The Fallen

Chapter 19

I drag Newt to a different tree-I'm never climbing our tree again- and sit down, leaning against the trunk. I let go of Newt's arm. Newt just stands there, looking down at me.

"Well?" He asks.

"Well, what?"

"Why'd you drag me here?"

I quickly stand up. I slap Newt across the face. He puts a hand up to his cheek, obviously hurt. 'Why did I just do that?' I think to myself. I put my hand up to my mouth and turn around. I walk away.

I start to cry. I don't know why I hit Newt. He didn't do anything to me; if anything, he was being protective of me. But is it his right to be protective over me? I'm technically not "his". But I had told Thomas I was his girlfriend. Maybe that's just what I wanted. 'No.' I think. 'We are just friends.'

Sure you are. I hear Thomas's voice inside my head.

Thomas! Get out of my thoughts!

Sorry. Kinda hard not to listen when there're so many emotions.

'I really need to learn how to control this thing.' I think.

Definitely. I hear Thomas's voice again. It's kinda annoying hearing your thoughts all the time.

Where are you? I ask.

Homestead. He says.

Don't move.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I make my way to the Homestead. I walk upstairs and find Thomas leaning against the door frame of a room.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey."

"Can I talk to you?" I walk past him into the room. I sit on the bed, staring at my shoes. Thomas follows, shutting the door behind him. He sits down next me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug. I wrap my arms around him, crying into his shoulder.

"Hey," he whispers, pulling me away so he can look me in the face. "It's okay."

"No, it's not." I choke out. Tears are pouring down my face; I can't stop them.

"Yes, it is," he says. "You have me. I'm hear for you. You know that, right?"

"I just met you," I say. "How can I know that?"

"You said you saw me in a memory, remember?" He whips my tears away with his thumb. "I think you can trust me." I slowly stop crying. My brain so so fuzzing I can barely focus on Thomas's face.

I cup Thomas's face in my hands. "You have nice eyes." I say, staring into his brown eyes.

"Thanks," he says. "And you have pretty blue eyes."

I do the stupidest thing I can think of: I lean in and kiss him. His lips are soft. Chills travel up my body. Thomas kisses me back. I drop my hands from his face and place them on his shoulders. He places his hands gently on my waist. Thomas suddenly breaks away. He stands up, walking in circles.

"Thomas, what's the matter?"

"I shouldn't be doing that." He states simply.

"Why?" I stand up and walk over to him.

"Because..." He stammers. "Because of Newt."

"What?" I say, taken aback.

"You guys are together, so I shouldn't be kissing you."

"We are not together!" I say. "What makes you think that?"

"You said that he was your boyfriend earlier."

"I just wasn't focusing on it."

"Whatever," Thomas mumbles.

"Hey," I say, cupping his chin in my hands. "Newt is nothing. I'm pretty sure we were more than friends before this." I wrap him in a hug. He hugs me back. I bury my head in his chest. Then he gasps. I turn around and see Newt standing in the doorway, fists clenched at his sides.

"N-Newt?" I stammer. "What's the matter?"

Newt walks over to me. "What's the matter? Are you out of your shucking mind? First you're all over me, then you slap me, then you're here hugging this slinthead?"

"Newt," I say. "It's not what you think." I look at Thomas. He looks hurt. I half wink at him.

"Really? Then what exactly was happening here?"

"I-uh." How am I supposed to explain what happened?

"She was upset that she hit you, and she came to me to vent. So I hugged her to make her feel better." Thomas says.

"That's what happened?" Newt asks, eyeing Thomas suspiciously.

I nod. "Absolutely, one hundred percent."

"Fine."

"Good." Thomas says.

"Marina," Newt says.

"Hmm?"

"Gally... He's being banished in a half hour."

I look down at my shoes. "Oh."

"I just thought I'd tell you."

I look at Thomas. "Can we, uh, have a minute, please?" Thomas nods and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. I look at Newt. He's playing with a brown, faded wristband on his left wrist. He doesn't look at me.

"Newt-" I start to say, but I'm cut off with a kiss. Newt moves his lips against mine. He place his hands gently on my back. I just stand there, not knowing what to do. Should I kiss him back? What about Thomas? All these questions rush into my head.

I place my hands on Newt's chest and push away from him. I stumble back into a small table, my hand lands on a jagged piece of wood. I feel warm liquid on my left hand and pain shooting through my hand and arm. I look at my hand; it's covered in blood.