Azure• the maze runner

3

Aria worked all morning helping an overflow of patients that seemed to come in leaving her and Clint very busy before it was time for lunch. After grabbing her food, she sat alone at a picnic table slightly picking at the sandwich in front of her. A few moments later, an angered-looking Newt sat across from her.

"Hi Newt..." She quietly greeted.

"Aria." He nodded, "You won't be working with the Med-Jacks anymore. Let's hope for better luck gardening."

"Why? Did I do something wrong?" She worried as he shook his head.

"Not at all. I uh, just heard some things around the glade." Newt told her as Gally joined their table.

"What did you hear?" She asked as Gally playfully rolled his eyes.

"That my builders are purposely being hurt just so they can come to see you." He told her as her face grew in shock.

"I figured something was up when one of them asked if I gave sponge baths..." Aria trailed off.

"Who said that?" Newt was quick to question as Gally looked equally as interested.

"It doesn't matter, I don't even know his name, and one of the other builders in there, uh, Theo I think his name was quickly defended me and called him a 'slinthead'. Whatever that means." Aria shrugged causing both boys to offer her a grin.

"It's a curse word. We have our own little terms in here. You'll get used to them." Gally told her as she nodded.

"I hope so. You guys say a lot of weird things." She joked with a small giggle.

//

After lunch, Aria followed Newt over to where the Track-Hoes were working.

"Zart, this is Aria. She's trying out to be a Track-Hoe. Go easy on her." Newt told 'Zart' before offering Aria one last smile and walking away.

"Hi Aria. Being a Track-Hoe isn't that hard. I'll assign you a few different crops and you just take care of them by weeding, harvesting, and watering. Sound good?" He asked with a friendly smile on his face.

"Sounds good. What area will I have?" She wondered as he led the two of them towards a fenced-in garden.

"Right here. There are supplies in the shed there if you need them. Once you're done, you are free for the day." Zart instructed before leaving her to finish.

Aria took his advice by bending down to her crops, taking her time to weed out all the weeds, and harvesting all the fruit and vegetables that were ready before standing up to get water for the crops.

Meanwhile, across the glade, all the builders stood around admiring Arias's figure when she was bent over, talking between one another about how attractive they found her.

"I would love to get a piece of Aria..." One builder spoke.

"I know... she's so hot..."

"Aye! Get back to work you slinthead's!" Gally scolded before taking a quick peak himself as all of his builders turned back to their work.

Once Aria was done watering her plants and dropping off what she harvested to Zart, she made her way across the field, taking some time for herself to lean against a giant rock, letting her eyes close and she let the sun beat down on her.

Aria's mind wandered for a while, trying to think of how she knew Newt and trying to desperately remember anything from her past. After a while of thinking, she did get a few flashbacks of her laying in a hospital bed with Doctors all around. She was squirming in her bed like she was trying to fight against them while they held her down. She heard herself let out a desperate scream and a body hit the door of the room as if someone was trying to get in. Her eyes shot towards the door, trying to see whose face it was and she saw a handsome brunette boy, probably her age, trying to get into the room and screaming her name before he was shot with something that made him drop so they could carry him away.

Aria's eyes quickly shot open at the new memory she had, wondering how she even could remember. Like her memory was only coming back in bits and pieces like someone was handpicking what she could and couldn't remember. It was bothering her tremendously. Just like not knowing where she knew Newt from.

She desperately closed her eyes, trying to see if she could remember anything else when she heard footsteps approaching her. Her eyes opened to see Newt taking a seat beside her.

"How did you like working in the gardens?" He asked as she shrugged.

"I liked it better than working with hurt people, honestly." She told him.

"That's good, is that where you want to stay then?" He asked as she nodded.

"Good, Zart said you were really helpful." Newt smiled at her as she nodded.

"So... are you coming to dinner? Minho says he has more questions for you, something about wanting to know how to... braid?" Newt asked as she let out a chuckle but nodded nonetheless, accepting the hand Newt had offered her and pulled her off the ground.

//

Later that night, Aria sat outside, admiring the stars leaning against her favorite rock as everyone had mostly gone to bed already, leaving her in peace and quiet.

"You should get to bed greenie, you have a lot of work tomorrow." Alby instructed, walking back into the Homestead. Aria sighed as she got up but still walked up to her shared room with Newt. She lightly pushed open the door to see Newt laying there in bed, eyes wide open as if he was in deep thought.

"Hey Newt." She quietly greeted before walking over to her bed and slipping off her shoes, climbing under her covers.

"Hi Aria..." Newt quietly responded, the awkwardness being prominent in the room.

After a while longer of the two not speaking a word to each other, Newt could hear her shivering from the cold air that was very present in the glade overnight.

"Are you cold?" He blurted out as she turned her head to look at him to see him already looking at her.

"A bit, yeah. Is it always this cold in the glade?" She asked as he shrugged.

"Sometimes. Do you, uh, want my sweater? I mean, if you're that cold...." Newt awkwardly stammered as she let out a small giggle which made him smile.

"Sure. Thank you Newt." She said, watching as he sat up in bed, taking off his sweater before lightly tossing it to her so she could slip it on. She snuggled right into it, appreciating the warmth that radiates off of it.

"Goodnight Aria."

"Goodnight Newt."