Variant | Newt

5 | mouse

After dinner, once our plates and tables were cleaned, the boys were wrangled to their beds by Alby, complete with hollers and choruses of goodnights; many of which that were shouted at myself and Newt.

"Night shebean!"
"See ya, Newt!"
"Sleep well, Juliet!"

Newt and I wandered back to the Homestead quietly, Minho following behind us. I was in the middle, Newt was on my left, and Minho was a foot or two behind me on my right.

"You likin' the Glade life so far?" Minho suddenly piped up. "Boys seem to be happy bout your showing up here."

"Yeah, now they are, I guess," I replied honestly, "now they're not seeing me as a threat. It feels better."

Minho laughed. "Oh, you shoulda seen them during our meeting that first night you showed up. Some of em were shaking in their boots, I swear."

"They've warmed up to you, though," Newt jumped in, his tone much more gentle than Minho's joking demeanor.

"They only ones still hating are probably just jealous," Minho shrugged, kicking a loose pebble at his feet.

"Jealous?" I asked, casting a glance back towards the hammocks most of the boys hung around at the moment.

"You get a bedroom," Minho pointed out, nodding at the Homestead, "the boys get hammocks."

I clicked my tongue, stepping onto the porch of the Homestead. "That wasn't my doing," I grumbled, feeling singled out for no reason. I didn't want to feel as offended as I did, but I hoped the boys didn't hold a grudge at me over a decision that wasn't mine.

Suddenly my mood shifted and I thought, you know what? Actually, I deserve my own room! A whole Glade of boys, of course I'm going to need privacy for my safety and sanity. I mean, I get why they would be jealously, but I'm not the only one who has her own room -- Minho, Alby, and one of the other Keepers has a room too; Gally, I think.

"And, I'm not the only one who has her own room, and I didn't really have a choice," I continued, trying to defend myself. Newt opened the Homestead's door, and I couldn't help but notice a sliver of disappointment on his face.

My eyes widened. He probably thought I was complaining about my rooming situation with him. I've noticed when Newt gets sad, he gets really quiet and almost disassociates for a few seconds.

"Not that I'm complaining!" I spit out my words as fast as I could, resisting the urge to grab Newt's arms and pull him into an apologetic hug. "I like sharing a room with you, Newt, it's fun. But-- oh, not in a weird way, I don't mean. I'm not saying it's because of that; it's not-- I'm not mad about that. Not that I'm even mad--"

"Does she always ramble like this?" Minho chuckled, raising his eyebrows at Newt, a teasing look in his eyes. Newt, fortunately, seemed to have lost the sad puppy look after he heard my terrible attempt to back-peddle.

"No. And she doesn't usually blush this much either," Newt replied to Minho, now smirking a bit. Oh, great. Now they both were teasing me.

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. I really wanted to somehow make up for my nervous talking, but I couldn't think of anything to salvage it. I could feel my face flaring up, no doubt turning me beet red.

"Don't worry, Jules, the blush looks good on you," Minho bumped my shoulder then took off up the stairs. He turned around to face us when he reached the top, a lopsided smile on his face. He winked at Newt. "...Don't you agree?"

"Um... of course," Newt stuttered out, now showing a slight brushing of pink on his own face. He cleared his throat and glanced at me before dropping eye contact as soon as he met mine, "You look nice. As usual."