"What?! are you jacked in the head?" Kate shouts as the room descends into a chaotic jumble of arguments, everyone yelling to be heard over the noise.

"Think about it? Where else haven't we looked?" Thomas snaps back.

"Nowhere." Minho mutters beside me. "He's right there's no where else."

"You can't be serious?" Kate asks again.

"I hate to say it, but Thomas is right." I sigh. "Where else could it be?"

"This is bloody crazy, you know that right." Newt says, characteristically running his hand through his hair and sighing.

"Newt we have to do something? Everyday we stay here someone dies." Thomas says, gesturing around the room. "What if it's one of us? What if it's her." Thomas points to Mal, he's just trying to make a point, but that's too far. Mal looks shocked for a second before turning, like the rest of us, too look at Newt. Too far Thomas, too far.

"Yeah? Well maybe it will be Teresa? Or maybe it will be you Tommy?" Newt snaps, he looks furious. I can tell by his hurt look that Thomas realizes his mistake as soon as Newt says Teresa, but it's too late. "Take him to the slammer, now."

"I'm sorry Newt, I didn't mean it." He begs, but Minho and Frypan are already moving forwards to grab him. "Newt please, you're not really going to do this now?" Thomas begs, desperate.

"Ya I am actually," Newt says, and with that he turns around, his back to Thomas.

"Tell him this is ridiculous." Thomas says, looking around at the rest of us. Most won't meet his eyes, but I do, not feeling in the least bit guilty for letting him get dragged away. If anything he'll be safer than the rest of us. You just don't go there, and Thomas needs to learn that. Sometimes breaking the unspoken rules is almost worse than breaking the written ones. Thomas continues to break both, and we're all getting tired of it.

"It's your fault, you're lucky you don't have a broken nose." I tell Thomas, when Minho turns the keys to his cell. Minho laughs behind me, and I'm sure he's thinking of the time Gally was stupid enough to threaten me. Thomas just looks confused, glancing back and forth between Minho and I.

"I didn't mean it, I was just making a point." Thomas says with a shrug.

"Ya well, next time make sure your point doesn't include Newt's girlfriend, trust me, if it's them or you, you'll be alone." I say, angry at him for suggesting Mal could die, she's terrified enough as it is, Thomas doesn't need to make it worse.

"I'm really sorry, I was just over excited." Thomas says, finally realizing arguing isn't getting him anywhere.

"Great, we'll be sure to take that in to account tomorrow when we let you out, now I'm sorry Thomas, but you can't just keep breaking all the rules."

"It's not as bad as it seems, I quite enjoyed the night I had to stay in the slammer." Minho tells him, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"That's because you didn't actually have to stay, shuck-face." I say rolling my eyes at him.

"Ya well.... I was just trying to be optimistic." Minho says, faking a frown.

"Oh? And since when are you anything but negative?"

"Since you came!" He protests, picking me up and spinning me in circles. I break into giggles, begging for him to put me down.

"Aren't you dizzy? Stop it!" I say still giggling, my vision starting to blur as he turns in circles.

"Nah, it's worth it." He laughs, but stops spinning. Then throws me over his shoulder, and starts walking back towards the homestead.

"Let me go you slinthead!" I squeal, trying to squirm away. Although I'm not sure I would be able to stand if he did decide to put me down, with the way the world dips and sways around me, I don't think I could.

"Not a chance." He snickers holding my tighter.

"Ugh, bye Thomas!" I shout waving at the three different Thomases as I accept my fate.

"Um bye?" He says back, clearly confused. I laugh at his confusion, how long will it take him to get used to us?

"Hey Sky guess whaaatt?" Newt says when we get back. He smirks, and instantly I know what he means.

"Nooo!!!! Not another gathering." I whine, flopping onto the floor where Minho only recently set me down.

"Yes another gathering!"

"Ugh." I groan, rolling onto my stomach and pouting like a two year old. I really hate gatherings. I bury my face in my arms, trying to hide from my responsibilities as a council member. It doesn't work.

"Come on Sky, it's not that bad." Newt says, rolling his eyes at me. "Everyone is already upstairs waiting."

"No, it is that bad." I say, not moving from my spot on the floor.

"Easy fix." Minho says, reaching down to pick me up again. I manage to roll out of his way, but end up hitting a table.

"Oww, table." I mutter, rubbing my head. I sigh, and reluctantly stand up. If I have to go to another meeting, I'm at least walking myself there.

"That's what you get." Newt snickers, heading up the stairs.

"That's what you get." I repeat mockingly, imitating Newt's accent and gestures. Minho laughs and shakes his head before pulling me up the stairs.

When we reach the gathering room everyone is still standing up and talking, waiting for us I guess. We make no attempt to join them, walking instead towards our usual chairs.

Minho sits down first, and I move to sit beside him, but he stops me, grabbing my arm. He pulls me back in front of him, and then towards him. I laugh and climb into his lap, immediately curling into a ball. I wrap the sleeves of his jacket that I still wear around my hands, balling them into fists, then I nestle my head on his shoulder, fully intent on sleeping through the meeting. Minho laughs and wraps his arms around me, leaning his head against the top of mine.

"Remember when this would have embarrassed the klunk out of you." Minho snickers, his voice loud in my ear.

"That was before we were in constant, mortal danger." I remind him, making my voice overly cheerful.

"That does change things a bit doesn't it." He replies laughing. We both completely ignore the stares aimed in our direction as everyone begins to find their seat.

"Really?" Newt asks, turning around to see us for the first time.

"You said I had to come to the meeting, you never said I couldn't sleep through it." I answer, shrugging my shoulders.

"Stay awake or I'll kick you off the council." Newt says.

"Oooo scary." I snicker, there probably won't even be a council tomorrow. then I sigh, "fine but for the record you're mean Newt."

"Yes I'm so horrible for having you come to a meeting." He says rolling his eyes again, "just bloody pay attention."

"Ya, ya, let's get this over with."

After a few hours and a lot of arguments, we make our decision. We decide to try and escape through the griever hole, using the maze code. As dangerous as it sounds, we come to the conclusion that it's really our only chance, and while some of us will probably die, it sure beats all of us slowly starving to death. At least death by griever will be quicker, and less painful. Actually it probably hurts a zillion times worse, but it is definitely quicker.

"Well that settles it I guess." Newt says, when we all return to our room that night. The only difference is Thomas was swapped for Teresa.

"Ya... I can't believe we're actually going to do it." Mal says, shuddering at the thought.

"Ya, I agree it's crazy." Kate says, looking dejectedly out the window.

"But it's our only chance." Clint says, repeating the words Newt has been saying over and over again. Half the time I think he's talking to himself more than to us.

"Ya, but our only chance sucks." I say, settling into my sleeping bag.

"Now who's being negative?" Minho asks from where he lays beside me.

"I'm being realistic." I retort.

"Ya well reality sucks." Newt chimes in.

"Can't argue there." I sigh, trying to keep the anxiety of tomorrow at bay. At least for now.

"Alright lights out." Newt yawns, standing to flip off the lights.

"But mom....I'm not tired." I whine, making a show of stretching out and yawning.

"Me either." Minho adds mimicking my voice.

"Me three." Kate says.

"If you don't all bloody shut up." Newt says, flipping off the lights. "You can all join Thomas in the slammer."

"Speaking of Thomas, I wonder what he's doing?" Clint says.

"Probably nothing." Kate answers. I'd say she's right, considering there's not much you could do in the slammer. Besides stare at a wall.

"Probably." Clint replies, not seeming to put much thought into it.

"Wait...Ya he's doing nothing." Teresa confirms.

"How do you know what he's doing?" Kate asks curiously.

"Well.... Er, see we can sort of, um talk telepathically." Teresa admits.

"What? Seriously?" I ask, completely shocked. I knew there was a reason I didn't trust her.

"Ya, it's not as weird as it sounds I promise." She says holding up her hands.

"Tell Thomas I said hi!" Kate laughs.

"Hmm ok..... He said hi back, and wants to know what you guys are doing." Teresa answers. "And why I told you about our trick."

"Oh would you shut up?" Newt says, smacking his hands on the floor. I can't see him in the darkness, but I can picture the look on his face.

"Fine, Night Newt, Night Kate, Night Mal, Night Teresa, Night Clint, Night Jeff, Night Fry, Night Minho." I say, purposely making sure to list everyone, just to annoy Newt. I may die tomorrow, might as well have a little fun right?

"Sky if you don't shut up." He growls. By the sound of his voice, I may die tonight.

"Night babe." Minho answers.

"G'night Sky!" Kate adds.

"Is you guys' life purpose solely to annoy me?" Newt asks.

"Yes."

"Oh bloody forget it." He says, from the sound of it, slamming a pillow over his head. We all laugh, and then finally shut up.

The longer I lay there, the deeper the situation sets in. If the grievers don't get me tonight, tomorrow, I'm going to willingly walk into their home. What seemed like an easy decision earlier, doesn't seem like such a good idea now.

"It'll be ok." Minho whispers, somehow sensing that I'm still awake.

"I hope so." I whisper back.

One way or another, this will end tomorrow. Tomorrow, we will make our stand.