A/N: Early update again because I love you. Chapter 10 is up! Hearing your thoughts still make the happiest, so please keep reviews coming! Enjoy! x

Anywhere I would've followed you

Say something, I'm giving up on you

As Newt's shout echoed through the room, Alby seemed to suddenly freeze against him. He stared at Newt, his eyes narrowed with disbelief as a small trail of blood appeared on his lower lip. Newt realised his chance and pushed Alby off of him with all his force, pulling his knees up to thrust them against the boy's stomach.

Alby grunted loudly, stumbling backwards and releasing his grasp on Newt. The blonde-haired boy slid back to the floor, his breath shuddering in his chest, shock and fear mixing inside him. Newt started to make his way quickly towards the door but stopped short as Alby's words cut through him.

"There you go again, running after your precious boyfriend. You do realise you're proving me exactly right with everything you're doing right now?" Alby sneered, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at Newt with such contempt he felt it slice across his heart. "Go ahead, go begging and kneeling before your Greenie and try to explain to him how you're playing with two boys at the same time. That's pretty low coming from you, Newt. I didn't realise you'd-"

Something snapped inside Newt, as if someone had lit up a lighter and dropped it into a puddle of gasoline. "SHUT THE BLOODY FUCK UP, ALBY!" the words burst out of Newt's mouth and he was suddenly standing right before Alby, his eyes wide and full of hurt and anger. "You have no bloody clue as to what you're talking about! I'm not playing with a bloody soul here! You have absolutely no right to talk to me like that. Tommy is not my boyfriend nor are you! You, you bloody shuckface, make me feel ashamed I ever had anything to do with you! I can't believe the way you're acting right now!"

Newt's chest was rising and falling rapidly and his fists were tight on his sides. Alby stared at him, his mouth hanging open and wide-eyed, something shifting behind those dark, slightly bloodshot eyes. Newt felt tears stinging in his eyes as his rage slowly started to dissipate. He took a stumbling step back, letting out a shuddering exhale.

"I can't believe that you, Alby, of all people, would do something like that to me. I thought I could trust you," Newt whispered, his voice low with surrender. He started backing away and stopped at the door one more time before closing it behind him. "I guess I was wrong."

*.*.*

Thomas was nowhere to be found in the Homestead. There was barely anyone there anyway since most of the Gladers had already gone outside. Even the Med-jacks had disappeared somewhere. Worry started to eat its way through Newt as he was sure the stubborn Greenie hadn't paid a visit to neither Jeff nor Clint to check his condition.

As Newt made his way out of the building, he swept a hand over his tired face. His world was crumbling down around him but he couldn't give in to the desperation just yet. He just had to find Tommy and everything would be alright again. He had to see him, he had to talk to him, he had to explain.. even though he had no buggin' idea as to what exactly he was going to say to the boy. Things really weren't that simple between them, especially these days.

Newt narrowed his eyes as his gaze descended on a familiar, short boy making his way over the grass, his shoulders slumped. The curly-haired boy seemed to be even more upset than in the morning, raising Newt's suspicions. Newt started to walk briskly towards him.

"Hey, Chuck! Wait up a little!" Newt called, slowing down as he got near the boy who had turned around to face him. Chuck's miserable eyes glanced at him shortly before settling on the ground again.

"Has something happened?" Newt frowned, a sliver of worry for the young boy crossing his features. The boy only shrugged in response, not raising his gaze from his shoes. Newt crouched down slightly, putting his head to the same level as Chuck's.

"Listen, Chuck.. Have you-" Newt had to swallow hard as he tried to get rid of the lump that had settled on his throat. "Have you seen Tommy?"

At that Chuck's head snapped up, his huge, tearful eyes meeting Newt's own. The younger boy's lower lip quivered a little as he whispered, "He doesn't want to see anyone. He- he told me to leave him alone. I-I've been worried about him the whole night and then he just-" Chuck let out a small, choking sound as he waved his hand weakly towards the forest far behind them, blinking furiously and avoiding Newt's gaze again.

Newt put his hand on Chuck's shoulder, squeezing tight. "Hey, Chuck, Tommy isn't angry with you. Whatever he said, he didn't mean it. He's – he's just-" Newt had to pause and close his eyes. "He's not thinking straight, 's all I'm saying. I'm gonna talk to him, don't worry."

Chuck raised his tear-stained face and murmured, "Will Thomas be alright again?"

Newt smiled at him weakly, trying to look as reassuring as possible. "Of course he will. He's one bloody tough Greenie," Newt answered, clapping the boy to the shoulder twice before straightening up. "Cheer up, Chuck."

Chuck watched as Newt stepped past him, starting to make his way toward the forest, his heart pounding restlessly in his chest.

*.*.*

Newt walked through the woods slowly. He kept turning his head from side to side, observing his surroundings the best he could, calling out to Thomas every now and then. The trees stood silently and there were no birds singing or bustling through the foliage. An uneasy feeling kept turning Newt's stomach into tight knots.

"Tommy? Please, come out and talk to me," Newt pleaded again. He stepped over a fallen tree trunk carefully, when suddenly a hard, cold voice came from ahead.

"I don't want to talk to you."

Newt froze, taking in a startled breath. He stared at the large tree slightly to his right. He was sure the voice had come behind it. He swallowed and closed his eyes tightly for a second, mentally bracing himself for the confrontation.

"Tommy, please, just listen to me. I can-" Newt tried but was cut off fast by Thomas who burst out from behind the tree, trembling visibly as he stared at Newt, his eyes full of rage, hurt and accusation.

"Explain? You want to explain?" Thomas growled, taking a step closer. "Of course you do. What if I don't want to listen to your lame lies-"

"Tommy, I would never lie to you!" Newt shouted, desperate. "What you saw – me and Alby – it- it wasn't what you think it was. He's not- We're not-" Newt tried, his words stumbling over each other.

Thomas let out a short, cold laugh that sent shivers of despair through Newt. "Are you saying you haven't been together with Alby this whole time? Because if that's what you were gonna say, I don't believe you. It sure as hell didn't look like you two were just friends back there," Thomas snarled, furious. "I can't believe that for a moment I almost-" Thomas's eyes widened suddenly and he whirled around, starting to storm away from Newt.

Newt gaped after him, his mouth hanging open from shock for a second before he strode after Thomas.

"Tommy, wait! Alby and me-"

"I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT, OKAY?" Thomas suddenly turned around again, his chest rising and falling from furious breaths. "It's none of my business if you get off by looking after poor little Greenies, pretending like you care and then go laughing behind our backs, thinking how stupid we are while throwing yourself all over-"

Something in the way Newt's face whited completely and the way his eyes turned almost pitch-black, guarded and extremely distant, made Thomas's voice suddenly quiet down and the boy swallowed the rest of his sentence.

"Is that really what you think of me, Greenie?" Newt's voice was suddenly full of ice.

Thomas just stared at him, wide-eyed.

Newt looked him straight in the eyes for a moment, looking at Thomas as if he was a stranger.

"Fuck you, Thomas."

And with that, Newt turned around and walked away.