the slicers. That’s all things to do with the animals to you." Newt pointed to one of the boys laughing on the other side of the fire. Thomas nodded trying to take all the new information in. It had been a very long day.
A blur of someone running past them towards the fire grabs Thomas’ attention. The figure launches themselves onto Minho’s back, making him stagger forward. Cheers echo around the fire in greeting to the newcomer, grins etched on their faces.
"That’s (Y/N)."
Thomas watches her with fascination as she weaves among the boys. Her eyes are bright and full of energy, matching the brilliant smile on her face. She looks happy.
She wanders over to Chuck, enveloping him in a warm hug. She ruffles his hair slightly, laughing at whatever they’re talking about. Thomas wished to himself that he could hear them. He wanted to know what her voice sounds like.
A tall boy takes her by the hand and spun around with her a few times. She throws her head back, laughing before pushing him away, rolling her eyes.
Gally hands her a jar of liquid and she salutes him graciously before clinking her jar with his and taking a sip. Thomas wondered how she could stomach the vile tasting stuff. He thought it was disgusting.
It was clear to him that (Y/N) was well liked here. It was easy to believe what Minho had said before about her giving them hope. It radiated off her, making the corner of his lip twitch in a smile just thinking about it.
Newt looked over to Thomas and rolled his eyes. A part of him wanted to warn Thomas off from her - but he knew better. (Y/N) was more than capable of holding her own with those sorts of things. Another part of him couldn’t blame Thomas for staring at her so intently - despite all the bad things that happened in the glade, she was always optimistic.
Minho was leaning over (Y/N), whispering something in her ear. Thomas blushed when her eyes, crinkled from smiling, flicked over to the log they were sat on. She stood up and started making her way over. Thomas panicked slightly, unsure of how she would react to all his questions about her over his first day.
(Y/N) takes a seat inbetween Newt and Thomas, nudging Newt playfully in the same movement.
"Hey Newt, Greenie."
"Hey (Y/N)." Newt smiles warmly.
"Hi." Thomas manages to mumble, not taking his eyes from hers.
"This is Tommy (Y/N).
"Hi Tommy. Name’s (Y/N)." Thomas was surprised when she used his real name. She spoke quietly but with some strange sincerity in her voice. He immediately felt relaxed around her.
Newt rolled his eyes at Thomas’ silence. Thomas confused him, he wasn’t like the other gladers who came up from the box hole.
"You should have seem Tommy run from the box (Y/N). Thought he might’ve made a half decent runner for a minute."
"Yeah? So why not?"
"He fell on his face."
(Y/N) laughs softly, causing Thomas to duck his head in embarrassment.
"(Y/N)!" Gally shouted from the other side of the fire, he beckoned over for her to join him. She nodded in reply as he turned back to his conversation.
"Well, you never know. He might surprise us yet Newt. Every one of us has fallen at some point running. Better he do it now than in the maze." (Y/N) said gently before bouncing over to another group of boys.
Thomas decided right then and there that he would do whatever it took to become a runner.