The Scorch Trials Friendship

Ah, the signs of two people becoming BFFs. Whenever something funny or interesting happens while you're with your friends, it's hard not to take a look at your best friend to see his or her reaction. It's more fun to laugh together than to laugh alone.

Sometimes friendship can be formed by empathy or sympathy; in this case, Thomas feels empathetic towards Aris, as Thomas had been in a similar situation.

Thomas thinks this in the middle of the book—you know, after he has found out Teresa is "The Betrayer." You'd think he would put aside his friendship with Teresa for maybe a second, but because of his experience in the Maze, he simply can't. Romance can do some crazy things to friendships.

Best friends can be a pretty big nuisance at times—after all, you learn all of their positive and negative qualities—so when you see someone make your best friend look a little silly, that can sometimes pique your interest. In this case, Thomas starts to like Brenda after she makes Minho look bad.

Brenda doesn't have a very strong bond with anyone, which makes her something of a lone renegade. It's a lot easier to get through tough times when you're in a group, as even Brenda finds out, but she does always remain a little distant.

Thomas's concern for his fellow Gladers shows how friendship means a whole lot to him. Without his friends, Thomas doesn't feel right—he needs his friends in order to feel whole.

Again, Thomas's feelings of separation cause him some massive anxiety. Without his friends, he feels weakened.

Mmm, being stabbed in the back is a pretty bad feeling, but being stabbed in the back by your best friend can have some pretty damaging effects on your sense of reality and even your sense of self. Throw some romance into the mix, too, and now you've got yourself a pretty nasty brew of emotions.

Yeah, because "The Betrayer" was definitely going to be your friend, Thomas. Right? What was Thomas thinking, anyway? Oh, right—nothing.

Having a grand old time together is definitely one aspect of friendship, but Thomas needs to have trust in his friends' own survival skills. Friendship isn't just friendship in this books; it's also a means of survival. Actually, that's probably true about friendship in general, if you think about it.