FOREVER. newt

four. it's still wicked

I woke up slowly. The bunk bed I was lying on was surprisingly very soft, and there was a warm weight along my stomach and another pressed to my neck.

Moving a little, my body begging for a stretch and my wound starting to feel a little sore, but the weight around my middle held me in place, a hand grasping my side and pulling me closer. Then suddenly, there was a murmur against the skin of my neck, hot breath more than words. I opened my eyes.

Newt. He sleeps like a Koala.

The memories of the past night didn't resurfaced like some great wave overtaking my mind. Suddenly remembering how I cried my heart out last night, I would have reacted immediately if Newt wasn't hogging me.

Somehow, there should be more freaking out, shouldn't it? All the many reasons why this was a bad idea remained the same. However, for the first time, I couldn't find it in myself to care anymore.

I could only roll my eyes at myself, hiding an involuntary smile against the fluffy blonde hair by my side. I hope that the rest of the boys weren't awake yet— because oh boy I was in for a lot.

Then suddenly, the bottom bunk creaks. Newt is still fast asleep, and he looked really peaceful so I couldn't possibly wake him up.

Instead, I close my eyes and pretend that I'm sleeping, hoping that no one would peek over his bunk and see me.

Suddenly, Newt opened his eyes and stared straight into mine. "Good morning."

I place a hand on my mouth in an attempt to signal him to stop talking. Luckily, Newt wasn't some dumb guy and he instantly understood what I meant when I pointed down to the bunk bed.

In a voice barely above a whisper, he reaches over to my ear in a raspy voice, "Do you want me to hide you and force them to leave?"

I nod quietly.

"Alright, uh..." Newt mumbles, looking at his right and grabbing the blanket with his free hand. With my thumbs up, he quickly hid me in it and walked down the bunk bed.

The rest of the boys take longer to get out of the room than I wanted to. Five minutes after Newt climbed down, the door was unlocked and they were told that they were the first batch that would have tests today.

Hearing this, I expected the boys to immediately scurry away and go for testing, but Thomas stops them all before they could do something. Then the boy proceeds explaining something— things that were covered up were being led into a room. I try my best to steady my breathing as Thomas explains that he thinks they were bodies, but the rest of the Gladers just excuse him and tell him that he's being paranoid.

Bodies? Why would they store bodies?

I knew Thomas was about to say something again, but a guard came in and yelled for them to go to testing. The boys turn into a chorus of murmurs, and slowly, footsteps were walking out the room and I was able to let out a sigh of relief.

That was until someone talked.

"I know you're in there, Nini."

Thomas.

I pretend that I'm not here, but Thomas is way smarter than that.

"I heard everything last night, and I just wanna say..."

"I don't want to talk about it, Thomas." I creak out, my voice barely above a whisper. It's not like I don't trust Thomas— because I really do, but I don't want to handle everything so early in the morning; and Thomas isn't a person I necessarily want to bother with my problems since he was facing a lot of them himself.