"Why couldn't the Maze have been like this?" Minho scoffs as the group sits in the large room, and he sinks into an armchair before a loud sigh escapes his lips. The floor beneath their feet vibrates from the bass of the club music emanating nearby, voices muffled through the crumbling walls that separate the two completely different atmospheres. "Ahh. Yup, this is heaven."
"I dunno," Frypan comments distastefully. "These curtains aren't all that great."
"Doesn't matter. Anything beats sleeping in hammocks surrounded by a Maze with Minho-eating Grievers. I could get used to this. Why are we heading for the mountains again?"
"Because the Right Arm is our chance to get away from WICKED, for good," Newt reminds him, shaking his head disappointedly as his arms remain firmly crossed against his chest. "So maybe doing something useful would really help right now."
Minho throws his hands up in surrender, although there's a cheeky grin on his lips. "Lighten up, Newt. There's not much we can do until they make an appearance, which'll be in– How long, Jorge?"
"Well, they shouldn't be here much later than us," Jorge considers. "Some time later today sounds right."
"Unless they're dead," Aris comments offhandedly, which immediately results in verbal abuse from the others and swearing in Spanish from Jorge, and the boy's quick to backtrack. "Okay, okay. I was just pointing it out, it's actually a valid point. What if they're not going to meet us here? What if they can't? How long do we wait, and what do we do next if they don't show up?"
"They're going to be here," Newt replies determinedly, jaw set. He refuses to think of any other option. "They will. We all know Tommy, and he's not going to die that easily, trust me. I doubt Brenda is, either. From what we've seen, she's tough enough. Right, Andi?"
At the lack of response the others frown, looking around before Frypan gestures over his shoulder. Newt turns, only to catch sight of the blonde girl by the window, leaning her chin on her arms as she stares out, in a daze. Waving his hand, the others are quick to head back to some sort of conversation as Newt heads over, looking through the window to see if there's anything in particular she's looking at. Nothing.
"Hey, love. You alright?"
She jumps, clearly not having sensed his thoughts on her, which he can't help but find strange. It's only when Leah turns to him that he starts, shocked by how pale and sickly-looking she seems all of a sudden. It's definitely not the Flare, but concern rises hurriedly in his chest. "What is it, what happened?" he urgently questions, though keeping his voice down. It wouldn't do to grab attention for no reason.
"Nothing. Drunk kids isn't exactly an environment I'm used to. I'm just... trying to tune them out." She smiles thinly, continuing in a murmur. "Though you lot were pretty excited when you thought you finally got away from WICKED."
"We're going to get away," he insists, hand gently resting on hers, the gesture too casual to mean anything. "We are. We're going to find the Right Arm, and WICKED won't be able to get to us again."
Leandra cuts a quick look at Teresa, but Newt doesn't notice. She doesn't say a word in response, just looking at his hand over hers, and he realises before pulling it away hurriedly.
Instead he turns back to where Jorge, Aris and Minho are engaging in a tense conversation, arguing over something. He sighs. "What's going on now?"
"Jorge's trying to find who'll sneak into the party to keep an eye out for Thomas and Brenda. I'll do it." Minho puffs his chest out.
"That's not going to work," Jorge scoffs. "Have you seen yourselves? You've apparently been stuck in a Maze for years. I'd be surprised if you knew how to interact with people at all – and trust me, first hand, you don't."
"Hang on, didn't you hang us from the ceiling with rope?" Frypan cuts in, staring at Jorge with narrowed eyes.
Jorge rolls his eyes. "I never said I was good at it either, alright? But there's one person that makes sense to me, and that's Leandra." Leah doesn't jump at the mention of her name, even as gazes snap to her, having expected it from the line of his emotions. "I mean, she literally knows all my secrets from one glance. She'd notice if Brenda and Thomas showed up."
"No," Newt's surprisingly quick to say, shifting in front of her. "Can't you see how pale she's looking? She's not feeling great, and she'd be worse if she goes in there?"
"And, pray tell, why's that?" Jorge questions sarcastically.
Newt pauses for a moment, trying to think of a quick excuse, then finally settles on a half-truth. "She doesn't do great with crowds. They make her sick. You know, because of how much she... notices." He trails off lamely. "Point is, you're going to have to find someone else."
"I wouldn't be a good candidate for it anyway," Lee speaks up, managing an exhausted smile. "Even if I spot them, they wouldn't recognise me. I'm not... I'm not a key figure in their lives. I probably wouldn't even be able to get them out of there. Teresa should do it."
At Leandra's words, everyone's gaze seems to snap to the girl who's stayed silent this whole time, as if trying to blend in with the surroundings. Her head snaps up to look back at them in shock, then frowns. "Why me?"
Andi shrugs, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Because Thomas cares greatly for you."
Minho splutters. Like, actually splutters. Frypan just shrugs like he knew it all along, as does Newt, but Aris and Jorge just stare. They haven't known either Thomas or Teresa long enough to draw any relations, although Aris must've gotten the hint by now after all the yelling for Teresa back at the WICKED compound.
"Wait, what makes you think that?" Minho scoffs, trying to stop himself from bursting out in laughter. "Ha. Thomas got himself a girlfriend. Looks like Newt ain't the only one anymore."
Leandra ignores the last part, although Newt gives his friend a glare. "It's pretty obvious. Besides, you don't remember the way they interacted before the Maze, and it shows. I think they've been in love with each other since they were kids. And Minho, you and I made a bet, and you were just as blind back then as you are now. When they have their first kiss, I get–"
"Okay, can we stop betting on my non-existent relationship with Thomas, please?" Teresa cuts in, flushing a little.
"Yeah, especially because you could be making this up for all I know," Minho waves a finger, eyes narrowed at Leandra. "Don't take advantage of the fact we don't remember anything, it's considered rude." She manages to smile, although the wan look in her eyes doesn't fade, much to Newt's concern.
They all turn back to Teresa, and after a moment she throws her hands up in exasperation. "Fine. I'll keep lookout for them, but I won't be able to carry them in or anything. I don't have that kind of strength."
"I'll go," Minho's quick to jump to his feet, although Leandra knows he just wants to see all the girls in their outfits at the party. She doesn't say it. The two disappear from the large room, heading to the source of the muffled music.
The moment they close the door, all is silent once more. That is, until Aris reminds them all, "Now we just need to find Marcus."
Leandra allows herself a slight smile, gaze going back to the window, and the man she saw. "One step ahead of you guys."
✫・゜・。.
"BUGGER OFF!" Newt yells into a loudspeaker he got from somewhere, voice echoing into the separate room, and already Leandra can tell they're going from the way she slowly starts to feel the drowsiness to fade. It'd be odd if she said it aloud, but she had the weirdest sensation the whole time they've been waiting, as if she wanted to dance. Drunk people are insane.
