Ineffable | Newt

9.

Newt waited with Minho and Alby for Katie to be finished serving dinner. He told the two about what happened with Katie, and both of them told Newt that no other boy had done anything like that.

"Maybe being the only girl is affecting her." Minho scratched his head. All three of the boys were completely stupid as to why Katie was different from the other boys.

"Don't think it's just that." Newt's eyes left Katie's figure and went to the two men with him. "She doesn't understand if something's weird or not."

Alby and Minho both look dumbfounded. Alby rubbed his chin, and the three boys observed Katie; she stood with Frypan as he spoke to her, and they poured soup for everyone. She nodded toward boys and looked up at Frypan every so often.

"She says she's more comfortable signing than talking, even when she's comfortable with us," Minho said.

"And you need to ask specific questions if you want to get anything out of her," Newt added, "otherwise she's quiet."

The three men stayed with their eyes on the girl for a few more seconds before Alby spoke.

"We know she's different," he calculates for the young lady."You just have to deal with whatever makes her different." "It's not like we can pretend she's another one of the guys, because she's obviously not and needs different treatment."

Newt and Minho nodded in agreement as their attention remained in their circle for now.

"She trusts you two," Alby continues, "and I want you to look out for her, help her, understand?"

Newt and Minho exchanged glances before nodding their heads at Alby, who then bid goodbye and left. They didn't mind looking out for Katie; they looked out for all the Gladers. And they'd be lying to themselves if they said they didn't find her intriguing.

"Think she can sing?" Minho asked Newt. Newt never thought about that; everyone knew her regular voice was beautiful, but he didn't think of her singing.

"I doubt she'd sing for us."Newt crossed his arms, and Minho smirked and shrugged.

"We can always get her drunk and see." He teased, and Newt laughed.

"She'd get shuck-faced drunk with one sip." Newt's eye went back to Katie. "She's tiny."

Minho and Newt laughed together. Newt looked over the glade at the other boys; they seemed to be doing okay for now. Soon they'd have to go to bed. Minho lightly slapped Newt's arm to get his attention. Newt looked at the boy.

"Here comes the Princess." Minho motioned his chin towards the kitchens, where Katie was making her way over to them, her head down and avoiding everyone.

"Princess?" Newt raised an eyebrow, and Minho mirrored his expression with a smirk.

"Love?" He retaliated, and the two laughed again as Katie approached.

She walked up to them silently and waited for them to stop laughing. Her arms were clasped behind her back patiently, and she softly smiled at the two boys having fun.

"Hello." It was the first time that she's ever greeted someone first, and needless to say, the boys were shocked.

"Hey, Katie." Minho says. "You said 'hello'; nice job."

Katie smiles proudly at herself and straightens up her back, which is a very cute act because she is so small. She then turned to Newt and signed that she wasn't going to run out of the kitchen again before laughing.Newt joined in, and Minho looked confused. Newt, being the one who picked up Katie's signs the quickest and could understand a lot more than the other boys, had no problem when she signed faster and more complicatedly. If anything, she did it so that only Newt could understand her.

"I almost spoke to Ben." Katie murmured, even though she knew no one else could hear them.

Katie gave Newt a proud look; she needed different treatment, but they needed to know what kind of treatment.Being proud of something that she was proud of seemed like a good start.

"Great, love, "Was it easier with Frypan there?" He asked.

Katie nodded, then moved her hand from behind her back to her mouth and yawned. Her fingers ran through her hair, and the two boys waited for her to say something. When she didn't, they thought that she was all out of words.

"Tired?" Minho asked Katie; she thought for a moment and then nodded.

"You wanna sleep?" Newt softly asked Katie. She shook her head and stepped closer to the two boys.

Katie tilted her head to the side and signed that she wanted to stay with them.

"Everyone's gonna sleep soon." Minho tells her, but Katie shakes her head.

She shook her head while placing a flat palm on her chest, then extended her arms to her sides. Minho and Newt exchange looks; what were they supposed to do?

"Uh..." Minho tried quickly to come up with a solution. "You want one of us to stay with you while you fall asleep?"

Newt didn't expect Minho to come up with that, but nonetheless, he nodded his head in agreement. Katie lifted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. Katie thought about the offer for a bit before slowly nodding her head.

Newt and Minho once again looked at each other, then back at Katie.

"I'll bring a sleeping bag to your room and stay on the floor." Minho spoke to Katie. "Yea?"

Katie smiled at Minho and nodded.

"Newt, take her to her room," Minho said as he began to back up."I'll meet you there."

Newt nodded to Minho as the boy jogged off to get a sleeping bag. Newt motioned for Katie to follow him, and he headed towards Homestead at a pace that she could comfortably follow.

Katie raised an open palm to her chest and pointed to Minho's vanishing figure.Newt looked at her.

"You do?" He asked her, and she nodded.

She smiled as she placed an open palm to her chest and pointed at Newt.

Newt chuckled down at the girl.

"I like you too," he said, "and Minho." "We all like you."

Katie smiled to herself, happy that they liked her as well. Newt opened the door for her at Homestead, and she entered and went up the stairs; he followed. They entered her room.

"Think you can start getting comfortable talking to new people?" Newt waited in the doorway and leaned against it.

Katie sat on her bed and looked at Newt for a few seconds before she responded. She shook her head with an open palm on her chest and then taped her chin with her hand twice.

He tapped his temple twice, "but maybe slowly you can start?"

Katie looked down at her sheets; there was a loose thread that she started to pull at. Katie did end up almost speaking to Ben; it was a lot easier when Frypan was there. Maybe she could do that more? It seemed like Newt wanted her to try, and she could try for him. Katie nodded her head and looked back up at the boy in her doorway.

"I can try." Katie returned the smile that had spread across his lips.

Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs as Minho approached. Newt looked at Katie once more.

"Sweet dreams," he said.