Run With Me ➵ Newt [2]

TWO | apologies

▬The guard led me down hallway after hallway and to the dining area. The room was large and rectangular with a bar at the side, where a large variety of food was laid out in huge platters. Drinks were served in glasses. There was a long line of people at the bar, selecting their food and picking up their drink of choice. There were tables and benches lined up in numerous rows, with teenagers of all colours and sizes sitting together in big clusters or small groups. Conversations and banters echoed throughout the room.

"How come there's so many people?" I asked the guard, my wide eyes sweeping around the place as I tried to take it all in.

He gave me an incredulous look. "What, you thought you and your friends were the only bunch?"

Before I could ask him what he meant, he walked away.

I stared around me in a daze. What did the guard mean? Was there more than one Maze? How could that be possible?

I was scanning the room for my friends when I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me: "Hey, you lost?"

I turned around and found myself facing a black-haired boy. He was taller than I was by a couple inches and wore a smirk on his face that I knew could only mean trouble. Though his eye colour was different, I couldn't help but think how similiar the boy looked to Mark. The memory of my dead friend brought back the ache in my heart, and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down.

"No," I lied, trying to mask the quiver in my voice. "Leave me alone."

The boy raised his eyebrows. "Rude much? I was only going to invite you to sit with me and my friends."

He nodded to a nearby table, where a group of boys were looking at us. They nudged each other, cruel mischief twinkling in their eyes.

"No thanks," I said coolly. 

I was about to walk away when the boy clamped his hand over my wrist tightly. Before he could even say another word, I reared back my arm and swung a fist into his face, quick as lightning. He released his grip on me and crumpled to the ground, groaning. His hands instinctively flew to his nose, where blood was starting to flow from.

He glared up at me, shock and anger flashing through his face. "You little-"

"Hey, hey, what's goin' on here?"

Before I knew it, Newt was by my side. He stepped in front of me and raised an eyebrow down at the black-haired boy.

"The little bitch just punched me!" He growled.

"'The 'little bitch' is my girlfriend," Newt said coldly. "And for the record, you deserve the punch, ya little shank. Stay away from my girl."

Newt pulled me away before the boy could do or say anything else. I followed him, letting him guide me around the dining area as I tried to ignore the stares I was receiving from the other teenagers.

"You want to eat something?" He asked in a low voice.

I nodded, and he directed me towards the bar, where we joined the line. I picked up a plate of noodles and a glass of plain water, and again allowed Newt to guide me around the room. He and I sat down at a table and I found myself staring at familiar faces.

"Hey, Rose," Minho greeted me. "You've only been in this room for like, what, three seconds? - and you're already getting into a fight."

I rolled my eyes at him as I dug into my noodles. "Whatever. The shuck-face deserved it."