unlucky (newtmas)

10

Newt Lahey was barely even my friend. Prior to three weeks ago, we had spoken to each other maybe four times outside of physics; we had never associated with each other outside of school; we knew absolutely nothing about each other. Despite all of this however, I still had to restrain myself from bolting out the doors of the school and to the hospital immediately.

I didn't stop to think too much about it but I knew this wasn't normal. I also knew I hadn't had a proper friend in a very long time and that I was probably reacting the way only a lonely person would. I didn't know when I suddenly started caring so much about his well being, but I did know Newt was the only person in this school that still saw any good in me anymore, and for that alone I needed to make sure he was okay.

As soon as the final bell rang, I was up and out the doors faster than I ever had before. I probably broke about a dozen traffic laws on my way to the hospital, but the only thought running through my head was oh god oh god oh god--

I burst through the hospital doors in a daze. Disoriented, heart still jumping and dipping, I looked desperately to the woman at the front desk for help when--

"Newt?" I said in disbelief.

Newt turned from where he was leaning against the counter helping an older woman fill out some paperwork. Looking completely taken aback by my appearance, he gaped at me for a moment. The woman he was helping turned to look at me too.

"Thomas? What--hi--" Newt stuttered. He pushed himself off the counter and began a careful walk towards me, obviously hiding a slight limp.

"What happened?" I asked, stepping forward. My every instinct screamed to hug him, but I thought that might be going a bit too far. Instead, I settled for putting my hands on his shoulders, scanning his body for sign of injury.

Newt winced, just a bit. Smiling, he looked me dead in the eye as he said, "I fell down the stairs."

"You're kidding." I shook my head. "Anything broken?"

"A rib or two," Newt said, still grinning. "Nothing to worry about, Tommy."

Relief pooled in my stomach like nothing I had ever felt before. I let my arms drop to my side as I nodded my head to myself. Just then, Newt's eyebrow furrowed, and he looked at me in confusion.

"Are you okay? Why are you--is someone you know in the hospital?" Newt asked, concern suddenly overtaking his features.

Baffled by his question, I raised an eyebrow and said, "Uh--you?"

Newt's look of confusion stayed for just another second more, and then I saw the exact instant everything clicked into place. His face lifted and his mouth opened in surprise. He blinked at me once, then twice, then three times.

And then he started to smile, and it was a smile I had never seen before. It made the bruises on his cheek fade away, brought out the youth in his eyes. It seemed to fill up the entire room. Then a blush, a bright red, breathtaking blush bloomed on his cheeks and burst his entire face into fire. And his smile, his smile for me, stayed right there the whole time.

"Newt?" The woman from before called. Our moment burst.

Newt turned, and to my surprise, he waved her over. She came over looking slightly skeptical, but offered me a warm smile when she joined our group.

"Tommy," he said as he waved at me, "This is my Aunt Gina."

She shook my hand with a surprisingly firm grip. As I took her in, I realized she was much younger than I originally thought; what I had mistaken at first as age lines looked more like stress lines. She held herself in a tired yet refined manner, and her eyes looked old and like she had seen more than she ever wanted to. If I had to guess, I'd assume she was in her late 30s, not her 50s as I had originally guessed.

"Nice to meet you," she said, giving me a look that most definitely paralleled Newt's. It was warm and graceful and the similarities between them seemed suddenly profound. "You're a friend, I presume?"

Before I could answer, Newt interrupted. "He is," another smile, "He's my friend."