I would never forgive Chuck for this.
Out of all the boys it could have been on the toilet, it absolutely had to be Newt.
Ahead of me, Chuck screamed, "Don't look back!"
Too late. My head had already turned, and I saw that, despite his limp, my pursuer was a lot closer than I'd thought. Shuck. Why didn't he look angry? Why did his eyes hold a strange glint in them? Why did he look like he was trying hard to stifle a grin?
These thoughts slowed me down, and before I knew it, he'd caught up to me. I didn't stop, though. Neither did he. In his determination to take revenge on me for Chuck's prank, he sent us crashing onto the grass.
Pain lanced through me as I landed hard on my back, Newt on top of me. Shuck, that hurt. Not as bad as the time Gally had shoved me over, though. I bit back a wince, blinking before looking into the face of the boy who had sent us hurtling to the ground.
There was a shocked expression on his face. Sweaty golden-brown hair fell into his wide eyes, which were staring down at me. For a moment, time froze. There was only those eyes, looking into mine.
"I'm sorry!"
He broke it with those two words, scrambling off me. To my horror, I felt heat crawling up my face. Shuck. "No," I got out, looking away. "It was my fault." Not. It was Chuck's, but I didn't want the kid to get in trouble.
We both got to our feet. My face was burning. I was such a shucking idiot. What would I get for it? The Cliff? The Grievers? The Slammer? No, I thought desperately. Not the Slammer. Please, please not the Slammer. Another minute in there, and I'd die.
But Newt still didn't look mad. Quite the contrary, he looked...
Shuck.
Was he blushing?
In the back of my mind, I wanted to grin. But I was fighting too hard to stop my face from heating up even more than it already had. Why was he blushing? It's just hot, I thought. It's just hot here, that's all.
Who was I kidding? The weather was always the same here.
"I'm sorry," he said again, dragging a hand through his already-tousled hair.
I was speechless. And disturbed, too, by how attractive I found it when he messed up his hair. I subtly pinched myself, rebuking myself for even having the thought. Then I realized I'd been thinking it for a while. What the hell is wrong with me?
I heard a snicker. From the corner of my eye, I saw Chuck and Thomas standing by the trees. They both had wide smiles stretched wide across their faces. No! I quickly faced Newt again, my face burning with the fires of hell.
I should not have tried to spy on you in the bathroom, was what I wanted to say. But when I opened my mouth, nothing came out.
The look on his face killed me.
Even as he said, "I need to go help Alby," and brusquely walked away.
I didn't realize I'd been watching his retreating figure until Chuck and Thomas approached me, both giggling like maniacs. "Wow," Chuck said. He looked like his birthday had come early. "Wow."
"I've been wanting to ask all week," Thomas added. "Is there something going on between you two?"
"No," I said without any thought. Of course not. It was an automatic answer. I didn't know why things had suddenly become so awkward between Newt and me, after a week of almost no interaction. Yes, you do, a voice in my head screamed furiously. It was a few minutes ago, when you almost spied on him in the bathroom! And he chased you outside, and you went crashing to the ground together!
