The Misfire:Book 1 (Newt || A TMR Fanfiction)

23. Axe and Egg Head

"So, like this?" I started swinging the axe back and forth above my shoulder lightly.

"What? No!" Jack grumbled as he facepalmed, "That's the smallest axe in the glade yet you can't even lift it properly."

I pouted my lips and grunted. I held the axe once again and mustered up the strength to lift it above my head. I swung it towards the log but unfortunately, the axe's head got lose and flew away to the grass, letting me hit the log with it's remaining handle instead.

Jack slapped a hand over his mouth. His eyes widened and he stood frozen for a bit. Peter, one of the track-hoes just returned from the homestead and when he saw the mistake I made, he furrowed his eyebrows.

"So, both of you klunkheads are just gonna stare at it?" He sternly asked, "It's not gonna pick itself up."

Jack and I exchanged looks before racing towards the axe head, stumbling and knocking ourselves on the ground. Peter grunted before going back to trenching around the vineyard.

Jack has now become one of my close friends and the gladers would even joke how we could be siblings since we were always together in the gardens. Or maybe just because we almost had the same height; me of course being an inch or two shorter than him (But maybe that's just me). Other than that, he was pretty laid-back and goofy so I enjoyed his company.

The both of us were now sitting on the grass. I tried assembling the head of the axe back to its handle but it just slid off. He snickered every time I attempted fixing it.

"I think you should just let Captain Gally fix that." He suggested once I finally gave up and dropped the axe parts on the ground.

"Don't call him that," I grumbled, "It's stupid."

"I know. But the face you make when I do is hilarious."

"bUt ThE FaCe yOu mAkE.....shut up!"

We headed to where most of the builders were and found Gally, talking to his buddies and laughing like ninnies. When they saw me carrying the axe, they gave me a puzzled look.

Gally sighed. "What did you do now?"

I stooped down and handed him the axe. Jack was still beside me and was as silent as I was.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" He asked as he took the axe.

I shook my head and smiled faintly.

"Smiling? Well that's a first." He replied before resuming his conversation with the other builders.

Jack and I returned to the Gardens immediately. The glade was suprisingly humid today for some reason, but nothing felt wrong. Everyone carried on like usual. I was banned from entering the maze and I didn't argue since I never fulfilled my plans out there. And I was more of a burden to the runners so I just stuck myself here in the glade, helping.

"Did you know that I found an egg on my hammock this morning?" Jack suddenly spoke as we neared the gardens.

"What?"

"It's true! I woke up and then there was an egg between my feet. No wonder it felt so warm."

I snorted. "You must feel so special."

Jack chuckled and shook his head. "Winston's chicken probably thought I was a freaking nest."

Instantly out of nowhere, an egg came flying and crashed on my head, creating a goopy and foul mess in my hair.

"Sorry Maya!" Chuck ran towards us. "I was aiming for Jack. I didn't mean to hit you. Sorry."

My legs didn't move. It took me awhile to react since I was still shocked from what just happened. Chuck and his shucking pranks. I stroked my hair and felt the disgusting slime trickle down my neck.

"Your surge didn't see that coming?" Jack teased. I glared at him and he immediately stopped giggling.

"Oh my god, Maya, I'm so sorry." Chuck apologized again as he held my arm.

I nodded my head before scooping a bit of the mess from my hair and smearing it on Chuck's chubby cheeks. He raised his hands in defense and giggled.

I left and headed to the medhouse, not minding if Erin was busy or not. I knocked before opening the door, Clint was the only one there.

"Hello Maya, need any...whoa what's with your hair?"

"Chuck threw an egg on me."

"Oh. Can I help you with anything?"

"Where's Erin?" I asked. My shirt was now damp from the slime and I wanted to get this off quickly.

"She's at the Bloodhouse with Jeff. Aidan sliced one of his shucking fingers off." But Clint didn't seem worried; more like he was annoyed.

Gripping the hem of my shirt, I slowly lifted it higher, almost making it past my abdomen when Clint screamed.

"What the shuck?" He shielded his eyes, looking away. "I'm still in here y'know?"

"Ok?" I tugged my shirt back down. "What's wrong?"

He whipped his head back to me. "What's wrong? Really? What's wrong? You're about to get naked infront of me!"

"N-n-naked? Who said I was gonna get n-naked?"

"Alby made you and Erin your own house so you could do whatever-girly-business in there, ok?"

"Calm down, Clint. Why are you so mad?"

"I'm n-" Clint let out an aggravated sigh- "Look. I'll just go outside, before somebody walks in on me peepin' at your naked ass."

I scratched my head. "Okay? But I do-"

"Seriously Maya," He cut me off, "You could be very careless, sometimes."

~

Dinner that night was noisier. Everyone was just chattering while shoving food in their mouth. I was in a table together with Erin, Winston, Chuck and Ben. I looked at Newt who was at a table across us together with the other runners. He winked at me and I stooped down, staring at my food. Frypan always snuck extra pieces of meat in my plate and when I confronted him, he'd tell me that Newt would blame him since I had a stubborn appetite. But I always ended up giving it to either Winston or Chuck. Fat shank was loudly munching and I didn't hesitate on telling the others about his failed prank.

"If you prank Erin, I'll feed you to the grievers." Ben warned jokingly as he nudged Chuck's shoulder.

"Ben! Slim it!" Erin hissed and rolled her eyes, "Don't talk to my baby like that."

"Clint was acting weird today," I changed the subject, "He was being mean all of a sudden."

Ben took a bite of his sliced watermelon, Erin grimacing at the juice trickling down his chin. "What did you do to him?"

"He got mad that I was about to take my shirt off."

Erin, Ben and Winston choked on their food, almost snorting out the bits they were chewing. Chuck giggled, pointing at their red cheeks.

But despite the merry atmosphere, the surge was bothering me tonight. I tried keeping it to myself for now. Tomorrow's the day for this month's greenie. And I felt something neither good nor bad, like tomorrow's arrival is not just a scared and confused newbie but rather someone who's gonna change everything. I mean, the glade existed for quite a while it'd be best if the system changed, right?