Before Her

Newt 24

A/N
I'm still sick :( :'( I haven't gone to school these past few days.
Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter...
Newt
We were the first pair to get back in the glade. The sun was starting to set, the sky painted a very faint orange. I led Tony into the map room and grabbed paper and pencils for both of us. I gave a piece of paper and a pencil to Tony and told him to map out the route from the day.

By the time I finish mapping out the route I had taken today, most runners had come back. I waited a few more minutes and sure enough, a runner and a runner-in-training walked through the door. I did a head count as I waited for them to finish mapping out the maze. I told the runners-in-training and their runners for the day to place them in separate piles from the other runners and to write down their names and their partners.

I stayed in there that night, comparing maps and going through the reports I had written that week. The stars were out and there was a bonfire happening in the middle of the glade.

While I was in the middle of going through the reports one last time my stomach growled, I pull out my watch to check the time. It was pretty late. My stomach growled again, I could feel the emptiness. That was one of the downsides of being a runner, you were always hungry, even when you had just finished eating, so it was a really bad idea for a runner to not eat on time.

Almost as if someone heard my stomach, the iron door creaked open. My head snapped up to see long honey hair and bright eyes poke through the gap at the door.
'Hi,' was all I could manage, which earned a bright smile.
As she pushed her way through the gap, I wondered what a mess I must've looked. I was leaning over the circular table, paper spread out everywhere covering all evidence of what colour the table might have been.
I reached up and ran a hand through my messy blonde hair.

She was carrying two plates in her hand. One full, the other only half full, the blur of food had been mixed around, the way it always was. As she got closer, the food became clearer, yellow coloured strings peaking out from under a wide splat of red coloured paste, spaghetti.
'Alby told me to bring you your food.'
'Thank god. I was getting hungry,' as if on cue my stomach growled again. She let out a laugh.
'Why didn't you come out and eat then?'
'I was hoping to finish going through these papers and decide who would be the next runner.' She raises and eyebrow. 'And Alby normally brings me my food whenever I'm recruiting a new runner, or he sends someone,' I admit. She smiles and let's out a chuckle.
She sets down the spaghetti right in front of me. 'You have to try this, whatever it's called, I forgot but it tastes amazing.'
'I know. It's called spaghetti. Frypan makes it only once every three months, because there's not enough supplies for the pasta but it's definitely worth waiting for.'
I shove a fork full into my mouth as soon as I finish talking and chew. It's been so long. After a few mouthfuls I slow down.
'So who's gonna be the next runner?'
'I dunno, it's hard to decide. Right now I'm thinking Tony or Leo.'
'Which one's Tony again?'
'Tony has black hair. And Leo's that blonde one you were talking too last time.'
'Yeah I know.' She replies with a smile, eyebrows raised, and all of a sudden I had an urge to not let Leo join the runners, but it passed as quickly as it came.
'Yeah... They both got the their maps right, and are both pretty fit. Ben said that Leo did a pretty good job today out in the maze too.
'How about Tony? What did his trainer say?'
'I was his trainer today. He was pretty good.'
'What are the differences between them?' She asks.
'I honestly think they're both pretty good. Strengths are pretty much the same.'
'Isn't Tony faster?'
'Yeah, how'd you know?'
'I payed attention when you guys were doing training sessions you know? And Tony's more skinny. Which will make him lighter on his feet.'
I smile at her as I continue to chew, I'd moved onto her plate now. 'You're pretty smart.'
She scoffs, 'I'm not smart.'
'Then how do you explain what you just said?' I also wanted to add in all those times she'd helped me get through my troubles (she made a convincing point).
'That, was not smart. That was being observant and using common sense.'
'So now you're saying I don't have common sense?' I grin as she flushes almost as red as the sauce on the spaghetti.
She stutters, 'No, that, that's not what I meant, I mean,' she stops when she catches me grinning at her, a chuckle escapes my lips. She gives me a look and shoves at me, her elbows digging against my ribs. Normally, she wouldn't have been able to move me, but she had caught me off guard. I stepped back a few steps, trying to keep my balance and not drop my plate. The plate I didn't drop, but the spaghetti I did.
'Shuck. That was your fault.' I say, pointing at her.
'I didn't expect you to move!'
I grin at her and eat the remaining strands of spaghetti off her plate. She lets out a huff and bends down, picking up the spaghetti.
I bend down and pick them up as well, placing them back on the plate. She places her handful into the plate. We continue to clean, our hands covered in spaghetti sauce.

Did u like this chapter? Pls vote of u did, and comment if you have any feedback or suggestions. :)