23

 There was a long silence. Everyone was staring at Minho and Pasty. Minho shook his head in disbelief.

 “Pasty, I-”

 “I don’t know you. I don’t know any of you,” Pasty hissed “Why are you all acting like you’re my friends? Why have you brought me here? Tell me what’s going on!”

 Minho looked to Alby and Newt for help, but they were in as much shock as he was. Eventually, Alby cleared his throat.

 “Pasty, you’ve lived here for five months. I know you’re scared, and I know you’re confused, but believe me, we’re all in the same boat right now. So why don’t we all go and talk this over…calmly!” Alby pointed a warning finger at Pasty’s clenching fists “Don’t even think about hitting anyone. Don’t act innocent, we know you. We know what you were going to do.”

 Pasty’s face creased in confusion, and Minho’s heart melted as her fists relaxed. Pasty… He couldn’t understand why she didn’t know him. He knew he could never forget her. But then he pushed aside his frantic panic for a moment and thought about it. She’d disappeared a few days earlier, and come back up through the Box…which meant she’d come from the same place she had when she first arrived. Someone deliberately took her out of here…and made her forget. Made her forget me.

 Minho let out a yell of anger, storming over to the Box and jumping in. Confused chatter broke out from the other Gladers as Minho began to kick the metal walls of the Box.

 “Take me back, you piece of klunk!” Minho cried “Take me back to the slint-head, pieces of klunk who did this to her!”

 Newt jumped down into the Box and limped over to his friend, putting his hands on his shoulders “Stop,” he said softly “We’ll get her back. You’ll see. It might take time, but right now, we have bigger problems.”

 “Bigger problems?” Minho fumed.

 “Minho, believe it or not, I think the fact that the sun has disappeared is more problematic. The fact that the Doors haven’t closed, and there’s no more food...we’re in deep klunk, bro. If we make it through the night, then we can talk about Pasty.”

 Minho shrugged Newt off furiously and signalled for a boy to drop the rope. He climbed out swiftly, and stormed towards the Homestead. He fumbled in his pocket for the key to the Runner’s storeroom and burst in, breathing hard. He knew what he was looking for.

 He found Pasty’s old boots in her drawer. She’d been wearing her Runner shoes when she disappeared and the boots she’d been sent up into the Glade with five months earlier were tucked neatly in her drawer, along with her other set of clothes. He took her tshirt out, staring at it. It was greying now, and had crease marks all over it. Pasty never folds anything. It smelt faintly of sweat, but it also smelt of her. She always told him he smelt of lemons, but she smelt like the earth itself; like fresh soil, pine leaves, morning dew. Something faintly similar to almonds lingered too. Minho clutched it close to his face, feeling the tears hot on his skin.

 He’d never felt so alone.

 He couldn’t stop thinking of the look on her face when he hugged her. The indignant, almost fearful glare she gave him as she shoved him hard in the chest. He was a stranger to her. They’d barely experienced that before; it was like, when they met, they instantly became friends. It clicked. Pasty and Minho. Minho and Pasty.

 It worked. Like clockwork, it had always worked. But now? It was like someone had dismantled them. Taken out a cog or two. Jumbled them up and left them broken. Minho’s throat was raw.

 “Minho.”

 He turned. Alby was stood, his arms crossed sternly.

 “You should know better than to run off like that. Come on. Meeting upstairs.”

 Minho nodded, trying to pull himself together. Pasty wouldn’t want you breaking. She’d want you to solve this mess.

 “I’ll be there in a minute.”

 Alby nodded, giving Minho a second of privacy. Slowly, he unlaced Pasty’s boots. Then, carefully, he wound the grubby lace around his wrist and tied it in a bow.

 He was ready.

 The meeting was smaller than usual, with only the main members of the Council present. Pasty sat, as she had when she first arrived, in the middle of the horseshoe of chairs, looking sheepish like a child being scolded. That’s new Minho thought. When she’d last arrived, she was so feisty. But Minho reckoned Alby had scared her with his current pessimism. Newt was sat beside her, looking like he wanted to reach over and hug her. Tactfully, someone had left the seat on the other side open for Minho, but he didn’t take it. He sat as far away as possible. He didn’t want to scare her. But even though he averted his eyes, he could feel her watching him.

 The other present members consisted of Jack, Frypan and Winston. The absence of Gally was particularly noticeable, considering he almost always had something to say, but Minho couldn’t pretend he missed him. He did, however, miss the Pasty he knew. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her, sat straight, tense. She looked totally unlike herself, and Minho understood she must be scared, but he couldn’t help worrying that whatever had been done to her had also changed who she was.

  He didn’t have time to dwell on it. Alby took the seat by Pasty and, with a quick glance at Minho to make sure he was OK, began.

 “OK, Pasty. This is the basics. We don’t have time for the full lowdown. You’re in the Glade. We don’t know shuck all about this place, and it keeps getting weirder by the day. You lived here, up until a few days ago. Since you left, we’ve been experiencing…anomalies.”

 Pasty’s eyes widened “Anomalies?”

 “Anomalies. Such as…such as irregularities in our food supplies being sent. The sky, as you can see…has gone dark. There’s no more sunlight.”

 “Then how are we still alive?”

 Alby shrugged “It’s not that simple here…we think we’re being tested, somehow. We think it’s happened for a reason. It’s complicated. And now we’re all in danger because…the Doors haven’t closed. And….we’re in the middle of a Maze, where creatures called, Grivers live-”

 “Slow down,” Pasty pleaded, looking terrified.

 “I can’t. We don’t have time. Patsy, tonight is about survival. OK? So what we need you to do is put your fear aside. We know your brave. If you put your trust in us…the way you always did, we can get through this. Then maybe you’ll remember something. Remember us.”

 Pasty nodded sheepishly, glancing quickly at Minho. He blushed, feeling like he did when he first met her: lovesick. And unrequitedly so.

 “So. I have to go. But the others here will keep you in order.” Alby looked like he wanted to hug Pasty, but he offered a hand to shake instead. She took it firmly “Welcome back, Pasty,” he said. Then he turned and left. Newt gently nudged her arm.

 “You know, back in the day…we were best buddies…Greenie.”

 Pasty tried for a smile “We were?”

 “Sure we were. And Jack? You taught him everything he knows about running. You gave him a few training sessions.”

 “I can run?”

 Oh, Pasty. You can run Minho thought Don’t you remember the races we used to have? Don’t you remember running in the Maze, picking out running shoes, making the Maps with me? Don’t you remember what we had? How can you not remember…

 “Yes you can,” Newt said “Minho was your…your…”

 “Mentor,” Minho cut in “I was…your mentor.”

 Pasty shifted awkwardly and tried for a smile “Until I got better than you…right?”

 Minho smiled back. There’s my Pasty “Right.”

 Newt shot Minho a look, clearly wondering why he hadn’t told Pasty they were lovers. But Minho found that he didn’t want to tell her. He wanted her to remember, not to know. He decided to keep it quiet. I’ll help you remember, Pasty. I will.

 “Newt?” Jeff said from the doorway “We have a problem.”

 “So get Alby.”

 “He’s busy. And the girl’s woken up.”

 Newt sighed “Teresa? Do I ever get any peace around here?” He stood and limped to Jeff, turning briefly to nod to Pasty “Stick with Minho. If you believe one thing about this hell hole, believe this. He’ll take care of ya.”

 As he left, the other boys tactfully left too, leaving Pasty and Minho alone. Minho cleared his throat “Are you hungry?”

 Pasty swallowed “No, I…I couldn’t think about food right now.”

 Minho nodded and they fell into silence. It was almost painful. Before, silence between them had been fine, but now, it was awkward. Like two strangers meeting for the first time. Minho found that he could hardly bear to look at her face; seeing how beautiful she was would only make him ache for what he’d lost.

 “…Minho? Why can’t you look at me?”

 Minho turned his back on her completely, so she wouldn’t see the tears in his eyes.

 “I…I must have…I think maybe you meant a lot to me once. Am I right? Minho?”

  I love the way she says my name. He swallowed back tears and nodded. He could hear her breathing softly behind him as she stood up and approached him.

 “I…I’ll do my best. To remember you.”

 Minho turned to her “You don’t understand. Coming to the Glade…you’re given a clean slate. That’s why you only remember your name. Like the first time you arrived here.”

 “What are you saying?”

 “I’m saying…” Minho swallowed, shaking his head “Pasty, it’s unlikely that you’ll remember. Ever.”

 Pasty looked stunned. And no wonder Minho thought she’s as innocent as a newborn. And I’ve just told her she’ll never remember the people she loves. The people she used to love. She won’t remember me.

 Pasty shook her head once more. Then her azure eyes lifted to meet Minho’s and she said softly “Then I guess we’ll have to begin again.”

A.N: Unedited, but I hope you like it!

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