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But as Aris here now? And where was Teresa? Things that had alain
"Well, how’d you end up with us?" Newt asked "Where are all these girls you keep talking about? Howall of you here or just you?"
Thorilled with all these questions after so like that had happened If the roles were switched, if Tho it happen to Chuck had been bad enough
Bad enough? he thought Or was seeing Chuck die worse? Tho in the world just sucked
Aris looked up finally, wiped a couple of tears frohtest hint of shame, and Thomas suddenly knew that he liked this kid
"Look," the boy said "I’m just as confused as everyone else About thirty of us survived, they took us to that gyhtI should be separate since I’uy That’s it Then you sticks show up"
"Sticks?" Minho repeated
Aris shook his head "Never mind I don’t even knohat it ot there"
Minho exchanged a glance with Thoroups had come up with their own vocabulary
"Hey," one of the Gladers Thoainst the wall behind Aris, pointing at hi black, right below your collar"
Aris tried to look down, but couldn’t bend his neck to see that part of his body "What?"
Thomas saw a dark splotch just above the back neckline of the boy’s pajama shirt as he shifted around It appeared to be a thick line, stretching from the hollow of his collarbone around to his back And it was broken up, like it
"Here, let me look," Newt offered He stood fro in the past he’d never shared with Tho more than usual He reached out and pulled Aris’s shirt downbetter
"It’s a tattoo," Newt said, squinting as if he didn’t believe his eyes
"What’s it say?" Minho asked, though he’d already gotten up froet his own look
When Newt didn’t answer right away, curiosity forced Tho over to see the tattoo himself What he saw printed there in blocky letters made his heart skip a beat
Property of WICKED Group B, Subject B1 The Partner
"What’s that supposed toaround to feel the skin of his neck and shoulders, pulling his shirt collar down "I swear it wasn’t there last night!"
Newt repeated the words to hiht we’d escaped them Or you’d escaped them, too Whatever" He turned around, visibly frustrated, and went back to sit down on his bed
"And ould it call you the Partner?" Minho said, still staring at the tattoo
Aris shook his head "I don’t have a clue I swear And there’s no way that was there before last night I showered, looked in the mirror I would’ve seen it And someone would’ve noticed it back in the Maze for sure"
"You’re telling ht?" Minho said "Without you noticing? Coot up and went to the bathroom, probably to try to see the words for himself
"I don’t believe a shuck word he says," Minho whispered to Thomas on his way back to his seat Then, just as he leaned forward to plop back down on the h to reveal a thick line of black on his neck
"Whoa!" Thomas said For a second, he was too stunned toat Thomas as if he’d just sprouted a third ear on his forehead
"Your―your neck," Thoot out "You have it on your neck, too!"
"What the shuck you talkin’ about?" Minho said, pulling at his shirt, face scrunched up as he struggled to see so he couldn’t
Thomas ran over to Minho, slapped his hands away, then pulled the neckline of the shirt back "HolyIt’s right there! Sa, except "
Thomas read the words to himself
Property of WICKED Group A, Subject A7 The Leader
"What, dude!" Minho yelled at hiroup behind Thoet a look Thomas quickly read the tattooed words out loud, surprised he did it without stu on the up He pushed his way through the crowd of boys to follow Aris to the bathrooed down as he pulled at others Everyone started talking over everyone else
"They all say Group A"
"Property of WICKED, just like his"
"You’re Subject A-thirteen"
"Subject A-nineteen"
"A-three"
"A-ten"
Tho in a circle, dazed as he watched the Gladers discover the tattoos on each other Most of thenations like Aris and Minho, just the property line Neas going fro for hi onthe names and nu each other
"What does mine say?" Newt asked
Thomas pulled the neckline of Newt’s shirt to the side, then leaned over to read the words etched into his skin "You’re Subject A-five and they called you the Glue"