"A bonfire?" She repeated.
"Yeah, we always have a fire for the newbies."
Today, she was helping Newt pull weeds in the garden. The bean plants were practically overrun by weeds at this point. There weren't many jobs in the Glade that a girl could easily accomplish, so Newt had pulled some strings and gotten her in as a track-hoe without having to shadow all the Keepers. In truth, he just wanted her close so that he could keep an eye on her. "I wanted to talk to you about the gathering we had last night."
She did her best to act oblivious. "What about it?"
"Well...We sort of just talked a lot about you...I mean, don't get me wrong, I am happy to give my room to you permanently but Alby and Gally feel you need your own place with your own shower..."
She thought about it for a moment. She had been showering with everyone else and hadn't really been worried about it. No one had tried to take a peek at her yet so it seemed fine...
"I personally think you should do what you are comfortable with. You may be a girl, but you should be accepted, just like everyone else. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to make those shanks behave."
"I'm glad you fought for me Newt." She said, reaching over to give his hand a little squeeze.
"Yeah, I just wish I had won that argument. They are going to start building your room tomorrow."
"I don't see why you and I can't just share that room..." It made more sense to her to utilize the space they already had.
Newt waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "are you trying to tell me something Rosie?"
The day she had woken from her fainting spell at the edge of the Glade, she had remembered her name. Newt and Gally were both there when she opened her eyes. Newt had smiled at her when she told him.
"Rosie it is then."
He had called her that ever since. It made her stomach flutter.
"You know what I meant!" She laughed, "just have them put another bed in there."
"Gally would never let that happen and you know it." This gave him a rather sour expression. He started cutting at the roots a little too roughly with the spade. But Rosalind knew he was right.
"Yeah well...It all goes back to how I wish I could make my own choices."
A few hours later, Newt stood and brushed his dirty hands off on his stained pants. "I think that's enough work for one day. We should go get ready for the bonfire."
He lead the way back to the Homestead. When they were close enough to the front door that she knew she could make a run for it, she mustered up the courage to turn around and face him. His eyebrows were raised in question as she stalked over to stand in front of him. Stepping up close enough that they were just barely touching, she stood on her tiptoes to she could whisper seductively into his ear. "It's not like I'd say no to sharing a bed with you."
Without waiting to see his reaction, she took off into the Homestead.
'I probably shouldn't have done that,' she thought as she fought through brushing out the tangles in her hair. She was just about to give up and toss the stupid comb when a blaring alarm sounded from the middle of the Glade. Panicked, Rosalind took the steps two at a time as she ran to where a crowd of Gladers stood in a tight circle around the box. More were rushing in from all directions, their work completely abandoned. She spotted Gally as he ran up to join her.
"What's happening?" She panted.
"I don't know. That's the sound it makes when a new Greenie comes up but..."
"Chuck told me Greenie's only come up once a month?"
Gally's face was grim, "it's been the same for three years. Once a month. First they send a girl and now this? What changed?"
When the box finally ground to a halt, Gally helped Alby pull it open. No one spoke for several minutes, unsure of what might be inside. Gally finally came back out, clutching the front of the new guy's shirt before tossing him unceremoniously onto the grass. He was pale skinned with contrasting raven hair. She couldn't see him well from this distance but many of the nearby Gladers seemed to be taunting him. In a flash of movement, the Greenie had shoved passed the circle of Gladers and taken off toward the walls. Laughter and shouting erupted all around her as the Greenie sprinted passed the Homestead. He was faster than anyone she'd seen in her short store of memories; up until he tripped over his own legs and rolled onto the grass in a heap. Most of the other boys were doubled over by this point and roaring with laughter but something was keeping her from joining in the fun. The boy looked around him. Pure panic was clear on his features as he slowly stood and spun around to take the place in. Her heart dropped into her stomach, she needed to calm this kid down before he did something stupid. Without thinking, she took off after him. She ignored Gally's shouts and the footsteps that followed close behind. When she was less than a dozen feet from the Greenie, he gave a startled grunt and held up his hands, nearly tripping over his own feet again. Strong arms grabbed her round the waist and yanked her roughly back.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" Gally shouted, shaking her shoulders painfully.
Afraid. She was very afraid.
"G-Gally...I-I just-"
He was shaking with rage and she could feel his nails digging into her flesh. But she had to stay strong. He didn't own her.
Swallowing hard and doing her best to stand tall, she looked past Gally and straight at the boy who was staring at her with wide, frightened eyes. "It's alright. I know you're scared and confused. We're all scared at first. None of us can remember anything. You aren't alone."
That was all she managed to say before Gally yanked her back away from the boy and back toward the Homestead, cursing and spitting under his breath.
"What the hell were you thinking?!" He shoved her back into Newt's room and she heard the lock click behind them.
"I was helping him! A lot more than I could say for the rest of you..."
Back talk was clearly not helping. Gally balled up his fists and ranted on, "he could have seriously hurt you! You don't even know him! A desperate kid who has no idea what's going on doesn't have a whole lot to lose."
"I'm not a child Gally! I can make my own choices! And more importantly, I DON'T FUCKING NEED YOU TO SAVE ME!"
Before she realized what she was doing, she found herself standing on her tiptoes for the second time that day so that she could come chest to chest with him. She was panting and a fire blazed in her eyes, wild and fearless.
He was on her in an instant, all tongue and teeth and...him.
It was as if a coil of tension had been tightening between the two of them and it had finally snapped. His mouth was hot and needy and she was melting into it. It didn't take long before he had backed her up far enough that the back of her knees hit the bed and they both toppled over in a tangle of limbs. His mouth left hers in favor of traveling quickly down her throat. Her hands came up to yank roughly on his short auburn hair, gasping desperately as he found a particularly sensitive spot on her neck. His own hand found it's way beneath her shirt, nails digging into her stomach as it traveled up and up-
BANG!
"Rosie! Can you hear me?! If he's hurting you I swear I'll break this bloody door down!"
Gally groaned, shifting his pants to try and hide the obvious hard-on (and failing miserably).
"I-I'm fine Newt. G-Give me a sec." She did her best to appear as if nothing had happened. At best, she might be able to pass it off as a heated argument.
Which wasn't entirely untrue.
The lock turned beneath her fingers and she almost fell over backward as Newt charged in. He was heading straight for Gally and she knew this couldn't end well.
"What the hell you bloody psychopath?!" He shoved hard on Gally's shoulders but Gally barely budged. It was enough movement for Newt to notice the bulge in his shorts.
"You sick fucking bastard." He hissed through clenched teeth as his fist collided with Gally's cheek.
To her surprise, Gally did not react. He simply stood there, his face turned away from the impact.
Newt was already leading her down the stairs before everything really set in.
That had gotten serious fast. If Newt hadn't showed up when he did...
Despite everything that had just happened, Newt spoke calmly, "it's alright now love. I've got you." His arms were tight but comfortable around her shoulders as he pulled her into a hug, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
"I...I'm OK Newt. He didn't hurt me."
Newt pulled her away, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Are you sure Rosie? Because if he did anything to you I'll have him banished before he can even bloody blink."
"Really I'm OK. I'm worried about the new kid though. How is he?"
Newt was scratching the back of his head, something he did when he was unwilling to tell her the whole truth. "He'll be fine after he calms down a bit."
Footsteps and heavy panting behind her made them both turn to see Chuck running toward them.
"There you are Rosalind! The Greenie keeps asking for you from the pit!"