Tricked (t.m.r.)

2.4 - Venture

Once everyone had their fill and were unable to stuff any more food down their throats, the room was filled with noises, much to Primrose's annoyance because she was unable to hear anything anyone was saying clearly without being distracted by another person's words midway. There was only one thing in the entire ordeal that had amused her, which is watching Newt gobble down a chicken drumstick like a starved caveman. Once the boy had his fill, he started nibbling on the cheese that was somehow left untouched at the corner of the table. 

Minho had taken it upon himself to announce to the rest of the starving gladers about the availability of food and he was almost run over by the stampede. With Newt's help, the boy also had to force everyone to get in line and not to overeat themselves. Otherwise, they would just get sick and vomit the food they had consumed and that would be a waste because none of them know when would their next meal be. Somehow Thomas wasn't woken up by the boys and after making sure everything was in order, Minho grabbed two apples and went to wake him up to get food into his system.

Newt had his arm resting across Primrose's shoulders, and the boy was cheerfully joking around with Winston and Liam. For a fleeting moment, it felt like they were back in the glade without the monstrosity of young deaths to haunt them. When she noticed the bands around his wrist were sliding down, she reached out to make the adjustments for him. For as long as she could remember, he always had them covered, and it wasn't until when he saved her from falling off the cliff when she found out what he had been hiding.

When Newt felt her touching his wrist, he turned his attention to her, breaking into a timid smile. Primrose returns it and leans into him, "Looks like we're scar buddies, eh?"

He brushed her hair away from her eye, "Yours is more badass than mine."

"Equal." She insisted. "We have battle scars." 

"Oh look, Thomas's finally joining us, and I swear I will choke him if he says Teresa's name one more time." Liam rubs his palms against his face in annoyance. "Honestly, I don't get how the rest of you haven't stuffed his face in yet, oh wait, it's cause the two of us are connected to him huh?"

"Yup." Daniel nodded in response. "But technically, you might not feel anything cause choking is not painful."

"Says the person who clearly was never choked." Primrose teases, bringing up her hands and leaning across the table. "How about having your first experience now? My treat."

Daniel stared wide-eyed back at her and tried to hide behind Liam, "No, thank you." 

"Hmm, pity." Primrose sighs in disappointment before settling back in her seat. She could tell the anxiousness  the other gladers had before were starting to wear off after they had eaten, which is a terrible sight to behold because she knew WICKED had something else planned for them. 

She didn't have the heart to tell them to be ready for the next trial, seemingly deciding to let them act their ages and not worry about their lives for once. She would just need to do her best when time comes. 

"A penny for your thoughts." Newt nudges her when he noticed her eyes had drifted away from the conversation at the table. 

He was definitely the last person she wanted to share her depressing thoughts with, "Nothing, I'm just thinking of the things I left behind in the glade. The butterfly pins you made, my flute, my cyr wheel... The lives that we knew."

Also Ben, Jeff, Gally.

"I know, but we're a step closer to finding a home." Newt squeezes her by her shoulders, sounding a lot more hopeful than she had anticipated. 

The metal doors that were camouflaged as a wall broke away from the middle, revealing a man who was sitting at a table frowning at the papers in his hands. All activities in the room ceased at his introduction.