Ineffable | Newt

8.

"You're Katie, right?" An unfamiliar voice caught Katie's attention as she carried a bucket of water towards the kitchens.

Jogging up beside her was the Greenie. Katie didn't like calling him Greenie, but she never found out his name. Katie nodded and resumed her journey; she was almost there when he spoke again.

"I wanted to talk to you." The boy lightly touched her arm, and Katie went rigid, a sense of anxiety flooding her. He noticed and retracted his hand.

Katie turned towards him, and the new boy was dumbfounded for a second but then gained his composure and remembered why he addressed her.

"I'm supposed to work in the kitchens today." He stuttered, and Katie patiently waited for him to speak. "You work there, yea?"

Katie nodded and began walking again, with the boy following behind her.

Katie brought the boy back to the kitchen, where he then stood in the doorway, unsure of what to do. Katie moved around the kitchen, knowing no one else was there, and she had to get him something to work with. She struggled to lift a heavy pot of water onto the stove and start the fire. He stood and watched.

"I'm Ben." He said.

Katie nodded once again, then went to a cupboard. She brought out a stool and stood on it in order to reach and pull open the door. She gathered various vegetables (mainly tomatoes) in her arms and stumbled off towards an empty place on the counter. The entire time, Ben watched her and waited for her to say something, but she didn't, and she got the feeling of fear every time she was about to open her mouth.

She took out a knife to place on the cutting board and pointed to the vegetables she had placed there.

She then walked past him quickly, so he wouldn't see her shaking slightly, and out of the kitchens. Katie didn't want to be with anyone new right now, and she saw Fred and Dart walking back to the kitchen with some meat. They would deal with Ben. Katie walked towards the tree groves, where a few boys were working. Her eyes scanned for Newt, and once they found him walking with a bucket, she walked towards him.

"Hi, Love." He wiped his brow and said."What do you need for today?"

Katie furrowed her eyebrows, then realized he probably thought she was here for food. She shook her head, and Newt set his bucket down.

"You don't need anything." He scrunched up his face in confusion. and Katie nodded.

Then Katie shook her head.

"What?" He inquired, confused by her mixed signals."Shouldn't you be in the kitchens?"

Katie affirmed that she should in fact be working, but then shook her head again because she didn't want to be there. Newt stared at her with his mouth slightly ajar and crossed his arms.

"You're going to have to help me out here." He pleaded.

Katie shook her head and signed that she didn't want to be in the kitchen with the new boy. Newt wiped his face with one hand and sighed before resting it back on top of the other.

"Katie, Ben's there 'cause he's gotta try working in the kitchens." He held eye contact with her. "You need to help him."

Katie shook her head, closed her eyes, and pulled her fist into her chest.

"You can't just leave when you don't want to do something." Newt raised an eyebrow and spoke sternly to her. Katie nodded; in fact, she can leave when she doesn't want to do something.

"I don't want to speak with him." She whispered, but couldn't bring herself to look at the boy in front of her.

"Katie, go back to the kitchens." Newt told her, but Katie took a step away from him and kept her gaze on the ground.

"I don't want to speak with him." Katie maintained such a low volume that Newt could barely hear her. "I don't want to speak with him."

Newt finally picked up on something being off with Katie, and he grew a bit concerned.

"Katie, what's wrong?" He asked and took a step forward, but Katie stepped backwards, still staring at the grass. Newt sighed and bent down on his knees to try and get her to look at him. Her eyes briefly looked at him, but she then left. "I'm going to ask you some questions, yeah?"

Katie nodded.

"Do you have a reason why you don't want to talk to him?"

Katie thought for a second, then shook her head.

"Is it because you don't know him?"

Katie nodded her head.

"Is it because you were alone?"

Katie nodded.

"Would it be better if Frypan was with you?"

Katie's eyes found their way to Newts, and she nodded. Newt sighed in relief.

"Can you go back to the kitchen now?" He hopefully asked, but Katie immediately shook her head and broke eye contact again. Newt thought for a moment.

"What if I brought you?"

Katie looked back at Newt and held out her hand to him. Newt looked at her hand before standing back up on his feet and lightly grasping it with two fingers. Katie let him lead her back to the kitchen, and every so often he would look back to make sure that she was

Newt and Katie entered the kitchen, where Fred and Dart were with Ben, and Frypan was off to the side. Newt mentally jumped for joy; Katie should be alright. He brought her to Frypan, who looked glad to see Katie. Newt gently pulled Katie a bit closer to him and leaned slightly down so he could look at her.

To not draw attention, he signed to ask if she would be okay now, and to his relief, she looked into his eyes and nodded once again. Newt sighed before bidding goodbye to Frypan and walking out.

Instead of going back to the tree groves, Newt headed straight to where Alby would be. The leader was surprised to see his second in command not working, but otherwise was welcoming. Newt pulled Alby away from the two boys he was with.

"About Katie..."