Newt and Thomas are fighting out in the Glade. I wonder what's going on?

After I finish bandaging up a younger boy who sliced his arm on one of the knives in the Slicer's barn, I go to find Newt.

With carefully footing, I make it down to the first level, past all the Gladers who are worrying about nightfall. I meet Newt at the entrance to the Homestead, grabbing his arm and pulling him upstairs. We weave between the Gladers who roam the hallways, and finally arrive at our destination, as I close the door behind me.

Newt goes and sits over on my bed, and all I do is lean back against the door, letting my head fall back.

"How much did you see?" Newt asks quietly.

I sigh, but don't make any move to look at him, "Enough to know that you and Thomas were fighting. And that it wasn't one of your usual, dumb, testosteroney fights."

"Did you hear anything?'

"No, I didn't, Newt. Is there something I should hear? Because I'd rather it to come from the person in this place who I actually trust."

His silence motivates me to crane my neck forward, and open my eyes. I study his expression for a moment, trying to pick up on any possible emotion or motive. Nada.

"Newt, you need to talk to me, or I'm going to talk to Thomas. I'm sure he'll have a lot to say."

"Wait, wait. Lori, just, just please wait a bloody moment. Please, let me tell you. I want to tell you." He sounds sincere, but then again, I'm in the middle of a Maze, surrounded by boys, and tonight, man-eating robot-creatures are going to come in here and chew us all up.

Oh the joys of living in the damn Glade.

"Okay. But you have five minutes. I need to help set up before the Grievers get here." I slowly walk over, before cautiously sitting beside him.

"The fight was nothing big, I promise. It was just Tommy wanting us to let that bloody girl out of the Slammer. I said no, and he got very defensive."

"Well, what if that was me, Newt? What if the situation was switched?" I reply lightly.

His face scrunches slightly, as I appeared to have struck a nerve within him.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. If it was, for some reason, you in the Slammer, I wouldn't want you out."

I scoff at his words, partially offended. Newt is quick to raise his hands, waving them rapidly.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean it like it sounded. I meant that, if that was the situation, and the Grievers were gonna show up, I'd think you'd be safer there. The Slammer would keep you safe, because the Grievers would only go after those out in the open. Do you know what I mean?"

"Yeah I get it." I lower my head, ashamed to think that he would want me locked up. He cares, I should understand that by now.

"Speaking of which, Lori, I want you to be in the Slammer tonight." I raise my eyebrows in confusion. "I want you to be safe tonight, Lori. I want you to live."

"Newt, I promise you that I would be perfectly safe anywhere. I don't need to be in a damn dungeon to do that. Please Newt."

"Lori, I don't-"

But I stop him before he can continue, "Please, Newt. I need to help. I need to be useful for once. Please."

"I'm not going to be able to change your mind am I?" He ask with a small eyeroll as he cocks his head to the side. I slowly shake my head in answer.

"But on one condition. You have to at least stay with me throughout tonight. I want to help to keep you safe from the Grievers. Please?"

"Okay. But one last thing. What were you yelling at Thomas for? Near the end of the fight, you looked pretty wound up."

"Thomas said something he shouldn't have. You don't need to worry about it, I promise. Just trust me" He smiles as he stands up, pulling me up also. We stand there for one perfect moment, embracing each other. He's been working today, I can smell the earthy scent of the fields on him.

It makes me so blissful, to think, that within a ruined society and a time of strife, I have found someone who chose me for me.

Then a terrifying thought crushes my happiness. What if this isn't, truly, me? These people have created an awful Maze, creatures of nightmares, and an unknown future. Wouldn't all this, give the idea, that they could also change people?

In a moment of weakness, I let a tear escape.

Newt pulls away, a frowns crossing his face. He brings his hands up, and places one on either side of my fave, "We're going to be okay. He leans down and places a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I'll meet up with you in a few hours. Agreed?"

I nod, before hugging him once more, burying my face in the crook of his neck. I pull away, attempting to compose myself.

"Newt, I-" I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't know what I'd do if you died. Please, don't leave me. I you.

"Yeah, Lori?"

"Be careful" The fear in my voice is palpable.

"Always."

And then we're both walking in opposite directions, off to help others with preparation.

//////////

The time has finally come. We are prepared as we can possibly be. The night has begun.

I stand in the door way of the Homestead, helping to filter as many Gladers as possible into the small space.

After we have finally found everyone a place to sleep, I sit with Newt, Minho, Alby and Thomas in one of the upstairs rooms. As they talk, I braid my hair, tucking it over to make it into a headband sort of thing. This may be a life-or-death situation, but I'm still allowed to look nice, so don't judge me.

I decide to tune in to their conversation, in case they were saying something half-intelligent, they may actually be important somehow.

"Closest I've come so far to hangin' it all up. Shuck it all and kiss a Griever goodnight" Newt was ranting on. "Supplies cuts, bloody grey skies, walls not closing. But we can't give up, and we all know it. The buggers who sent us here either want use dead or they're givin' us a spur. This or that, we gotta work our arses off till we're dead or not dead."

Motivation to fight for our lives, check. This conversation if off to a good start.

"Alby? Are you gonna say anything?" I ask, careful not to hit a fuse.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Good that. But you've seen what happens at night. Just because Greenie the freaking superboy made it doesn't mean the rest of us can" Alby finally speaks. Not very motivational, but he has a fair point. I look around the circle. Most of the boys seem to be considering it, whilst Thomas just rolls his eyes and scoffs.

I've kinda had it with him right now. He needs to fix his attitude. I don't want use all to die unhappy with eachother.

"Got something to say Greenie?" My voice echoes in the small silence, referring to his little eye roll he did less than five seconds ago. He shakes his head, not bothering to meet my gaze. He knows I'm most likely going to be glaring at him.

He's not wrong.

"I'm with Thomas and Newt" Minho pipes up. "We've gotta quit boo-hooing and feeling sorry for ourselves. Tomorrow morning, first thing, you guys can assign teams to study the Maps full-time while the Runners go out. We'll pack our stuff shuck-full so we can stay out there a few days."

My mouth drops in awe. Did I just hear him right?

"What?" Alby basically growls. "What do you mean, days?"

"I mean, days. With open Doors and no sunset, there's no point in coming back here, anyway. Time to stay out there and see if anything opens up when the walls move. If they still move."

They argue for a few moments, talking about who would even go into the Maze. And then, a voice emerges, crushing my hopes.

"I will if I have to" Newt surprises everyone.

"No!" I shout, shocking myself entirely. "No, you can't go out there, Newt. It's too dangerous."

"With your bum leg?" Alby maliciously laughs. Okay, I get why he said that, but the tone was not needed. Especially when Newt is willing to go when others wont.

"Well, I don't feel good askin' Gladers to do something if I'm not bloody willing to do it myself" Newt retaliates.

After a few more snarky comments, apologies were thrown between the Gladers, Alby taking his a little to far.

"Seriously, I'm . . . sorry. I shouldn't be the stupid leader anymore."

Responses were immediate as everyone denied his proposition at the hand.

//////////

Everything was happening so fast. Grievers had finally reached the Homestead, we could hear them whirring outside. But there was something else. Everyone was so busy looking through cracks in the windows, that barely anyone heard the door to the room open.

In the entrance, stood Gally, carrying what seems to be an unconscious girl over his shoulder.

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