Just wanna say quick thank you to Emma for leaving a review. I'm glad you enjoy the story :)

Btw I know the action is going at a slow pace but I want to introduce my OC and her relationship with guys, but tell me if I should speed up or sth.

Love ay all :*
Runners

Chapter 8

She spent her day with builders getting to know them. They weren't as dumb as Newt said. Alright, maybe a little bit. Gally helped her handle all of them. She explained stepped by step her project and how she imagined them making it work. They measured the wood and got rid of bark and polished it. It took most of their day.

"We could use you there tomorrow." Gally bumped her playfully with his elbow.

"You're big boys. I trust you can handle yourselves just fine." She chuckled. "Besides I need to try for every job."

"Where are you tomorrow?"

"In the gardens with Newt and Zart."

"You do know they ain't the only ones working there, right?" She shrugged.

"I only know them there." She put a small smile on. "But, I mean, at first I only knew you in here, too. And now look, I know all the guys I get to order around." She smirked when Gally chuckled beside her.

"Lunch?" He asked and she replied with a quick - Hell yeah.

Next to days in the Gardens were harder than she had expected them to be. The sun was shining brightly, blinding her almost all the time, meanwhile bronzing her merciless. A sweat was dripping down her forehead. She hated how the dirt was getting under hair nails.

"Here." Newt kneeled down next to her with a jar filled with water. She gifted him with a tired smile.

"Thanks, Newt." She took the jar, but instead of drinking water, she spilled the liquid onto herself. It cleaned her face and poured down her next and cleavage. She closed her eyes enjoying the feeling.

"Love?"

"Yes?" She practically moaned.

When he didn't reply she looked at him and found him looking troubled yet amused, while he avoided her gaze.

"What is it?" She asked.

"You might wanna cover that, love." She wasn't getting it, so he added. "Look down." And she did. Her white shirt was very limpid.

"Oh." She mumbled. "Nah, it's gonna dry soon, anyway." She tried to shrug it off. "It doesn't affect me that much."

"It affects them." Newt turned to some gardeners and they quickly looked away.

"Are you gay or something?" Sneaked out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"What? No! Why'd you think that?"

"Well, you said them. Doesn't it, you know… affect you at all?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but I'm trying to be respectful and not to look at you right now."

"S-should I go get changed?"

"You better don't run around the Glade like that." He advised. "I'm just gonna go get you some more water, but please drink it this time."

"Maybe…" She grinned as he walked away slightly flushed.

During dinner, she sat with Newt, Gally, Minho, and Ben sat with her.

"So you're not gonna stick around that shank?" Minho pointed at Newt with his fork.

"Nope, sorry." She smiled weakly. "I'd rather stick with Gally."

"My pride is wounded, love."

"Wait, that's not what I meant!" She defended herself. Her cheeks turned crimson in embarrassment.

"Too late for that," Minho smirked.

"So where are you tomorrow?" Ben chimed in, saving her from the teasing. She thanked him with a beam.

"In the kitchen with Fry and Legend. Hope he won't annoy the shuck out of me." She exhaled with a laugh.

"Are you alright?" Newt walked her back to her room and they sat together on the bed.

"Yeah, why?" In all truth, she wasn't. She wondered if he asked because he was

"Well, it's your first week and you seem to handle it unexpectedly well." He confessed, but she knew he wasn't finished. "Keyword here is 'seem'. So how about you put down that facade for a few minutes and talk to me?"

"There's nothing to talk about really. I mean... It's so much to take in. I don't remember anything, including my own name, and I'm the only girl here, so I just... I try to look strong, I guess." She sighed. She didn't want to get into many details. She felt pathetic at night but Newt didn't have to know that.

"You don't look strong." She glanced at him offended. "You are strong. You get along with everyone, even with Gally. And yeah you struggle, like in the Gardens, but even though you didn't exactly enjoy it, you didn't complain, either. You did your part." He chuckled heartedly. "And don't worry about your name. It's gonna come back to you soon. I'm sure." He put his palm over hers before he could he rethink it. She smiled at the gesture so he decided not to pull back. "If you ever need to talk we're all here for you. Maybe, Minho wouldn't be the smartest choice if you wanted to be edgy," They both laughed. "But you can count on the rest of us."

"Thanks, Newt." He squeezed her hand.

"Get some rest. You're getting up earlier tomorrow." He referred to the kitchen duty.

"Goodnight." She called after him and he turned to face her in a doorway.

"Sleep tight, love."

Newt wasn't lying about waking up early. He was in her room by the sunrise. Her cornflower-blue eyes had to adjust to the sharping light.

"You weren't kidding yesterday." She suppressed a yawn into the back of her palm.

"Nope, love, I am a man of my word." He grinned, though she swore she managed to see tiredness in his features. "Besides I know how much you delight in morning showers."

"Don't get cocky." She smiled unwillingly - she didn't want to give him the satisfaction - because she extremely enjoyed those showers. "We've got Minho for that."

Hot water run down her goose-bumped flesh. It was still covered in sweat and dirt from gardening the day before and she rubbed in soap. Soon bubbles were covering her whole body and she giggled under her breath.

"Hurry up, love!" She heard a knock on the other side of the wall. Rolling her eyes, she rinsed off the soup.

She walked out with her clothes lightly sticking to her body.

"Took you long enough." She repaid him with a brief eye roll.

He left her with Fry, Legend, and few other cooks. Fry gave her a concise tour, showing her where they were keeping the dishes. Then he briskly explained her the plan or rather menu for that day. Fred and Adam were making lunch for runners and her with Legend were doing some easy stuff like cutting bread and ham and cheese and tomatoes. When she thought no-one was looking she ate a slice of tomato.

"Saw that, grey-beard." Legend mocked her, bumping her lightly with his elbow. She squealed at the sudden and unexpected contact.

"Youngling, don't bother the she-bean!" They turned to Fry. He was grinning, knowing just how annoying the boy could get.

"Oh, c'mon Fry-"

"Listen to the boss, youngling, and maybe one day you'll earn his respect!" She said in a low voice.

"Listen to the lady." Then Fry walked away to start fetching guys.

"How's kitchen working out for you?" Newt asked her at dinner. Minho had gone dangerously quiet after just a bite of his steak.

"It's better than gardens, sorry Newt, but I don't feel it's something for me."

"Are you kidding?" Legend chortled beside her. "You almost cut yourself today three times!"

"Four." She mumbled and when everyone, except Minho, began laughing at her she hid her face in a palm of her hand.

"Minho, what's wrong?" Newt raised an eyebrow.

"Did ya try the food, shank?" Uuu, someone got up on a wrong side of a bed.

"Not yet, why?"

Instead of replying Minho cut a piece of meat and got it on the fork. He pushed it with so much force Newt almost gagged. His face changed drastically in a matter of seconds. He turned around and spit it out.

"Bloody hell!"

"What? Was it that bad?"

"You made it?" Newt asked awaiting a negative answer but he did not receive it. "Then, it could have been worse, love" He tried to be gentle. Minho had to ruin his plans.

"Oh, really, shank?" His voice came out extremely squicky. "Feel free to finish it then." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Minho was never giving up nor was he sharing the food.

"Oh, c'mon guys! Don't you think you're exaggerating a little bit?" Minho pushed his plate to her.

"Be. My. Guest." She rolled her eyes and took a bite. She didn't even try to pretend it was good. She repeated Newt's actions.

"Do you think it's safe for me to work here one more day?"

"Definitely not!" Both Newt and Minho yelled.