How I survived in an all boys glade

Chapter Twenty-seven

- Disgusted -

"Hey," Theo says as he walks into my hut, finding me curled up beside Newt. "I got her some tea," he adds, handing me a warm cup. I look up and take it from him with a soft "Thanks..." and take a sip. The warmth soothes me a little, but the discomfort still lingers.

"How are you feeling?" Theo asks, sitting at the end of my bed, his expression concerned.

"Disgusted," I reply blankly, staring at the cup in my hands as I take another sip. The word feels hollow, but it captures everything I feel.

"I understand," Theo nods, processing my words. His voice softens as he shifts slightly, trying to make me feel a little more at ease in the quiet of the room.

"Hey," Newt says gently from beside me, taking my hand in his. His touch grounds me, and I look at him. "You don't have to worry about him anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you." His words fill the room with a sense of safety and warmth. I lean into him instinctively, grateful for the comfort he's offering.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice barely audible. Newt and Theo have been my rock through all of this, and I can't even begin to explain how much their presence means to me right now.

We sit there for a while, talking and slowly easing the tension, until we start joking around, the mood lightening as I begin to feel a bit more like myself. But as the time passes, we all know it's almost time to head to the eating area for dinner.

"I'm sure Alby wouldn't mind if we brought you some food, though," Theo says, trying to get me to join them. I'm looking through my drawers for a hoodie since it's gotten colder. "Really, I'm fine, I just need to get this day over with," I tell him as I pull out a hoodie from my drawer.

"Isn't that my hoodie?" Newt asks, catching me off guard. I glance at him, then back at the hoodie. "Maybe?" I say with a shrug, which makes Theo laugh slightly. I can see the smile on Newt's face, but he doesn't say anything.

As I pull the hoodie on, Newt's gaze lingers on me. I don't think much of it, so I just shrug it off and head toward the door.

"Well, are you coming or not?" I ask, smirking at them as I walk out. I can hear Theo's chuckle behind me, and when I glance over at Newt, I notice his cheeks are slightly flushed, but I quickly assume it's just the cold wind.

"SHE-BEAN!" Minho suddenly yells from across the eating area, and before I can react, he's running over to me. In a quick motion, he picks me up in a bear hug before setting me back down. "Are you alright? The guys just told me what happened," he asks, his voice full of concern.

I let out a laugh. "I was quite grossed out, but I'm fine now. Theo and Newt cheered me up." "I can see that," Minho teases with a sassy tone, his eyes darting down to my hoodie. "Not like that, Minho, ew," I playfully shove him, rolling my eyes, before heading to the table where the others are already sitting.

"Hey, Y/n," Alby greets me warmly as I sit down beside Andrew. Minho, now seated on the other side, looks at me with a grin, his plate already in front of him. "I talked to Jack about what happened, and he's really sorry."

If Alby is asking me to forgive Jack right away, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. "If you're asking me to forgive him, it's gonna take me some time," I tell him, my voice steady but firm, as Theo hands me my plate of food.

"I know, I totally understand," Alby responds quickly. "And he's going to be punished for what he did. He'll be spending the night in the slammer." I nod in understanding as I take my first bite of food, relieved to know Jack will face consequences.

After dinner, I spend the rest of the evening just hanging out with Newt, Theo, and Minho in my hut. We talk, joke, and simply enjoy each other's company. It's a welcome distraction, and I feel a little bit lighter as the hours pass, the warmth of their friendship helping me push aside the dark cloud of what happened earlier.