SIXTEEN.

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Later that night, I sat cross-legged in the middle of my floor with my sketchbook in my lap. No matter how hard I tried to force it to, my pencil wouldn't move the way I wanted it to. My mind was a blank slate when it came to thinking of what I wanted to draw. For once, there was no inspiration that came to me.

A knock on my door made look up toward it. "Come in."

Minho's head popped in the door. He had a slight smile on his face, which started to falter after noticing my defeated expression. The door closed silently behind him after he slipped inside and then sat down beside me.

"Why does my pencil not want to move?" I questioned rhetorically, huffing so my bottom lip stuck out in a small pout.

Minho stared down at the sketchbook in my lap. "Looks like it moved to me."

I glanced down and discovered the page was covered in a swirl of lead and charcoal. It blended together to create a mass of spirals that gradually got thicker the farther they went up the page. To my confusion, I found my charcoal on the floor to the left of me. When had I picked it up? When did I use it? I didn't remember drawing at all.

"What is it?" Minho questioned as he squinted at the picture. His head tilted to the side to view it from another angle

"I think it's a tornado," I replied somberly. "I think it's me."

In my peripheral vision, I saw Minho look at me in concern, but my eyes stayed locked on the picture. A lump worked its way into my throat until I had to inhale a shaking breath through my mouth. Just when I felt my eyes sting with tears, Minho's hand clasped onto mine. He squeezed comfortingly. The action alone relieved some of the pressure in my chest.

"If you're a tornado, then you can destroy those shuck-faces who are talking bad about you," Minho informed me. I chuckled and ducked my head down. "I'm serious. Nad, this is what I've been preparing you for. Don't shut down on yourself now."

I bit the inside of my cheek and turned to him, discovering with slight surprise that he was very close. My cheeks heated up when my eyes involuntarily snuck a glance at his lips. Before I could shy away in embarrassment, though, Minho pulled me closer for a kiss. It was more gentle than the other two and caused me to nearly melt.

"I'm so glad I can do that now," Minho whispered once he pulled back half an inch. I found myself blushing even harder at that, which made me cover my face with my hands. He sounded bewildered when he asked, "Are you still blushing?"

"Yes," I managed to squeak out.

"Come on." Minho definitely rolled his eyes jokingly. "That was the third time and you're acting like you just saw me without clothes on."

Oh, God. I really wished he hadn't said that. The mental image that brought about made me want to crawl under my bed and never look at him again.

I squeezed my eyes shut when I felt hands on my own. They were trying to pull them from my face, but I was basically as strong as Minho was. He shifted around so he could get a better grip and managed to pull my arms away for just long enough that he could press his lips to mine again. I found my hands going to his face instead of mine. They grabbed his cheeks so they squished a bit.

My heart was doing backflips in my chest as his hand went to the back of my neck to bring me closer. I still felt awkward and unsure of myself, but it wasn't as bad as the last time. Slowly but surely, I was figuring out what to do.

I had to pull back and stifle a yawn. "Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I'm just exhausted."

"I'm not even going to complain because that was adorable," Minho replied with a grin. "Shuck, I like you."

I beamed at him, happy to know that he returned the feelings I had for him. If he didn't, I wasn't sure what I'd do.

"Alright, I'm gonna go up to my room," Minho sighed, leaning forward and pecking my cheek before standing up. He stretched his arms over his head, revealing a thin line of his skin that my eyes immediately dropped to. He noticed. "Get some sleep. It's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

I watched as he left and closed the door behind him. My room felt emptier somehow, the spacious area seeming more sparse with only me in it. A heavy breath fell from my lips before I closed my sketchbook and tossed it onto my cluttered dresser.

Minho was right. If I was a tornado, I could obliterate those rumors tomorrow.

-:-

It was a lot easier said than done.

The beginning of the day was horrible. Eyes followed me everywhere, but I refused the urge to run into my room and draw on my wall for the whole day. Whispers trailed around the Glade. It made me a little nauseous; these people had been nothing short of kind to me before my accident. Now, I was uncomfortable no matter where I went.

I sat with Newt, Theo, and Garret during lunch. Clark was nowhere to be seen once more. A weight was settling in my chest that made me feel like I was sinking toward the bottom of a lake. Garret and Theo tried to cheer me up as best as they could with banter and jokes. The two were so affable that they even made Newt smile. Just seeing that expression on his face was enough to make me grin as well.

Then Clark appeared out of nowhere. He pushed his red hair back from his face and plopped down beside me with a grunt. Just before I looked at him, my eye caught Luke staring from another table. Even if I didn't like him, I knew Clark did, and that was enough for me to approve.

Things began clearing up as the hours passed and the sun started its descent over the East Wall. The Keepers had done their part in shutting down the spreading of rumors. When I passed the Blood House on my daily walk, Winston waved at me with a knife in his hand. Nick was hustling around to spy on everyone's conversations. All Alby had to do was walk by a group of people and they'd fall silent instantly. Gally apparently took to threatening his Builders with putting nails in their hands if he heard a single word about Alex, Clark, or me.

Nick was right. Keepers stuck together, and I was grateful for it.

People began crowding around the West Door half an hour before it was scheduled to close. There was a jittery feeling swarming my stomach, heightening my nerves and making me antsy. Clark stood beside me with his arms crossed and his indifferent mask plastered onto his face again. Ironically, I was somewhat happy to see it. It meant that things were already returning back to normal.

"It's actually happening," Theo said as he limped toward us. He shook his head. "Can't believe it. You know, all this time I thought it was an accident. I slipped and fell, no big deal. But now that I think about it, I think I remember Alex smiling."

"I'm glad he's going to be gone," Clark confessed with a scowl. "Can't wait, actually. He caused so much pain and stuff."

I nodded in silent agreement. Alex being Banished was a good thing, but I couldn't shake off the nerves that wouldn't settle. I was never particularly a fan of Banishments. Taking part in pushing someone you know to their doom was unsettling beyond compare.

Twenty minutes. I checked my watch every few seconds out of nervous habit. Where was Minho? All of the Runners should have been back by now.

"Hey," someone greeted breathlessly from behind me. I heaved a sigh of relief and turned to see Minho with his hands on his hips as he panted heavily. His forehead was slick with sweat, lips chapped and dry.

"Hey," I responded casually. "You ready to participate in the Banishment this time?"

Minho groaned and shook his head. "Shuck. I forgot about that."

I smiled wryly. "Perks of being a Keeper."

"I'm going to jab him with my stick," Clark sneered sourly. "Make him bleed."

"Clark, no."

Fifteen minutes. Alby already had the pole out, and was standing with it near the entrance to the Maze. Nick was nowhere to be seen. However, soon enough, the familiar sound of the Slammer opening caused everyone to turn their heads toward the source.

Nick and a Glader named Mike held Alex by his arms, which were bound behind his back with twine. The younger boy's face was unreadable; he kept his eyes toward the ground as if in shame. I expected him to at least resist. However, he complied and let himself be guided toward the Maze.

A chill passed over me. I shuddered, and Minho's hand brushed my own in support. The action caused comfort to wash over me. I exhaled slowly out of my mouth as Alex was deposited at the front of the crowd.

Alby dragged the pole over with a metallic scrape of it against stone. He buttoned the worn, ratty collar around Alex's neck, his eyes scanning over the kid's face to check for any emotion. Slowly, Alex's dark eyes drifted up to meet Alby's. They were empty.

Nick already stood at the other end of the pole, holding it steady in his hands. His face was blank as well, but his jaw was clenched and his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. I could tell he disliked these just as much as I did. It was apparent in his taut muscles and the slight hunch of his broad shoulders.

"Alex the Greenie, you are hereby being Banished on the account of the following," Nick began with his voice echoing from how silent it was. "Injuring Theo of the Builders, setting fire to the kitchen, letting a stampede out of the pens, almost killing Johnny of the Slicers, and for the attempted murder of our very own Keeper, Minho. These are your crimes. You are responsible for them and their outcomes."

Alex kept completely quiet. His hands stayed bound behind his back until Winston cut through them with a knife. When the Newbie brought his arms around to his front, his wrists were lined with red from the tight restraints. He rubbed at them.

Nick sucked in a breath before taking a look around. "Keepers, assume your positions at the Banishment Pole."

I wiped my sweating hands on my jeans to rid them of their moisture. Clark went first, grabbing onto his portion with a sharp glare toward Alex that could decapitate him if it was possible. One by one, we took our places and held onto the shorter poles. The metal was cold and sleek against my skin. I swallowed thickly.

Usually, this would be the part where the person being Banished would start screaming, pleading for their life and for us to spare them. Alex simply stood there and accepted his fate. He still wouldn't look at us, which was more nerve-wracking than screeching. Silence was unexpected.

A deep rumble sounded from the Walls, signaling that they were about to close. I shut my eyes briefly before opening them again. The ground shook beneath my feet as I steadied myself. The Doors began to begin pushing toward each other with the loud screech of stone against stone.

"Now!" Nick shouted.

Together, we all started pushing Alex out of the Glade and into the Maze. I was met with a sharp pain as my feet dug into the ground with the force of my pushing. A small cry came out as my muscles went taut with strain. My leg was screaming in protest, shooting pain up toward my brain until I began to sweat from it.

But Alex was obedient, even seeming to help us push him out. His eyes stayed on the ground as his feet slipped from under him. Even as he fell to the ground, he stood up again and again. It was almost a robotic sequence. Fall, get up. Fall, get up. His movements were jerky yet eerily controlled, and it made me wonder if anyone else was noticing it as well.

"Hold!" Nick ordered above the roar of the Maze. I gasped in relief and let my leg rest for a moment, picking it up from the ground to relieve the pressure. Tears were pricking at my eyes from the agony filling the appendage.

Alex's gaze was pointed straight at the ground even as the Doors were almost shut. Everyone was quiet as his eyes finally worked their way up to us. He seemed to be looking at everyone all at once before the words came from his lips, somehow intelligible even through the rumbling of the Maze.

"W.I.C.K.E.D is good."

And the Doors shut with an indefinite boom.

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dun dun dun.

note: it's important you notice the robotic-like movements alex was doing. what could it mean???

-kristyn