Jackson and I were walking around the Glade, doing nothing in particular laughing and having a good time just enjoying each other's company. We past the corner of the Bloodhouse, the Garden in view when Jackson suddenly asked me a question out of the blue.

"When are you going to man up and talk to Newt?"

"What?"

Why is he bringing Newt up... I had been avoiding the topic for the past week, trying to keep it from distracting me while I focused on picking my name. We only had two days until the next Greenie and I still had nothing. I was hoping that it would be a girl this time, so maybe we both could look for the perfect name and while she started out fresh I would be nearly done.

"You told me to avoid him!"

He scoffed," Not forever!" then he laughed," I'm serious! When are you just going to see what's up, at least to get over him."

"I-I... I don't know," my cheeks darkened. "I want to know, but I am too nervous. What if he rejects me, Jackson?! And then laughs in my face and then the whole Glade will find out and it'll be a nightmare! It's not like I can hide from him after."

Jackson laughed loudly," Wow, you are so negative! What if it's great? What if he likes you back?!"

"I've thought about that too," I admitted bashfully. "I wouldn't know what to do then either... would he be my boyfriend?"

Jackson shrugged," I don't know, you guys would have to figure it out."

"That's what is scary."

"It could be fun, right? I think you should go for, I mean, from what you say, it sounds like he likes you."

"What?," I look at him," you said it's all in my head!"

"I didn't said that," Jackson chuckled," I said I can see both sides. That you might be misinterpreting, but now I see how he looks at you and I-..."

"How he looks at me? What are you talking about?," I interrupted him. The way he looks at me! How does he look at me!?

"Well," he gives me his signature devil grin," I've been watching him, ever since you told me about his little blushing incident he had and I definitely think I see something."

"Stop, be serious," I bite my lip. What did he see? What was Newt doing?

"I am, honest," he held his right hand to his chest and his other in the air.

"What do you see?," I ask him eagerly.

He shrugs again," I don't know, but it's something... maybe he likes you back."

"Wait, what do you mean you've been watching him? When?!"

"It's been over a week since you told me! I've seen him tons of times, the Glade is only so big."

"Don't play with me!"

"I'm not," he laughed again.

"You're laughing! It's not real!," I slap his arm.

"No, I am!," he holds in his laugh," It's just so funny to see you so riled up about him."

"Not it's not," I slap him again but let out a laugh.

"Oh, look, there he is!," he points to the Garden.

"Stop that!," I grab his arm. "Don't do that!"

"Oh, why, gonna get all embarrassed?," he teased.

"Jackson, seriously," my voice was stern but also scared.

"You'll thank me for this," he leaned in and whispered, before drawing back and raising his hand high and shouting," Hey Newt! What's going on, man?"

"JACKSON!," I tried to grab his arm, but he was too tall. WHY DOES HE DO THIS!?

I looked over my shoulder and sure enough, there was Newt. For a second he seemed puzzled, like he didn't know who we were and then he smiled and raised his hand. Please don't come over. Please don't come over here. Please don't come over here! I silently begged, but my demands were not heard. Newt turned to Zart and said something, most likely along the lines of 'I'll be right back' before he jogged over to Jackson and I.

"Hey Jackson," Newt and Jackson shook hands, like they were meeting for the first time. What is that? Then he turned to me and my mind when numb," Hey," he smiled. God, that smile. Why is it so beautiful?

"Hey man, " Jackson spoke before I had the chance. "Just wanted to see how it's going. The Garden looks good, everything looks like it's growing nicely."

"Yeah, Zart is really working hard so we can have some plenty of food."

"Speaking of food," Jackson dragged out his tone, Oh god, please. "Did you know that Fry is turning our this one into a little chef," he nudged me with his elbow.

Oh god, Jackson. Why? Why do you do this?

Newt's eyes widened," Oh that's right! I heard you made that great chicken ago few days ago. Wow, it was so good."

I shuffled my feet and felt couldn't help from smiling," Really?"

"Oh yeah!,"Newt complimented. "Frypan needs to let you cook more often."

"Thanks Newt, that's really sweet," I purse my lips.

"You're welcome," he smiled and I could feel my toes tingle.

"So, whose excited for the new Greenie?," Jackson asked giddily.

That question made the tingle in toes vanish and my smile fall flat. The new Greenie...

Newt seemed happy, " Yes, I'm so ready for some of Gally's hooch. He's been really skimping out lately the bloody shank."

"That does sound so good," Jackson agreed. "I'm personally thrilled about the idea of everyone being in the same place at the same time. Everyone around the fire together while the rest of Glade is totally empty," Jackson kept glancing at me. I get it Jackson! Yes, I get it! Stop!

"Yeah, I guess..., it's good for all of us to spend some together," Newt agreed.

"Exactly! Maybe some one-on-one time to get to know someone better. Maybe you'll get to know someone and who knows, they might be a great person. You could even be friends with them or something could sprout and blossom into something beautiful," Jackson smiled but Newt was lost and his face showed it.

"Uhmm... Sure?," Newt had no clue what was happening.

Jackson, you're so terrible. That was just so stupid. " Yeah, maybe," I say. "Well, we won't keep you, Newt," I push Jackson away from the Garden, towards the Box. Just get out! Get away from this!

"Oh, it's no trouble," he smiled. "Are you going to go?"

"Oh, well I was thinking that-..."

"Of course she's going," Jackson cut me off. "Too bad I'm patrolling that night, so she'll need to hang out with someone else..."

NO! DON'T YOU DARE!

I was ready to make up a perfect excuse before Newt said" Well, I'm always free," he cleared his throat and turned to the Garden.

My body went limp and looked at Jackson who looked like a guilt criminal. 'YES' he mouthed to me but I felt the fear creep through me, Hang out with Newt all night? Can I handle that?

" Oh... Uhm, sure yeah. That'd be fun," I look to Newt but he is still looking towards the Garden

"Great... uh, yeah. That'd be great," he looked at the ground before peering up at me through his shaggy bangs. OH MY GOD!

"Oh, this is fantastic," Jackson beamed proudly. "Now you better take good care of her," Jackson teased Newt.

"Erm... well, I... I-I w-... I...," Newt stammered but couldn't finish his thought.

"Because she's is such a lightweight off that hooch," Jackson chuckled," You've seen it, right? It's pretty funny."

He had paused intentionally, I knew it. He wanted to see Newt's reaction, he wanted me to see it. They way he stuttered and rubbed the back f his neck was like what he had done before. Like he was nervous. Nervous about me.

"What, I'm not a lightweight," I was offended.

"Oh, please! You could just smell it and you'd start stumbling," Jackson joked.

"That's not true," I crossed my arms.

"Only time will tell," Jackson tuned back to Newt. "Well I can rest easy tonight knowing that we all have solid plans for the bonfire. Great!," he clapped his hands.

"Uhm, yeah...," I glance back to Newt.

His face is red, It could be the sun, it is super hot today and he spends all day outside. "Yeah, it'll be fun," he manages a small smile. "I-I... Uhm, I should-..."

"We won't keep you Newt," Jackson turns and pulls on my shirt for me to follow, which I do, but not without looking over my shoulder at Newt. He walks back to the Garden slowly, like something traumatic just happened. Oh no, that's not good.

I glare at Jackson until I know we are out of ear shot," What the hell was that!," I whisper shout at him.

"That, my dear, was the best thing that has happened," he smiled smugly.

"That was a disaster!"

"Uhm, where you not there? I just got you a full night with Newt. Hooch flowing, romantic fire, drunk idiots, the perfect place to find out what he is really feeling," he pulls away and crosses his arms. "A 'thank you, Jackson' should be the next phrase out of your mouth."

"Thank you?! Are you serious!," I copy him and cross my arms. "Now he see me as a burden! He doesn't want to spend all night with me!"

"Really? That's what you got form that?," Jackson looked a me like I was the stupidest person he had ever seen. "I just got conformation that he is just as into you as you are him," he chuckled.

"Are you blind or something, Jackson? Or just plain crazy!," my hands spazz outwards.

"Did you not see him," he jabs his thumb towards the Garden. "He was so red, he could have be tomato and all that stuttering, it's so obvious! Was he like that the other time you told me about?"

"Being red means nothing, he could just be too hot and the stutter could just happen when... when he gets too hot," I point my finger in his face. That sounds so stupid, I thought and Jackson's face said he thought the same thing. It was just like last time...

"He was blushing. He was blushing because he likes you," Jackson squatted so we were eye level. "He was stammering like a fool, because he was nervous... because he likes you!," he stood and laughed. "I can't believe you thought he was gay!"

"Shut up!," I hit his arm and look around to see if anyone could hear us. We were in the wide open area of the Glade between the Garden, the Bloodhouse, and the Box. I take a deep breath, Oh god, what's more terrifying; Jackson being right or Jackson being wrong. Those are terrible options. Just stay calm, deep breath.

I took a deep breath, "I mean, it could be worse, I try to rationalize it myself out loud. "I've spent time with Newt before..."

"That's true," Jackson agreed.

"And we were alone..."

"Also true."

"So this should be easy, right? Really simple."

"Exactly," he reassure me. "Just be yourself."

Myself... The word echoes in my head. Just be myself...