ᵒⁿᵉ 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐃 ⁿᵉʷᵗᵐᵃˢ ᵃᵘ (ᶜᵒᵐᵖˡᵉᵗᵉᵈ)

tape and glue

The next morning, Thomas wakes up, Newt still asleep next to him. He leans his head against the tree and watches the road. Then, he sees something. He scrambles to his feet before waking Newt as well.

"Newt!" He hisses. "Newt, we gotta go!" He says.

"What?" Newt says, rubbing his eyes. "Why?"

"It's Paige." He says darkly. 

Newt's eyes widen but he gets up. He looks at Thomas. "What do we do?" He whispers.

Thomas shakes his head. "I don't know."

Newt nods and slips his hand into Thomas's. "Alright. We'll be okay. Let's wake the others."

Once the other two are awake, they stand. 

"So," Teresa says. "What's the plan?"

"Run?" Thomas says, shrugging.

"Wow, you guys never have plans." She says.

"No one asked you." Newt says.

Thomas rolls his eyes then glances back down the road. Paige is still about a mile away, but that's still too close. 

"We really do need to go." Thomas says, gripping Newt's hand tighter. 

"Where?" Teresa asks sharply. "There's nowhere to go!"

Thomas looks around. The field is open for way to long. They couldn't hide. There's a cliff off to one side and the road off to the other.

"I don't know." Thomas says quietly. "Unless..."

"If you suggest jumping off that bloody cliff, I will kill you." Newt says. 

Thomas sighs. "Yeah, yeah..."

He drops Newt's hand and starts walking over to the cliff.

"Tommy!" Newt cries.

"Let him." Minho says. "He won't do anything stupid."

Newt scoffs but lets him.

Thomas walks over to the edge. "HEY!" He calls. "THERE'S A RIVER!"

"SO?!" Newt shouts back. "IT'S STILL STUPID!"

"JUST COME HERE!" Thomas yells.

Newt walks over and puts a hand on his arm. "Tommy, that would be a really, really bad idea. Do you not see all those rocks?"

"It might be our only chance, Newt." Thomas says, looking at the other boy.

Newt sighs. "God, I hate it when you're right."

Thomas smiles. Minho and Teresa walk over.

"Oh, for shuck's sake." Minho says. 

"No, no, he's right." Teresa says, standing by Thomas. "It's the only plan we've got."

"I hate it when you're right more." Newt says.

Thomas chuckles and takes Newt's hand. "Come on then, we'll do it all together."

Teresa grabs Thomas's other hand and he lets her. 

"Okay, three, two, o-" 

"Stop right there."

The four of them spin around to see Paige standing with a gun pointed between them.

"Okay, um..." Thomas whispers. "I think we might want to jump anyway."

"Yeah." Newt whispers back. "Now."

They launch themselves off the cliff and into the water.

They land with a splash and scramble to the other side of the shore.

"Is everyone okay?" Thomas asks.

They all check themselves for injuries. 

"Just a cut." Newt reports.

"Fine." Teresa says.

Minho just nods.

"Great." Thomas says.

Then, he looks up and sees Paige looking down at them. A bullet whizzes past Thomas's head. 

"I think we run now." He says and they all take off. 

More bullets fly past their heads as they run, but none of them get hit. They run until they reach a small forest. They sprint inside and duck behind a few trees. Newt slides down against a tree, a look of pain flashing across his face.

"You alright?" Thomas asks, sitting next to him.

"Yeah." He says. "It's just my leg."

Thomas puts a hand on his knee. Newt winces. Thomas gives him a look.

"Fine." He says. "I'm fine."

Thomas shakes his head. "I'm not an idiot." He says. 

Newt leans back against a tree, closing his eyes. "I'm alright. It hardly hurts, really."

"What happened anyway?" Thomas asks.

Newt turns away from him. "I don't want to talk about it."

Thomas looks at him. "Newt, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Newt says and stands up. "I'm fine. Just drop it."

"I can't just-" Thomas starts.

"You have to." Newt says. He sighs. "I'm alright. You don't have to worry."

Thomas frowns. "If you say so..."

Newt walks away. Thomas sighs and leans back against the tree. Then, Teresa comes over.

"Hi." She says, sitting next to him.

"Hi." He says dully.

"You good?" She asks.

"Whatever." He says. 

Teresa rolls her eyes. "You're very stubborn." He doesn't respond. "What's the deal with Newt? Is he okay?"

"He's okay." Thomas says. "I think."

"Real encouraging." Teresa says. 

"Sarcasm." Thomas says. "Great." Teresa opens her mouth but Thomas stops her. "Just go."

"What?" She says. "Why?"

"You know why." He says. "Just go."

She looks at him, slightly hurt, but gets up and leaves. 

Thomas puts his head in his hands. Why does everything have to be so complicated? He groans.

"Tommy?"

Thomas looks up and sees Newt. 

"Hey." He says.

Newt tilts his head. "Maybe I should be worried about you."

"It's nothing." He says. 

Newt sits next to him. "Okay." He rests his head on Thomas's shoulder. "Do you think Paige'll come after us?"

"Undoubtedly." Thomas answers.

"Well, we're safe for now." Newt says.

"I guess so." Thomas responds. 

"Yeah. I guess so."

A/N: I have what may be the cutest kitten on the planet in my lap right now. She's so tiny. Anyway, thanks for reading. Remember to eat lunch, unlike me, who forgot to take my lunch to school.