"Newt!" I call out when I find him sitting alone on the homestead steps. He looks like walking death, his pale face sagging under the stress. I feel bad for him, I can't imagine having to run the entire glad while your two best friends are almost dead. I do what I can to help, but I'm nothing compared to Minho or Alby.

"Ya." He mutters, not seeming to be in the mood for talking.

"What's wrong? Well, besides the obvious." I ask, sitting down next to him.

"I've got to buggin figure out what to do with Tommy, he broke our most important rule." Newt explains.

I groan, "Don't tell me this means..."

"Another gathering." Newt nods, finishing my sentence.

"Did I mention I hate gatherings?"

"Maybe once or twice."

"When?" I ask flatly, not looking forward to another gathering.

"In an hour or two, figured I'd let Tommy and Minho get some sleep first." He says. I rest my head on my knees, watching the other gladers go about their daily work, gardening and building and such. I wish it could return to the peaceful place it was a few days ago, before Thomas and the girl's arrival, but something tells me the glade will never be peaceful again.

Newt and I sit there for a long time, sometimes talking, sometimes sitting in silence, both of us trying in our own way to deal with what was happening. He was braver than anyone I'd ever met, had gone through some awful stuff, and yet, he never stopped trying to help everyone else. I admired that about him. He was a good leader, always willing to do what needed to be done, even if it wasn't what he wanted. I decide that if I had a brother, I'd want him to be just like Newt.

Two hours later we sit in the gathering room, waiting for Thomas to show up, so we can get started. Minho sits tiredly beside me, slumped in his chair. He got four hours of sleep, but apparently that wasn't enough. Finally Thomas walks through the door, looking half a sleep, followed closely by Newt, who looks more exhausted than Thomas and Minho combined.

"In place of Alby, I declare this meeting began." Newt says rolling his eyes at the formality. "It's clear the last few days have been bloody crazy, and a lot of it has been centered around our buggin' greenbean, Tommy."

"He's not the greenie anymore." Gally sneers, his voice low and cruel.

"Gally, I'm the bloody chair right now, and if you can't keep your buggin mouth shut, I'll arrange another banishing for your sorry butt, are we clear?" Newt states, shooting Gally a glare. I wish I could cheer for that, I don't even know how Gally managed to make it on the council, but he certainly doesn't belong there. Gally just huffs and leans back in his chair.

"Now, we have to decide what to do with Tommy." Newt says. Gally leans forward in his chair, as if he's about to speak, but Newt cuts him off before he can say anything. "You will all have your turn, so keep your holes shut until it's your turn and Thomas, your not allowed to say a buggin' thing until we ask you to." Newt waits for Thomas' nod of consent before continuing. "Zart, you start."

"Well, he did break a rule..... but he saved Alby's life... So I don't think he should be punished." Zart says slowly, fidgeting uncomfortably in his seat. Thomas, who has been sitting silently in his chair, looks relieved and sits up straighter. Next its frypan's turn.

"I think this is all a bunch of klunk, the kid saved Alby's life, and killed a griever, now here we are deciding what to do with him? Doesn't make sense to me." The cook says, shaking his head. I couldn't agree more, having been the only other person to spend a night in the maze, I know it's ridiculous that we are even discussing this.

"So what are you suggesting?" Newt asks.

"That we put him on the council." Frypan answers. He may have went a bit too far with that one, I think as the room errupts into arguments.

Eventually, after enough yelling from Newt, everyone is quiet again. "Now if you can all keep quiet, it's Winston's turn."

"I think he should be punished, I mean he did break one of our most important rules." Winston says. "One week in the slammer with only bread and water." Thomas visibly sinks in his chair at Winston's words. I want to tell him that it will be fine, that Newt and Minho and I won't let anything happen, but I keep silent. Three more keepers vote, one for Winston's and two for frypan's, then it's Newt's turn.

"I think you're right, he did break our rules, but he also saved a life, I'm reserving my recommendation till the end." Newt says.

Then it's my turn. I take a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before speaking. "Thomas broke one of our most important rules, I agree with that." I start. I see both Thomas and Minho look at me in surprise. "But he broke it to save Alby's life and I think it's ridiculous to punish someone for saving a life, I've been out there, and I know how hard it is, what Thomas did was insane, it was hard enough keeping myself alive, I can't imagine doing that and helping another, unconscious, person." I finish. Thomas exhales with relief, and gives me a small smile of thanks. I smile back, giving him a thumbs up. I know what it feels like to have your future decided for you.

"What are you recommending?" Newt asks looking up from his notepad.

"That we train him to be a runner, we could always use more." I say with a shrug.

"Okay writing it down, Gally your turn." Newt says.

"I think I've made my position pretty clear." Gally says, crossing his arms. Good then we don't have to hear your stupid voice, so shut up.

"Ok moving on, Minho?"

"Hey! I still want to say something!" Gally shouts.

"Well then bloody says it!" Newt snaps, rolling his eyes again. I stifle a laugh, knowing Newt hates Gally just as much as the rest of us.

"I think it was all an act, how could he have done what he did after just a few days? I'm telling ya, we can't trust this shank." Gally sneers. It's you we can't trust shuck-face, I think having an incredibly hard time keeping quiet.

"How do we even know he was the one who got Alby up the wall?" Gally asks.

"Um Gally who else do you think did it? The grievers?" I ask unable to bite my tongue any longer. A couple people snicker.

"Ya Gally I was there, I helped get him part of the way up the wall? I saw Thomas get him up there." Minho adds, speaking for the first time since he arrived."so we do know."

"Sky, Minho, shut up, Gally what are you saying? How about having a bloody point." Newt sighs.

"I think he's a spy sent from the creators, and he should be banished."

At this the room errupts into another bout of arguments, and it takes Newt a good five minutes to quiet everyone down again.

"Writing it down." Newt says, although I don't see his pencil move. I'm not sure he even considers it an option. "Minho, you're up."

Minho stands quickly, catching everyone off guard. "It's easy for you guys to talk about something you're stupid on, but I've been out there. Me and Sky are the only runners in here, and the only other person whose ever been in the maze is Newt."

"Not if you count the time I-" Gally interrupts.

"I don't, and the only reason you got stung is because you broke the same rule your accusing Thomas of, that's called hypocrisy, you shuck-faced piece of-"

"Enough." Newt shouts above Minho's rising voice. "defend your proposal and get on with it."

"What he did was incredible, even after I begged him to come with me, that our only hope was to run, he refused, saying he wouldn't leave Alby, even after we had him hanging in the vines, and thinking of the wait-and-dive thing on his own? Incredibly smart. Watching him do that was what gave me the idea to make them fall off the cliff, sure we had to take the last one out Skylar style, with fire, but the rest were because of his idea." Minho continues.

I have to laugh at that, 'Skylar style'. Apparently Thomas and I each have a griever fighting technique, he has 'wait-and-dive thingy', and I have 'Skylar style'. We should write a book, how to kill a griever.

"I think he should be keeper of the runners." Minho says. I almost choke on my own spit, turning to face Minho. Is he crazy?

The room absolutely explodes into chaos. People shouting and arguing.

"Minho did you get stung? What's wrong with you?" I ask, having to yell over all the other conversations.

"I have a reason Sky, just trust me." He yells back.

Finally Newt stands, moving to the center of the room and screaming for everyone to shut up. Eventually the conversations die out.

"This is buggin' insane, I've never seen so many people acting like diaper wearin' babies, now we may not look it, but around here we're adults, so act like it and keep your traps shut unless its your turn."

"He should be kicked off the council for saying something so stupid." Gally says.

"Gally what did I just say-" Newt starts but can't finish.

"Gally you don't get it, your nothing but a coward who has not once asked to be a runner or tried out for it, you love to complain, but what have you ever done that makes you worth listening to?" Minho snaps, standing up again.

"Say one more thing like that and I'll break your shuck neck, right here in front of everybody." Gally says, standing to his feet as well, his face red with anger. Minho laughs, and shoves Gally's face with his hand, sending him tumbling backwards. Gally lands on his chair breaking it in half before going sprawling on the ground. He tries to scramble to his feet, but Minho puts the heel of his foot on Gally's back flattening him to the ground. Gally is an idiot for threatening Minho, no way he could ever beat him. I think with absolutely no sympathy for Gally, it's his own fault, he should definitely know better by now.

"Don't you ever threaten me again, don't you ever speak to me again, if you do, I'll break your shuck neck." Minho growls. Before anyone can react, Newt and Frypan are pulling Minho off of Gally, who gets to his feet but makes no move, just stands there breathing in and out.

"You should not have done that Minho, things are changing and you should not have done that. I'll hit you where it hurts, I'll get you back for this." He sneers. Chills run down my spine when I realize he's not looking at Minho, he's looking at me. I'll hit you where it hurts. Me.

In one quick move, Gally dodges Minho, who is still being held by Newt and Frypan, and heads straight for me. I stand up just in time for him to reach me. He throws a punch connecting squarely with my jaw, black spot dance in my vision as I struggle to stay upright. I shove two of my fingers into the hollow beneath his throat, pushing against his windpipe. He stumbles backwards a few steps, unable to catch his breath, and I pounce, shoving him to the ground in front of me.

"You know I'm getting real tired of you." I say, my jaw screaming in pain when I speak. I pull back, preparing to kick him. Right before my foot connects, he jumps up, running past everyone in the homestead and out into the glade. At first I stand there frozen, until the black spots in my eyes start to grow, eventually, they eclipse my vision entirely. Seconds later, I fall, vaguely feeling someone catch me before I black out completely.