It's currently June of 2016, and I have revised this chapter because I hated it so so so so so so much.
I lead Newt through the halls, heading to my room. The effects of the flour fight are still obvious—we're both covered in flour and still laughing about it. He trails a little bit behind me, holding my hand. The lights in the hallway are dimmed, and they seem yellow instead of white like they were before. When I turn around and look at Newt, it casts shadows on his face, highlighting his jawline and shadowing his eyes.
When we reach the door to my room, I drop Newt's hand to open it. The lights inside are off, but the stars shine through the enormous window that covers the far wall. Moonlight illuminates the bed, making the white sheets seem like they are glowing. I pull Newt into the room, and shut the door behind him.
I grab both of his hands in mine, and walk to the bed. This won't be like it was with Lee, I tell myself. I want this. I need to be close to him, in all ways possible. When I get to the bed, I turn around and face him. The smile still graces his features, his chocolate brown eyes shining with the light of the moon. I fall backwards, pulling him onto me. He's so close we're sharing the same breath. All I can see are his eyes, and I stare into them, the love and admiration filling me with warmth. We stay like that for a moment before Newt kisses me.
It's rough yet sweet, lustful and tender. But there's this fire that wasn't there before. It's settled deep in my stomach, and it's like I can't get closer to him. The clothes become a barrier keeping me from being with him. I pull his shirt over his head, interrupting the kiss. His eyes lock onto mine and a slow smile spreads across his face. Then his lips attack my neck.
The feeling sends electric waves through me, and I wrap my arms around him, my fingers trailing the bare skin on his back. His shivers under my light touch, and trails his kisses down to my collar bone. I quickly find myself breathless as his hands play with the hem on the bottom of my shirt. He slowly raises it, his fingers brushing my stomach. I arch my back so he can get it up, and he pushes it up, revealing the plain bra underneath. He kisses me again, hungrily. One of his hands is on my hip, while the other is on my ribcage and creeping up.
I switch our positions, straddling his hips. I rest my hands on his chest, and I smile down at him. I take my shirt off, tossing it in a random direction. He's breathing hard, his eyes trailing up and down my torso with a hunger I've never seen on his face. Normally, on other people's faces, it would disgust me. But his sets me on fire.
I feel something hard poke my leg, and Newt's face turns into one of embarrassment. His cheeks tint red, and he looks like he's ready to push me aside and go take a cold shower. But I don't want him to.
" It's okay. " I say, my voice soft.
Newt flips our positions again. He kisses me, but I don't have time to kiss back as he trails them down my neck, past my collar bone, and to the curve of my breasts. I moan softly, my back arching and he almost growls as he kisses my stomach. They trail lower and lower, and his hands pull my yoga pants down an inch. One of his kisses lands on my hip, and a gasp escapes me as an unexpected warmth spreads through my lower stomach.
Then, he stops. Newt moves away, and sits on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. His breath is shaky, and he's shaking his head.
" What's wrong? " I ask, sitting up. Suddenly, I feel self conscious about myself. Did I do something wrong? Am I not good enough?
" I don't want our first time to be like this. " He says, turning to look at me, but his eyes find my chest and he has to look away again. " I want it to be special. "
" Okay. " I hear the disappointment in my own voice and I mentally slap myself. Newt's just trying to make it mean more.
" It's not because of you. I promise. I just... I don't want our first time to be in a place like this. " My heart is thudding in my chest.
I sit on the other side of the bed, my back facing him. I'm proud of myself for getting over a fear. I didn't seize up like I did with Lee. Instead, I encouraged it. If Newt hadn't stopped it, we would've went all the way. It's obvious we both want this, but I get where Newt is coming from. A facility in the middle of the Scorch doesn't sound like the best place to have sex for the first time. Maybe after we get through everything.
I pull my hair onto one shoulder and stare at the hands in my lap. I hear Newt shift behind me, then I feel his fingers brush the back of my neck.
" What the hell? " He mumbles. " When did you get a tattoo? "
" What do you mean? " I ask, " I don't have a tattoo. "
" Are you sure? It's right here on your neck. "
" What does it say? " I ask, sure that WICKED has something to do with this. What kind of profanity did they tattoo on my body? Are they telling the Familiars not to trust me? Dread is filling me to the brim, masking any previous emotions or feelings.
" Louisa, Subject A0, The Flame. " He traces the words with his fingers as he speaks. What the hell is that supposed to mean? I don't get it. First of all, Subject A0 is obviously someone that wasn't anticipated. Was I ever apart of the trials? Was it all a mistake? No, I doubt that. But still, The Flame? They could've given me a better title.
I turn around and face Newt so quickly he jumps back in surprise.
" Turn around. " I tell him. He does as I ask, and there it is on the back of his neck. A tattoo with his title, given to him by WICKED. The black words are in all capital letters, making them stand out more. Newt, Subject A5, The Glue. " You have one too. Newt, Subject A5, The Glue. "
" Do think everyone has one? " He asks, and I stand and grab my shirt out of the floor.
" Let's find out. " I pull my shirt over my head and he picks his off of the floor. Then he looks up at me in doubt. " What? "
" I'm going to take a cold shower first. You go ahead. " Newt says, his face tinting red again. I shake my head and laugh, walking out of the room, then speeding my walk up to a jog.
The Familiars are doing the exact same thing they were when we left, there's just a body shaped flour mark on the floor. I smile at the memory, then I remember the reason I'm here in the first place. I have to check everyone for a tattoo. Everyone looks up at me, then back down at their food. Frypan holds my gaze, smirking.
" Back so soon? " He asks, but I ignore him as I walk behind Minho's chair. I pull the back of his shirt down, and—
" What are you doing? " He asks, sounding bored. " As much as I would like you to take my clothes off, right now probably isn't the best time. "
Minho, Subject A7, The Leader.
I move to the person sitting next to him, which happens to be Thomas I repeat the same thing, but Thomas doesn't say a word.
Thomas, Subject A2, To be Killed by Group B
I suppress a gasp. No, they can't kill Thomas. Teresa would break. I can't lose another friend, even if he doesn't remember me. But who from Group B is going to kill him? When?
The person sitting next to Thomas is Aris, and not caring that I barely know him, I move his hair and look at the tattoo on the back of his neck faster than he can react.
Aris, Subject B1, The Partner.
Subject B1.
Group B.
I tackle Aris and pin him to the ground.
" Who are you? " I yell. His eyes go wide and he puts his hands up in surrender.
" Aris. " He says, " We've been through this before. "
" Did you come from Group B? " I ask, my voice coming out as a deathly whisper.
" How do you know about them? No one else here has asked. "
" Where are they? "
" I don't know. I wake up one day and I'm stuck with you sticks. "
Sticks? What the hell?
Before I have a chance to ask anymore questions, Minho pulls me off of Aris. Aris scrambles out from under me, a but of fear in his eyes. Good, he's scared of me. Maybe if I'm around he won't try to kill Thomas.
" What the hell Louisa? " Minho asks, keeping his hold tight. I don't try to fight against it, but he keeps me there. I can feel his breath on the back of my neck, and butterflies flitter around in my stomach. I ignore them as I try to pry myself out of his grip. " When did you get a tattoo? "
" We all have one. " I say, ripping myself out of his grasp. " On the back of your necks. "
Everyone gets up in a hurry, asking the closest person to tell them what their tattoo is. Aris is the only one who doesn't move, and I narrow my eyes at him. Newt walks into the room, eyeing the chattering Familiars. He walks up to me, grabbing my arm and pulling me closer to him. All the flour is off of him, and I make a mental note to go take a shower after all of this is finished.
" What did you do? " He asks, but there's no accusation in his voice.
" They all had tattoos. " I say, then jerk my chin towards Aris, " Including him. "
" What did they say? "
" Minho is the Leader, " I say, then I lean closer and whisper the rest, " And Thomas is to be killed by group B. "
Newt turns his head and looks down at me, his eyes wide.
" Impossible. " He mumbles.
" And Aris is from group B. " I add, so Newt knows how big of a threat Aris is. He was probably sent here by WICKED to kill Thomas because he shows too much insurgency. I won't let any of the Familiars die by the hands of WICKED. If Aris is a threat, I'll kill him. It would hurt me, and I would feel guilty, but I would do it to save someone's life. Take one to save one, right?
" We just need to keep an eye on him. Keep him away from Thomas. " Newt crosses his arms over his chest and whispers it to me. I nod, watching the Familiars try to figure out the newest puzzle from WICKED. They're all talking about it, and Aris just sits down and continues eating. No one even thinks to check him.
Frypan checks Thomas, and his face falls.
" Thomas. " He says quietly.
" What? " Thomas replies forcefully, "What does it say? "
" To be killed by Group B. "
It's so silent you can hear a pin drop. Everybody's eyes are on Thomas, and his face is showing nothing but shock. Then, they explode in a storm of questions. Aris lowers his head, acting like he's focused on his food. I narrow my eyes at him, and then I walk over and sit in the chair next to him.
" Would you mind coming with me? " I ask with a sweet smile. He looks over, doubt clouding his eyes. His blonde hair falls into his eyes as he stands. I stand with him, and he follows me down the hall. I listen closely, making sure he's still following me. His footsteps fall lightly; they sound like whispers in the quiet hallway. My legs are getting tired from the walking, and I have to force myself to keep walking. I slow down a bit, but Aris doesn't notice.
I open the door to the kitchen, to find it a mess. There's flour everywhere, and somehow, the cupcake batter got knocked in the floor. I resist the urge to laugh as the image of Newt covered in flour passes through my mind.
" Tell me everything you know about Group B. " I command Aris as I turn around to face him. He leans against the counter and crosses his arms over his chest.
" No. "
I cock my head to one side, " Why? Do you have something to hide? "
" I wouldn't tell you sticks anything. Especially you. " Aris narrows his eyes at me, a quiet threat lingering behind them. I reach behind me, my hand closing around the handle of a knife.
" I don't think you realize. You're outnumbered here. " My grip around the knife tightens, and he weighs his options.
" I heard some stories about you. In the Maze. " Aris uncrosses his arms and takes a step closer to me. I try not to let the surprise show on my face.
" How? " I ask, completely baffled. I've never had anything to do with Group B. They shouldn't know about me. He shouldn't know about me. The only logical conclusion here is that he's lying.
" I know how you broke your foot. I know how you killed someone. "
If he came in with Group B then he could've found this out at WICKED right?
" I know how Reed was controlled by WICKED to rape you. "
The knife slips from my hand and clatters on the floor. How does he know? I never saw him at WICKED, and Sonya never said anything about him. Did the Familiars tell him? They didn't know how he was controlled though. Only Newt did and he was with me.
The door to the kitchen opens and Minho charges in. He's in between me and Aris in a split second, and I find myself looking at his back. He looks over his shoulder at me, and a fire lights in his eyes. I can barely comprehend anything. I'm trying to figure out how Aris knows that. The most obvious thing would be that someone at WICKED told him, and now he's trying to get under my skin. I can't let him do that. I have to ignore anything he says.
" What did you do! " Minho yells.
I put my hand on his shoulder. " It's okay. " I mumble, and I walk out of the room. Newt's waiting just outside the door, and I grab his hand to pull him with me.
" Aris knows. " I whisper, " He knows about Reed. "
Reed's name is hard to say out loud; it nearly chokes me.
" How? " Newt asks.
" I think he found out at WICKED and is trying to get under my skin. " and it worked.
" You can't listen to him. " Newt tells me, and I stop walking.
" I know. " I say, " I'm going to take a shower. Maybe it will help get my thoughts sorted out. "
" It's down the hall and to the left. " Newt says, and I walk away.
I told Newt. I've never just told him something without thinking about it first. It's probably because I'm getting closer to him, and I trust him. Not Minho, but Newt. I would never tell Minho that Aris knows about Reed. Minho would end up punching Aris or doing something like that. Something irrational. Of course, me tackling him earlier was irrational, but shoot first and ask questions later. I was just trying to get information from him. It didn't work because Minho pulled me off, but if he had left us alone Aris would have told me everything.
The shower room is hot, due to the lack of air conditioning in here. It feels more like a sauna instead of a shower, but I ignore it as I lock the door. The white floor tiles feel slick and I have to make an effort to keep from slipping. Falling and breaking my nose isn't on my to do list.
I peel the flour covered clothes off, and step into the shower. I turn the water on warm, not in the mood for an overly hot shower. The water that runs off of me and into the drain is tinted pink, a reminder that I was tortured before I came here. I suddenly wonder how Newt thought I was good enough when I was covered in flour and blood. I probably looked like a crazy lady walking around.
I turn my thoughts away from that and towards what the hell is going on. WICKED has abandoned us in a facility in the middle of the Scorch. The kitchen is stocked with food, so we should be good for a couple of days, but not for long with the teenagers' metabolism. Aris is here with us, someone from Group B. Thomas is in danger, hell, everyone is in danger. We don't know him. But for some odd reason, he knows about me. He knows I broke my foot and how I killed Reed. What else does he know about me? What other information did WICKED tell him? Could they have lied about something to make him hate me? Oh wait, they wouldn't have to lie to make him hate me.
I grab the soap, which turns out to be body wash. It smells like vanilla, and the smell is heavenly. I don't see any wash rags or loofas, so I have to use my hand, but that's not a big deal. I massage the body wash into my skin, the smell drifting up into my nose. When I finish it washes off, and I've never felt so clean. I wash my hair, using the shampoo that rests on a nearby shelf. This smells like coconut, and I wonder why WICKED put such feminine stuff in a facility of boys.
I scrub my long blonde hair, washing the grease, flour, blood and sweat off of my head. I rinse it out, glad to have all of that stink off of me. I turn the water off, and step out, grabbing a towel of the rack. I dry myself off, thinking about what we can do to get out of this situation. We could always run into the Scorch, but then we would be constantly fleeing from WICKED, and that's not a life I want to live. I want to fight. We could always try to battle against WICKED, but we're stuck here. There's nothing we can do. We have to sit here and wait for WICKED to make their move.
The lights flicker as I pull my clothes on. I'm hesitant to do it, because they stink and they're covered in flour and blood. But, they're all I have. I have to wear them unless I want to walk out in front of the Familiars naked. Begrudgingly, I put them on. Their strong smell masks the smell of vanilla and coconut.
Just as I pull my shirt over my head, the lights turn off, immersing me in darkness.
I still don't like this chapter that much. Maybe I'll revise it again sometime in the future. I know I plan on rewriting and revising the entire story, but damn, this chapter had to be fixed.
Anyway, have a good day, evening, morning, afternoon, night!