The Forest Trials | Newt

014

After making small talk for a total of two minutes they sat in silence, the sun was very slowly setting. The anger Jennifer had felt was draining, she knew it wasn't his fault and she didn't have the energy to fight him.

Even if she did it would only lead to herself suffering. She could hurt him, no matter what she did, hurting him was off the table. But then an idea began to brew, she couldn't hurt him. Yes. But that was physically. Mentally she was safe.

She very slowly leant her head onto his shoulder taking a deep breath of the small river that flowed through the ravine. He wasn't sure what to do, he knew she was there but didn't know if she meant to do that or if she wanted him to do something too.

"Do you- uh- should I-" he tried

"Shut up," she said quickly. It went quiet again,

"How's your leg?"

"That's a stupid question,"

"Is isn't it?" He finished considering the pulsing in his leg was present. "What did you do to it?" He asked as he looked down

"Moss," she replied,

"Oh,"

"Do they all want me dead?"

"Well, Gally does for sure. But the others, they're just unsure,"

"Fair enough, I did attempted to kill you,"

"Nearly succeeded,"

"... do you want me dead?"

"No,"

"Okay," silence came again, things still felt slightly awkward. But was she said next made the situation worse... "So, you have a little crush on me?" She smiled,

"What? Oh uh- I don't, no," he answered

"Hm..."

"When do you think it would've happened?"

"When you pulled me back from the cliff," she answered quickly,

"I thought you were going to die," he said in all seriousness but Jennifer laughed quietly. After another pause,

"Isn't it weird just a week ago we first met?"

"It feels like a lot longer,"

"Mhm,"

"Thank you... you know, for not killing me when we first met. And for not killing me earlier,"

"I wouldn't have killed you, I would've hurt you... badly. But not killed,"

"... I think that's worse,"

"I was just mad, that's all. I just needed time to come to the realisation that we're stuck together now,"

"I didn't even understand at first," the two laughed for a second, Jennifer could see Newt gaze out onto the vines that covered the rocks like wallpaper.

"Looks like the Glade, doesn't it?" She whispered to him,

"Yeah," he replied, it was nice to reminisce about the Glade. The peace and security it gave them, comparing it to where they were now. Were now, he repeated. Jennifer was on his shoulder, speaking to him.. about the Glade. "How do you know?" He asked and it felt as though his thoughts came plummeting down onto him.

Has she been lying this whole time? Was she in Aris' maze? Had she worked for WICKED? Did she work for WICKED? He moved quickly forcing her head to rise. He looked at her with an awaiting gaze. Her eyes stayed in a fixed position.

But she only had one thought...

Shit.

"Jennifer... how do you know?" He sounded out to her, now standing directly in front of her. Her eyes stayed dazed. How was she getting out of this one? "Jennifer, don't zone out on me. Answer my question," he demanded. She was still. Not a word escaped her tightly sealed mouth.

What do I say? She asked over and over mentally. Anything, she could say anything but the truth. "Jennifer, you need to tell me. Were you in Group B?"

"I, don't know, what your talking about," she said almost as if she was a robot before she stood up "I'm going to go," she said as she went to walk away but Newt grabbed her arm pulling her closer. After an eternal second.

"Let me see your shoulder," he demanded if what he thought was correct and she was from Group B. She would have a mark on her shoulder with the property line. This would change everything.

He tried to look before Jennifer fled from his grasp "No, Newt you- stop. I just, Thomas had told me about the Glade-"

"You haven't been alone with anyone but me. How do you know?" His voice was marked with frustration as he spoke to her.

"Newt you need to go,"

"Not until I see your shoulder,"

"You can't- you don't get it,"

"Jennifer I get whatever you were put through wasn't traumatic. But we've all been through it-"

"Newt I- I didn't go through it. You don't understand. You need to go,"

"Jennifer please-"

"Newt! Leave!"

"Just let me-" but before he could continue she was already half the way up the wall "Jennifer!" He called as he started to follow her.

***

"Where the hell is Newt?" Gally asked again as Jennifer sat down.

"Gally my answer for five seconds ago has no changed. He is coming,"

"What'd you do to him?"

"Nothing," she answered calmly, and just like clockwork and out-of-breath Newt came behind the group.

"This is the last place I thought you'd run back to," he breathed looking at Jennifer through the group. Without even removing her gaze from the blades of grass in front of her she spoke.

"You have a twig in your hair," he ran a hand through his hair pulling out said twig before speaking.

"All of you shanks move, I have to talk to Jennifer," he announced as he went to walk closer to her.

"No way. The chick just tried to kill you, disappeared into the woods. You followed, you two hang out for a bit. Jen comes back first. Then you come back with bloody twigs in you hair looking like you've ran the maze," Minho said quickly "Explain what's going on," without hesitation or even a glance at Jennifer, Newt replied.