Chapter 22

                                    

                                          
Needless to say, Eleanor never found out what Alby had wanted with Thomas.
She hadn't tried to find out either. She knew Newt wouldn't tell her. Maybe the Greenie would have told her if she had asked but there were already so many things she was in the dark about that she really doubted knowing would make her understand everything that was going on. Plus, Thomas had been thrown in the Slammer that night as a punishment for going into the Maze. She knew that much. Never mind that he had saved Minho and Alby in the process. So, she hadn't even seen the newly appointed Runner.
Newt had been busy running the Glade and she had barely seen him either.
She knew Alby was awake, so, that meant he wasn't dying. Knowing that was good enough for her.
A couple of days passed.
Alby left the Med-hut soon after and was soon back to barking orders around as if nothing had happened.
Everyone around her went back to their daily activities, quickly forgetting the previous days, or at least not worrying about everything that had taken place.
During the first hour since the Leader had left the Med-hut, Eleanor followed Alby with her gaze, analizing every little thing to see if the Changing had modified the older boy's behaviour in some way. He seemed as bossy and intimidating as ever. Even if she was still a bit suspicious about the whole thing, she had to admit that working and following the normal schedule helped with her anxiety a lot. So she focused on that.
The dreaded conversation came two days after the Gathering.
The girl had resolved she was going to leave Minho his space.
She had moved back to her sleeping bag by the side of the Homestead and resumed life as if she had never moved into her best friend's room in the first place. And she had tried to ignore how much it hurt having to be apart from him after she had just got him back.
She had promised herself she would wait until he was ready to talk to her, however long it took. He needed space, she would give him space. And, so far, she had kept her promise. Besides, she wasn't even sure she believed Newt. After all, it would make more sense for him to be mad at her than to have a crush on her. She was a horrible person. She was selfish and impulsive. She had said she hated him and, then, went and kissed his best friend. She wouldn't blame him if he never spoke to her again.
But, maybe, if he was angry then that meant he could somehow forgive her. If, on the other hand, it was true he liked her... She didn't know if things could go back to normal at all.
The fact that Minho had been constantly busy showing Thomas the Maze and everything related to it, as the Newbie had started his new duty right after he came out of the Slammer, had made everything even easier for Eleanor. Although, that hadn't completely stopped the awkwardness as they, once or twice, caught sight of each other across the Kitchens at dinner time or around the Glade. Eleanor had simply tried to resume the activity she had been doing, and had done her best to ignore the feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She would wait until he was ready to talk to her, but she would have been lying if she said she wasn't scared of the conversation.
"Can we talk?"
Eleanor had been getting ready to go to bed when he appeared next to her usual spot. He seemed to materialize out of thin air.
She took a second to catch her breath.
"Yes, of course."
She could feel a small tingle of panic growing inside of her.
Minho gestured with his head towards the sleeping bag on the floor and she sat down next to him without a word, as he took a seat against the wall.