Saving Newt

Chapter 17

Hey,
I haven't got much to say except enjoy,
Annabelle_the_reader
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'Bri?' Newt asked from her side. She was lying in bed, looking up at the sky and wishing there were stars to count. It seemed almost pointless to look up to the sky and not count the stars. It seemed illogical to not catch a fallen star and never let it fade away. 'Are you awake?'

'Ummm.' She replied slowly, dragging out the letters. Scooping up her weight into a sitting position, her eyes scanned the Glade curiously. Nobody was awake and nothing stirred, not even a mouse. However something caught her off guard, Newt was neither standing by her hammock nor lying facing the stars on his own hammock.

'Can I talk to you, you know, the place where I showed you earlier. I'll meet you there.' He asked and she nodded, picking her way between the dozing Gladers.

The night was clear of clouds, rain never approaching and all traces of wind had vanished, leaving a still, bleak night sky. Unfortunately, there was no crescent moon and no stars broke through the blanket of darkness.

Brianna had always loved the stars. She remembered watching them from her bedroom balcony, standing in the blissful silence.

The stars, Brianna naively believed, were magical. They were so big and her troubles so small when she was with them. But no star can shine without the dark. No matter how big and evil the world seems, we can't shine without it. But there are no stars here, like Brianna felt the creators were trying to tell them that there was no hope either. She brushed this thought aside, loathing the very essence of her worry.

Brianna's legs swung against the wooden, jagged branches of the tree, occasionally stinging with the friction and splinters. It didn't bother her, as from this height she could see for miles across the ocean from here. She was sat, or rather balanced, on the top of tree that overlooked the fields of the Glade.

'I didn't think you'd come.' Came a husky voice behind her, sending small shivers down her spine.

Brianna spun around until her eyes settled on Newt's annoyingly gorgeous body.

There was a pair of brand new designer trainers; muscular and slim, but not lanky legs slipped like drainpipes into a pair of tightly fitting skinny jeans; a tight grey top that showed his eight pack perfectly; very large hands on the ends of equally tanned muscular arms, that were strangely too short for his height; broad shoulders perched on the ends of them and his longish scruffy blonde hair and chestnut eyes, pale, but not sickeningly.

This could only mean one thing....

A small smile crept up her cheeks. 'Of course I would.' She smiled.

'Sorry, it's just I couldn't sleep.' Newt mumbled apologetically.

'Neither could I.' Brianna smiled, hoisting herself further up the tree.

~

'Sea monster!' Newt cheered, enthusiastically pointing with his fingers vaguely at the array of shapes formed in the fluffy clouds, barely visible through the dark night.

They had decided to lie down on their backs and examine the sky of puffy clouds for shapes, a game to be proven quite challenging. Newt's head was tilted upwards, supported by his left arm, his other hand's fingers laced with Brianna's, that made her heart skip a beat whenever they moves slightly.

'Yeah.... I guess.' Brianna sighed, tilting her head to and fro, attempting to see his point. She lifted her back from the ground in an attempt to capture a better insight into his declare, but it was in vain. 'Coffee?'

'What?' He spluttered, his eyes searching the clouds until they followed her gaze. 'No way!' Newt exclaimed, pulling a confused and disapproving expression at her, but still looking drop-dead gorgeous. She mentally slapped her wrist for thinking that.

'How do you not see a mug of coffee?' Brianna smirked, raising an eyebrow as she turned her head in his direction.

'It's more like a-' He paused, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. '-Boat.'

'A boat?' She frowned, honestly unable to see his train of thought, a cup of coffee seemed so much more likely to her.

'Yep.' He grinned, then laughed at her even more confused expression. 'So we have a sea monster attacking a boat and a cup of coffee.' They both fell about laughing, clutching their stomachs with the pain.

'Why don't I try and throw these grapes into your mouth and you try to catch them?' Newt suggested, pulling out a small napkin with grapes inside.

'Yes!' She squealed, then frowned, 'How did you manage to get those away from Frypan, even I know he's protective over his kitchen and the food in it?' Brianna asked doubtfully, but Newt winked and turned onto his side to get a better shot.

'You go first.' Brianna exclaimed excitedly, opening her mouth as wide as it could go. Newt began to shift his position, holding the grape and moving his hand backwards and forwards in mock preparation. 'Just do it already.' She snapped.

He brought back his hand and in a millisecond, the grape had landed in her mouth. 'WOO!' He cheered, throwing his hands in the air and clapping them together as she munched on the enormous grape, the juice filling her mouth.

'My go.' Brianna beamed, picking up the only other grape in the bowl. Brianna let go and, in slow motion, watched the grape knock off the side of his cheek. 'Aww.' She smiled, disappointed and laughed as he managed to get it in his mouth in one go.

'See? I can do it!' He mocked.

'Yes, but it was my grape, so technically; I win!' Brianna cheered, in a particularly vociferous mood today, and jumped up from the spot, scampering into the trees.

'Oh, really?' She heard the sarcastic clamour of Newt's voice from the tree, followed by his elephant steps, taking massive strides with such power that Brianna was certain the whole forest floor was vibrating.

Snatching a fleeting glimpse behind her, Brianna realised he'd gained distance. She felt the breeze flood through her hair and the occasional twig or branch would whip into her cheeks, but rarely dug into the skin or drew blood. It was a sense of freedom, although she was free when she was with him, but still each step brought him closer to her.

Suddenly, when she least expected it, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist, halting her in her tracks. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered, 'Got'cha!'