WICKED Is Weird (The Fever Code)

6 months later, 8-year-old me was finally getting a restful night of sleep, when I was suddenly being shaken awake.

"What now?" I asked with a grumble, assuming it was Newt warning me about Al and Min and just pulling my blanket over my head. "Unless they killed someone this time-"

"May, it's me!" A female voice interrupted in a rushed whisper, making me pause.

I knew that voice.

It was a bit deeper than the last time I'd heard it, but there was no mistaking who it was.

"Teresa?" I asked, pulling my blanket back and sitting up.

Sure enough, there she was; now 11, her hair grew far down her back, and she was somehow even paler than I remembered her being.

"Yeah," She whispered again, something mischievous in her eye as she jerked her head towards the door. "C'mon, we're heading out for a bit."

Without giving me a chance to say anything, she rushed away to go wake Minho.

I rubbed my eyes and slid out of bed, pulling my socks, shoes and a sweater on as fast as I could manage.

Bad move, as I ended up stuck in said sweater.

"Help!" I whisper-yelled, struggling to stop my arm from bending the wrong way. "Ow, help me!"

"Bloody Hell, May."

Two hands grabbed my sweater and pulled it down, while two more straightened my arm out and got it in the sleeve.

Once my head was free, I saw Alby and Newt standing in front of me, looking equal parts amused and exasperated.

"Thank you!" I said sweetly, trying not to laugh at their expressions.

Alby just sighed, patting my shoulder before heading after Teresa to help her with Min. Newt meanwhile shook his head at me.

"Useless," He muttered, patting my head and messing up my hair, eying me like I was a puppy who'd just ripped up a pillow.

That was one of the more recent adjectives he used to describe me; he didn't mean it to be demeaning, and he made sure that I knew that. It was his way of calling me a dumbass, but a lovable dumbass. I guess I got that from hanging out with Minho so much.

"Thanks, Salamander." I replied with a big toothy grin as he rolled his eyes and walked away.

I'd recently found a book about newts (the animal) in the library, and had learned that they're a type of salamander.

Newt (the person) was suffering deeply due to this great discovery; he couldn't even retaliate since "Fifth Month" as a nickname just sounds awkward, so I'd won this round.

Minho having been retrieved, Teresa gestured us all towards the door. As we headed out, I put my arm around her back in a hug (since I was too short to reach her shoulders).

"I missed you." I said, smiling up at her. She smiled back and her arm went around my shoulders.

"I missed you, too." She replied, giving me a quick squeeze before letting go. "Come on, it's not far."

We walked through a few of the nearby corridors, before arriving at a door that looked just like every other (shocker, WICKED liked consistency). Alby opened it up, and we all filed in.

Lo and behold, there was Thomas sitting in a chair, and a boy maybe a year younger than me sitting on the bed.

"What's up, Tommy?" Newt asked cheerfully, a wide smile on his face. "You look bloody fantastic for three in the morning."