The One I Love || Newt-TMR

Chapter 60

"Then it's final," Newt paused, looking each Keeper in the eye before announcing his decision, " As of tomorrow, Tommy will be the Glade's newest Runner. But first, he will spend a night in the Slammer with no food for punishment of entering the Maze," Newt ordered, holding my stare. He faintly nodded, as if understanding my stare.

Newt had changed in the past few days since Alby had been put into restraints for the Changing. I had always known Newt to be a stern, respectful leader, but now things had changed. The dark hue colouring his eye sockets had gotten darker, and deep bags displayed his lack of sleep, and the ever-growing frown embedded into his brow grew deeper every time I saw Newt. He was already aging with stress.

"You've got to be jacked in the head," Gally scoffed, rising in his seat. His face fumed a deep red, jaw and fists clenched as he glared down at Newt. The Keepers began to mumble and whisper to one another as the stand-off continued.

"You had your chance to voice your opinion, and I listened. I have considered everyone's opinion to weigh out the punishment and reward. Tommy may have broken our number one rule, but if he hadn't, we may have lost two of our finest leaders. We must keep that in mind," Newt was calm and patient.

"Where was Minho and Alby's reward for saving your life after you tried to take the easy way out, huh? Thomas deserves to be Banished!" Pain and hurt flashed across Newt's face, however he quickly recovered.

"If you don't shut up and leave now, Gally, you'll be the one being Banished," I seethed, feeling my blood boil at the sight of the boy.

"Why, what are you gonna do, slap me? Pull my hair? Sit your pathetic self down before you hurt yourself," Gally retorted.

"Hey, don't talk to Rosie like that!" Thomas fumed, rising from his chair.

"That's enough! Gally, I can't seem to recall when you became the leader around here, so you have no right to decide Tommy's punishment. And let me make this very clear; if you ever speak to Rose like that again, I will see that you are thrown out to the Griever's as a light snack," Newt let out a low growl, his body trembling from rage as he rose from his chair.

"You've already sided with the traitor's; getting busy in the sheets with one and befriending the other. You don't deserve to lead the Glade; you're a pathetic excuse of a leader and should be Banished with your little tramp and buddy there," Gally hissed, somehow his face getting redder. My heart stung at that. People didn't really view me as Newt's little tramp, did they?

"And you're a pathetic excuse for a human being. Unlike you, Rose and Thomas have actually tried to do something for the Glade. In the past two months since Rose first got here, we have gotten the closest to figuring the Maze out that we ever have, and none of that was because of you. All you've done is hide behind these walls for three years and tried to dominate over everyone. And now I'm sick of it, we all are; so let me make this simple. If you speak to Newt, Rose or Thomas like that again, I'll beat you to a pulp and leave you for the Grievers." Minho lashed out, standing up so fast that his seat flew back. He stormed over to stand in Gally's face, veins popping out from his neck and arms as he fumed.

"I dare you, you're just as bad as the rest of them. I bet you klunked your pants and ran away like a sissy the moment you heard the Grievers. Hang on, were there any Grieve-" Gally was cut off by the sickening smack of Minho's fist smashing against his jaw, sending him plummeting to the ground. Minho was on top of Gally in an instant, throwing punches faster than I could keep track of, coming into contact with Gally's nose and jaw. At one point, I heard the repulsive crunch Of Gally's nose as Minho pummeled him.

Everyone stood there in shock for a moment, not expecting the abrupt brawl to break out. Soon. Newt stepped up to break up the brawl, along with Thomas and I. Newt held Gally down at the chest while Thomas and I tore Minho from Gally. Both boys, blinded with rage, continued to throw punches at one another frantically. One of Gally's fists came flying towards my face, tearing through the air rapidly. I had little time to prepare for the pain of impact, simply squeezing my eyes shut tight.

At first, there was no pain; just the feeling of dirt under my face. I opened my eyes to see nothing but a blur of moving figures. The pain of the affliction began to seep through my cheek like a poison, enflaming each cell as it spread. I soon realised that I was on the ground, my face buried in a mess of strawberry blonde hair. My sight started to clear up, and I could see Newt's distressed face close to mine, his brow pulled up fretfully and lips quivering as he tried to talk to me. Behind him, I saw Gally storm out of the room, slamming the door so hard that a few twigs fell from the structure. To the side was Thomas, still holding Minho, but both boys' eyes on me, with similar expressions to Newt's.

"Rose, honey. Rose can you hear me?" Newt's soft voice came into focus, pulling my attention back to him. I could feel his gentle hand hovering over my body, not sure where he could touch without hurting me, even though only my cheek throbbed. I groaned out in response, shifting so that I at upright. Thomas came to my side, helping Newt lift me to my feet, making the room around me dizzily spin.

"Oh, look at you," Newt whimpered, his finger lightly grazing over my swollen cheek. I winced in pain, flinching back as I closed my eyes. "Gathering is over, you're all dismissed," Newt added louder, obviously directing it to the shocked Keeper's.

"I'm gonna kill that Slinthead," Minho seethed, looking down at me with rage filled eyes.

"No, don't it's fine. I don't want you getting in trouble and getting Banished," I tried to smile, but only put more pressure on my swelling cheek.

"He needs to be punished, I can't allow him to walk around the Glade freely after what he said," Newt chastised.

"What did he say?"

"He pretty much vowed, and I quote, to 'murder each traitor while they sleep'," Thomas explained.

"Wow," I sighed.

"We better get some ice on that, it's already bloody bruisin'," Newt  sighed, examining my cheek, "And I'll get some boys out to find and bring Gally back to me. This just ruined it all," Newt heaved a heavy sigh.

"Ruined what?" I question curiously, tilting my head to the side.

"I called you to this Gathering because I was going to announce you as the new Keeper of the Medjack's," Newt flashed a cheeky grin, looking up at me through his long eyelashes.

"Wha- ha- what?" I stuttered, an airy laugh of shock escaping my lips.

"Yeah, Clint came to me actually, he said he wanted you to be the new Keeper, seeing as you're teaching him and Jeff stuff all the time now," Newt chuckled proudly.

"Wait, Clint is going to step down from being the Keeper? Why would he do that?"

"Clint sees potential in you to grow into a great Medjack, not that I'm surprised."

"So I'm a Keeper now, like you?" I pointed to Minho, who smiled down at me. My head spun with the shock of it all. This can't really be happening, can it?

"Yep, congrats," Minho grinned.

"Um, Newt?" Chuck's small voice called out from the door. His eyes widened in shock as he saw my cheek, but quickly returned his attention back to the new leader.

"What is it Chuck?"

"It's Alby; he wants to speak to Thomas."