Once In A Blue Moon

Eleven

The next day, after another day of work and before the sun was beginning to slip beneath the walls of the Glade. Newt led you to a room in the Homestead you had never been in before. You noticed that the expression he wore was unhappy -- almost angry.

Unlike many other rooms in the building, it had a door made of a silver metal. Inside, there was a semi-circle of old, wooden chairs. All of the chairs were full except for the two on the far left side. Another boy with dark hair sat in one and a blond kid in another. There was another chair facing the rest of them. 

You were instructed to sit in the one facing everyone, your face turning a bright red as you did. You counted nine boys there, counting Newt. 

"Where's Minho?" Nick asked Newt. "This was his shuck idea."

"How would I buggin' know?" Newt replied, sitting down to the right of the leader. "I'm not his bloody mother."

"Then why don't you wait for him while you tell me why it looks like we're about have a show and tell session," you suggest. 

Newt laughed, and some of the other Gladers gave you a weird look. The dark-haired boy spoke next, "She's right. Minho's done this before. He doesn't need an instruction manual."

You nodded, turning to Newt and Nick. "Someone tell me what we're doing here."

"Should I just put it out there?" Nick asked. The other Gladers nodded. It occurred to you only then that the boys present were all the Keepers. One of the empty chairs must have been for Gally. "Alright. Y/n, Minho had the idea to make you a runner, and it's standard procedure that we vote on it."

You were shocked that, of all things, that was why you were here. "A runner?" you asked, amazed that something you had been denied before was suddenly presenting itself in front of you now.

At that, Minho burst into the room. "Sorry I'm late, I completely forgot. I realized I couldn't find any Keepers and-"

"You want me to be a runner?" you blurted out. He looked toward Nick as he sat in his seat at the far end of the half circle.

"I see you've started without me," he commented. 

Nick didn't hesitate before he retorted,  "Glad to see you here on time, Minho."  Minho rolled his eyes, fiddling with a watch he wore on his wrist. He spoke to the group next, "So we'll start with Zart down there" -- he pointed to the last seat on the left side, where the Keeper of the Gardeners sat quietly -- "and work our way around. Ending with Minho."

Zart sat up straighter and nodded. He cleared his throat before he spoke. "I really like Y/n as a Track-Hoe, and I'm not going to lie about it. She's strong and smart, but I don't see any reason for her to waste time in the garden when she's clearly capable of running the Maze. I vote for her to become a runner, no doubts about it."

Nick nodded, pointing to Fry, who was next in the line. "Look, guys, I'm not sure Minho will ever shut up about the day Y/n almost beat him in a race. I know nothing about the Maze or what's out there, so I say if Minho trusts her as a runner, I do too. Besides, Dan deserves a replacement who can live up to the job." 

You smiled at Fry as the next dark-haired Keeper voted you for runner. Winston was next around the circle. 

"I get she's strong and smart and all that stuff, but runners carry weapons. I've seen this girl try to use a knife and nearly slit her own wrists on accident." Winston let a moment pass before he continued. "In the Glade, we're all about order. If we don't keep things running straight, we lost track of where we're going. We've never made a Greenie a runner, no matter how close they came to beating Minho in a race. Things are going too good to start bending procedure now. I'm sorry, but I say no."

Nick nodded. Two more Keepers spoke, one voting for you and one against. You sat on your hands as Newt spoke next.

"I'm with Winston," he started. You gave him a confused look, but no look of regret washed over his face. "I'm not gonna buggin' beat around the bush about it, either. I get she's strong and hard working and smart and all that, but she's been here maybe three weeks. I know what it's like out in that Maze. There's a reason I work in the garden now. And, now that we've seen a Griever out there in the middle of the day, I'm reluctant to even let the strongest of us go out there. But Y/n, she doesn't even know about the Changing or-"

"I think we get the point, Loverboy," Minho said as you thought about what Newt had said. Had you heard him clearly when he said he knew what it was like in the Maze? Surely he had never been out there himself! "But if you're gonna say that she shouldn't go out there just because you're madly in love with her, then I'm gonna have to say I think old George has more of a brain than you do right now."

"It's not that-" Newt started to say, standing up as his face grew red with anger.

"Slim it, you two!" Nick called. "Newt, sit back down. Winston just gave us a nice speech about order and I don't want you, of all people, Newt, messing it up."

Newt sat down slowly, looking into your eyes. His face seemed to read 'sorry.'

"Newt, are you done?" Nick asked, facing the angered boy.

"I vote no," Newt answered, his voice stoic.

"Good. Next," Nick said, turning to his left. Two more Keepers spoke, both saying that you should become a runner. After them, everyone gave a silent glance towards Gally's chair before moving to Minho.

"I think my opinions been pretty shuck clear from the start," he spoke. "Besides, she's already got the majority."

"Okay, then. It's seven to three. Y/n's a runner. Minho will start training you sometime soon, probably," Nick informed you. "Meeting adjourned."

"Tomorrow morning," Minho said to you as you stood up. "Bright and early."

You nodded and smiled.

Newt still sat in his chair once everyone but him and you had left the room. The room had grown dark, lit by only a dying flame on a torch in one corner of the room. You sat where Nick had been sitting, next to the boy. The wood of the chair was still warm.

"Newt, I know you don't like this," you told him, trying to think of a way to convince him you would be okay in the Maze.

"I don't like this at all," he repeated. He looked up to you, elbows on his knees as he hunched over. "But I do trust Minho. I know he's the best runner we have. And I also know that you're extremely capable of being a runner." -- he sat up straighter, placing the palm of his hand on your knee. "So I know that you're going to be okay."

You smiled softly, knowing that he most likely doesn't believe what he's saying, but appreciating how he is trying to be supportive.

"I promise I will be, okay?" you agreed. He pulled you in for a kiss. His gentle touch never failed to spread a different king of warmth through you. 

When he pulled back, you added, "Especially with that motivating me to get home early."

He laughed. "Don't get home too early. You are trying to get something done, you know." He stood up and offered you his hand, which you took. He pulled you up into a hug, where he buried his face in your neck. His soft breaths tickled your skin as they ran down your neck. 

You pulled away from him after a minute or two, taking his hands in yours and leading him to the door. "Come on, I bet Fry made dinner good tonight."

As you vacated the room with a now smiling Newt, you noticed that your hand, which was held lightly in his, swung to the rhythm of your feet stepping on the grass below.