A/N: okay! I'm starting another little book, and I don't know if it's really any good or not. So, enjoy! Please, no cussing in the reveiw section, it is uncomfortable for me and other users.
Prologue
"Newt, come on! We have to get to class!" Clara laughs pulling Newt down the hallway by the sleeve. He tries to pull away but ends up falling, her falling on top of him.
"Clara!" Janson shouts, half worried. "What happened?"
"I'm okay, Dad! Really! I'm 8 a little fall won't do much to hurt me," she sasses and Newt snickers a bit.
"And Newton?"
"I'm alright, sir," he says politely.
"You must be in perfect condition, Newton. You know that."
"Yessir."
"Good. Now get to class, you'll be late." The two children run off through the halls. Janson smiles to himself watching them run to their class, Clara beating Newton. Her long, dark hair flying behind her. But then, he remembers what is to come in the next few years. Clara is like Newton's second sister, and is certainly like a sister to Sonya. She is always around someone and when she's not, she draws, reads, or follows Janson around.
"Ha! I beat you Newt!" Isa yells when she reaches the end of the hallway.
"Yeah you did. Now come on!" he responds, pulling her into the classroom. Clara has always been the troublemaker, which is how she earned the nickname Shadow, which is used mainly by the staff in secret.
After classes, everyone meets up for dinner. The group usually eats with Doctor Janson. Minho, Alby, Sonya, and Harriet walk over to the table with their food, waiting for Dr. Janson, Clara, and Newton. The three walk over after a few minutes and sit down with them.
"How was class guys?" Sonya asks in her little voice. Newton sits on one side of her and Clara on the other, with Janson beside her. The others are on the other side.
"Good. It's getting easier," Alby, the oldest of the group at age 10 says quietly, but authority laces his voice.
"True," Minho adds. He is only nine and quite fast for his age.
They engage in other conversations, Clara telling Janson about her test, Newt calming Sonya down, who has anxiety. Minho, Alby, and Harriet all talk about random things like 5-year-olds. Like every other day here, this day was pretty uneventful. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens, unless it's one of those nights where Clara and Newton sneak out to get some food and a workpad.
3 years later
Still boring here at headquarters. More tests that bugged Newton and Clara like everyone else. Now, they have less classes, so the group usually hung out on the stairs to the basement, where they could never go. Clara and Newton got caught sneaking to the kitchen last night, and lost breakfast this morning. But, they had one class left for the day, and Clara and Newton were carrying their books down the halls. Man, this place if like a maze. Janson comes around the corner and calls for Clara, who gives her books to Newton and turns around to walk over to him.
"Yes Dad?"
"Chancellor Paige wants to see you. Probably about last night," he winks. This wasn't unusual, as she had to talk to Chancellor Paige once a week about this kind of stuff.
After the little meeting, Clara went to get her books from Newton and go to dinner. She stopped eating with everyone because she got them in trouble far to often, but Newt, as she called him, just came over and sat with her. They might only be eleven but they are as close of friends as anyone could be. Her father is more and more worried each day that he might have to give her to him the next. The last three years flew by, and in a blink, they will be gone.
Two years later
If at all possible, Newt and Clara grew closer. They hung out every chance they got, which isn't often during the day. Janson didn't allow Clara to see Newt outside of classes and meals. At night, however, they would sneak out into each others rooms and catch up, eat, and do other things teenagers would do. Clara found herself to feel, safer, with Newton than anyone else, even her own Father.
"So what happened today, Clara?" he asks quietly, smiling. Clara rolls her eyes and grins.
"Ditched a class, stole some food. The usual stuff."
"Ah, figures. You are the bloody queen of sneaking around Clary."
"Yeah," she managed. Clara has liked Newt for a year now, and it was killing her. But, she knows that something bad is going to happen to him, and soon. Clara really wants to do something about it, but knows it's pointless. Her father was surely up still, but is on the other side of the complex.
"Hey Newt, I'm sorry but I, uh, have to go. Have to get up real early to help Dad with something. I'll see you later," she says, running out of the room. He starts to protest but stops because it would get them caught.
Hall after hall. Turn after turn. Door after door. She knew exactly where her dad was, in room A521. After a few more minutes, she makes it and slows to a stop outside. She quietly opens the door and slips inside. Sure enough, Janson is sitting right there.
Janson was working on a briefing of Thomas, Teresa, Aris, and Rachel's work on the maze's.
"Dad." The voice startles him, but he hides it and turns around, asking what she needs.
"You guys are planning something. Tell me. I should at least know," she pleads, sitting on the bed next to me. He sighs and explains that in 3 months time, they will start sending people down to the mazes.
"Will I be going?"
"No, Clara." She looks heartbroken. "Clara, what's wrong? You usually don't act like this."
A tear slips down her face and onto her bare upper shoulder.
"I" she inhales, "I may or may bot like one of them... I have for a year now, and I didn't know how you'd take it," she manages. She then holds her breath and Janson pulls her into a hug. In her dad's arms, she burst into tears.
"Hey, it's okay. It's perfectly fine to like someone, but I wouldn't get too attached. Hun, we need to find a Cure. We can't let that be comprised. Promise that you won't do anything irrational, okay?" She nods and continues to cry into his shirt.