Before Her

Jane 29

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Jane
I walk into the infirmary, dragging a very heavy, very tall, very muscular, very annoying and very frustrating seventeen year old boy with me. I throw open the doors to the infirmary, half expecting to be greeted by the usual, redness from bloody bandages, and dozens of boys scurrying around shouting at each other to hand over the medicine, but of course, I was only greeted by a clean and neat infirmary with not a single living thing because there was no one up at this shucking hour and also because I had spent more than an hour yesterday cleaning up the infirmary, just like I did every other evening.

I grab a first aid kit and the rest of the usual supplies before heading over to my usual station, where Newt was already sitting down, patiently waiting like the good, little, frustrating boy he is. He NEVER listens! How many times do I have to tell him that he can't move his arm? How many times do I have to tell him that if he doesn't keep his injuries covered up it will get infected? How many times do I have to tell him that if he doesn't listen to me I will beat the shucking klunk out of him?

I let out a big sigh as I flop down onto my chair, slamming the supplies down before reaching up to tie my hair into a ponytail. I puff out my cheeks as I start to repeat the same routine I did almost everyday with wounds like these. Clean the wound, wipe with antiseptic, wrap with bandages. Finally, I finished wrapping the bandages and I moved to stand front of him so that I would be able to put the sling on him without having to stretch up on my toes.

Through the whole process, Newt stared at me with a weird expression on his face, frowning, eyebrows furrowed. I concentrated on his arm, but I couldn't help sneaking glances a few glances at him and every time I did, he was still staring at me.

The stupid sling wouldn't adjust, I huffed and kept adding pressure on the shucking buckle of the shucking sling. We got supplies, but only things that we absolutely needed and wouldn't be able to make ourselves. So, the slings were old fabric with belt or bag straps sewn together to make makeshift slings.

'Why do you keep staring at me like that?' I finally ask, I couldn't take it anymore, he was staring at me like I was a disgrace to the whole planet.
'What?' If it was even possible, he frown deepened.
'You have a weird expression on your face.'
'Oh, I was just thinking of something Minho said.'
'Did it have something to do with me?' as soon as the words left my mouth, a flush of colour appeared on both his cheeks, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
'What, um no, just umm— why would you think that?' he asks, running his non-injured hand through his hair.
'Because you've been staring at me this whole time,' I reply casually. I finally shifted my gaze from the buckle to him to find a deep scarlet flare across his face. I sigh, 'What did Minho say about me? Wait, actually I don't want to know, because knowing Minho it was something inappropriate, wasn't it?'
'What? No!'
'Really?' I ask, raising an eyebrow, 'Then why are you staring at me like I asked you to run around naked with me wearing flower crowns while we dance to our hearts content in the middle of the glade, screaming about our undying love?'
'Un-un-d-dying l-love?'
'Yes Newt, we are going to tell everyone about our undying love.' His ears turned scarlet, as well as the rest of his head, probably his whole body. He stared at me in horror, his eyes as wide as our dinner plates. 'Shuck Newt, just tell me what's wrong, why are you staring at me like I did something completely unforgivable or that I said something that might confirm that I'm out of my mind?'
'What? It's, it's not you, it's just, I've had a lot on my mind, and I was thinking about something Minho said, and I just, I didn't even realise that I was staring at you. That's all.' He scratches the back of his neck, something I've noticed he does when he's nervous or stressed.
'That's all?' He nods. 'Oh. Well what did Minho say?' Cue the flush, again.
'Ummm, it's n-nothing.'
'Was it about me?'
'No.' His answer was quick and short, he was the colour of a tomato right now and he was scratching the back of his neck, shuffling his feet. He's lying. But why would he lie to me? What did Minho say about me? It couldn't be that bad could it? Why would Minho even say something bad about me? And why didn't they just say it to me?
'Okay, you're done,' I say as I finally manage to adjust Newt's sling, he scrambles out of the chair, bolting out of the door before I could say another word.

~~~

The sun wasn't up yet, but it would be soon, meaning the runners would be gone soon, meaning he was probably in the map room, with the rest of the runners getting ready.

I walk up to the iron door of the map room, hesitating, before grasping the the iron wheel, turning it with all my might before yanking it open. Sure enough, most runners were here, and looked up to see me barge in despite some of their protests. I spot Minho immediately, his laugh could be hear miles away. I grab his bicep and dragged him to a corner, but let's be honest, if he really didn't want to talk to me, I would have been pulling with both hands, pulling with my whole weight, and he probably wouldn't have moved one step.
'Minho, what did you say about me?'
'Huh?'
'What did you say about me to Newt? He's been acting really, really weird this morning.'
'Ohhh,' cue the dimples, ' thaaaaaaat. Nothing, I didn't say anything, not exactly, how was Newt acting strange?'
'Well, he kept looking at me really weirdly, so I asked him why, and he kept stuttering and scratching his neck and he was blushing really, and I mean really, bad. What did you say to him Minho? Can you please just tell me if I did something wrong? I don't want you guys to act this way around me, you're my only friends.'
Minho's face dropped to a deep concern, 'Jane, we will always be your friends okay? There is no doubt about it. You did absolutely nothing wrong. In fact,' he smiles, his dimples showing again, 'you've done the complete opposite.'
'Wait what?'
'Sorry Jane we have to go out now, you know, into the maze. Can't have us returning before the walls close now do we?' He turned to face the other runners, 'alright shuck-faces, we got shucking maze to run.' Just like that, everyone was gone leaving me alone, in the map room.

The rest of the day, I spent in the infirmary, doing everything I usually do to keep my mind off Newt and Minho, until Dan came in and dragged me off to a well overdue lunch break.