devoid | newt

chapter three

"No." I break the silence. Newt stares at me, a puzzled look printed on his face, the space between his eyebrows closed. He then slams his hand in the water, droplets splashing around my face, tearing our long stare apart. A grin creeps up on his face while he analyzes my reaction. My mouth gapes open, while eyes widen. He is so confusing.

I tread closer to him, our bodies merely a foot apart, "I could slap you right now."

"Yeah?" He smirks. I pause, staring at him while he grins at me, his eye contact not ripping away from mine.

"I don't like you." I joke, beginning to swim away. While I move away from him, my back faces him however I can sense the expression on his face from here.

"Bye Mariaaa-" Minho slurs as the boys splash water and boo at me while I leave the body of water, completely soaked.

The rest of the evening passes smoothly, Newt occasionally crosses my mind but I attempt to focus. Some of the boys in the lake got caught by Alby, leading Minho to throw a childish fit. The funny things that they do almost make me forget what kind of place we're in, even the small things comfort me. Newt surprisingly got out of it by escaping the lake soon after I did. Dinner period is over, I continue my everyday schedule just walking back to my hut to pass out. Everyday is the same, it's only been about two weeks and I'm already bored with my life.

"Maria!" A group of boys catch my attention, approaching me before I leave.

"Play hide n' seek with us." Minho whines, grasping my arms and shaking my body.

"I'm tired." I complain, pushing Minho off of me and letting out a forced laugh.

"Tired my ass! You're going to play." Gally demands, lifting his eyebrows.

"Shut up." I mock.

"Don't make me pull a bonfire night and throw you on the ground." Gally commands, causing the rest of the group to giggle. I take a step back, I'm honestly terrified of Gally. I pause surveying the entire group that stands before me. While they all stare at me, waiting for my response I notice It's just, Gally, Minho, Ben, Jeff, and Newt. The original herd of the boys that always find their way to disrupt me.

"Fine." I mumble. The group jumps in excitement, their emotions flipping while smiles beam on their faces.

"Green-bean!" Ben launches forward, wrapping his arms around me unknowingly and lifting my body in the air. Spinning me around in multiple directions. It makes me smile to see them so happy for me to hang out around them. Ben releases me from his nauseating grasp, the rest of the group taking steps closer to me.

"You know how to play right?" Jeff questions.

"You just hide from the person looking for you?" I assume.

"Yeah, good. And once they tap you or whatever you've lost and wait for the rest of the players to get caught. Once that happens, the last player that gets caught, if they ever do, wins." Jeff explains. My body movements are unchanged, standing before them in awe, seeing how excited they are for me to actually try. I nod. Minho's grin still beams on his face while he taps the side of my arm.

We all start moving further in the glade. The refreshing smell of grass and crisp air brushed against our senses, I glance at them, do they notice the things I notice? I feel so far out of touch from this group, like something is missing. The afternoon was a stale warm, while the sun was almost down, the glow of orange lingering on the horizon. beautiful, I thought. I peered at Newt, he's staring directly at me. fuck. I turn my head away from his direction.