Count On Me ➵ Newt [1]

TWENTY-ONE | thomas' punishment

▬I was exhausted, in extreme pain, and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

But there I was, sitting on a chair facing ten boys in the council meeting room in the Homestead with my left arm hurting like it was being stabbed repeatedly. Two of the Keeper chairs were empty - one of them belonged to Alby, who was still absent, the other to me. 

All of the boys stared at me except for Newt, who crossed his arms and glared at the floor, adamantly refusing to look at me. 

He had cooled down since our fight yesterday, but I knew he was still mad at me. He avoided me like the plague and ignored me completely like I didn't even exist. Every single time someone mentioned my name, his face would tighten, his eyes turning to steel.

I tried not to feel too hurt or angry by his attitude. Newt had a point when he was shouting at me me yesterday. By running into the Maze, he had thought that I, along with all his closest friends, had died, and that seemed to have broken something inside him. And it was my fault.

"In place of our leader, sick in bed, I declare this Gathering begun," he said, with a subtle roll of his eyes as if he hated anything approaching formality. "As you all know, the last few days have been bloody crazy. Before us here sits Rosalind, whom we will discuss about before moving on to Thomas."

I winced when I realized Newt didn't call me by the nickname he'd given me. He continued speaking as if nothing had happened, still not looking at me.

"Reason we're all here is because Rosalind here decided to run into the buggin' Maze and act like some sorta hero, thinkin' she could save everyone. We need to decide what to do with her."

I couldn't tell which party was more uncomfortable: me, or the rest of the Keepers. Everyone knew about the fight Newt and I had by now, and no one seemed to know how to react to it.

I felt my cheeks heat up from Newt's words, but I managed to keep quiet.

"Anyone?" He demanded. "C'mon, do I really have to decide everything for you shanks?"

"She should be punished," Winston said slowly. "But she did help Thomas and Minho save Alby."

"Not this again." Gally rolled his eyes. "The last time she went into the Maze and saved Newt she only got three days in the Slammer. I say we give her a longer period of punishment to teach her a lesson."

"Agreed," Zart said.

Newt rolled his eyes. "How long do you suggest then?"

"Two weeks," Gally said.

"Whoa, whoa, two weeks?" Minho said, leaning forward. "That's way too much! That's so much worse than last time!"

"The last time I said one week you guys decided to cut it short to three shucking days!" Gally said hotly. "Two weeks. That's my final decision."

"Anyone else agree with two weeks?" Newt said, sounding bored.

No one raised their hand. Gally looked ready to piss his pants.

"I say one week," Frypan piped up before the Keeper of the Builders could punch someone. "That's fair enough, right?"

There was a few mutterings. Gally crossed his arms, scowling while Minho just rolled his eyes.

"All in favour for one week in the Slammer?" Newt said. Six hands went up into the air. "It's decided then. Rosalind, you'll be spending a week in the Slammer startin' tomorrow. Bring in Thomas now."

That was it. No arguments, not even a glance in my direction.

I clenched my jaw in annoyance and took my seat next to Minho, taking my rightful place as Keeper of the Med-jacks. Even doing that small action made me grimace as pain flared up in my injured shoulder.