Saving Newt

Chapter 8

As soon as Brianna sat down, she wished she hid behind Newt because it as the first time she had encountered all of the boys at the same time. To be honest, she hadn't expected this much gawking from so many boys.

A loud wolf whistled exploded within the cluster of boys and Brianna reddened slightly, snapping around so violently she thought she may give herself whiplash. She glared around the field, sending daggers to anyone she could see all sat on the picnic tables tucking into one of Frypan's delicacies. Many of the boys looked away sheepishly, but some of their smirks just grew wider and Brianna wanted to slap them.

'Hey, sugar!'

'I call dibs!'

'I already did!'

'Shuck face!'

'You said it!'

'I can't work with a girl.'

'Wanna sit with us, Gorgeous?'

Brianna even heard a few cheesy pick up lines like:

'Kiss me if I'm wrong, but Grievers are friendly, right?'

And:

'Quick, someone call God, he's missing an angel!'

Brianna was overwhelmed by the unwanted attention and awkwardly, passively, shuffling closer to Newt for protection. All of the boys she had met had been very nice to her, not flirtatious in any way, treating her as a normal Greenbean, except for maybe one during the meeting, but he was an exception.

'Shut your holes!' Alby yelled, his voice slicing through the uproar of teenagers. He glared around the field at the group boys, anger flaring through him. Frypan and Minho stood their awkwardly, Frypan still waiting to serve Brianna food and Minho still waiting to eat and then leave for the maze. She glanced nervously at Newt who stood glaring at the boys, even more angry than Alby who looked like he could slap any number of them, especially the owners of the voices.

'Any of you shanks touch the girl or given her any of this klunk, you and your sorry butts will be banished, without fail. Am I clear?' Alby bellowed, his nostrils flaring with anger. Brianna had only been there for a day, but she felt protected by him and Newt, even though he was allowing her to venture into the maze where the Grievers lurk. Newt nodded his approval of Alby's words, daring any of the boys to object. Alby's words were met with a chorus of "yes"s and Brianna sighed, relaxing at these words. She didn't want all of this attention, it was already exhausting.

'Good that.' Alby finished and sat back down, sighing. Frypan continued to awkwardly serve them sandwiches and then Brianna felt herself being pulled, literally, out of her bewilderment over towards the picnic tables.

'Thank you.' She said behind her and Frypan gave her a warm approving smile, clearly pleased all the attention was averted from me as his next customer.

'Best eat quick, Minho looks like he'll be leaving soon. You don't want to starve do you, Greenbean?' Newt hissed and she sighed, still unfamiliar with the slang term for a newbie. She found herself sat opposite Minho and next to Alby. She was unsure of whether she was supposed to sit there, but Alby had gestured for her to take the seat beside him and so she felt obligated to do so.

Newt collided into the empty seat next to her, unnecessarily knocking her lightly as he did so. Brianna didn't notice Minho raise his eyebrow in Newt's direction, realising that he was being rather flirtatious.

'What about when your not working then?' Brianna asked the general group who all stopped eating to frown at her. She looked puzzled, unsure of why that was such an unusual, question. When she noticed Newt's raised eyebrow, she continued, 'I mean, what do you do when your not doing your little job thingys?'

'Uh, well nothing really.'

'What?' She spluttered, almost choking on her sandwich. The Glade was a field full of teenage boys and yet they did nothing for fun. What were they doing? Was Alby that boring? She didn't overthink that one was she knew he would allow fun, it if was suggested. 'So what do you do when your not working then?'

'Eat.' Frypan gestured to the food before him, having taken the seat beside Minho once he had served everyone.

'Sleep.' Someone Brianna didn't know the name of added.

'Take a klunk.' Minho offered and Brianna pulled a disapproving face at this, gaining laughs from all of the boys.

'What? You disgrace me. No wonder you all look like someone just died.' She mumbled the last part and everyone rolled their eyes. Sure, Brianna had been told that there had been a few tragedies, but that didn't mean they had to mourn all the time.

'Well then, party animal, what do you suggest?' Newt challenged and her eyes wandered the table at the intrigued faces.

'Gather some scrap pieces of wood,' she ordered smoothly. 'Tonight, we can make a big ass bonfire.' Everyone grinned excited and nodded enthusiastically. Minho announced that he was off to find Gally, the keeper of the builders, who could help them gather some wood. Brianna reminded him not to tell Gally it was her idea, as he already hated her enough.

'He doesn't hate you.' Alby tried but she raised an eyebrow and he silenced himself, not bothering to convince her otherwise.

'Sure, Alby.'

'Meet me by the entrance to the maze when I call for you, be ready, shuck face.' Minho said and wandered off into the crowd, off to find Gally. She nodded and watched him leave, weirdly excited about the day as a runner.

Brianna left to grab the bag Minho had given her, with everything they thought she would require to be a runner.

'Hey, shuck face, girlie, you coming?' Minho yelled across the field, his smirk wide and taunting. Brianna grinned back, placing her cutlery back down on the table with a flourish and winking at him.

'Coming!' She yelled excited, swinging her legs over the table hastily. 'Excuse me, Captain,' she teased and Alby laughed, 'I have to join Mr Impatient over here.'

Brianna sprinted across the field, her unkempt curls fluttering around her. She pulled them to once side impatiently as she ran, watching Minho mockingly raise an eyebrow.

'Oi, Shuck face!' Gally yelled, having been carrying pieces of wood around as a builder. 'You run like a girl.'

'Oh yeah?' She sneered, laughing at him. She slowed to allow him to hear her properly as she pelted past him, faster than most people in the Glade and definitely faster than Gally. 'Maybe that's because I am one.'

'What, a shuck face or a girl?' She didn't reply to this, focused on reaching Minho quickly. 'You best be careful out there, wouldn't want to break a nail. Besides, there's no Newt out there to save you when you get scared.'

Her breath hitched in her throat. He heard them. He saw her panic over a dream, only Newt was supposed to know. 'One more time and I'll shove your shuck face in a pile of bloody klunk.' She growled feriously.

Gally laughed, realising she was beginning to speak not only like a Glader, but like Newt too. 'Ooh so now your speaking like your boyfriend too, are you?'

'He is not my boyfriend!' Brianna yelled harshly, not caring how this may affect Newt. She didn't want him to feel offended by her disgust, but she also knew that if she let on that she liked him, there would be no end to the humiliation. She was beginning to redden, but she badly attempted to hide it with her shameful denial.

'Hear that, Newt, she denies everything. I bet she'll be cheating on you with Minho if your not careful.' He sneered, but Newt walked forward and glared at him, threatening him to make another sound. Newt had the authority here and even Gally knew that Newt would be successful and not himself.

Brianna kept running, refusing to let his senseless rubbish anger her. She was determined to reach Minho before she could turn and see Newt who was shamefully hiding his embarrassment and disappointment. She broke eye contact with Gally and focused away from his cold, angered eyes. What was his problem?

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