Evelyn stood in the group of Keepers, a torch of fire in her hand, Alby gave his speech again, the same thing every month.
"We survived another month! For the greenie! LIT 'EM UP!"
He threw his into the pile of logs. Keepers followed his example. The Gladers all yelled and cheered and whooped. The fire went up easily. Evelyn watched the fire for a moment. shaking her melancholy thoughts and feelings aside she went to go grab a jar. Her and Gally had perfected their drinks. Gally handed her one with a nod.
"How ya doing?"
She shrugged.
"You?"
He shrugged. She took a sip.
"There's something about that Greenie!" He suddenly said.
"What about him? He asks more questions than Chuck!"
"No. There's something else." His voice was low, and his eyes were narrowed.
"Which is..?"
"I've seen him before! In my memories!"
Evelyn gasped and almost dropped her jar. "What? You shucken serious Gal?"
He nodded. Evelyn frowned, this news didn't do anything to help her growing feeling of unease. He came up like any other Greenie, but today was a weird day; animals were off, Gladers were off, Ben was stung, Greenie already stirring the pot, asking all kinds of questions and now Gally remembered the kid.
"Somethings off. I can see you know somethings off. I don't know Eve...I don't think I trust him."
"Gal..you never trust the greenies!" She chuckled.
"True. But... there's something more. I dunno... Just keep your eyes open and a head up."
"Noted. Thanks Gal. Have a good evening. You gonna go wrestle?"
"Shucken rights! Got a reputation to uphold." He chuckled.
She rolled her eyes, and went to try find Newt. She found Minho sitting by the fire staring into it with vacant eyes. She nodded at the other runners and she sat down beside Minho. Placing a hand on his back.
"Hey." She said quietly.
He nodded, taking a long sip of his drink. She laid her head on his shoulder. He laid his head on top of hers.
"He's doing okay. Clint is with him now. I'll go sit with him in a bit." She said quietly.
"Thanks Pixy. You shouldn't have come into the Maze, but thank you." His voice was quiet and broken.
"Minho!" She sat up straight and looked at him. "I would run into that Maze for any of you guys, but especially you!" Her eyes filled with tears.
His broken sad tired eyes looked back at her with a small sad smile.
"I know Pixy. I know you would. And that scares me. What would I do with out you?"
"You would crash and burn. This entire place would crumble and it would be anarchy."
He snorted into his drink. She smiled. Taking a sip of her own drink, she looked back into the fire. She caught a glimpse of Newt she got up. But froze. She watched a frown on her face. Newt handed the Greenie a jar and sunk down beside him, facing away from the fire. Evelyn sunk down beside Minho, a weird feeling inside her chest. Minho leaned over, his eyebrows pulled together.
"What's wring Pixy?"
"Nothing." She said quickly, her voice felt higher and tight.
Minho followed her line of vision. Newt was laughing at something the Greenie said, his head thrown back and a loud laugh escaped him. Minho frowned and looked back at Evelyn.
"You know he's good with the greenies."
"I know." She smiled at Minho, it slipped off fast. "I'm just tired, it's been a long stupid day."
"That we can agree on."
Minho nodded and tapped his jar with hers. They each too a sip, Evelyn saw out of the corner of her eye Newt turn and point in their direction. She looked up at him. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she was pretty sure they were pointing at Minho. Evelyn couldn't catch his eye and they twisted back around. Newt was talking, his one hand waving around, he was leaning awfully close to the Greenie. Evelyn felt her back stiffen. The greenie looked down and then up at Newt. Minho felt her tense and he looked up. Saw her face and looked back at Newt and Greenie who had leaned even closer. Newt was leaning in as well. Evelyn felt her heart slamming in her chest, her throat felt tight and she was gripping the jar so hard her knuckles were white.
"Eve..?"
The Greenie and Newt. That's all she could see and all she could hear. His laughter at something he said. The way the Greenie stared at him, with big wide eyes. They both leaned into each other, gazing into each others eyes, they were sharing the same air. Evelyn stood up so fast her drink slashed over the side if her jar.
She left the fire with tears in her eyes. Minho called after her, but she didn't look back. She went to the MedHut.
"Clint, I'll take over. Go, go have fun at the fire. Jeff is waiting for you."
Her voice was thick with emotions, and she felt the quiver in it. She was glad the room was dark, only a candle for light. Clint jumped up.
"Thanks Eve."
He was gone and she sunk into the chair. The tears finally slipped over her lashes and down her cheeks, as Ben let out another loud scream of pain. Hephaestus came scurrying along the floor and up into her lap.
"Hey buddy." Evelyn took a sip of her drink. "Ya know sometimes I wish I was a lizard, then all this wouldn't be such a big shucken problem."
Hephaestus made a noise in his throat. Nuzzling her hand. She ran a finger down his back and he arched and made a noise like the purr of a cat.
"It's not normal to be able to talk to lizards, and understand each other...or be able to turn a robot into a real lizard...or know and enjoy plants and herbology...or have magic glowing hands."
A few more tears slid over her lashes and down her cheeks.
"I must be a witch...hey Heph? What do you think?"
He made another noise and nudged her hand again. She laid her head back against the wall, and let the few tears slid down her face. Pulling her knees up to her chest she sat in the dark room listening to Ben scream in pain.
Newt didn't come looking for her at all.
________________________________
Someone shook her shoulder. She sat straight up, making Hephaestus fall off her shoulder and into her lap.
"Oh sorry Buddy." she cried.
She finally looked up, Nick was frowning down at her. She rubbed her sore puffy eyes. He crouched down beside her.
"Eve-"
"I'm fine Nick." She cut him off before he could ask if she was fine.
Truth was, she was not. Her heart felt heavy and it hurt. Her back was sore from sleeping in the chair, she felt that anxious queasy feeling in her stomach. She placed the lizard on the desk and got up, and fussed with Ben hoping, the Nick would just leave her alone. No such luck. He placed a hand on her back.
"Evy. You can't lie to me."
"What do you want me to say Nick?" She sighed, her voice quiet, betraying her heart ache.
"Did something happen between you and Newt? Is that why he slept in the Homestead last night?"
She felt a knife drive into her already aching heart. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She took a slow ragged breath. Nick frowned, worried with her reaction.
"Greenie is a handful. He's trouble." She shrugged, trying to keep her emotions inside. "Guess Newt needed to make sure he stayed outta trouble." She forced a smile.
"Evy."
"Nick, it's fine. I'm fine-"
"Fine stands for, feelings I'm not expressing. You told me that."
"Point taken."
"Come have breakfast, looks like you need some coffee."
"Ben?"
She didn't like leaving the MedHut unattended especially if someone was utilizing it.
"All good!" Jeff called, he poked his head into the room. "Clint did the afternoon, you did the night, its my turn for the day."
Evelyn nodded and left with Nick. He sat her down and brought her some coffee and Sonny brought her a late of breakfast.
"Thanks guys!" She smiled.
"How come she's the only girl? She has the guys all wrapped around her finger! Did you see her break the no one goes outside the walls thing? No one did nothing about it!"
She lifted her head at the sound of the Greenies voice. Newt was striding into the dinning area with him.
"She was an original Glader. We don't know why. And the guys see her as a sister. Their protective of her. And she is of them, she went to help."
"Seems like a loop hole. Seems like she can do whatever she wants."
Evelyn's back was straight, jaw clamped and shoulders tense. Sonny and Nick looked over and watched as Newt took the Greenie to the counter get food and sit down at a different table. They glanced down at Evelyn between them. She blinked a few times. She looked down at her plate stiffly and tried to eat some food. She couldn't do it, her throat was too sticky and tight. She got up and taking her plate over to the counter she slammed it down into the bucket for cleaning making Fry look up sharply and then frown. She had to pass Greenie and Newt's table to leave. She walked swiftly passed their table, her head held high but tears threatening to fall.
"Look Tommy, the maze is buggen' dangerous. Ya gotta be the best of the best-"
"How come your not one then?" Greenie asked, his big eyes glued to Newt.
Even from here she could see Newt's ears go pink. He was blushing. She felt a kick in her heart.
"Was."
"You were? You were a runner? What happened, how come your not anymore?"
"I had...an accident."
"Oh."
She left the area. Her head lowered, hiding her face behind her hair. She finally breathed easier away from the dinning area, on her way back to the MedHut she saw Minho at the Maze doors, along with Alby.
"Hey! Min! Alby!" She yelled.
They turned, she was running towards them.
"What are you two doing?" She panted.
"Going to check where Ben was stung, something's not right and its the same place I saw the thing a few times, its like its guarding something. We'll be back before ya know it Pixy."
"Too late. I'm worried. If I don't worry about you who does?"
"Touche."
"Alby..?"
"I'll be fine Eve."
Evelyn felt the twist in her stomach and the claws in her heart and the anxiety increase, but she forced a tight liped smile. She hugged each guy and watched them jog into the halls. She stood with her arms hugging herself, feeling like she was going to puke.
____________________
Evelyn spent the morning in her garden it inside the MedHut. The guys left her alone, she snapped a few times and they backed off. She was on her way to the dinning area when she saw the Greenie throwing up and Winston awkwardly patting his back. Greenie obviously wasn't going to be a Slicer.
At the kitchen counter filling up her coffee she felt hands slid across her waist and a warm body hug her. She stiffened.
"Hey Love."
"Hi."
"Hey, everything alright?"
She slammed her mug of coffee down, sloshing over the sides and spun around, her eyes full of tears, but narrowed them, glaring at Newt. He took a step back, shocked.
"Evy?"
"No Newt nothing is alright. Everything is shucken wrong!" She cried.
He opened his mouth.
"First, Minho's anxiety is so much worse lately, everything went awful yesterday! Animals out if control making a line up out the door of injured slicers! Bet ya didn't even notice I had to leave the Box and stitch up Ezra's head. You're too head over heels with the Greenie-"
"Tommy?"
"First name basis already. Wonderful!" She snapped, swatting at tears that leaked out.
"Gally remembered that kid from his memories. And I get a bad feeling. I've felt sick and uncomfortable. Ben was stung, and I pass out. That shucken greenie storing up all kinds of things."
"When did you talk to him?"
"When I went for food after I woke up from trying to heal Ben! I talked to him and Chuck. Throwing accusations and all kinds of stupid klunk around. Saying stuff like I'm breaking rules and it's not fare I go into the maze, but no one else can... implying I do what I want when I want."
"...Well ya kinda do..."
"Yeah? That so? Next time someone needs help it saving I'll stand at the wall and point and laugh. Better? How about just throw me into the Slammer Newt. Make Greenie feel better."
"That's not-"
"And then at the fire..." She yelled over top of him. She saw his eyes go wide and his face pale.
"You...you saw..."
"YEAH I SAW! EVERYONE JUST ABOUT SAW!" Evelyn cried, tears really falling now. She was angry, tired, worried and confused.
"Know how humiliating that is?" She hissed.
"We didn't actually..."
"No, cuz Greenie chickened out. He pulled away first. You would have. Don't lie to me Newt. I know when you are. Everyone here can see how he looks at you and follows you around-"
"Same thing with Chuck!" Newt got defensive.
"No. Not the same. At all." She pushed him slightly, "there is zero romantic feelings! He's my little brother, I look out for him 'cause no one else does! I'm not stupid and I'm not blind! I see the way everyone treats him! And I didn't try to kiss him!"
She finally swatted at her tears, taking a ragged breath, she looked back up at him.
"And then I'm taking care of Ben all night- doitmy job- and it kinda hurt you didn't come look for me, like you've done every fire for a year! And for the first time since your accident, what's with you sleeping in the Homestead? Or was it the lean-to? Did you snuggle nice and cozy with Greenie while I'm working? That's how it's gonna be? Just the second in command and his side chick and Greenie."
"Evelyn! That's enough!" He finally yelled.
"No Newt." She shook her head, "it's not. I get being busy and I understand Greenies can be a hand full! But yesterday really hurt. A lot. I haven't once disregarded your feelings like that, and you've never acted like that before. You were always considerate and thoughtful, sweet and carrying."
"That's not fair!"
"How is it not fair? Are you going to disregard my feelings now too? If I'm wrong in what happened yesterday, explain. Tell me you weren't infactuated by him or that you didn't try and kiss the greenie, tell me you didn't make a conscious choice to sleep away from our bed, and over to where he was. Tell me Newt, please tell me I'm wrong."
He opened his mouth and then closed it. He looked down and then back up and opened his mouth again.
"That's what I thought. And then you ignore me all morning, didn't even come see how I was doing whike I was with Ben all night! And then you try slid up behind me?"
She whipped more tears and shook her head.
"Try again."
She walked passed him, he didn't follow. She half wished he would chase after her.
She got half way back when the Greenie alarm went off. Evelyn froze. Her eyes wide and her heart pounding. They just got a Greenie...why would the alarm be going off the next day?
**Uh oh! Newt! Whatcha doing boy?**