Okay, so I know I do slow updates, and I'm very sorry for that! I'm not going to promise anything, because I know I might let you guys down.

Anyway, I don't think the last chapter sent notifications, or people have just stopped reading, I don't know.
I hope you guys are still reading . . .

Also, the first chapter of Everlasting hit over 100 votes, and I don't know why, but that made me so happy!

Q. Being honest, how is the sequel so far?

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Lori began to panic, the noise of the Cranks getting to her.
Minho didn't look impressed, clamping his mouth shut so as not to cause himself any harm.

Jorge waits a moment for everyone to calm down, before speaking to his captive audience. "Here's the plan. Brenda and I will escort these moochers to the stash, let 'em eat up. Then we'll all meet on the Tower, let's say one hour from now." He takes a moment to look at his watch, "Make that noon on the dot. We'll bring up lunch for the rest of you."

Lori relaxes slightly, realizing that Jorge has a plan of action. We're going to get away from his Crank army. About time.

The oldest man in the room steps forward, questioning Jorge's plan. "Why just you and Brenda? What if they jump you? There's thirteen of them and two of you."

Jorge scoffs, as if this is the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard. "Thanks for the math lesson, Barkley. Next time I forget how many toes I have, I'll be sure and spend some time counting with you.

For now, shut your flappin' lips and lead everybody to the Tower. If these punks try anything, Brenda will slash Mr. Minho to tiny bits while I beat the living hell out of the rest of them. They can barely stand they're so weak. Now get!"

The older man considers what Jorge is saying, a nasty sneer on plastered on his face as he stares right at his leader. "Fine, but if they do jump you and slit your throat, we'll get along just fine without ya."

"Thanks for the kind words, hermano. Now get, or we'll have double the fun on the Tower."

Barkley laughs slightly awkwardly, trying to make it look like he wasn't just humiliated. Lori didn't even want to imagine what sort of 'fun' that Jorge is referring to.
Barkley leads them all down the hallway which Thomas and Jorge had previously been down, the girl with the long brown hair still holding her blade to Minho's neck.

Lori wanted to do something, but then again, she wasn't the one holding the sharp object to her friend's neck.
As if hearing Lori's thoughts, the girl drops the knife, wiping the blood off onto her pants, which had no holes in them to her surprise.
"I really would've killed you, ya know," the girl says quietly. "Charge Jorge again and I'll sever an artery."

Minho slides his thumb along the cut, before bringing it to his face to look at the smear of crimson. "That's one sharp knife. Make me like you more."
As Newt and Frypan groan, Lori elbows Minho, earning a smug smile for all of them.

The girl smirks, "Looks like I'm not the only Crank standing here. You're even more gone than me."
Lori can't help but laugh at the girl's reaction to Minho's comment.

The strawberry blonde looks around, to see their latest Green hanging at the back of the crowd, looking completely lost. Lori slows down, taking a few steps backward until she's walking besides Clara.

"Oh my god, Lori, I'm so sorry about what happened! I don't even know what I can say to make up for that," Clara apologizes.

Lori laughs, not mockingly, "It's fine. I'm alive, you're alive, and we're about to be back on the move towards the safe haven. Hopefully, we can all start over," her eyes unwillingly make they're way over to Newt, as if talking indirectly to him.

"You really like him, don't you?" Clara asks quietly.

Lori whips around to look at the other Glader, "What are you talking about?"

"Newt. If you didn't, you wouldn't have reacted the way you did when you found out."
Lori slowed down some what, thinking about what Clara had just said. Was there truth to it?

Lori dismisses the thoughts from her mind, to notice Clara, and where she was looking. "You know, you've been staring at a certain someone a lot lately. Want me to put in a word?"

Clara, unlike Lori who had looked straight at her, avoids eye contact.

Lori giggles somewhat, before talking in a low voice so no one could hear. "Don't worry, Minho was just joking before with that other chick."

"Brenda," The dark haired girl grumbles.

"Well, Brenda, doesn't like him. You do. And I think you should go for it."
Clara gives her a sweet smile, as they walk side by side.

Lori's subconscious was laughing at her, wow, telling her to go after Minho, just so that she wont try anything with Newt? No! She likes Minho, I'm just trying to help out a friend.

At last, they are leaving the building. Unfortunately, it is still boiling hot, the harsh rays of the sun burning each and every centimetre of unprotected skin. Which was a bit, considering Lori is wearing shorts, a shirt, jacket, and some boots; which are surprisingly easy to run in.

The girl, Brenda, leads them to another building, where they go down a dark staircase, which cools them down enough that Lori doesn't feel as if she's melting.

They reach a hallway and Brenda instructs them to sit, and she will bring them food. Lori still isn't entirely sure whether or not she trusts the girl, but at the moment, she feels she doesn't really have a choice in the matter.

The food is passed around, cans of beans and such, and the Gladers devour every last bit, not bothering to savour the 'tasty delights' turned out to be canned beans and a form of sausage; no one knew for sure, because the labels were in a different language. But Lori didn't care, and neither did the others, they just fed the starving monsters within them.

Brenda was sitting beside Thomas, and Lori couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear for Thomas. What if she's dangerous?
Brenda moves closer to Thomas, and Lori decides to look away, not wanting to look like she's staring.

She then smiles, when she sees that Clara and Minho are sitting side by side, talking between themselves. Lori decided that she didn't mind Clara, and she seems to care for Minho, so she saw no harm. Even if they're in a place where they could die any minute, at least some of them deserve to be happy.

Newt was sitting a few Gladers down, concentrating on his can a bit too intensely.
But why can't some of us, include him? He deserves to be happy too.

All of a sudden, a loud crashing noise sounds from the hallway through which they had entered, making them all jump. It sounds like the building was falling apart.
Everyone gets up and runs to the stairs, running as fast as they can. Lori follows close behind Newt, Minho and Clara, until they are outside of the building once more.

Within a minute, the building has crumbled, and lays in ruins across the ground. Jorge instructs Minho to do a headcount of his people, and he obliges without debate.

"We're missing two people," he says, disappointment clear in his expression.

"But who?" Lori asks out loud so that they all hear, therefore, someone's bound to answer.
Jorge's eyes go wide, and Lori realizes that it can only mean one thing. Brenda is no longer here.
With dread filling her heart, Lori looks around once more, and confirms her suspicions. Thomas. Thomas is missing as well.
"It's Brenda and Thomas," she states when no one bothers to answer her question. "They're the two that are missing.

But before anyone can say anything else, they hear the screeching of Cranks tailing them.
"We don't have time to mope. Brenda knows where to meet. If they're still alive, she'll go there. With or without your friend, hermana." Jorge begins to run, and the Gladers give each other looks, before following him, seeing no other option but to hope for the best.

/\/\/\/\/\

The Gladers and Jorge had been traveling for hours, with no sign of Thomas or Brenda. It was now night, and they decided to take a break. They found an old building and went in, all of them finding spots to sleep.

Lori sat down against a wall, wondering whether or not she would even be able to sleep. Worry was eating at her, and she didn't know what to do.
She glanced up, to see that Newt stands before her.

"Anyone sitting here?"

"All yours," she sighs, wriggling a bit to try and get comfortable.
Newt sits down, and looks at her.

"We're gonna find them, ya know. Nothing ever stopped Tommy defeating the bloody odds before, this time is no different."

Lori rolls her head on the wall, going to face him. "But it is. The Scorch; it's not the Maze. The Creators may be controlling us, but they're not controlling the environment. And I'm sure they would have had some trouble saving him if he was crushed by tonnes of rocks, Newt."

"Why are you so freaked out? I'm worried for them too, but you need to stay calm. If you're not, you won't be on guard, and that's how you'll end up dead."

Newt was right. She hated to admit it, but he was right. She needs to concentrate on the matter at hand. Making it to the place that Jorge's going on about. She nods, giving Newt a small smile.

He's about to say something, when the whole world feels like it's submerged in water. All noises are muted, and their faces fall in and out of focus.
Lori feels her legs move beneath her, raising her up until she's standing. Unsure of where the strange feeling has originated, Lori follows it, hoping the end of the trail she's following will make it stop.

Her legs lead the way, her mind bowing to their will. She's outside, walking straight towards a wall. She's turns one corner, and she's knows she has found what she was meant to see.

Her head tips to the side a little, as she examines the wall. On its surface, is a large plaque, similar to one she had seen before.
The plaque from the Maze. The one that had said, 'World in Catastrophe: Killzone Experiment Department.'

But this one is larger, and it does not say what WICKED stands for.
The cold, grey steel has five simple words stamped onto it.

'Thomas, You're the Real Leader.'

Lori's veins ran cold at seeing the sign. Leader of what? Their group? The Scorch? WICKED? What are they talking about?

Someone lays a hand on her shoulder, and Lori doesn't even have to be psychic, to know that it is Newt who is standing behind her.
"What do you think it means?" She asks him quietly.

The tall boy sighs, moving to stand beside her. "I honestly have no buggin' idea. What I do know, however, is that I don't think Minho's going to be happy to see that he's being kicked from his bloody leadership job."

Lori laughs, looking up at Newt, who is smiling towards her. He is trying to cheer me up. And it is working.
"We should go and get the others," she states, feeling that Jorge might even know what it means. He's been here longer then the rest of them, he's bound to have seen or heard of it at least once.

Newt nods, running off to go and gather their group. Lori can't help but notice his limp, and a headache overcomes her.

|_|_|_|_|

"Keep going" Lori says quietly.

"When I was running in the Maze one day, I finally decided I had had enough." Newt freezes, looking unsure.
"I- I had tried to kill myself, Lori. That's why my bloody ankle is like this, and that is why I freak out every time I see you head into the Maze."

Lori tenses up slightly, before tightening her hand around his.

"I had climbed one of the Walls as high as the ivy would go, and just, let go," He continues. "But, on the way down, my foot got caught on a vine, smacked me into the buggin' Wall. Alby found me a little while later, dragged me back to the Glade. I survived, obviously, but I never ran again. I just, I don't want to see you hurt."

Newt breathes out heavily, avoiding eye contact at any cost.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, allowing each other time to think.

"I-I'm so sorry" she whispers. "I had no idea. If I knew, I- I would've"

But Newt cut her off, "What would you have done, Lori? Nothing, because you couldn't have possibly known what had happened before you arrived here. Thank you for caring though. It means a lot to me, Lori. You're one of the only people here who I can trust. Not even Tommy knows about this."

Lori smiles as she looks up at him."Happy to be of service" she smiles with a small nod.

Newt leans forward and wrap her in an embrace, which she is quick to return, no hesitation whatsoever.

|_|_|_|_|

The pain in Lori's head dulls as she hears footsteps.
The memory which had surfaced somehow brought a smile to her face. Newt had trusted her. He had told her something he hadn't told other people.

Of course Alby and Minho knew, but that was because they saved him. He chose to tell Lori, and that warmed her heart.

"Is this why you trusted us?" Someone asks from behind Lori.

Her eyebrows knit together, confusion clear on her face, until she realizes the question was not actually aimed at her.
"Yes," Jorge nods. "As soon as your friend said his name, Brenda and I were interested. It was only after you told us about WICKED and the Maze that we were certain, hermano."

Lori turns to the man, "So you are going to help us?"

Jorge goes silent, and all the Gladers share a worried look.
Finally, he looks at her, "If in the end, it will keep Brenda and I safe, we will help you make it to your Safe Haven."

Grins all round. "Thank you," Lori nods.

Jorge turns and starts walking back to the building. "I still don't like that Minho kid though," he mutters.