Thomas

Mia stepped into the Glade, feeling the cold wind blow across her face. She knew this place would become her new home, but for now, everything felt foreign and unfamiliar. Thomas, who had already been here for a week, quickly settled in and made friends, but when they met, tension arose between them.

From the very first days, their relationship was full of jokes and light teasing. Thomas enjoyed teasing Mia, but never overstepped his bounds. She laughed in response, though sometimes his sharp remarks hurt her more than he realized.

One evening, when all the Gladers were gathered around the fire, Thomas seized the opportunity to make another joke. He said something about how Mia looked when she was trying to start a fire, and though the others laughed, she felt something inside her snap.

The next day, she didn't speak to him. Several days passed like this. Thomas tried to get her attention, but she ignored him. He felt guilty, but didn't know how to fix the situation.

One day, while she was working in the garden, tying up the apple tree branches, he decided to approach her. The silence around her was almost palpable. Coming up from behind, he put his arm around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Oh, come on," he whispered, trying to make his voice as gentle as possible. "Are you really offended? I was just joking..."

Mia jumped in surprise and froze for a moment. Her emotions warred within her: on the one hand, she was angry at him for his words, but on the other, his closeness and concern made her heart beat faster.

"This isn't funny, Thomas!" she finally blurted out. "You don't understand how unpleasant this is."

Not knowing what to do next, Thomas turned his head slightly and kissed Mia, whispering directly into her lips:

• It's not funny, I agree.