**A/N: I am doing a big time skip in this chapter because I need for the plot to develop, and that isn't going to happen with a whole week of pining. **

Newt- The girl had been with us for a week now, and in that time her leg had healed to the point she could start working, and we could place her with a Keeper. So far though, she had excelled at the jobs we put her through, even working with Winston and the Slicers. It had scared us a bit, seeing her pick up a large knife and gut a pig with no hesitation, even Winston backed away from her. She seems to really like working in the Garden's with me and Zart, always smiling and looking up at the sun when it beats down on us. At the moment she was helping the others set up for the bonfire tonight. Her leg isn't a hundred percent healed, but it's been enough for her to not need crutches. I smiled as she and Minho had their usual banter back and forth, seeing who'd admit the other was right. Bloody troublemakers, both of them, I thought. She had been more open with us all too, which was a good thing, although no one knew her name still. If I'm honest, I don't think the other guy's mind calling her "Princess" because it suited her. She gained a couple other names too; Frypan and taken to calling her "Miss Ma'am" something he came up with when he watched her excel with cooking. Alby had taken "Little Lady" and ran with it; he hardly called her anything else.

She and Alby have an odd relationship. Even though he's our Leader, she likes to follow her own tune; she follows the rules, but on her terms. We all joke that she could "overthrow" Alby, which he overheard one time, but it made him laugh, "I'd put her in charge in a shucking heartbeat, if she really wanted the job!" Other than that, she fits in no problem. But Alby had taken to letting her boss us around, not that we minded. She's tough, but sweet as can be. Even when she makes a demand, she's nice about it, when she scolds us for "slacking off" it holds no bite. But we respect her the same way we respect Alby. Even though I'm Alby's second, if he's not around, she all but has my job. I watched on as she chased Minho around, trying to smear dirt on his face, yelling at him for whatever he said to her. She gave her all in the chase, tripping Minho and managing to smear his face before he got her down and tickled her.

"Oh, you're so dead, Minho! NEWT! MIN-MIN IS BEING MEAN TO ME!" I cracked up when Minho started complaining about his nickname, walking over to them and trying to not double up from laughter. "Min, you know better. Be nice to our little Princess," I told him. He started going on about how unfair this was and saying some other crap he didn't mean. I reached out to help her up, brushing off the dirt on her arms, as she stuck out her tongue in victory, and cuddled up into my arms. "Come on now, ya'll! Save it for tonight," Alby said, joining us and rubbing Minho's head, messing up his hair. "Why don't you go shower up, Little Lady, and I'll help finish." She thanked Alby, booped my nose, and walked off. Even though it's been a week of her being here, I still get nervous whenever she goes to use the showers, and originally, Alby and I wanted a second one built, but we didn't control the pipe situation, so we let it be. Thankfully, the boys didn't even attempt to joke about it, and they all stayed away when she needed the showers. Anyone in there, left immediately. We had a code for it, to avoid any accidents, and it all worked out fine.

"Newt, were you listening, slinthead?" Minho said. "What, did you say something?" I didn't hear him, maybe he's messing with me. "Ugh! Newt, I know she's gorgeous and all, but man, have you got it bad!" Alby chuckled and wacked the back of Minho's head, telling him to shut it. "What are you going on about?" Minho gave me this look like he couldn't believe what I just said. "You bloody stare at her, all the time!" He yelled, mocking the way I talk in the most dramatic way possible. "I don't know who's worse, you or Gally!" Minho said to Alby, throwing up his hands and walking away with him back to the firepit. At his words, I got this odd feeling in my chest, like something clawing on the inside, trying to get out. I glanced around and saw Gally over by one of the trees, putting up a swing, at our Princess' request. If anyone is wrapped around her finger, it's Gally, and we all know it. He hides it well enough, but he always does what he's told when she asks anything of him.

He acts like a protector, that he doesn't hide. When the other Gladers flirt, he's one step away from shucking someone's face with his fist. If the Builders tease her, he sticks up for her, not that she needs him fighting her battles. And ever since she's gotten better, he's stepped back, letting her get her footing, helping only when needed. But he's always in her corner, always has her in his sights, even if it's from the other side of the Glade. She starts her trial as a Builder tomorrow, and I'm not a big fan of the idea. I'm not sure why I feel like this, and no one knows how I feel either. Gally's a good guy, rough around the edges, but all in all great. I walked over to him as he was tying the knots for the rope to hold the board up. "It's sturdy, right?" I asked. He gave me an offended look before answering, "No, Newt, I'm trying to make something that'll purposely injury her more. You've ruined my plan, thanks." I scoffed at his sarcasm. "Haha, so funny. Suppose this'll make her happy then, something to do, aside from drawing."

Turns out that was another thing the girl excelled at, which was why she was supplied with drawing equipment. Her talent was incredible, and Gally couldn't wait to put it to use for him and the other Builders; a re-draw of their blueprints, of the Glade, anything they could think of. Her first drawing was the Glade, which she spent a whole night on, cleaning it up and adding color. It looked so real, so vivid, she even impressed herself. Now, she told us she was sketching one of the Gladers but didn't say who. "Where is she, anyway?" Gally asked, casually, as he messed with the knot. I frowned at this, as if you weren't watching her, like always. "Showers," I told him. He shrugged like it didn't matter, but his posture was rigid, and I noticed his eyes dart around the Glade, stalking the other boys. Granted, I do the same thing, but something about the way Gally does it makes that clawing feeling come back whenever I catch him doing it.

"She know she's working with me tomorrow?" I tried to clear the frown from my face, not sure if it worked though. "No, figured you or Alby would tell her. She enjoyed working the Gardens though, and she's still healing, technically, so I hope you don't give her too much." I couldn't place the tone I spoke with, and I guess Gally couldn't either, because I couldn't decipher the look he gave me. "That girl is tougher than you realize, Newt. And if she says something is too much, believe me, she'll let us know." I nodded. "Good that," and I walked off. I couldn't shake the feeling in my chest as I thought on my words, then I realized why I said them. I don't want her to spend more time with him. My realization made me stop in my tracks. I was jealous! I glanced back at Gally, who had walked off to help carry more wood with Alby. I looked over his muscled body, then glanced down at my skinny body, frowning. Yeah, no competition there. I wasn't always self-conscious about my looks, but when you live with people like Gally, Alby, Minho, and others, you can't help it. She'd probably prefer them, not that I blame her, she's far too beautiful.

I sat against the wall of the Maze and waited for the girl to come back. When she emerged, she saw the swing, squealed, and bolted for it. She practically threw herself onto it, kicking high into the air. The wind blew her damp hair behind her, and she leaned back on the swing, bathing in the light of the sunset. Then Gally walked over to her, smiling, and she slowed down enough to jump off, then threw herself into his arms, thanking him over and over.

I'm in trouble, I thought, the clawing feeling of jealousy now raging in my chest. I am in trouble.

**Time skip**

Gally- Night had fallen, and the party was in full swing. The roar of the fire, the excitement of the Gladers, the banging of our make-shift drums, it never fails to put me in a good mood. Our Princess was sitting next to me, talking about her day and what she did. "So, the gardens, any thoughts?" I asked, biting off some bacon. "I enjoyed it. It's peaceful, and I don't mind the dirt. It makes me feel connected with nature." She had a big smile while she talked, and she glowed by the fire, lighting up her eyes. I couldn't help but stare. "You're working with me tomorrow, so get a good night's rest, okay?" She smirked at me, then propped her arms on her legs, crossing them, and laying her chin on her fist. "So, you're gonna be my boss, huh?" I smirked back at her. "That's right, which means doing what I say, okay Princess?" Her eyes raked me up and down, then she flipped her hair back. "We'll see about that." She's cute I thought, finishing my food, and taking a large sip of my Brew. She cocked her head at it. "What is that?" I got nervous, this stuff was strong, and some guys get drunk off it too quickly. "You won't like it, packs a punch." She straightened herself and held out her hand. "Don't say I didn't warn you," I told her. She took a sip, and she took it well, save for some light coughing. "The hell was that Gally?!" I laughed and told her it was a secret.

She snorted, "Yeah, Death's secret, maybe! Not that it's bad, just really strong." The Gladers that were playing the drums had started a new beat, slower than the usual stuff, but not bad. I glance over at the girl and noticed her tapping to the beat, her body swaying slightly along with it. She watched them play and laughed when some others got up to dance. "You should go up, if you want," I nudged her. She bit her lip in thought, then shook her head. "I'm good," but she continued to watch them, and kept swaying, though she tried to hide it. "You clearly want to. Not forcing you though, just pointing it out," I told her, smirking. She looked back at me, playing with her hair and chewing her lip nervously. She thought about it a moment, then she got up, slowly, and turned to me with her hand out, "Give me more of that," she demanded. I laughed and held the jar out. "Liquid courage?" I teased as she threw it back and shook off the strong flavor. She still looked nervous, but then she closed her eyes and began swaying again. It was slow, and un-sure, but after giving her some encouragement, she started dancing. Her beauty combined with the glow of the fire flickering off her body made my heart stop.

The drummers realized she was dancing and started whooping and laughing, which drew attention from the other Gladers. Alby was laughing and spurring her on, others whistled, and she started laughing; real, head thrown back, laughter. One of the younger guys jumped next to her, matching her beat, and she laughed and nudged him encouragingly. Then I saw Newt; his mouth open, eyes wide and following her every move. Then I realized he wasn't really following her, but the way she moved, and even from here I could see the lust in his eyes. It was subtle, but it was there. This surprised me, I never would have expected it from him, but I knew he liked her, who wouldn't?

The drumming stopped and everyone was clapping and cheering. She bowed and laughed in disbelief, plopping down next to me. "I can't believe I did that!" she exclaimed. I rubbed my face, hoping it cleared away my expression. "You looked like you had fun, Princess." My voice was low when I spoke, the lust accidentally creeping through. I took another drink to cover it up. Some guys came over to high-five her, others yelled from wherever they'd been watching. "I think I need a break," she said, still catching her breath. "You okay, love?" I looked up to see Newt standing in front of her, a hand on her shoulder. She smiled and patted his hand, assuring him she was okay and needed a few minutes. He pulled her up and held her arms like he wanted to pull her into him, but he didn't. He mouthed something to her, and she shook her head, then walked off alone.

He watched her, then turned to look at me. In that moment I wasn't sure if the flashing in his eyes was from the fire or from challenge. I straightened up and met his eyes, staring back. We said nothing, but eventually he looked away and went back to Alby. Ten minutes later, she came back. She passed me, ruffling my hair and winking, then joined Newt and Alby. She sat between them and rested her head on Newt's shoulder. He smiled down at her, then gently ran a hand through her hair, catching one of her curls and twirling it around his finger. Alby laughed at him before speaking to her. My hand tightened around my glass, threatening to break. Damn it! I need to stop! I scolded myself, but the jealousy wouldn't go away. This was what I was afraid of, and yet I'm the one acting this way. Jokes on me! Why does she act like that with him? I sighed, running my hand through my hair, feeling the warmth from her fingers lingering.

Newt's the nicest out of us all, and he's real sweet to her. She probably likes him better, I thought, angrily. I normally don't care about that stuff, but ever since she showed up, I've wanted to be better. One of the Gladers yelled over to me, wanting a wrestling match, breaking me out of my angry thoughts. I threw back the rest of my drink and entered the circle. To this day, I've always been the one to beat, so a few guys wanted a match with me. I was proud of this and defeated one challenger after the other. My anger slowly abated listening to the cheers of the Gladers. It wasn't until I threw the third guy to the ground that I realized, out of everyone else watching, that our girl was watching me. She was still; the fire danced in her eyes, her body leaning slightly forward in my direction. When our eyes met, she subtly licked her lips. Newt had one arm around her, watching me, but her eyes were on me, and I couldn't be happier.

**Later that night**

Newt- I'm not sure how long I was asleep, maybe an hour or so, but I slowly sat up in my hammock and glanced around the Glade. I noticed the girl walking into the woods and swung out to follow her. She didn't go far, just a few feet in and sat down near a tree. "What are you doing up this late?" I asked her quietly. She was a bit startled but smiled softly at me. "Couldn't sleep. You?" I shrugged. "Just woke up, saw you walking around and got worried." She giggled and gestured for me to sit with her. "You know you don't have to worry about me so much, right?" I sighed, wishing it was true. "I know I don't have to, not really. I do it mostly because I want to." She cocked her head to the side, laughed softly enough it sounded like a breath of air, then laid her head on my shoulder. "You're so sweet, Newt. You care about everyone; I like that about you." I smiled and rested my head on hers. "Thanks love."

We sat there for a while, neither of us moved or spoke, and it was nice. Then the horrible sound of the Grievers shattered the silence, and she jumped. I gathered her in my arms, asking if she was okay. She scoffed. "You'd think after a week I'd be used to hearing that," she grumbled. "Hey, it's not your fault. Took most of us a while to get used to it, and even then, I don't think we're all a hundred percent okay," I spoke gently, stroking her hair. She looked up at me, pouting slightly, but I could see the smile in her eyes. I gulped, slightly, screaming at myself, "don't do it, you bloody idiot. Don't you dare!" But at the same time, another voice in my head said, "do it now, or you'll never get the chance again." I was at war with myself, and I guess she noticed because she sat up and asked if I was okay. I sighed, my breath shaky, and I prayed she wouldn't hate me after this. I cupped her chin in my hand, staring into her eyes, and brought her face up to mine. I jumped when I felt her lips, full and soft, and when she didn't pull away or hit me, I pressed more.

She let me kiss her for a moment before pulling away, tucking her hair behind her ear, and looking down nervously. I swear I heard my heart break, thinking I completely blew the friendship I had with her. But she smiled at me and hugged me tightly. I breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her back. "It's okay," she whispered. I let her go and smiled back at her. "Good that. Thanks, Princess." I stood up, telling her I was going back to bed, and to not stay up late. Even though I just got rejected, I walked back to my hammock light as a feather, glad that I still had her as a friend.

Gally- If the post I had been leaning against was weaker than it was, my hands would have splintered it by now. He did not just do that! I couldn't tell from her if she kissed Newt back or not, or what the hug afterword's meant, but I had a feeling I knew what it meant, and maybe I was just in denial. Whatever, I growled, stalking back to my spot. She made her choice, and why should I care? I threw myself into the hammock. My face burned and my fists hadn't unclenched as the shook at my sides. For the first time ever, I wanted to break the rules; I wanted punch Newt in the face and not care about the consequences after. You don't care, so stop shucking thinking about it! She's not yours! And it was that thought that made the shaking stop, my anger flooded out of me, replaced by emptiness. I wanted her to be mine. Me, the one who was worried about fighting and jealousy and all that other clunk, and I was the one that ended up crushing on her. I'm in so much trouble. And I got no sleep that night.