Love in the Maze (Newt x Reader)

8. The Cliff

The next day, Y/N got up at dawn to quickly have breakfast, get her gear and then wait for her partner at her assigned door. Newt wasn't usually late...he normally is the one waiting for her! 'I'll just give him another 5 minutes', she told herself, knowing Newt might be talking to Alby or doing so quick S.I.C stuff. She waited for another 5 minutes, and he still hadn't shown. "Where could he be?", Y/N muttered angrily to herself, getting worried and frustrated that he wasn't here yet. She looked at her Runner watch: it read 6:00am. Normally they would've left at 5:45am, but it was now 15min later and Newt was still missing!

She breathed out a frustrated sigh, not knowing whether to see where he was or just go. But that problem was solved when the Keeper of the Runners, himself, came up to her with his gear already on.
"Morning, Y/N!", he chirped as he approached, "Ready to go?". Y/N was now confused as hell. Where was Newt? Why was Minho here and not running with Marco?
"Where's Newt?", she asked the first question that had came to her mind.
"Newt's not feeling so well today, he's just gonna stay here and help Alby. The lucky shank...I have never had a sick day since I became a Runner. Got to stay in tip-top shape", Minho explained as he readied himself to run. "So today, I am running with you while Marco runs with Ben". Ben was fully healed now and after having some training to strengthen his body again, he was let back into the running business. Y/N just nodded and got herself ready as well.
"Let's go!"
After Minho shouted that, the two jogged out of the Glade, into the East opening.

There were twists and turns that Y/N didn't remember were there yesterday. But then she remembered Alby explaining how the Maze changes every night. This triggered a question in her head. "How do you map this shuckin' place if it changes all the time?". Minho didn't answer, instead he just kept running around corners, not taking his eyes off his way. Y/N just sighed and continued to look at her route and memorise it as best as she could. "Remember not to talk while running, it will only hinder your breathing and deplete your energy levels", Newt had warned her before starting her first training session. They were to run around the Glade 5 times to see if she could not say a word. The H/C haired Greenie could run without talking, so long as she didn't have anything on her mind. But that question really got to her. 'If the maze changes all the time...how are we meant to find a way out?', now she was worried and started to panic. They would never find a way out if this shank of a Maze continued changing every night! Y/N just shook it off and continued running, following Minho around every twist and turn.

~Elsewhere~

Newt left the kitchen and went to find Zart. He wanted something to take his mind off a certain Runner, and hacking into the ground would definitely do it. He had taken the day off so he could regain his focus. After yesterday, he had started to forget his situation and his job. He was meant to find an exit and help everyone escape. NOT fall in love with the bloody Greenie! Newt was also feeling a little light-headed from yesterday's run. The run was a lot longer than the usual one as Y/N had found the new area, so (Technically) he was telling Minho the truth this morning when the Asian boy came looking for him. He was a bit surprised that Y/N didn't come to find him and drag his bloody ass into the maze.

"Hey Newt, what you doing here? Thought you'd be runnin' ", Zart welcomed the tall blonde as he was picking out weeds in the vegetable patches.
"I wasn't feeling well so I asked Minho for the day off. Thought I'd come help you Track-hoes out", Newt casually explained as if it didn't matter. Zart was more than happy to recruit the boy, it was going into Winter and he was needing assistance left, right and centre! As Newt struck the ground with a shovel, all he could really think about was Y/N. About her smile, her laugh, her eyes...her everything. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realise Zart was looking at him amused.