Ode to the Wicked » Newt

four

iv.

The sun, albeit hanging low, still shines warm and bright in the afternoon sky. Most of the Gladers had docked off work for the day, and as a result, resorted to lounging about in the fading light.

“Today feels different,” Thalia spoke up, glancing at the calm Newt who lay to her side, resting on an elbow as he overlooked her and much of the Glade. Upon seeing the confusion muddied into his features, she added, “Like something's changing.” He seemed to ponder this for a moment. Her attention was suddenly yanked away by a shout caught in the breeze. She glanced in the direction it came from, peering at a group of nearby boys. His eyes fell on her face, which had speckles of sun and shadows cast across her skin, due to their position under a tree. Thalia turned back, and he finally gave an answer.

“New Greenie should be comin' in soon.”

She smiled briefly, seemingly a little lost in her own thoughts. “Maybe we'll find a way out one of these days,” she murmured. “Hey,” she started again, “You ever thought about what job you'll have once we are?”

Newt could see the excitement in her eyes and he held back a smile. He shook his head once. “We don't even know what it's like out there.”

“Hm...” she said, swatting away his argument. “Well I, for one, can't wait to have my own apartment. The first thing I'll be doing is having a movie marathon. Who knows what quality entertainment we've missed out on.” Then she smiled widely, and Newt knew he was about to have a hard time. “I could get a pet! A dog... No,” Thalia reached up, brushing a hand through his curls distractedly. “A cat. You definitely seem like a cat person.”

“A cat? No way...” he disagreed, trying his best not to melt at the contact. “A horse, maybe. How about a bear?”

The pair laughed at the suggestion. “Too risky.” Another shout from the cheerful group. This time, Newt looked up, and Thalia dropped her wandering hand. She noticed the edge of Newt's mouth tug downward as she did it. Pushing past the self-inflicted awkwardness, she prattled on. “Well, anyway, we'll have a cat named Boris, and he'll probably be really annoying.” Newt wore a teasing smile as his gaze fell on her again, not bothering to comment on the name choice.

The silence stretched out between them, and although it was not uncomfortable, her eyes shifted. She had seen a flurry of emotions skitter across his features, causing a slight agitation of her own. She didn't like the thoughts it gave root to. Instead, Thalia clawed at a clump of grass and threw it at him. She laughed as he rolled over in shock, attempting to dodge any further impending attacks.

“Sorry, couldn't help it,” Thalia smiled sheepishly.

“Honestly...” he shook his head in exasperation. “Not even the Slammer threats deter you anymore.”

She shuffled closer, leaning towards him as her nose crinkled. “That sounds a lot like invincibility,” she pointed out triumphantly.

“Yeah, wait till you spend a night in the maze,” Newt smirked. He knew how terrified she was of it.

“I'll come back riding a Griever, and then I'll be the hero of this story. Not your shuck face,” she huffed, prodding his cheek for effect.

His reply, which sounded something like 'oi, don't be cheeky', was drowned out by a shrill noise. The alarm sounded, echoing throughout the Glade, as the box inevitably travelled up with the supplies and this month’s Greenie.

“Told ya,” Newt commented, righting himself. He stood up and stretched, giving Thalia a peek at his lower stomach as his shirt flared up with the movement. He offered her a hand amidst her staring. “Coming, Lia?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah,” she stammered, grabbing a hold of his outstretched arm. They stood quite close after this and Thalia didn't miss the concerned look that passed over his features. She mustered a smile. “I'm fine, Newt,” she said softly. He didn't reply, though he continued to watch her carefully. She couldn't take it for very long and instead looked down. Shuck-- she was still holding onto him. In an attempt to be as subtle as possible, she slowly removed her hands and let them drop to her sides before glancing back up.

“You sure?” Newt asked. In response she nodded stiffly.

“Are you okay?” she countered defensively, trying to mask her growing discomfort. When he jerked his head once, she breathed out, and then smiled. “Okay. We're both okay. We should go now. You know, the Greenie and all...” 

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Newt started walking first, and she quickly bounced after him, her nerves dissipating with every step. 

“Hey, Newt?”

“Yeah?” he replied, throwing her a look over his shoulder.

“If I ask for a cat, do you think the Creators will send one?” She kept her tone controlled, biting the inside of her cheek to keep herself from laughing. Newt stopped and whirled around.

“For shuck sake, Lia!” he groaned. However, his vexation turned to chuckling. “You're not funny, really.” Thalia grinned back, accompanying it with a shrug. 

“Shove off, maybe I'm a cat person. You never know.”

He heaved a sigh, theatrically. “One way to find out, I s’pose.”

Another yell and Thalia's eyes focused elsewhere. He briefly looked up, but his gaze moved back to its previous position; the girl whose hair gleamed red under the sun, such a stark contrast to his own gold locks. She sought his eyes once more, and Newt swallowed thickly, unable to return the warm smile she wore. Oh, they were both so monumentally screwed.