Sadie sprinted through the Glade. She was nothing but a blur of curls as she pushed her way past various Gladers her eyes locked on the ancient looking shed.
Sadie felt like she could have punched her way through a brick wall, and others seemed to catch onto her intensity as everyone steered clear. A couple of Glader's even yelled and sprung out of her path when she ran by, nearing her destination at top speed.
When she reached the sagging doorway she wasted no time and Spartan-kicked it open, sending dust flying as she stormed in. With a quick sweep of the room Sadie focused her fiery eyes on a very surprised looking Newt.
"Bloody hell Sadie!" Newt yelped as she flew towards him jabbing her finger furiously into his chest until he was backed up against a rickety old table.
"You!" Sadie growled backing him up even further until the two were almost nose-to-nose. "What. Is. Your. Problem?" She demanded, punctuating each word with the stab of her index finger. All the while Sadie had become very aware of the shrinking distance between them, a furious blush rising to her face.
But, no she didn't care how much she'd come to care about the Glader. She was still prepared to kick his ass from there to the Box, and he could see it.
In fact Newt could have sworn he saw fire flickering in her eyes and lightning zigzagging it's way through her curly hair as she continued to jab at his chest.
"Problem? I don't have a problem love." He replied calmly, which did nothing to improve Sadie's already sweltering anger.
"Don't you dare give me that! You know exactly what I'm talking about." "Listen here love-"
"No! And don't call me love!" She snapped. Newt visibly grimaced as a look of hurt flashed across his face. Sadie's voice faltered slightly her hand dropping as she immediately regretted what had just come out of her mouth. "Newt-"
"No. You want to know what my problem is?" He asked her, hostility beginning to flood his voice. "My problem is you and that bloody Maze. And the fact that you actually want to go back in there!" He yelled waving his arms around him in frustration. He let out a deep sigh through his nose, as if all of this had been pent up. And no doubt it had been building since she came back from the Maze. Finally he settled his eyes back on her, his original calm replaced with a roaring squall. "You don't belong in that Maze Sadie!"
"Yes I do!" She shouted back her temper quickly rising to its boiling point. "I survived over night in that damn Maze when no one else has." Newt rolled his eyes in exasperation and snorted. Sadie snorted back, imitating the boy, which only made him angrier.
"You staying in that Maze last night was nothing more than a mistake." He growled crossing his arms and giving her a piercing glare.
"I had to!" Sadie snapped back. She began pacing angrily in front of the blonde Glader, afraid of what she might do if she weren't moving.
"No you didn't! If you would have just bloody listened to me then-"
"Then Alby and Minho would be dead. I couldn't just leave them out there!" Sadie exclaimed finally stopping in front of him to slam her fist down on the table, narrowly missing Newt's hand. Her mind flashed back to the staggering figure of Minho as he dragged Alby towards the doors in vain. "I helped save them Newt. Alby would have died if Thomas and I hadn't gone into the Maze." She reminded him her voice shaking. Newt let out a frustrated growl and grabbed onto her hand, his larger hand completely enveloping hers until he was clutching it to his chest, hoping to make her see his point.
"Stop this!"
"No! They would have died Newt!"
"YOU COULD HAVE DIED!" He roared letting her hand go to grip his hair between his fists as the last dam inside of him broke. Panting, Newt looked down at Sadie, an intense anger bubbled like magma behind those beautiful eyes.
A strange feeling swirled through her gut at the sight. It felt like a wildfire had been set off inside of her, a raging inferno that was slowly consuming everything.
"Don't you bloody understand? You could have shucking died Sadie! I'm not about to let that happen again."
"I didn't die! I'm right here Newt and not letting me become a Runner isn't going to stop me."
"You have no idea how bugging dangerous it is in there." He reprimanded her, looking down his nose like a parent scolding a child.
And that was it. Sadie had had enough. She'd been dreaming about the horrors of the Maze for days only to go on and then witness them all firsthand. How dare he say that to her! After all she'd been through? After the past couple of days she'd been having? After being shoved into a community of boys and then nearly being killed by mechanical monsters in a twisted death trap?
No! Sadie was as tough as any Glader out there, maybe even tougher. She knew that now, but why didn't he?
"I know exactly how dangerous it is you shucking idiot!" Sadie shouted slapping her palms against Newt's toned chest. "I know what it's like out there! And I shucking hate it Newt, I do. But I want to find a way out of this goddamn place!"
"And risk your own life?" He argued grabbing her by her shoulders, his fingers digging into her shoulder blades as he held her tightly. "Don't you care about your own life at all?" He sounded pained now, desperate even.
"Yes! But it's not just about me Newt! Please, let me be a Runner! You let Thomas be a Runner and I deserve it just as much as he does! I can do something, I need to do something!" She shouted in reply.
"Thomas is different!"
"No he isn't! Give me one good shucking reason why I shouldn't go into the Maze. One god damn reason Newt!"
"I don't have to give you anything." He hissed shaking her roughly as if that would clear the thought from her mind. Sadie could feel her anger all the way down in the pit of her stomach; tearing at her insides like a ravenous bear trying to claw it's way out.
"And I don't need your permission." She hissed watching in satisfaction as Newt slid his hands away from her shoulders his eyes widening.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me." The pair stood in silence waves of seething rage rippling between them as he looked at her in disbelief. Sadie could almost see the gears whirring in Newt's brain at a hundred miles an hour. Her threat echoed in her head. Could she actually go through with it?
"No." Newt finally said his voice dangerously calm. He looked up at her and Sadie felt her insides turn cold, she'd never seen his eyes look so dark. "I swear I will do whatever it shucking takes to make sure you never set foot in that bloody Maze again."
"Why!" She yelled refusing to accept it, refusing to let him control her like this.
I could leave.
Sadie suddenly thought, and she knew it was true. If she wanted to she could run into the Maze right now and no one would be able to stop her. Not Newt, not Thomas, not Minho, no one. But that was just it, she didn't want to.
She couldn't explain it but she wanted Newt's approval. She wanted him to trust her and believe she could handle it. It wasn't enough that she already knew she was strong, he had to understand it too.
"Why won't you let me? Can't you see that I want this? I thought you were my friend!" She screamed as her emotions started to get the best of her. She could feel tears burning behind her eyes. Angry, frustrated and embarrassed tears. But she wouldn't cry. She would not cry in front of him especially not over this. "Friends are supposed to support each other! You're supposed to help me and encourage me not pull me down! Friends don't do that Newt!"
"Well maybe I don't want to be just your friend! Maybe I care about you more than that! Maybe I just don't want to lose you like I thought I did last night! " Newt shouted his voice bursting to the seams as it finally all came out.
Sadie let out a small ragged gasp, her next insult dying in her mouth as she reeled back. Stumbling away from him Sadie experienced something she had never felt before. She was at a complete loss for words. The comment had hit her like a slap in the face and she was overwhelmed by how much it hurt her.
Newt had thought she was going to die in the Maze. That all of them, her Thomas, Minho, Alby, that they were all gone forever. And now here she was begging to go back.
And the rest of it, well what did she say to that? I don't want to lose you either. That was just it. She had to tell them but her mouth was full of cotton and he was still looking at her with that furious frustration that made her breath shaky.
"Wait… Did you say… Do you… Not just friends?" She mumbled, her thoughts jumbling together as she gripped her temples with her fingertips. Oh she was going to get a headache all over again!
Sadie waited in silence for him to answer, her eyes traveling up to his face. But he just stood there looking at the ground as the silence dragged on for what felt like years. If he didn't say something soon Sadie might just have head butted him.
"Newt?" Sadie mumbled stepping forward and tugging on his sleeve gently, as if coaxing a scared animal out of hiding. He still didn't look up. Sadie took a deep breath and tried again. "Newt." She said, softer this time, her voice just barely a whisper. And to her relief he finally dragged his eyes up from the floor and met her own.
Thousands of questions buzzed around inside Sadie's head, but for once she was at a total loss for words. Just shucking ask. She ordered but she just couldn't seem to get her voice to work.
But when Sadie peered up into his eyes she realized she didn't need to ask, because his eyes were telling her everything.
His eyes seemed to soften as he stared into hers crinkling slightly at the corners as if his face was about to break into a smile. His hazel orbs were warm and endearing at their center, the rest of his emotions bristling out around them as if trying to hide what was at their core.
Sadie had always felt proud of the fact that she could read people so easily and Newt was no exception. She was reading him like an open book. Everything from his eyes to his stance was a dead giveaway.
Even though Newt's eyes were warm his body was tense like a strand of coiled wires. He gripped the edge of the table his knuckles white and his shoulders tight, his muscles straining against his shirt. How had Sadie not seen it before? The way he would look at her out in the Glade. Or how soft his voice would get during those sleepless nights, or even when she first got to the Glade.
Do something. She pleaded silently waiting for something to happen, for Newt to answer. But the minutes continued to tick by silently. And finally Sadie couldn't take it anymore as impatience bubbled up inside of her.
"Fuck it." She said her hands flying away from her body and latching on to Newt's collar. With her new grip she yanked him down to her and quickly pressed her lips against his.
It was only a peck, just a quick flash of his soft lips pressing against her own. But it was still enough to make the room spin and Sadie's heart patter when she released him.
"There. Was that so- Oh shit." Sadie gasped smacking her palm against her forehead as realization dawned on her. What have I done? "Oh shit!" She said louder this time her face turning bright red as Newt stared at her with a completely shell-shocked expression.
"Holly shuck I can't believe I just did that. Oh god I'm sorry! So shucking sorry! I didn't mean to do that! Well actually I did… mean to, that is. Wait no! I just- god I'm sorry I just thought- well I was just! I mean. I-I mean? God damn it what do I mean!" She ranted, words spurting out of her like a hydrant as she felt her body turn into mush. Sadie wanted nothing more then to disappear. She wished with all her heart that she could turn into a turtle and hide inside her shell forever.
"Shucking shucky shuck. I don't know why I did that! Wait yes I do. No! Shit! I mean-" But Sadie's ramblings were mercifully cut off when Newt leaned forward and gently cupped her face in his calloused hands. Sadie's mouth snapped shut her body freezing in place as the feeling of his warm hands against her face traveled through her. Ever so gently, Newt's thumb grazed her jaw his eyes focusing on her mouth.
He inched closer his nose brushing against her as he leaned down. His left hand slowly sliding across her cheek and around her neck, brushing her hair aside as he pressed his lips to hers. Sadie blinked in shock, before her eyes fluttered close and she melted into the kiss.
He kissed her softly his warm lips molding against hers as she reached up and tangled a hand in his thick, blonde hair. Her other hand found his jaw and she traced the bold edge with her fingertips as they kissed, something she'd been wanting to do for a while.
When they finally pulled away Sadie could feel electricity running through each and every nerve in her body. Her lips, her face, and her stomach were on fire.
"I've been wanting to do that for a long bloody time." Newt mumbled against her mouth and Sadie was sure she was about to spontaneously combust on the spot. She wrapped her arms around his neck securely, his own arms holding her tightly to him. It took a second or two for Sadie to collect her thoughts and then she finally spoke. Her mind suddenly back onto the reason she had found him in the first place.
"Newt you know I can take care of myself right?" She mumbled looking up into his hazel eyes. Her voice quieter but still filled with the stubborn intensity she had felt before. She would not sway.
Seeing this Newt sighed loudly and rested his forehead against hers, the ends of his hair tickling her nose. He seemed to be having a silent battle within himself. And he didn't look too pleased with the outcome.
"Yeah I know. God I know Sadie. It doesn't stop me from worrying though. I can't lose you, not again." His grip tightened around her, the warm pressure of his hand on her lower back pulling her even closer.
"I'll be fine out there Newt. I know what I'm doing and I can take care of myself. You won't lose me." But he still didn't seem convinced. "And I'll have Thomas and Minho with me the whole time." She pointed out, her chin bumping against his sweetly as she talked.
"Oh god those slintheads? Now I'm really worried." He joked a sly grin working it's way onto his face.
"Newt." She warned raising her eyebrows at the boy she couldn't help but like. Of course I had to pick the smartass. She thought in exasperation.
"Fine fine. You can be a Runner." He responded grudgingly a worried frown still tugging at his lips while a large smile broke out on Sadie's face.
"Yes!" She shrieked, breaking away from Newt to pump her fist in the air in triumph. He frowned at the sudden space between them and pulled her back over. Sadie happily complied and threw her arms around him, tackling him with a bear hug. "Thank you!"
"Yeah not really something to get on about Sadie." He grumbled but Sadie didn't care.
"Oh shut up Mr. Weird and Negative Accent." She teased burrowing her face into the crook of his neck. Sadie could feel his chest vibrate as he chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head as a long sigh escaped his lips.
"What, you don't like my voice?" He whispered gruffly into her ear, making goose bumps crawl up her skin.
"No, I love it. Doesn't mean it's not weird though." Sadie replied, breathing in his deep woodsy smell the sound of his heart thumping echoing like a lullaby against her ear. "I really mean it Newt. Thank you." She mumbled hugging him tighter, relishing in how warm his arms were around her.
"Anytime love." He answered placing a soft kiss on her head as he let the comforting nickname brought a smile out in her again. Laughing, Sadie unraveled her arms from around his torso pulling his face towards hers to kiss him again. But they were suddenly snapped out of their little moment when a loud and boyish voice shrieked with delight. Sadie and Newt jumped apart whirling around until they caught sight of Chuck standing in the doorway smiling at them devilishly.
"I shucking knew it!" The boy crowed before turning and running off laughing hysterically as he sped away. The two blinked in surprise eyes glued to the spot where Chuck had vanished from.
"What in the-?" Newt said but Sadie could only laugh at his bewildered expression. He gave her a little glare before breaking into a smile of his own. "We better go find him before he tells the whole bloody Glade the we're… I mean… we-we are right?" Newt asked awkwardly. Sadie snickered and slid her hand into his causing Newt to break out into heartbreakingly endearing smile.
"Oh we shucking better be."