Chapter 8
Tasha's POV
There are three rules you must abide to in the Glade. One; everyone does their part. Two; never hurt a fellow Glader. Three; you must always stay within the walls of the Glade.
I felt like I had broken the first rule. It had been a few weeks since I had woken up. An eternity it seemed like of lying in a bed, doing absolutely nothing, would be enough to drive anyone mad. But I was beyond bored. Every day, Alby would visit me and assure me that resting is what I was doing to help out around the Glade. Jeff and Clint insist it'll make me heal faster, but I'm pretty sure that's just a bunch of klunk.
I was never alone though. Newt was always by my side, throughout the day and throughout the night. He insisted to stay with me, even when Alby, the freaking leader and his friend, told him to get some rest in his hammock.
"I'm bloody fine here, really!" Newt told Alby with an irritated tone.
"You've been sleeping in that shucking chair for the past week, you're gonna shuck up your back. Don't tell me your leg ain't sore and screaming at ya." Alby argued, as his voice raised with just as much irritation that was laced throughout Newt's own voice.
Newt's irritated expression faltered as he glanced down at his leg. "So what, it doesn't hurt that bad, besides she needs someone here-" Newt began, but I cut him off, as I had grown annoyed at the constant yelling match between the leader and his second-in-command.
"Guys!" I yelled and raised my voice to a decently loud volume, as I pushed myself up to a sitting position. "Both of you need to shut your shuck mouths and slim it!" I took in a deep, shaky breath as I felt a twitch of pain in my stomach.
. "Alby, what if he just lays here with me? It's big enough for two people, and it isn't the first time." I pleaded, as I hoped Alby would let him so their constant bickering would stop. But most of all, I hoped neither of them took it the wrong way. The thought of Newt and I sharing a bed again made my heart race, but I knew nothing would come of it. We were just friends.
Newt raised his eyebrows at me before he glanced at Alby with a questioning look. Alby looked between me and Newt for a few moments before he shook his head with a smile. "Fine," he gave in as he raised his hands up in the air. "But no funny business you hear me?" Alby commanded, as a red hot blush crept up the back of my neck, but I did my best to write it off, and ignore it.
Newt looked at the bed with a perplexed expression. I smirked at him and pet the bed. "C'mon, Newt, I don't bite," I began, as I looked to him with an innocent look on my face. "Well, at least, not hard enough to hurt." I finished, as I sent a wink in his direction.
Newt rolled his eyes at me and slowly crawled on to the bed. I was under a thin sheet while he laid on it, both of us on our back and stared up at the ceiling.
"I'm sick of not being able to do anything..." I whispered to him, as I kept my eyes on the ceiling.
"You'll be back to running soon." Newt replied as he shifted and moved closer to me, though I doubt that was his intention.
I sighed. "It's not just that... Rule number one is everyone does their part. I haven't done a damn thing this week!" I ran my fingers through my hair, as anger swelled in my chest.
Newt glanced over at me. "You're doing your part. You nearly bloody died! You have to give yourself time to heal," he tried to convince me, but it was hardly working.
"What about you?" My voice was softer now. "Won't you get in trouble for staying with me all the time?" I asked, as concern latched itself onto my voice. It was important not to think about what could possibly go wrong in the Glade.
Newt scoffed. "I'm second in command," he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"So? Alby is still number one," the sarcasm was clearly evident in my voice, which in turn made Newt chuckle.
"I talked to him. When you're well enough, both of us will work in the gardens. Then when you're ready, you can run again," he didn't sound happy about me running, but he didn't sound angry like he used to be. I wonder if he's accepted that I love to run. Maybe he understands I can take care of myself...
"Oh, that's good then." I shifted my weight a little, which made my stomach sting. "Ugh."
"Are you alright?" Newt asked in concern, as he sat up slightly from the bed.
"Yeah, I'm okay... I'm glad that tomorrow I can have some medicine, because to be completely honest, my stomach is starting to really hurt." I had tried to keep the pain to myself, but it was getting to the point where if I made any movement it hurt.
Newt frowned and leant his head back on his hands. "If I could take it away I would, love."
I smiled slightly and turned my head so I could look at him. "Thanks, Newt. If I could fix your leg, I would... I can see that it bothers you, y'know. I want you to know you can talk to me about anything, okay?" I felt a small swarm of warmth as Newt leant back against the headboard. It was insane how well I got on with him. He was a great friend, and he was always there for me when I needed him the most. I was pretty sure it had gotten to the point, where I couldn't even begin to imagine what life in the Glade would be like without him.
Newt looked down at me and our eyes metthrough the darkness. He reached his hand downand cupped my face with his hand. "I know... Thank you," he whispered softly.
I nodded and slowly lie my head back down. "Y'know, this isn't that bad..." Slowly, I moved closer to him and leant my head against his chest, listening to the soft beating of his heart.
Newt shifted slightly under me which made my head move further against his chest. He slowly wrapped his one arm around my waist. "This doesn't hurt you right? Because-"
"No, I'm fine." I smiled against his chest as I closed my eyes. "Just go to sleep..." I whispered, as I closed my eyes. It wasn't long before the steady beat of Newt's heart lulled me to sleep. I knew that I would always be safe in the Glade, as long as he was with me.
••
Another month went by.
"C'mon, Shank." Newt held his hand out to me, a smirk on his face.
I looked at his hand skeptically. "What?"
"Don't you wanna go outside?" Newt arched one of his eyebrows in a questioning glance and I knew that he meant it.
I couldn't help but grin up at him as I grabbed his hand, which allowed him to pull me onto my feet. I staggered for a moment before I wrapped my arm around Newt's and leant on him as we walked outside.
The sun blinded me as soon as I walked out of the Homestead. I hadn't been outside for so long, it was a nice feeling to see the sky clearly again. I glanced around and noticed how bright the garden looked. We had gotten a bit of rain (it actually doesn't rain in the Glade according to the book, but if you're going for the movie then that's ok), so that must've helped the fruit and veggies grow.
"The garden looks great." I said as I squinted and tried my best to see everything that was planted.
"Oh! Wait here!" Newt let go of my arm and ran over to the gardens. I waited patiently and leant my arm against the side of the building. I smiled as I watched Newt pick something from the garden.
When Newt got back he held out his hand and showed me a dark coloured berry. "What are those?" I asked as I took one from his hand and examined it closely.
"You're going to love these. Just try it." The look on Newt's face easily resembled a little kid's on Christmas morning. He was so excited to see what I thought about the strange fruit that he held in his hand.
I pressed the berry to my lips for a moment before taking a bite out of it. "Oh my god! That's amazing!" I tossed the rest of the delicious fruit in my mouth and cheweddown on it with ease.
Newt chuckled and leant up against the wall once more. "Told you," he whispered as he looked at me with a look in his eye that I definitely couldn't pinpoint.
I rolled my eyes for a moment before I grabbed a few more berries out of his hand. Each one I ate tasted the best out of every fruit that we had ever grown. I leaned my head back against the wall of the homestead and took a deep breath of the fresh air. "It's so beautiful out here."
"You're beautiful," Newt's voice snapped me out of my daze,
"What?" I asked as I looked straight at him to see him looking at me as if he was in some sort of trance.
"You're beautiful," he repeated as he looked deeply into my eyes. I'm pretty sure he was joking, or something was very, very wrong with my hearing and his eyes.
"I'm not beautiful Newt," I replied as I ripped my gaze away from his chocolate brown eyes and all of his handsomeness. I closed my eyes, raised my head up and felt the rays of the golden sun on my face.
"Then what would you prefer?" He began as he pushed himself off of the wall he leant on. "Cute? Adorable? Hot? Sexy? I could do this all day Tash," Newt grinned as I felt the red hot blush creep up the back off my neck.
"Do you really think that?" I asked as I opened my eyes just a sliver and looked at him out of the corner of my eye.
"Of course I do," he winked as he continued to lean back against the wall, practically mimicking my position. I took this as an opportunity to really look at Newt. He was tall and slender, yet muscly. He had a chiseled jaw and high cheekbones which gave him all that more of the handsome factor. He had long eyelashes, which definitely made his eyes a lot more beautiful.
I couldn't help but smile as Newt started to grow irritated at the fly that kept buzzing next to his ear. He tried in vain to swat it away with his hand but eventually opened his eyes and gave up.
He straightened up slowly and cocked his head to the side to indicate that he wanted to walk. I nodded my head eagerly as I started walking away from the homestead at a steady yet incredibly slow pace.
"Newt you have to try this," Zart held in his hand a brown fruit that looked unappealing to the eye. But Zart seemed so excited that Newt had to try it, just to make him go away. Newt cautiously put the fruit in his mouth and bit down. I didn't expect the look that came next.
"That's brilliant!" Newt cried in his thick accent. Zart then looked to me and offered the same fruit.
"No thanks Zart, I'm not that hungry, maybe next time," I declined Zart's offer as politely as I could, but I honestly didn't want to try the fruit that he held.
"Newt!" A voice called from behind us, near the Homestead. We turned around to see Clint wave at us and touch his wrist in what I thought would be Clint telling us that our time was us.
"Time's up, love. Let's go," Newt whispered but he almost looked upset, as if he didn't want our time to end. As much as I wanted it to go on forever, I knew that Newt had other things to do around the Glade. He couldn't slack off just to spend time with me. Alby would have had his head.
Both Newt and I started walking back to the Homestead. It was silent between us, as there was nothing really left to talk about.
It wasn't long before we reached the Homestead and soon enough it would be time to say goodbye to him. Newt helped me up the stairs and into one of the rooms where I was sleeping. I turned around to look at Newt as he smiled at me gently.
"Thank you," I hesitated a moment as I looked up at Newt. "For today, I mean. I really needed it."
Newt smiled as his eyes gleamed with a playful glint. "No problem, love."
It was then I realized just how close we were. Not that we weren't normally close to each other, but this was different. It was like I hadn't ever really seen him before. I felt an unknown warmth in my heart that I couldn't control-
"Hey guys."
I jumped slightly as my head snapped over to look at the door where Minho stood, his arms crossed against his chest and a smirk covering his face.
"H-hey Minho." I staggered as I took a step back while fixing the sheet on my bed.
"What are you doing here, Shank?" Newt asked, a hint of annoyance instilled in his voice.
Minho smirked even more. "Alby wants to talk to you."
"You should go." I glanced up at Newt as I sat down on the bed. "I'll be fine."
Newt looked at me a second before he nodded, walked past Minho and left the room. "You two seem to be pretty close, huh?" Minho was chuckling now.
"Oh, shuck off, Minho! There's nothing going on between me and Newt." Even if I wish there were.
"Oh really?" Minho smirked. "Is that why you two almost kissed?"
I threw a pillow at him and rolled my eyes. "Get out of here you Shank."
Minho left as he laughed all the way out of the hut. I groaned and leant my head back against the bed. There was nothing going on between Newt and I. We were just friends... So why did that make me feel so miserable?
I thought about it for a moment. All the moments that I had spent with him, all the breakfasts, lunches and dinners, all the crazy and utterly weird ways he made me feel that so much better. That's when I knew.
I sat up faster than Minho shot out into the maze in the mornings.
I liked him. I liked Newt.
Oh this was not going to end well.
A/N: I really would like to thank Georgia for being my beta reader ^.^ without her I wouldn't be able to keep writing, so thank you Hun.
