FOREVER. newt

ten. it's just a dream

I don't remember the last time I slept in a bed. A proper one, not like those WICKED had us sleep in when they pretended to keep refugees.

But apparently, Gally had set us up a bunch of beds— in different bathrooms!— which made me decide to sleep for a bit. They're modest sizes, not to big or not too small, and the mattress was extremely soft that I had managed to fall asleep in the matter of minutes after taking a bath and changing into a giant jacket and sweatpants that were too big for me, but they covered my bite.

I stayed in the room asleep until the sun began to dim, and when I wake up to Jorge yelling for us to go downstairs, the sun is already down.

As I open the door to my room open, the same door in front of it creaked at the same time.

Xio, who was in pajamas, was standing in front of me, the relaxed look on his face suddenly gone in a matter of seconds.

Closing my eyes, I take in deep breaths when the overwhelming rage of wanting to strangle him fills up in my chest when I remember that he told Brenda that I got bitten by a Crank. Self control must develop, empathy must develop, logical thinking must develop, creative problem solving must develop.... slamming his head into a wall isn't a good idea, Nini. Control yourself.

It's been there a while now, this anger, escaping when I'm away from Newt. I'm angry at the soldiers who were only doing their jobs and the people who lived here, heck, I'm even angry if my pillow isn't quite right.

But there was no harm in threatening him, right?

Grabbing the hem of his shirt, I slam Xio against the wall with a force I didn't even know I had in me. "If you tell anyone else... I'm going to fucking kill you. Do not fucking test me, Xio."

The last time I threatened Xio, he had the smuggest look on his face as he listened to me. But now, his eyes were wide, his hands grabbing onto the door handle as I let him go.

"Are you kids coming down?" I heard Jorge yell once again. "They're back!"

—

When I go down, Thomas is yelling a bunch of profanities at Gally.

I don't really care; honestly, even though it was entertaining to hear him saying 'fuck' as I've never heard Thomas swear before, but the reasons to why he was mad was far beyond my worries.

However, as I spot Newt placing a pair of gloves on a smile makes it's way onto my face as I walk over to the blonde boy. "The hell happened to him?"

Newt clenches his jaw, and I'm given the idea that the situation we were in must have been more serious than I thought it was.

"Gally has a way in.... but..."

I frown. "But what?"

"Teresa," Thomas finishes, now looking calmer than he was before. "Teresa is our way in."

That night, they offered us food. We sat in a large table but none of us talked to each other, which was good thing for me as my brain was starting to recall chemical equations at a rapid pace. It truly baffled me how I managed to memorize these things at such a young age; and now that I realize it, being a doctor at the age of thirteen was extremely impressive.

Once we were done, I felt a hand hold mine. "Can you come with me outside, Nini?"

We just ate and you want to go outside?

I shake my head. Stop that. It's Newt. You can't be annoyed at him— you can't let the Flare manipulate your brain into getting annoyed at him.