𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 & 𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘-𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮

ELEVEN

"I'll be bunking it with you tonight." Newt said as he dropped his pillow and blanket on the bed. "Scoot over." I must have made a funny face because he just blushed. "You don't have to worry about anything I don't particularly like..." I was confused on why he didn't go on and tilted my head in wonder. "Don't make me bloody say it." He turned a brighter red, but I still didn't understand. He muttered under his breath and came closer to me, whispering, "I don't like girls you bloody shank."

My eyebrows shot up and I blushed at how dense I was. "Oh, I'm sorry-not that you don't uh like girls, just uh, that I made you say it out loud."

Newt just shook his head smiling. "Just move over."

It was quiet without Gally's incessant snoring. Newt snored, but it was small ones that barely filled the space he took. And he was true to his word, once he was out, he was out. But I couldn't find sleep. Jackson still whispered in my head, but not nearly as loud as before. I looked out into the Glade from the open door and wondered if Gally was sleeping right now.

I wanted to sneak out and join him at the Slammers, but I didn't know if that was permitted and I didn't feel like waking Newt up just to ask that. Besides, I can last a week without my usual sleeping buddy.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed but I was finally able to fall asleep. Though, it was like as soon as I closed my eyes the rumbling of the walls shot them open again. I groaned and covered my head with the blanket, finding a comfortable position to fall back asleep. But Newt was up in a second and nagged at me to wake up as well.

"Five more minutes." I mumbled.

"We don't particularly like lazy shanks around here."

"I didn't sleep well last night." I moved the blanket off my face, looking up at Newt.

He only smiled smugly. "Well, I slept great. But you still have to get up."

"But I already tried out the other jobs. And our Keeper of the Builders is indisposed right now, I'm not sure what I would be doing anyway." I tried to bargain. I didn't want to go back out into the Glade, where I knew people were talking about what happened yesterday. Couldn't Newt be sympathetic.

"You'll be with me all week, tending to weeds and such." I groaned and rolled over, hiding under the blanket again. "Sorry, but we got work to do." I felt his hands close around my ankles and screamed as he pulled me out of the bed.

The week crawled by, as if mocking me. I wanted to be anywhere but in the Field, though there was nothing I could do about it. It was halfway through the week and I was practically counting down the hours before Gally was released and I would be free from gardening duty. Though it wasn't completely terrible. I had made friends amongst some of the Track-hoes. They were the ones who hadn't spoken about me and had even tried to get the other boys to stop.

Nico had soon become one of my closer friends amongst the Track-hoes and was actually quite funny. He consistently made jokes and never seemed to run out of them. I have found myself doubling over in laughter most of the time. He definitely made me forget the bleak predicament we were in.

"Hey, jokesters." Newt called out to us, straight faced. "When you're done messing around we need more fertilizer." He picked up a bucket and tossed it to Nico, who caught it clumsily.

I saluted Newt and Nico and I left the Fields to go to the Deadheads. I had never been in the forest before and wasn't expecting the drop in temperature. I wish I was warned so I could have my jacket with me. Nico was a veteran Track-hoe and knew exactly where the fertilizer spot was. He grabbed the shovel from the bucket and scooped the dirt into the pail.

"How do you know that's fertilizer and not just regular dirt?" I asked, watching him do all the work.

"I've been doing this for so long, I know what I'm looking for. You see this?" He pointed to a patch of dirt away from where he was digging. "That's regular old dirt. And this," He pointed to another spot. "That's fertilizer."

"That's literally dirt."

Nico sighed and shook head. "And that's why you're not a Track-hoe."

"Good. I don't want to be one anyway." I heard a crack in the distance and my head snapped to it. I had a sick sense of deja vu and felt fear creeping up my chest. "I think that's enough, right? We should head back now."

"No way. I'm not making another trip out here tomorrow."

There was another snap and my breathing picked up. "Nico, please."

He looked up at me and was about to say something when his eyes went wide. I turned in time for something to hit my temple and I was out in a second.