We will stand tall,face it all together

○2○

Once we're out of earshot, Newt lets go of me. "Sorry everyone is staring at you like that," he says and I look back over my shoulder. The boys were chatting animatedly, most with huge grins, and kept glancing at me and Newt. I turn back and walk towards the forest alongside Newt, while he slowly explains all about the maze and the order in the clearing. I also learn that he is the second leader after Alby. While Newt talks, I just stay silent and try to digest the information. "I'm sure you can imagine that it's very confusing for everyone when a girl suddenly shows up when everything was always in order." I nod and swallow hard.

We walk a bit through the forest and finally sit a little off the path by a thick tree. I'm sitting shoulder to shoulder with Newt and I'm very aware of the touch, but it doesn't really bother me. On the contrary: it even feels comfortable. During the conversation I slowly developed a strong sympathy for Newt and I'm now sure that I can at least trust him. We sit in silence for a while and Newt lets me think about everything. Finally, I ask, "Who is this Gally?" The question seems to surprise Newt. "Why are you interested in him?" I turn my head to Newt. He looks at me kind of worried. I avert my eyes and look down at the ground, where I see some ants. "He seems like quite the idiot," I finally reply. Newt laughs. It sounds nice when he laughs and I have to smile. "What's so funny about that?" I ask him. Newt looks at me and grins. "You seem to have a pretty good knowledge of human nature. 'Cause you're right He really is quite the idiot."I have to laugh too. "How long have you actually been here?" I suddenly ask, eyeing Newt with interest. "Me? About a year. Maybe a little longer. There are no seasons here, you know. That's hard to say." "Seriously?" I ask, stunned, staring at the sky. Newt laughs again. I turn my face to him and smile. My heart warms when Newt laughs. I know that's pretty cheesy, but it's true. Newt meets my gaze and he stops laughing and just smiles. Suddenly he grabs my hand and following a sudden impulse I squeeze it. I hear footsteps approaching and quickly let go of Newt. The next moment Gally comes around the tree and scowls at us. "You should explain to her what the maze is and not flirt," he snaps unkindly at Newt. Newt's expression darkens and he jumps up. "Just be careful what you say, Gally!" I quickly get up and stand between the two of them to avoid a fight. "Newt hasn't done anything wrong at all," I say to Gally. Gally's gaze shifts from Newt to me and that disgusting grin appears on his face again. "I'm sure you'd be in better hands with me. Newt has done his job. Maybe we can both spend some time together now." That sounds more like a request than a suggestion, but there's no way I would be spending time with Gally either way. I just didn't like this guy at all. "Forget it!" I snap at him, more rudely than I originally planned."Oh, and why?" Gally asks with a raised eyebrow. I put my hands on my sides and reply venomously: "You know, Newt is actually a very pleasant fellow!" Wow, I don't know myself to be that bitchy. Gally doesn't seem to have expected this either, and scowls between me and Newt for a moment, then turns and runs quickly (and very angrily) away.

"Wow. You gave it to him." Newt says with a big grin and crosses his arms again. I kind of like it when he stands there and I have to grin about the Gally thing too. "It'll be dinner soon. Let's go to Frypan." Newt explained to me that they nicknamed the Cook of Lights (that's what the boys called themselves). Newt and I leave the forest again. Just as we arrive at the edge of the forest, we suddenly hear an incredibly loud roar. I jump, startled, but the noise keeps getting louder and more unpleasant. I spun around to face Newt, who was looking at me worriedly, not seeming to care about the massive roar. I get the idiotic thought that maybe I'm the only one who can hear the noise and I panic even more. But then Newt pulls my arm towards him and puts his arms around me soothingly. He presses my head against his chest and I feel him whispering in my ear "Don't worry... Everything will be fine, it's almost over...". And just as abruptly as the crunching started, it's over again. I unsteadily release myself from Newt's arms, who is eyeing me with such concern that under other circumstances I would have been genuinely touched. "What was that?" I ask, still slightly scared."The gates are closed," Newt explains, pointing in a direction. My gaze follows his outstretched arm and I stare at the gigantic walls. In fact, the gaps that previously formed the gates in the walls have disappeared and there was now rock in their place. "They close every night and open again in the morning," adds Newt. I'm a little embarrassed that I freaked out about it and turn to Newt, cheeks flushed. "Why are you doing this?" I ask, still curious. Suddenly Newt hesitates and a hard expression falls on his face. Something is not right. I take a step towards him. "Newt?" I frown and touch his shoulder. Newt's gaze wanders back to me. "They're protecting us from the Griewern." I don't see anything good in the way Newt says that. "Before the what?" I ask. Newt sighs and rubs his temple with two fingers like he has a headache. "Newt, what are you talking about?" I urge. Newt sighs again and replies, "Listen, I don't want to bother you with this. We can talk more tomorrow. Don't worry. Now let's go eat." Newt smiles, but I know something's still bothering him. Newt takes my hand and pulls me toward a shack that is billowing with smoke. So I decide not to keep talking to Newt and follow him. After all, this is my first day here. I've got enough to think about as it is. When Newt and I get to the cabin, I see that most of the lights are already there, sitting together leaning against tree trunks with bowls of stew. "Wait here. I'll get us something to eat.", says Newt and goes into the hut. Really great.Now I'm standing here alone and absolutely everyone is staring at me. I timidly go to one of the tree trunks and sit on the ground in front of it, leaning my back against the trunk. The boys' eyes follow me. Thankfully, Newt doesn't take long to come toward me, balancing two bowls of stew. When he has sat down next to me and has his first spoonful of stew in his mouth, I ask quietly: "Why is everyone staring at us like that?" "First of all, you are the first girl here. Second, you're doing pretty well." I look at Newt in confusion. "Most newbies curl up in a corner crying on their first day here. Since you're a girl, everyone must have expected you to be particularly sensitive." I open my mouth in disgust. "What do you mean 'since I'm a girl'?" I snap at Newt. Newt raises his hands defensively and I see some of the boys grinning in amusement out of the corner of my eye. "I never had any advantages over you," Newt defends himself. "I hope so too..." I mumble. Newt continues to eat leisurely and continues, "You seem to be taking it all pretty well, anyway. Third, you're really pretty, and fourth, no one can understand how I of all people got the only girl here to have dinner with me." As he says this, Newt grins gleefully. I let my eyes wander over the other lights. A few are still looking over at me and Newt, or at least casually peeking over from time to time. I frown at Newt, who is still grinning, waiting for my reaction. "Are you serious?" Newt shrugs. "Crystal. Why don't you ask them yourself." Of course I don't do that.Instead I grin broadly. "I should always eat with you from now on," I state and Newt laughs. "Malicious woman," he teases me. "You want to do that to them?" I grin even wider. "Well... I'm mostly doing it for Gally." "He deserves it," Newt agrees. After dinner, Alby comes over to us. "Okay, listen, newbie. Tomorrow Newt shows you everything and you decide on a task that you want to take on. Also, we have a small problem. When you arrived, the box was otherwise completely empty. They usually send supplies and a blanket with the newbies. Since you didn't have one with you, we now have one too few. Since there are only boys here apart from you, you are forced to sleep with a boy under the same blanket. And since you get on so well with Newt and he's a decent guy and certainly doesn't do anything stupid, he'll have the honor," he says and walks away. Newt doesn't seem to mind the blanket thing.

"Okay, come with me." He stands up and offers his hand to help me out. I let him pull me up and brush the dirt off my pants. Newt leads me to a small hut in a nearby grove (not the same one we were in before). Newt lays down his guns and takes off his shirt (he's wearing an orange top underneath). Then he goes to a makeshift bed at the far end of the hut. It's just some hay and a blanket. He lies down underneath and beckons to me. At first I hesitate, but since I have no other choice, I lie down next to Newt.Not that I'd mind sleeping with him, but being around Newt was a bit uncomfortable. After all, we hardly know each other and yet Newt is quite okay. Newt wraps the covers around us both and makes himself comfortable. I'm thinking of asking him again about the gates and what they're supposed to protect us from, but I'll put that off until tomorrow. For a while Newt and I lie side by side in silence and I'm wondering if he's asleep when I hear him rustle around in my direction and then ask, "Are you scared?" The question surprises me and I turn to Newt . In the darkness I can just make out the contours of his face. "I don't know," I answer truthfully. "It's pretty damn weird here and yet it's just so abstract that my brain just doesn't get it." Newt grabs my hand and although he's done it before, I get goosebumps this time. "I've been here for so long now. And believe me, I still feel the same way." That cheers me up, but on the other hand it depresses me because I know now that the feeling won't go away. I lie awake for a while, listening to Newt's even breathing, and eventually sleep overcomes me too.