Ten | newtmas

seven

    Finally, Chuck calms down all the way until he's fully asleep again. The boy, Thomas, continues to rock him for a while. He still hasn't noticed me when theres a sound from outside our door and he looks there, panicked. He lays Chuck down gently and I lie down, out of the light. I watch as Thomas gets up, sneaking out of the door without a look back.

    I hesitate on what to do next. Should I get up and get Chuck into bed? If I wake him up, will it happen again? Plus, I'm pretty weak and I'm not sure I can lift him onto the bed.

    I get out and walk over to him, then yank the blanket off his bed and put it on him. On the way back, I finish my tens.

    I try to snap as quietly as possible, but you could hear a pin drop in here. I wince until they're done then climb into bed.

    I should really talk to Chuck about all this and see what I can do to help and how. Is that boy, Thomas, Chuck's friend he's been raving about? How could just someones name calm you down so much?

    He came in here so fast. He can't be a doctor, unless Chuck really likes the doctors here. That kid didn't look old enough to even start med school. He was in here so quickly nobody from outside had time to arrive.

    I look at the clock hanging on Chuck's side of the room. Its four in the morning, so I decide to get the two extra hours of sleep before we're woken up by God knows what.

    I turn around and put my head down, drifting to sleep thinking about the events that just occurred.

    "Time to-"

    "I got it. I'll get him up," I hear Chuck interrupt the strange lady. Suddenly I feel Chuck next to me, shaking my shoulder.

    "C'mon Newt, get up. Breakfast!" Chuck says, while flapping me around.

    "Okay, okay," I say groggily, almost chuckling a little at his childish behavior and sitting up. I stretch out my arms, while last night comes flooding back.

    I decide to talk to him later, he clearly wants to get to breakfast.

    "Get dressed!" Chuck instructs. I go over to my clothes and pick out some things to wear before looking back at him, staring at me.

    "Uh..." I say, looking down at my clothes.

    "Oh, yeah, duh. Sorry, I haven't had a roommate in forever. I can't wait to tell everyone. I'll go do something," Chuck says, sitting on his bed and turning away from me.

    I quickly change into my new outfit. I'm beyond scared to go to breakfast today, I'm probably going to be worse than ever. I take my medication after breakfast so this is going to be a train wreck. Once I have everything on, I turn to Chuck, snapping.

    "Hey Chuck?" I ask.

    "Can I turn around?" he asks.

    "Yes," I say. He turns around, smiling still.

    "I'm really nervous," I tell him, somehow comfortable enough to let him know.

    "About breakfast? Listen, I won't leave your side. I'll introduce you to everyone. They'll love you, I promise," Chuck says.

    "Okay," I say, still not sold.

    "Let's go!" Chuck says, bounding towards the door. I look down, and my breathing becomes tight.

    "Uh, you can go ahead. I'll meet you there," I say, even though the thought of trying to find him in there sounds like pure torture.

    "Why?" Chuck says. I just look away uncomfortably until Chuck realizes. "Oh," he says.

    "Don't worry about it. You're fine, Newt. I'm not in that big of a rush," Chuck says. I can't help but feel bad as I walk towards him to the door, taking exceptionally large steps. "Okay, Newt, don't look crazier than you already are. I'm fine waiting a couple of seconds," Chuck says, and I laugh at his words. Actually laugh. Its been a while.

    Turns out, its not that bad, because Chuck's too busy talking to notice he's stopping every couple of seconds. Which isn't really too fun because the dining hall isn't the closest. Finally we get there and Chuck flies in, jumping excitedly.

    "Guys!" I hear him exclaim. I walk in while I'm on one, so I can finish while I'm sitting.

    The dining hall is filled with boys, some young, some older. None too old though. They must be the eighteen to twenty five group that was mentioned to me yesterday. The older ones sit at one table, and the younger ones sit at the other. The older group don't look up, but the section of the young people table closest to us does.

    "Yeah?" A boy with black hair and a long face says, looking to Chuck, then me. The whole side of the table is looking at me, actually, which makes me feel like I'm about to pass out.

    "I got a roommate!" Chuck practically yells. The boys smile at Chuck and mumble their congratulatory words, before turning to me again.

    "His name is Newt, and he's a Normal," Chuck says.

    "Really," a boy says. I look to him and he looks like he could beat me up with a glare. "Lets just see. Sit down, Newt. I'm Minho," he says. I smile weakly as I sit down on the end with Chuck.

    "Okay, I'll introduce you to everyone," Chuck says, while I tap my feet quietly nine times.

    "That across from you is Winston," he says, pointing to the boy from before with the black hair.

    "Next to him is Jeff," he says, pointing to who apparently is Jeff. He looks my age, bored, but kind.

    "Then theres Frypan, which isn't his real name, but he helps out in the kitchen because he seems to be recovering enough to let him," Chuck says. Frypan gives me a smile then returns to his food.

    "Then theres Zart, also not his real name. We just call him that. I can't remember why," Chuck says. Zart shrugs.

    "Then you met Minho, actually his real name," Chuck says. I snap quietly under the table while bouncing my knee in tens, waiting for this to be over.

    "And theres Aris. He's fifteen, and he's surprisingly good at piano," Chuck says. Aris, a thin boy with stringy brown hair, nods in my direction. I look back to Chuck.

    "And- perfect timing! Last but most certainly not least, is Thomas," Chuck says. I turn to look where Chuck is pointing, and it's towards the door.

    Thomas is just entering the hall when he turns around at the mention of his name. I suddenly stop my knee bouncing and snapping altogether, my breath catching.

    So that's Thomas.