She's My Glue// Newt

Alby knows, Alby knows...

When Tegan got covered in mud I did too. While I was waiting for a shower I recruited Chuck to change Tegan's bed. Mud was splattered on it. Wouldn't be very nice to sleep in. That's all.

"Newt." I heard a familiar voice yell my name.

"Gally." I say calmly.

"Just wanted to say sorry. For the way I treated the girl." Gally muttered.

I can see a black eye growing. He was violent with her, serves him right.

"Tegan. That's her name." I say.

Gally smiles mischeviously, "Methinks some shank fancy her." Gally said smiling.

How is this funny? It's not.

"Who?!" I say anger coursing through my veins.

My hands clench into fists. I will smack that person.

Hard.

Very, very hard.

"You." Shuck.

"Urrhhh no." I say brushing myself down quickly.

"I know Newt. I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way your hands just went into fists. Just be careful. We don't know her." Gally says firmly but his smile a mile wide.

I hear knocking from the door and run there with Gally close at my heels.

"Hey, Tegan. Sorry if I was a bit violent earlier. I worry about everyone and the Glade. I've got a hot head too. Now that I've cooled it I wanted to apologise." Gally says humbly.

Tegan nods and takes it into her stride, "It's okay. Forgive and forget." She says kindly.

Tegan then glides past me like some kind of angel and I just stare after her stupidly. I get a light slap across the back of my head from Gally.

"Take a shower Romeo." Gally whispers loud enough for me to hear but not Tegan.

I go in the now open cubicles and wash all the mud of myself. As soon as I get out of the shower and dressed with some other clothes I get bombarded.

"Newt! How is Tegan?" Alby says urgently.

"Sh-"

I can feel tears fall onto my face all of a sudden, the ones I've been holding back.

"Come in my tent. Quick." Alby say considerately.

When sat down on Gally's hammock and Alby on his facing me I speak, trying to stay calm. (Doesn't work).

"She told me. She showed me. I just had to sit there, listening to her howling self hate at herself and sobbing and screaming. I feel and felt sick to the stomach. Why does she think this stuff?" I pause dramatically, letting two or three tears fall. "I felt useless Alby," I gulp back more tears. "Shucking useless. I just listened to her. Comforted her more. I didn't know what to do with myself."

"Well, that was the right thing to do. Especially in Tegan's case." He pauses, "You've felt similar I suppose at one point. Well, a similar saddness and self-hate. I know that. See you understand. That's why you're the glue as that note said." Alby said calmly.

I did find a note saying that I was 'the glue' when I first arrived at the Glade. Found it after a week. I now know what it means.

"Newt, protect her. I know that you fancy/ like her. So protect her, catch her when she falls, and when she succeeds, watch her shine."

I blush a bright beetroot colour. Alby knows me alright.

"I'm sorry. She's just so, so? Ugh."

Alby chuckles at me and says he knows, he knows.

"Hey, Newt. Bonfire party tonight yeah? Speak to Tegan about jobs." Alby says excitedly.

"PERFECT!" I yell then apologise because I did not mean to be quite that loud.

I saunter out Alby's tent with as much self dignity as I can muster and make my way to finding Tegan again. I now see this girl just getting a macheti and slamming it into a tree stump with Winston and with Chuck watching carefully.

"Winston!" "Newt!" Me and Winston yell simultaneously at each other.

Tegan shakes her head and carries on with her work. She is strong as she is making vast progress with the wood.

"You three. Bonfire party later." I say engetically.

Chuck squeams in delight, Winston grins and Tegan? Oh my shuck, her face just lights up, almost as if there was a bonfire in her own eyes.

"And what'll happen in such event?" Tegan asks mock-pompusly.

"Well, I wanna talk about jobs. You need to pull your weight around here." I say happily.

Her warm grin drops in a split second and is replaced with something cold.

"Then what am I doing right now then?" She snaps sarcastically. She takes a deep breath and says apologetically: "Sorry, sorry everyone. I'm just really tired. I know it's no excuse or makes it right but I am. Tired."

I see the look of pain in her beautiful brown eyes. I see the tiredness in them. All the strength she is mustering to be doing this work after what's happened earlier - it must strain her so, so much, mentally and physically - it's unbelievable.

"Dude. Newt." Someone says, "NEWT!" That someone yells.

Then all of a sudden I see Winston's hand right in front of my face. It's snapping it's finger's repeatedly. Why is Winston doing this? To try to get someone to focus?

Oh.

Ohh.

"Hmm?" I say.

Winston looks at me knowing, already, and Tegan just pulls a weird face then carries on with her work.

"Oi Winston, help the girl." I say quickly.

"I don't need help."

And with one swift swipe of the silver, strong blade the stump was no more. Tegan grins happily. Her eyes full of happiness that she proved herself. Physically anyway.

"Any more work I can do? Winston? Newt?" She asks smugly.

"Come attend to the animals with me?" Winston answers, "Newt that alright?" Winston looks at me with a hopeful look.

"Yeah. I gotta get back to my work actually. See you two later at the bonfire. Starts at six pm." I say smiling.

Tegan nods enthusiastically and Winston grunts in acknowledgement. They walk off slowly, Tegan already asking questions to Winston whilst walking backwards. Skills. I turn away from them and head towards the vegetable plots. I used to be a runner but then it happened so I became a track-hoe. I start my work vigorously. Distracting me from my troubles. It's absolutely bloody boiling and I feel the raging heat on my back. It feels as if I'm being cooked alive. As I do my work for the next two hours I think about her.

Tegan.

I think about how she is coping while I'm weeding. I daydream of the way she twizzled her ankle while I rake up fallen leaves of every which colour. I imagine the sound of her voice and all her glorious sarcasm while I plant numerous rows of seeds. I consider if we ever knew each other before we were in the Glade while I harvest the onions.

"Newt! Shower time!" Zart yells from somewhere.

"Okay." I yell back.

Bloody hell I need this shower. I'm sweating like a camel in the Sahara desert. My second shower of the day.

I see no sign of Tegan. I wonder where she is...

Hello all, I just wanted to thank all my lovely readers for reading, (obviously)! It means so much to me as currently I'm addicted to the Maze Runner and all it's fanfiction's and ships associated with it.