The Rule of Thoughts by James Dashner Page A

complained, in a whiny voice that matched her boppy looks perfectly.
    “I’ll make it up to you,” Bryson answered, all soothing tones. “I promise. You ladies run along and have a good time electrocuting yourselves. Hate to miss it.”
    They both kissed him on the cheek, and as soon as they were gone, Bryson practically leaped over to Michael and Sarah’s table. His face showed a crazy mixture of confusion and pure elation.
    “You …” Once again at a loss for words. “You’re … both of you … I hadn’t heard … What are you guys doing here?” And then he laughed, which made Michael remember why this guy was one of his closest friends.
    “It’s good to see you,” Sarah said, smiling herself.
    Bryson looked like he might explode, either from happiness or from wanting to say a thousand things at once. “I’ve been worried sick about you guys. Not a single word fromyou, Michael—not since the Path. And, Sarah, where have you been the last few days? Are you guys trying to make me die of stress before I hit twenty or something? Think of all the women in my future, devastated.”
    “Aren’t you going to ask us about our ingenious disguises?” Michael replied.
    Bryson snorted. “Don’t need to. I’m not an idiot. I’m trying to hide just as much as you guys.”
    “But your Aura …,” Sarah started to say, but stopped when Bryson held up a hand, an enormous smirk on his face.
    “Give me some credit,” he said. “Look a little deeper into my code. I’m programmed so that only you two can see my old Aura. Everyone else sees an entirely different guy. Boom. Amazing, I know.”
    Michael took a closer look, and sure enough, his friend had pulled it off.
    “Wow,” Michael said. “You truly are amazing. The most amazing man I’ve ever seen.” In truth, he was really impressed.
    Sarah brought them all back to reality. “So what have you been hiding from? Did something happen? Or are you just being careful?”
    Any sign of joy on Bryson’s face slowly faded. “I was kind of screwed up for a few days. It took that long for me to get back to myself after freaking out on the Path. I don’t know why I did that. Everything just hit me at once.”
    He paused, and Michael thought it best to wait for him to say more. Or maybe Michael just wanted more time beforehe had to explain what he’d discovered about himself. Bryson might not be as accepting as Sarah had been.
    “And then I heard from Sarah about what happened to her with the lava,” Bryson continued. “And we didn’t hear from you.” He glanced at Michael. “It seemed like you just …  poof! disappeared. We couldn’t find you anywhere. When Sarah went silent, I’d had enough. I went to stay at my uncle’s place, a cabin in the boonies. I’ve been using my cousin’s Coffin, mostly hiding in the Sleep ever since, hoping you guys would find me. I know something must be going on, and I know you’re about to talk my ear off about it. So you might as well get to it.”
    He gave a limp smile that disappeared quickly.
    So much for the cheery mood , Michael thought.
    “Well,” Sarah said, “one thing’s for sure. We’re definitely about to talk your ear off.” She looked over at Michael. “Maybe you should start?”
    He didn’t want to, but he knew better than to disobey Sarah.

    Michael lost track of time as he told the story. He started with Sarah’s death in the lava caves. He just stared at a spot on the wooden table and let it all come out, every detail. Even about meeting Gunner Skale, the legendary gamer. Bryson flinched in disbelief at that part, but not when Michael told him about being a Tangent, being fake, his wholelife a sham. And Michael would never forget that. He would never forget that Bryson didn’t flinch.
    “Your whole life’s not a sham,” Bryson said, scoffing, as if the idea were utterly ridiculous. “You’re sitting right in front of us. You’re the same goofy Michael I’ve always known.