Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Welcome back!” I hear a cheery teacher say as I walk through the doors of the very badly cooled building. I mean, we just got back from our half term holiday and holy fuck is it hot. England ain’t meant to be this hot is it?
I had gotten through the first and second terms and even the first half of the summer term and now I’m dying. Gosh.

I walked through the corridors that had been painted over with white to cover the sharpie and other vandalism a bunch of year 10s had done last term. It was quiet, seemingly quite a few people had managed to sleep through their alarms or they were just not ready for school again. After 5 minutes I finally reached my locker. I put in my PE and Computer Science folders, holding onto my politics and law one (I had politics first thing, on a Monday, on the first day back. I mean... at least it is with Minho?). 6th formers are meant to only take 3 subjects so I had chosen PE due to my history on the running team, Computer Science due to my tech obsessive nature and politics because... well, why not?. They just felt right, I can’t really remember what I had wanted to do when I was in primary school so... well done Thomas, now you’ve made yourself feel old.
I snap out my thoughts to see Teresa, my friend and like-sister, walking down the corridor. She had been on a transfer plan to the most-WICKED school. Okay, that might not be what they are called. Wonder Certified King’s Departmental school is both the foundation and rival of Mazens School for the Intelligent, aka, here.

“Hey Teresa!” I call across the corridor, catching her attention. She looks relieved to see me. We both know how much she didn’t like it at W.C.K.D, she complained to me enough over calls that I could recite 10 reasons she didn't like it off the top of my head. First up is the fact that they are very much a science based school whereas any science Teresa was on about, was when she and Frypan started rambling about the "science of baking". However even through the relief to see one another in person I understand that we both have to get to our forms, “I didn't know you were back. Nice to see you.” I finish with an awkward nod.
She returns it with a small smile and we both continue on the paths to our forms.

Mine is the same as it has been all year, classroom E13. There are quite a few good people in that form. Minho, the old head of the running team (before he gave it to me), Brenda, my badass friend who could probably accidentally kill me, and a few random people all who seemed nice enough.
I walked into my form to see no sign of my friends. Nice to know they haven’t changed I chuckle, heading to the corner to sit.

Sitting I just look at the wooden table, it’s one of those ones you know hasn’t been changed in years because of how many drawings are scratched in. At the top left corner there is a cat that someone has drawn, followed by assortments of lines and hearts and smiley faces. My favourite is one that I had scratched in myself with Teresa’s help in Year 9 when we both happened to transfer from America in the same week.
*smack*
“MINHO!” I yelp, rubbing my head as he smacks me over the head with his red politics folder that matches my own and everyone else's in our class. I turn to see the Asian boy, “Ya shank” I say, getting to my feet so I am taller than him, picking up my own folder and holding it in front of me playfully like it was a fencing sword. Minho takes a similar stance and soon we are “fencing” with giant smiles on our face, drawing attention from the rest of the form with our laughing before they fondly realise that it was just us messing about.
It finishes when Minho manages to knock my folder from my hand to the floor and he starts whacking me on my arms and torso with the folder. “I surrender! I surrender!” I laugh out, holding my arms in front of my face and Minho drops his folder and we start laughing uncontrollably.

We both hear a chuckle of “What the-” and we try to look at the person through our laughs and tears.

Chapter Text

I woke a little late.
By a little I may mean that I only have 20 minutes to get to school.

I rushed to get changed, cursing my alarm with various assortments of phrases and versions of the word “shank”, for not working before speeding down the corridor of the bungalow I live in. Still pushing a folder into my rucksack, I run into the kitchen, quickly twisting to the side to dodge bumping into my guardian. “Morning Jorge!” I say not looking at him and rushing to the toaster, pulling out a slice of bread from the bread bin next to it. I shoved the bread into the toaster before grabbing an apple off the table in the centre of the room.
I’m polishing the apple with my sleeve when I look up to see Jorge leaning on the splintering door frame that was framed by the dusty blue walls.
“Don’t laugh at me!” I say humour in my voice, watching his face twist into a smirk as he crossed his arms.
I lost myself in a friendly glaring match with Jorge, only snapped out of it by the toaster popping up, flinging the toast across the room ( Jorge! Quit messing with the mechanics of stuff! ) at the front door where Newt had just entered.
Let me tell you. Inhuman, that guy is.

Newt closed the door, quickly turning and catching the toast that was flying at his head and breaking it in half before gently throwing one half to me. “Mornin’ Jorge” the British bitch said, taking a bite of his toast, “Brenda sleep through her alarm?” he continued with a smirk on his face, looking at Jorge who was also smirking, barely stopping himself from laughing.
“Oh shut it ya bastard” I say slinging my bag over my shoulder and taking a bite of the toast as I put the apple in one of the pockets of my cargo trousers, “Lets go Newt, we ain’t got long before school.” I finished, walking toward the door.
We left with some “Bye Jorge”s and started down the sunny street. England, the literal country known for rain, is piping hot. The grass has died all around the town, plants looking dead and a water warning issued.
“How in the fuck are you still wearing that bloody jacket!” I pant out pointing at Newt’s aviator jacket that he was wearing over a white t-shirt.
“I don’ know” He replies, “Just get cold easily”
“Fucking hell, it aint cold. Its like 30 degrees!” I point out. The only response I get is a shrug as we turn onto the next street.
Newt is carrying 2 folders and a giant notebook for maths. Nerd. I think fondly. His limp isn’t that bad today and he even had taken off his knee brace (which I knew was almost certainly in his backpack in case he needed it).
“Don’t hurt your brain yet” I hear. I look up at Newt to see him smirking, “Thinking might overwhelm you”.
“Prick.” I state as we turn into the school’s entrance gate. We head to our lockers (which luckily are near each other). Newt places in his backpack, notebook and psychology folder, holding only his Biology folder, meanwhile I place in my Maths notebook and English folder, holding only my design sketchbook. We start heading to room E13, while Newt isn’t in my form he said he needed to talk to Minho about some notes or something.

Room E13, a room with about 5 people in the furthest left corner, a few people sitting in their seats and… Thomas and Minho.
The 2 idiots were seemingly “fencing” with some folders. Now for long however as Minho whacks Thomas’ hand and he drops his folder, allowing Minho to hit his sides and torso. A cry of “I surrender! I surrender!” comes from the laughing boy before both break out in the most psychotic laughter you’ve ever heard.

“What the-” I chuckle as I shake my head, smirking.
“Bloody hell-” I hear behind me.
That’s when the idiots manage to look up and try to stop their idiocy.

Chapter Text

“Bloody hell” I mutter as I watch tears stream down the face of my best friend as he laughs his head off.

“Ya would think they’d be more mature. Especially now that we will be moving up to Year 13 in a few months.” I hear mutter from beside me, shaking her head as she spoke with a smile on her face.
“Morning Brenda! Newt!” Minho nodded to us in turn, leaning forward with tears in his eyes and placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. I had met his friend once before, during a lunch time in year 10 but due to us having no classes together and revision and tests I ended up not really talking to the guy much. And if that meant I forgot his name, then… whelp.

“Mornin’ shank” I reply, smirking. “Don’t feel too special dude, I’m only here to hand you your psychology notes back.” I finish putting out the folder and holding it out for him to take.
“Oh you wound me!” Minho exclaimed, dramatically falling onto his friend who stumbles back as he tries to support Minho (who is unfazed and holding a hand to his head, blabbering on about how he feels faint).
As I stand there, my free hand holding my hip, the other holding the folder and hanging limp, I was trying not to laugh as I glared at him. Then I made eye contact with Minho’s friend ( note to self. Don’t be gay - hehe, meme. Wow my brain isn’t straight at all ), and we both smirked.
As Minho continued his ramble (something like “treason! Treason! You peasants!”), his friend side stepped (I need to find out his name) and Minho's face. Imagine a shocked chicken, it was like that. He fell backwards narrowly missing hitting his head on a desk as the rest of us laughed.

“How could you, ya-“
“Mr Lee, what are you doing on the floor?” We heard a teacher say from behind us.
As I turned I saw it was Mr Janson - god I hate that guy.

“Sorry sir” Minho says with no apology in his voice before adding, “tripped”. He got to his feet and collected his folder from me. Minho hated this guy the most. I think he got Minho very pissed during the last 2 years. He won’t say how though I believe it was when there were some racist dude he didn’t stop - he did talk to Minho then though.
I can feel Brenda and their friend fuming as well behind me before returning to their chairs at one of the farthest corners. Now I understood why they did that.

Then Janson turned to me, “You have a form to get to Mr Issacs?” He spoke in that monotone voice.
“I do, just came to hand something back to Minho, sir ” I replied before walking out the room.
As I entered the quiet corridors i some realised I had a minute until form started and began to limp quicker down the corridor.

I found room B4 and knocked as I pushed open the door. “Sorry Ms Cooper, I was just returning a borrowed folder.”

Chapter Text

No hours of sleep ? Not the best idea… I know that… now.

Ok, yes. I slept… never, so I could finish some maths homework that I could have done when I was meant to do instead of thinking about Bren- I mean drawing my art piece for homework.
…
So, I may have been half asleep in Maths.

Newt had entered the small classroom to see a few of our other classmates chilling and talking in the front row and the other seats near the door. Then me, sitting in the corner, my chair turned around and me leaning on the back, my arms crossed as I cradled my mug of coffee.
To be fair the only tell I had that he entered was the creaking of the door, the sound of his uneven gait and the loud snort that accompanied the “British Laughing” ™.

“Oh shut it ya shank.” I managed to murmur out, however it probably sounded more similar to “O h-oo-t rit ja nk” due to me pressing the mug of coffee to my lips to take a swig.

The headache pounding in my head like it was trying to take off half my frontal cortex, told me that, yes, I did wake up too early.

“Dude, what did you do to be like this?” Newt said, sounding slightly more concerned as he sat next to me.
“Didn’t sleep” I managed to mumble out.
“Like no hours at all?”, a nod from me, “Damn man. And I thought myself getting 3 for the past few days was bad.”
“You what?” I managed to slowly get out, alarmed.
“It's nothing bad Gally. So do you remember simultaneous equations in your half comatose state or will I have to re-explain 2+2?” Newt said and half-asleep me didn't take that well.

“Give me the questions” I managed to get out, reaching across Newt for the sheet.

Chapter Text

SUCK UP INC at [9:17]
[Gally, Newt, Brenda]

Newt is online

Newt - So…
Newt - Bren

Brenda is online

Brenda - …yes…

Newt - Gally got like… no sleep last night

Brenda - that ugly shank-
Brenda - hows he looking rn

Newt - tired_gally.jpg
Newt - …Not good
Newt - He has been hugging that coffee like it is his life line.
Newt - and has been like half an hour

Brenda - god damn it-

Gally is online

Gally - Newt it’s not like you can say anything.

Gally is offline

Brenda - …
Brenda - Newt

Newt - whelp… it looks like the teacher is speaking again
Newt - time to go!
Newt - BYe!

Newt is offline

Brenda - God damn it…

PROPER SHANKS at [9:23]
[Thomas, Minho, Frypan, Brenda]

Brenda is online

Brenda - OI MINHO

Minho is online

Minho - whatever it is it wasn’t me

Brenda - what
Brenda - no
Brenda - did you do something?

Minho - …

Brenda - you know what. nevermind

Minho - what is it

Frypan is online
Thomas is online

Thomas - Whats going on?

Frypan - ^^^

Brenda - newt isnt sleeping again
Brenda - and gally didnt sleep either but…

Minho - yeah yeah. You worry abt your boyfriend.
Minho - howd you know?

Thomas - Who is Newt?

Frypan - ^^^

Brenda - gally told me
Brenda - newt is the friend i came in with this morning, thomas

Thomas - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Frypan - that doesnt help…

Brenda - L

Minho - L

Thomas - L

Minho - L

Frypan - whyd you “L” twice Minho?

Minho - Im just better

Frypan - …
Frypan - sure
Frypan - thanks guys

Chapter Text

Form is never fun after Mr Janson arrives.

Like it really isn’t.
Its just 20 minutes of “Mr Lee, don’t.”, “Ms Everall, please sit down” and “MR EDISON!”

(Guess who he hates more)

“Thanks Mr Janson!” I say skipping out the class room a few seconds after the bell rings, Brenda and Thomas following.
“Mr Edison, a few minutes please” Janson says as he throws a hand out in front of Thomas, I turn but Thomas only gives me a slight nod before the door is slammed closed by Janson.

“Whelp… good luck in Politics dude but I have to run-” Brenda said, resting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a small tug. “Come on”
I turned with her but quickly made a right turn a few minutes later as I turned into a new corridor that my first class would be in. The classroom itself was at the end of the corridor. Spooky. Especially because the school had managed to get a budget to repaint nearly every wall but not fix a light.

I entered, apologised to Vince and sat down, pulling out my folder and listening… well- daydreaming. Vince is my politics teacher, while most teachers were all like “You must call me by my title and surname” , Vince told us that he didn’t want us to do that.
Quote unquote, “I’m teaching you about politics so you can go out and achieve something better than I ended up doing.”
Was he right- yeah. Adam in the back was making spit balls and Rachel and her friends Aris and Miyoko were talking. Vince could have definitely gotten a better class… But then there was Sonya, a small British girl with blonde hair and a natural leadership quality; Harriet, a fierce girl that I never want to get on the bad side of; Alby, Newt’s old friend before the guy became almost crazed after a party in year 9; myself, I listened- sometimes…

BANG

“Morning Thomas,” Vince said. He hadn’t even looked up, missed a beat or stopped writing on the whiteboard; simply gesturing for Thomas to take a seat.
The predictable shank, “Am I really that predictable?” Thomas whispered to me. I was dumbfounded, this idiot didn't realise he did the same thing every politics class?
“Don’t make that face,” Thomas muttered as he resigned to his notes.

Midway through the lesson (I had now clue what Vince was talking about anymore, I’ll just read Thomas’ notes he thought), I got out my phone. Vince didn’t care and neither did I, we simply exchanged raised eyebrows to an unconcerned face and left it.
I pulled up a group chat with Thomas, Frypan and Brenda after spying a notification.

PROPER SHANKS at [9:23]
[Thomas, Minho, Frypan, Brenda]

Brenda - OI MINHO

I must have looked concerned because Thomas looked at me with a questioning glance which I quickly brushed off and typed back.

Minho - ..yessssss
Minho - whatever it is it wasn’t me

Brenda - what
Brenda - no
Brenda - did you do something?

Minho - …

Brenda - you know what. Nevermind

I smirked. Leave it to Brenda to not care about a weird response. But Brenda normally didn’t text my name in full caps. I quickly typed back…

Minho - what is it

Frypan is online
Thomas is online

Thomas must have noticed my face as he was now gazing intently at his phone before typing.

Thomas - Whats going on?

Frypan - ^^^

Brenda - newt isnt sleeping again

What.

Brenda - and gally didnt sleep either but…

I didn’t really care as much about Gally, he standardly slept fine plus Brenda would hit him back into unconsciousness if needed.

Minho - yeah yeah. You worry abt your boyfriend.
Minho - howd you know?

Thomas - Who is Newt?

Frypan - ^^^

I forgot for a minute that Frypan and Thomas didn’t actually know who Newt was, so must have Brenda.

Brenda - gally told me
Brenda - newt is the friend i can in with this morning, thomas

Thomas - ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Frypan - that doesnt help…

I snorted, earning a “shut up” look from Vince and a disgusted one from Sonya, Harriet and Rachel.

Brenda - L

Minho - L

Thomas - L

Minho - L

Frypan - whyd you “L” twice Minho?

I didn’t even have to think about my response-

Minho - Im just better

Frypan - …
Frypan - sure
Frypan - thanks guys

Frypan is offline
Thomas is offline
Brenda is offline
Minho is offline

If I didn’t give Newt a right telling off the second I could, I don’t know what I’d do.

Chapter Text

Yes, I took Biology due to my love of plants and the decent amount of medical knowledge it gave me. But the heavenly feeling as I stepped into the classroom, successfully dodging Minho and Brenda the entire trip from maths to the lab.
It may be a sad and troubling relief but not anymore, if I don’t let them chill out for a few hours the crazed annoyance would be so much worse.

So who cares if it was a problem that I was avoiding my friends in favour of not sleeping. It wasn’t my problem (I’m just going to ignore the disbelieving cough and glance my subconscious just gave me).
I collapsed into my chair. One near the bac, where I normally sat alone.

Normally

“Excuse me? Umm.. who are you?” I say as I sit in my chair next to the girl who was sitting next to me.
“Ah. Newt. This is Teresa. I believe you two met in Year 9. She has just gotten back from a scholarship at Wonder Certified King’s Departmental School.” Ms Cooper said from where she had just appeared.

Interesting. I thought.

“So you went to WCKD?” I asked the second Mary left, turning to my new lab partner. I didn’t want a lab partner nor did I need one but alas-
“Yeah…” Teresa replied, unsure sounding. “Didn’t like it much to be honest.”

Now that intrigued me. WCKD is a highly funded, highly admired and highly powerful school for science students. To even imagine a scholarship there you have to be one of the smartest people on the planet, and this girl just- didn’t like it? She is taking a-level Biology and after a quick glance at her books and notes I knew she was good and advanced at it. What could WCKD simply not offer her for this to happen.
At the same time I admired her for it. Another person not brain washed by the flashy lights and certificates; the blank walls and furniture. By all of it. Another person who had been accepted for a scholarship and not been brain washed.

Needless to say. I think I might like this Teresa lass.

“So… what didn’t you like?” I whispered to her. I must have spaced out for a good while because she jumped at my words and I noticed Mary speaking.
“Umm… well-” Teresa started as she composed herself, “Well I guess it had cool people and decoration its not like it was too bad a place or anything- I mean like the people were ok and so were the teachers and-”
“Teresa-” I whispered again, understanding her intense muttering as she tried to apologise, “I get it, I didn’t like it there either and I was only there 2 days. I have no clue how you lasted that long.”

Teresa was almost stunned into silence then Mary can round with question sheets and a quick, “It's lovely to see you getting along but can we focus on our work please.” which quickly finished the conversation.
But it didn’t stop them from bonding as they began to discuss the questions and quickly found how close in knowledge of the subject they were to one another.

Yup, I think I’ll get along with her just great actually.

Chapter Text

Chapter 8 - Thomas
I personally haven’t seen Minho this on edge… ever.
I had been with him through a lot. GCSE’s, job applications and dating. Nothing made him this… worked up?

Since that message from Gally about Newt not sleeping Minho had been almost terrified. Fidgeting with everything and keeping an eye on his phone until I almost couldn’t take it. We had been sitting in the library for 45 minutes, we had a free period and Newt had biology (according to Minho) so the guy couldn’t run to find the source of his stress. They had planned to get some work done as they waited for the period to be over but Minho clearly had different ideas. His knee was shaking as he kept it moving, his pen untouched on top of his pile of work, another glance at his phone.

I snatched the phone from him, swatting his hands away as he tried to grab it. “No dude.” I whispered, “You are stressing too much, you get some work done and I’ll handle your friend, alright?” I didn’t really give Minho another option.
His phone was already unlocked after his constant checks. I quickly swiped through until I reached messages, pulling up our chat and sending Newt’s contact to myself before handing the phone back.
“No stressing.” I ordered, “Get work done or I'll have two shanks to sort out.” I said standing to leave.

“Thanks Thomas” I heard Minho whisper.
I paused, smiling, “Anytime. Get some work done, I’ll be back soon.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 9 - Teresa
When both Newt and myself got a text within less than a minute of each other I was sure they had to be connected.
By “we both got a text” I mean, Newt’s phone sounded like it was about to blow from the amount of messages then it all stopped andI got a single text.

I picked up my phone- Thomas.

Thomas -> Teresa at [10:34]
[Thomas, Teresa]

Thomas - Heya Teresa?

Teresa is online

Teresa - Yeah?
Teresa - What’s up, I’m in Bio

Thomas - Are you in Biology
Thomas - oh
Thomas - Well that answers that
Thomas - Are you in the same class as a guy called Newt by any chance?

I turned to see Newt not even glancing at his phone.

Teresa - Yeah. Why?

Thomas - Well, stuff happened this morning and now his friend is dead worried about him
Thomas - In other words:
Thomas - help me get these shenanigans sorted after your lesson
Thomas - Pleeeeeeeease

I snorted, he was desperate to fix this mess.

Teresa - Sure.
Teresa - Where do you want to talk to him?

Thomas - Library if that’s cool with you.

Teresa - See you then

Thomas is offline
Teresa is offline

I put my phone down and continued on the questions Ms Cooper gave us.
“Hey Newt”, I said, “Do you want to do the homework in the library?” I gestured to the small pile Ms Cooper had put down a few minutes earlier.
“Sure”, he said without really looking up, “So what did you get for question 6 on sheet C?” he asked and I quickly found the sheet.

“You mean the question on cell division?”

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 - Frypan
When Thomas texted me asking if I wanted to help Minho sort out his current problem with his friend, I really didn’t think that I’d be holding flashcards and testing Minho on politics . Like sorry but who takes politics and second of all, why was I helping Minho with it.
Well I guess I knew. Minho looked tired, and he couldn’t spend his whole time stressing about his friend. So he was the distraction.

Until Newt entered with a black haired girl with blue eyes. Or at least he guessed it was Newt, he’d been told that the guy was blond and skinny and Minho’s head snapped to the door when they walked in.
So I guessed I’d got it right.

I watched as Thomas pulled him aside, explaining the situation:
“Minho has been really worried-”
“Teresa you were in on this-”
“-should talk to him”
“-don't care I have stuff to-”

A few minutes later, Thomas came over with Newt and who I guessed was Teresa. Then the second Newt was within arms reach Minho grabbed him and took him aside to talk to him.

This conversation was much more hushed but I could tell that it mostly involved Newt comforting Minho. They left that conversation and most seemed to have calmed.

Minho finally chirped up a little
Thomas was typing away at some Computer Science assignment
Newt and Teresa began working on their Biology homework like mad scientists to a cure for their problems
Brenda sat glueing little cubes to one another to form a structure
And if I meant over a little I could see the sketch that Gally was subconsciously drawing of Brenda.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 - More Texting

Thomas created a group chat
Thomas added Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda
Thomas renamed the group chat to HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Minho is online

Minho - Ollo?
Minho - thomas does the have a decent function

Brenda - omg minho used big words!!!!

Minho - shut-

Thomas - Yes, actually
Thomas - You saw how well we all got on together
Thomas - Therefore… chat

Brenda - ew grammar

Minho - ew grammar

Frypan - ew grammar?

Newt - ew friendship

Minho - Newt what?

Newt - lurking
Newt - I was never here

Minho - Brenda - F in chat for the disappearance of a good friend and the confusion of another
Brenda - F

Thomas - F

Frypan - F

Teresa - F

Newt - F

Minho - newt?

Newt - no
Newt - only poof

Brenda - ha
Brenda - F

Frypan - F

Teresa - F

Thomas - F

Brenda - F

Minho - GASP
Minho - Absolutely not!
Minho - Only I get double L privileges!

Thomas - It's a F???

Minho - Shush Tommy Boy.
Minho - It still applies

Teresa - I’m going to pretend I didn’t just see a glare powerful enough to kill armies come from Thomas…

Newt -> Sonya
[Newt, Sonya]

Sonya - ‘ello

Newt is online

Newt - Heya, what's up?

Sonya - where ya at?

Newt - Library
Newt - Again- why?
Newt - What happened

Sonya - I’ll explain when I’m there
Sonya - Give me like ten minutes

Chapter Text

Chapter 12 - Newt
When your sister texts you explaining nothing saying only that she would be at your location in 10 minutes several things make you worry.
Currently my head was deciding between whether it would be a bad test score (unlikely) or just a panic.

“Man, you good?” I hear Frypan say.
“Yeah, my sister just has me worried that's all.” I reply
“Why?” Minho’s voice pops in from the side.
“Well, she just asked where I was, I told her then she said that she would be here in 10 minutes.” I said, “ no explanation”

A fake cough from Teresa, “Newt, based on the face I see now I think I know what it's about”.

I turned to see my sister standing near the door. I can tell why Teresa immediately knew we were siblings. She has the same hair as me, same skin, etc. But I can guess what Teresa was thinking. Sonya’s face was bright red and her ears were too.

“Sonya!” I call to her and she comes over, quickly giving me a hug. “What's the matter?” I say as I stroke her hair.
“I-I-I… I-” She tried to speak but failed, she then cleared her throat and tried again, “I-I got kissed…”

A wave of protectiveness surged over me, “Who?” I asked, barely keeping my voice level.
Another cough and her face went bright red again, “H-H-Harriet. I-I mean she's also like my all time crush and is amazing and beautiful. But-” She rambled
I smiled, “so what are you doing here?” I asked carefully.
“Because I was worried?” she murmured
“Of what, she clearly likes you if she kissed you and you like her. So get out there”

With that I quickly began to gently push Sonya out of the library, Teresa helping.

Chapter Text

Chapter 13

Newt and I must have become fast friends because currently he was letting me help push his sister (who he was being protective about 10 seconds before - and still was) out of the library.
A few questions answered by Sonya and we knew where her crush was.

*crash*

Newt kicked open the door to room C6 and we walked in, partially pulling Sonya forward. The classroom was used commonly for Geography and you could see several globes and maps around the room, one even sitting on the wall. Their were 2 people in the room. A dark haired girl with a sharp and commanding face and a boy with dirty blond hair and an almost lonely face. Yet even though they seemed like they were commanding and lonely normally, currently they were joking and laughing together as the boy helped comfort the girl. They looked up as we entered and the girl quickly turned a ripe shade of red - Harriet then I thought.
“Heya Sonya!” The boy calls as he beckons her over.
I moved away and Newt whispered, “Come on, Son”, while steadily pushing Sonya towards Harriet.
I walked up to them with Newt and turned to the boy, “Hey, Aris right?” I asked him, he had been in my cooking class at the start of the year before I went to WCKD.
“Yeah?” He replied, looking unsure.
“Let’s leave these two to it, yeah?” I whispered in his ear.

His confusion turned into a smirk, quickly standing and moving out of the room with Newt and myself following, all of us giggling with mischief.
We stayed, stood outside the room, peeking in for the next few minutes, watching as both of their faces turned bright red and eventually they held hands and Sonya gave Harriet a peck on the cheek.

“Success boys!” I whispered, turning to the others.
“Finally!” Aris joked as we turned and headed towards the lunch hall.

Chapter Text

“Oi shank! Hurry up!” I yelled running down the corridor with my skateboard in hand.
Yelps and shouts followed me as I ran through groups of people and into a teacher. I narrowly avoided bumping into another person and slammed open the peeling blue doors to the outside world.

I set down my board and jumped on, beginning to do circles as I waited.

Newt comes limping out of the hallway a minute later, holding his side and panting, “w-what-“ pant “the fuck man-” he then lent on a wall, panting.
I chuckled, although Newt used to be on the running team - hell he used to be the captain! - ever since.. his leg, he’d been much slower. “Shank you used to be this fast” I laughed.

He glared up at me, a ‘shank what the fuck’ face on. “Yeah, maybe I should break your leg to see how you are,” he snapped tiredly, dragging a hand down his face with a groan.
“Who we waiting for anyway?” He said, pushing off from the wall, holding his backpack strap that was on his shoulder.

“Thomas and Brenda, they wanted to come to the park with us,” I replied, remembering the conversation:

“Oi Minho-'' Brenda said, leaning over her plate of mashed potatoes and pink sausages that seemed to be British standard. “You goin’ to the park tonight?” She finished.
The park was an overgrown skate park that Newt had found 10 years prior when playing hide and seek near the woods that many call the Glade.
The Glade seemed terrifying to many but they had been playing in it for years, it felt like a personal plot of land for our group.
“Yeah, why Bren?” I asked leaning backward with my arms crossed, almost falling off the shitty benches they made us sit on. (Yes Brenda did smirk at that… I’m not proud)

“Can I tag on?” She said that smirk still plastered on her face.

“... What are you guys talking about?” Thomas! Forgot he was there…
“A place near by that I go to commonly with Bren and some others.” I said turning to look at him as Brenda started to stuff her face with pasta again, “Oh! Newt’s one of them.” I continued, remembering that he had met Newt once today… twice? Three times??

“Cool… um, can I come?” Thomas said nervously. He was sweet, even I had to admit it, he clearly didn’t want to overstep - especially since he only today met Newt.

Chapter Text

I sat at the Glade. The second school ended I left with Minho, then left him near the front so I could get here and he waited for Thomas.
I don’t know why they decided Thomas should come here. Why they invited him. Etcetera. But the spot isn’t mine , like I found it, cared for it, took the first people to this spot but it's not mine . My brain just isn’t catching up with that.

I sat on the grass - I said I cared for it, and I do! But the grass still gets tall. Fast . So as I sat, legs crossed, the grass was tall enough to brush my elbows. I was reading Shadow and Bone, a new book I had gotten from the library, but my mind wasn’t really in it.

My attention was drawn to a crack of a stick 50 metres or so to my left. Minho. We had a game of trying to sneak up on one another. He was better than that, standardly getting 20 metres from me before I would hear him. Thomas then. So they are both here.

“Afternoon Thomas, Minho” I said, barely looking up, lifting my voice so they could hear it.

A rustle of leaves…

…Another

“Did Thomas give me away?” Minho said, half-heartedly glaring at Thomas who had the politeness to look a little sorry, “I did tell him to be quiet”
“Probably, heard a stick” I replied looking back down at my book. I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to be able to read much more, so I closed it and grabbed my satchel that lay 2 metres away, shoving the book in it.

Thomas was smirking at Minho now, smug now he seemed to realise that Minho not winning the game was a common thing.
“So when’s Bren coming?” I asked, folding my good leg under me to push me up onto my feet.
“Said she’d be 10 minutes late” Thomas said, “I bumped into her before I left school”

Minho jumped and sat on a log, pulling off his bag and placing it in the grass.
a flash of white
Brenda. “She’s here” I muttered.

“What?” Thomas asked, turning to me when- “Hey guys!” Brenda called, running forward and swinging her legs over the log and sitting.

“Alright!” Thomas exclaimed from next to me, “Minho you’re right! Newt’s a psychic or something!”

Chapter Text

I remember - vaguely - that I met Newt in year 10 however meeting him now was different. Although I had only bumped into him 3 (4?) times today I could tell that he was calmer, quieter and even more introverted than before.

As Minho and I had walked up I had barely heard us walking, heeding Minho’s warning about their game. I can’t remember who stepped on the stick but it wasn’t loud enough that Newt should have been able to hear. Right?

Wrong? He had known, somehow. But I chalked it up to him seeing our clothes. I quickly realised that he’d been paying more attention to his book. Then his whisper of “She’s here” was my only warning before seconds later Brenda ran through the trees.

When talking to me about the game Minho had warned that Newt always won:

Minho kicked a stone as we began to move off the path and heading towards the forest - the Glade.
“So the game is something Newt and I have been doing for 8 years or so,” Minho continued as he pushed away a branch and walked past the first tree, “the aim is essentially to creep up on the other, so whoever is first has to look out for the other.”

I got hit in the face by a branch, “Somehow he almost always gets there first but even the time I have gotten there first I’ll be just doing whatever and he’ll appear in a branch or a pile of grass.” He continued smirking at me holding my nose in pain, “Like 2 years ago I looked up to see him sitting on the branch above me”

Okay. That is insane. The guy sounded like a ghost.

“He always wins if he is first too. I have made it without touching a single stick or tree but he will call. And I’m sure he doesn’t do it every 5-10 minutes because he has been talking to others here and done the same”

“So your tell me he is a psychic essentially” I laughed out

He wasn’t. It is kinda badass though.

Chapter Text

Newt uses roller blades.
Well that’s what I found out when he managed to pull 2 roller blades out of his satchel. I know Minho uses a skateboard and he brought a spare for me to try. But it is clear that I wasn’t on their level.

The skate-park was overgrown with ivy and vines everywhere. I can tell that Newt (or someone else too but that’s what Minho said) had tried to clean it a bit. Minho himself grabbed his skateboard and the spare, passing the spare to me.
“Grab it, come on,” ok, then. We went to one of the smaller ramps and stood at the top. Minho began to show me how to go down the ramp, he went down, getting up the next and rolling back. That's when Newt finished tying his laces.

I knew that he had a limp,it was a prominent thing that everyone who met him noticed. Based on that I didn’t expect him to be smooth on the wheels but…
He was skating before he got to the ramps, somehow gliding across the sticks and grass and jumping onto the concrete. He quickly skated in circles gaining speed before moving past Minho and up that ramp then down again and up mine.

He stopped, “Heya Greenie”, then he went backwards down the ramp skating quickly and smoothly… I fell down the ramp.

“Greenie, you suck at this!”

Chapter Text

We had definitely all grown closer in the 2 weeks since I’d met Newt.
If that was evident by the fact that the whole group was standing inside my living room uninvited as my mum stood with absolutely “What-the-fuck-do-I-do-in-this-situation” look on her face.

“Guys, when I said you look at it at. Some. point. I didn’t mean “oh please enter my house uninvited”” I said half-heartedly glaring at the group.
At least Newt had the manners to look guilty but guessing by the fact he was wearing slippers and his hair looked like it had literally been dragged through a bush backwards. However the rest of the group; Thomas, Minho, Gally, Brenda and Frypan (the smug bastard) were all smirking like the little shits they are.

My mum threw up her hands in defeat, “God help me because I can’t be bothered anymore!” she muttered leaving the room as see shook her head.

I snorted and said “Come on up then I guess”

------------------

My house definitely wasn’t made for 7 people to walk up the stairs chatting but we managed, eventually getting to the attic.
“So where is this spooky door you sent us a picture of?” Minho exclaimed, breathing rather deeply for someone who is meant to be good at running.
“Are you out of breath ” Newt asked what I was thinking with a snort.
“No!” Minho exclaimed rambling about his brilliance as I walked to wear I had covered the spooky little door with a dust blanket.

I pulled it off and stood back, taking in the dusty, dark oak door with its intricate carvings, so did everyone else. Even Minho was silent, for once, before…

“Last one in, is a rotten egg!” He yelled rushing forward, pulling open the door and jumping inside. Thomas rushed inside before Newt followed looking worried, then Frypan, myself and a Brenda pulling in a Gally.

“Spooky indeed” Newt laughed sarcastically as we sat in insulation foam a foot tall. Thomas had some on his face and Minho had a giant blob of it being thrown his way from Frypan.

---------------------

A mini foam battle broke out, ending when my mum hit a broom to the ceiling and yelled and Newt began to get more concerned for how much of the foam it looked like Thomas and Minho were inhaling.

When we managed to pull each other out and brush off we stepped downstairs, me ushering the boys and Brenda out the door when my mum came out the kitchen took 2 looks at the 7 kids half covered in foam before stepping back into the kitchen muttering in Spanish.

After I managed to push them all out the door I slid down it smiling happily before achingly getting to my feet.

Chapter Text

We had definitely gotten closer in the 2 weeks since I had met Thomas and Teresa.

This weekend was a mess because of it. I had awoken to a piece of paper on my face and 6 idiots playing cards on my floor. I locked eyes with Thomas and blushed and spluttered, ushering them out quickly so I could get changed (what else do you do when you wake in only your pyjama trousers in a room of your friends?). Only after I had changed did I remember the piece of paper.

I unfolded it to see a shittily drawn map (Minho?) with shitty handwriting (Frypan.) and a note reading:
Morning Newt.
Sorry for the rude awaken (Minho says not sorry) but here is a map. Follow it. (btw your parents are fine with it - we had to get in the house somehow)
Teresa, Thomas, Minho, Frypan, Gally, Brenda

Teresa’s handwriting (because it was actually legible)
The start point of the map had a house drawn on it (therefore my house is the start point most likely), the next X on the map had a skateboard drawn on.

Bingo.

-----------------------

I had grabbed my penknife, a pen, spare shoes, a book and had shoved it all into my satchel. I then ran downstairs (grabbing a cereal bar on the way) and pulled on my skates and zoomed out the door.

It took 10 minutes to get to the forest itself. For some reason my brain had labelled the skatepark as the Glade instead of the Glade Forest itself. I wasn’t losing Minho’s and my game over a scavenger hunt so I pulled off the rollerblades and pulled on my spare shoes.
It took 5 minutes to climb the nearest tree and then I was hopping from tree to tree and within 15 minutes I could see the Glade. Thomas, Minho and Gally were all there. Thomas was clearly still scared of Gally but he teased him nonetheless.

I hopped to a tree 5 metres from them and looked at the willow to my right. Some of the branches end near enough to the floor for me to slide down so I do that. I grab a vine-like branch and begin to slide down, dropping down when I’m 3 metres from the floor.
“WHAT THE HELL! AGAIN!” Minho yells before I laugh.
Thomas is clearly shocked while Gally is just looking at me with respect.
Minho however is accepting it but not easily. Rambling and ranting in a playful manner as I stand by Thomas laughing.

-----------------------

Turns out the next point is the last point. Seemingly the group of “prepared idiots” weren’t prepared (like normal) even with Teresa on their side.
So to the ice cream place I headed. Walking past Bitch Academy- *cough* sorry I mean WCKD school. And gliding into the ice cream parlour on my roller blades as the others struggle to catch up.

Turns out the piece for my struggles is a mint ice cream (my favourite) from a bright red Thomas (are both of my friends on the track team out of shape??). Whelp.

The day was a good one.

Chapter Text

Oh lovely. Where is everyone?

We had all decided to sleepover at Thomas’ last night and now…
Now I thought about it everyone had managed to become fast friends however it might have something to do with the fact that we had been friends before and somehow everyone had forgotten everyone .

Whelp.

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [11:05]
[Thomas, Teresa, Frypan, Newt, Gally, Brenda, Minho]

Frypan - Heya guys.
Frypan - Dont know where any of you are but I’m going home so…

Teresa is online

Teresa - Oop!
Teresa - Sorry Frypan. (I told the guys to leave a message)
Teresa - We thought that you looked exhausted so we went out for breakfast and let you sleep
Teresa - We didnt think we’d nearly get into a car crash…

Frypan - You what?!?!?!?

Minho is online

Minho - dont worry about it dude
Minho - its fine

Newt is online
Brenda is online

Brenda - i mean…
Brenda - thomas was the one driving

Thomas is online

Thomas - BECAUSE NONE OF YOU HAVE A CAR

Gally is online

Gally - I do. I just dont let you guys in it

Newt - ^^^

Minho - rude

Brenda - extremely

Newt - Bloody hell, Brenda can use a big word!!
Newt - The world is ending!

Brenda - i can feel your British-tea-drinking habits radiate through that message
Brenda - so shut it you tea drinker

Thomas - Hold on
Thomas - …
Thomas - wait
Thomas - Newt is *actually* British

Teresa - How DIDN’T you know that.

Thomas - idk. I thought it was something he picked up from living in Britain as a kid
Thomas - not that he was *actually* British

Brenda - L

Minho - L

Teresa - L

Frypan - L

Gally - L

Minho - L

Newt - L
Newt - Like A. why are you say actually like *actually*
Newt - B. HOW THE HELL DIDN’T YOU REALISE
Newt - I LITERALLY TOLD YOU ABOVE MY CHILDHOOD ONCE!

Teresa - Newt. He be an oblivious child
Teresa - let him live

Newt - I’ll think about it

Thomas - Phew

Minho - did you do the politics homework @Thomas

Thomas - shit no.
Thomas - Can I copy yours?

Minho - no
Minho - because i wanted to copy yours

Newt - F

Brenda - F

Gally - F

Frypan - F

Teresa - F

Minho - ima go do it now
Minho - i have no time other wise

Thomas - same
Thomas - Cya

Thomas is offline
Minho is offline

Teresa - how are you lot then?

Frypan - Good. you?

Teresa - Good thanks

Newt is offline

Teresa - Damn
Teresa - Thanks dude. I guess we are simply that boring!
Teresa - Im going to go dramatically flop in front of my concerned mother.
Teresa - Bye! :)

Teresa is offline

Frypan - Ima go to. I have some food tech homework to get done.

Brenda - What do you even do for that

Frypan - research effects of certain ingredients
Frypan - BYE!

Frypan is offline

Brenda - GALLY
Brenda - @Gally
Brenda - PRIVATE CHAT!

Gally is offline
Brenda is offline

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [12:54]
[Thomas, Teresa, Frypan, Newt, Gally, Brenda, Minho]

Thomas - WHY IS NEWT OUTSIDE MY HOUSE
Thomas - NEWT!
Thomas - WHY DO YOU HAVE A SACK OF TEA!?
Thomas - AND A BASEBALL BAT!?

Brenda - rip
Teresa - rip
Gally - rip
Minho - rip
Frypan - rip

Chapter Text

“GUYS!” I yelled running up to the 3 idiots sitting on the top of a ramp in the Glade.

“What is it Brenda?” Newt said, gliding down on his roller-blades in a way that shouldn’t be physically possible, “You ok? Not hurt?”
“ I’m fine ” I said, “Gally won’t be,” a smirk overcame my face.

Newt had a matching one over take his own and he held out his hand, “The phone. I want a photo shoot.”

I smirked and handed it over.

He started with pictures of me, a few stupid ones of Minho and Thomas. One of us jump-scaring Fry who came through the bushes. Then Newt managed to jump almost fully into a tree (I don't know how the fuck he did that with his leg and from the reactions no one else does either). He hung down, “Hand the phone” he said, his legs hooked around a branch. I handed it up and he snapped a quick phone of me with a smirk before pulling himself up and disappearing.

“Where’d he go?!” Minho yelled, spinning as he looked into the trees.
“There! Right…” Thomas exclaimed pointing at a now seemingly empty section of tree.

Huh.

Gally stumbled through the bushes. “Guys! Have you seen my phone?” He yelled.
I glanced at the guys, quickly hiding my smirk, “No we haven’t why? Have you lost it?” I ask, “innocently”.
“Yeah…” He asks, out of it slightly, “I could’ve sworn…”

It was silent. Yet we could see it from where we stood. Gally couldn’t.
Newt had his legs wrapped around a branch again as he reached down, placing the phone in Gally’s half open backpack that he clearly hadn’t closed in the rush. He pulled himself back up with a rustle before disappearing.
“Huh? Guys you good, you look like you just saw a ghost” Gally said turning slightly to look behind himself.
“Yeah, perfectly fine!” I said, recovering fast.
So had Thomas, “Have you checked your bag?” He said.

“Of course. Why?...” He said. Before his eyes widened and he pulled off his backpack and pulled out his phone.
“What…”

“Hey guys!” Newt called, walking through the bushes towards us, “How are we all?” He then looked around with fake curiosity, “What is happening?”
“I… don’t know” Gally said. We had thoroughly confused him.

Newt clearly couldn’t help himself and I couldn’t either anymore.
The 4 of us broke out laugh as Gally scowled.

---------------------

“So how’d you do it?” Gally said, turning his phone over and over in his hands.

I pointed to Newt, “That guy is a fucking super spy I swear.”
Gally laughed, “No offence Newt, but I honest would expect him to be clumsy. Not a super spy”

Newt handed Gally’s phone back to him, “What…” Gally started looking down at what he had been turning over in his hands. Newt had managed to swap the phone for a piece of bark.
The phone was open to a video of Newt smiling then walking normally - however it couldn’t have been seen as he’d been silent - and getting to a branch above our heads, before dropping down and quickly recording the 4 of us who’d been on the floor. Gally’s phone had then been dropped into the bag.

“Damn…” Gally said before accidentally swiping right, showing all the photos we had taken… “You. Little. Shits.”

We ran.

Chapter Text

We may have been spying on Brenda and Gally.
May

Brenda was casually sitting by herself at a table in a nice small cafe. She was lounging, one foot on the seat and the other knee resting on the table. The cafe was a homely place full of people young to old. The booths had little dark oak tables with brown cushioned benches, there were tropical plants every few metres, brighting the place as much as the fairy lights and small lanterns were.
Gally came back, holding a small coffee cup and a tall glass of a pink drink with a small straw.
He placed it down and slid it towards Brenda who took it happily, taking a slip with a smile. Gally then slid into the seat opposite, a smile I personally had never seen before on his face.

It was funny watching as they smiled and laughed at each others jokes.

I turned to look at Fry and Minho who were behind me;
“They are having a very good time. Did anyone remember why they are here?” I said,
“Did you really not know?” Fry said, looking at me like I was stupid. I tilted my head in confusion and Minho stared at me intensely.
“Dude they are on a date!” He said, exasperated.

“Oh.”

I turned back to the window, “Hey look, it’s Newt!” I said, spotting the blonde walking into the cafe. He walked up to the counter, smiling as he asked for his order. He stood there waiting for it, casually talking to one of the baristas and looking around. You could tell he had seen Gally and Brenda but he must have also known they were on a date because he didn’t walk closer. A barista came from the back, placing a drink and a bag on the counter, calling his name. He grabbed his order and walked out, quickly turning to face us.
“You aren’t very good at hiding Tommy”, He said, kneeling by the rest of us and opening the bag, taking out a donut before handing it to the rest of us. Yeah, judging by the fact there are 3 donuts in here, he noticed us on the way in. We passed around the bag before resuming our original positions.
“It’s sweat that he got her a smoothie” Newt said and I tilted my head, asking for an explanation. “Well, Brenda loves smoothies and I believe Gally got here before Brenda so, he remembered.”
Oh, yeah it is.

Well…
“Guys could you please stop spying on my date.”

…

Brenda

We all turned slowly to see Brenda smirking with her arms crossed. While we were talking she had managed to exit and stand near us.
“Sorry Bren” Newt said, “I only got here like 2 minutes ago so…”

He got up and ran.
“Wait! Newt! Don’t leave us!” Minho yelled as he ran too, quickly followed by Frypan and myself.

Chapter Text

So you know that weird funky feeling you get on occasion when you wake up that standardly means “Yo, something’s happening”.
Boom , my feeling right now.

Turns out the snazzy feeling is due to a lovely piece of piece Lying. On. My. Fucking. Face!
I picked it up, not even reading it, threw on a jumper over my shorts and t-shirt I had been sleeping in and basically half-flew down the corridor. I slammed open the door to the kitchen to see Newt and Jorge playing a game of chess.
I’d say it was heated but that was only from one side ( cough cough Jorge’s cough cough ), meanwhile Newt was calmly playing his moves. Both were good at strategy, however Newt was more watchful and sneaky, which is surprising in a game where you can’t really be sneaky.
“Guys what is this” I asked, holding up the note after realising I had just randomly stopped in the doorway after kicking down the door.
“A note” Newt replied without looking up as he placed his knight further towards Jorge’s side of the board.
“And you know how? You literally just didn’t look up” I said, eyebrow raised as I looked at him with a glare plastered on my face.
“I got one too. Read it, came here, bumped into Jorge and now we are 5 finished games of chess into the day” He replied, looking up as Jorge pondered his next move.
“K, where's yours?”, he waved it from where it appeared out of nowhere - sleight of hand, that bastard has too much time on his hands, “How many games have you won then?”
Newt watched as Jorge placed one of his pawns further towards him before moving his own pawn with a smile.
I raised my eyebrow at him as he looked up again - that smirk was growing wider, so was mine now. While the game looked indifferent, both guys with similar numbers of pieces, I had a small (read: “large”) feeling Newt was winning.
Jorge moved his pawn once more, the pawn becoming a queen as it hit the edge of the board. He looked up with a smirk of his own before noticing Newt’s relaxed posture and smirk. “Shit-” he muttered, eyes hurriedly glancing over the board, finding nothing and looking back up.
Newt’s smirk hadn’t gone.
“Pawn to C7. I believe you’ll find that, that is checkmate.”
Jorge looked back down at the board, finding the pawn that Newt must have been talking about and scowling. “Fuck this shit- he’s fucking 17- how the- what the fuck” he was muttering, getting up and filling the kettle.

Newt smirked at me, “6 out of 6 currently.”
“Dude, get a life please.” I laughed, “What’s the note about anyway?”
“Something about wanting to meet at the glade” he said, pulling out his note, “ ‘Would you please meet me at the glade on Saturday at 12’ “ he read.
“Wait, when did you get this note? Doesn’t sound like today seen as today is Saturday” I asked, suspicious
“2 days ago, I found it in my locker. Don’t think its a joke but I can’t go. Besides, they probably think I’m not going. The note says for me to leave a post-it on a lamppost, ‘the lamppost on Griever street with the dent’, it says.” he said but it sounded… forced partially, the facts true but…
“And you didn’t do that, why? If you're sure it wasn’t a joke then why not and why can’t you?” If he wasn’t going to tell me straight up then I was going to question it out of him.
“Didn’t have time then forgot. Now I’m here. It would be rude. What about your note Brenda?” Lies I’m sure, but he deflected and my curiosity peaked so…

I opened the note and read it over:
“Heya Brenda, Sorry to worry you with a note (You blocked me so no, no I’m not). But I kinda left a note to Newt (anonymously) 2 days ago and he hasn't responded. I know he isn’t suspicious of it (he talked to Minho about it) but he hasn’t responded. Minho and I haven’t heard from him since lunch that day either… Help? - Thomas”

“Similar to yours but it’s signed by Gally” I said, I was lying through my teeth but I was about to help Thomas. “So come on. I want to go to see what Gally and your “mystery postman” are up to.”
I ran to grab my shoes and pulled them on, turning to Newt who’d gotten to his feet and walked over to the door.

-------------------

We quickly left my bungalow and began the long trek to the glade. Despite how long the trek usually was, it was taking much longer than normal. Newt was walking at a rather leisurely pace, not limping more than normal but moving very slowly.
“Newt, are you ok?”
“Yeah. absolutely fine.” He said a tinge in his voice.

I had chosen to ignore it. It is warm summer weather, he is wearing a coat etc. there were plenty of reasons.

His leg buckled when we reached a deeper part of the forest.

Chapter Text

“FUCK!”

Brenda. My head snapped towards the noise.
“What is it?” Thomas asked from next to me.
“You deaf or some shit. Brenda just yelled fuck”, I said annoyed, “Come on!”

I began a quick jog in the direction I believed Brenda was. She was meant to be coming with Newt so if she’s hurt she will be fine, Brenda isn’t the best at playing doctor though. While I may not be on the track team I ran rather fast through bushes and past trees, “BRENDA! WHERE ARE YOU!”

“HERE!” My head snapped around again - at this rate I was going to snap my neck - and began to push through a few more bushes to reach a sight. Thomas bumped into my back as I stopped.

Newt was on the floor, leaning up on his elbows and looking at his leg which looked normal.
That was the only out of place thing, “You fell?” I asked, looking at the situation.
“Yup, I’m fine, don’t worry” Newt replied calmly putting more weight through his arms so he could get up. HE was clearly putting more weight on his good leg but that wasn’t too worrying until he stood straight and chose to put weight back onto his bad leg.
He crumpled to the floor.

“Shit!” Thomas rushed forward, “What’s wrong with your leg? Why is it worse?” He rambled out.
“It’s nothin-” “Shhh” Brenda cut him off, “That’s a lie”
Newt sighed and rolled up his trouser leg to show a largely swollen knee with a large bruise to the side of it. “What-” Thomas began but Newt cut him off, “A kid thought it funny to kick my knee when he saw me limping, it swelled. There are reasons I wasn’t planning on coming today and not going to school.”

Everyone looked insanely guilty until Thomas spoke, “Well we have to get him home then”, he looked around at the others who all looked at him blankly, “You mean to tell me that none of you know where he lives.” Silence, “Fine then. Come on, to mine.”
“Newt, your not walking” he added as Newt tried to stand again.
“What… ahh-” Newt was cut off as Thomas managed to pick him up.
“What the fuck-” I began before being cut off by a shh from Brenda, “Let them have their gay-ass moment” she whispered in my ear with a smirk. I smirked with her as we all headed back to Thomas’.
Turns out that his mother was often out and that's why we didn’t come around often.
“Drinks anyone? I’ve got tea, coffee, water and apple juice for Gally” He added with a teasing tone.
“Bitch” I muttered, grabbing one of the cups he had placed on the counter that Newt was sitting at and grabbing the apple juice from Thomas’ hand and pouring it in.
Thomas looked surprised, “I was jokin-” “and I’m not. I actually like apple juice” I cut him off.

-------------------

No, we didn't leave that night. It was gross sleeping in the clothes we had been wearing but Newt couldn’t walk home and everyone else couldn’t be bothered. No, we didn’t get sleep either (something Teresa scolded us for when she showed up at Thomas’ door).

Chapter Text

ring-ring… ring-ring

“...Hello?”

“Teresa?”

“Yeah. What’s up Thomas?”

“You remember that weird door in your attic that ended up not being weird?”

“Yeah? Wait! Do you have a weird attic thing?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll call the others”

End call

-----------------------

knock knock

I opened my door, “Heya guys,” I said looking at the 4 people outside my door.
Gally, Brenda, Teresa and Minho were standing outside my door.
“No Newt or Frypan?” I asked as they stepped in, taking off their shoes.
“Nah, they had homework to get done” Teresa said with a knowing smirk (I don’t know what she thinks she knows but it’s something).
“So where’s the creepy thing!” Minho said.

-------------------------

We stepped up the staircase and entered the attic. I walked over to a dust sheet similar to the one that had been in Teresa’s attic and pulled it off. Underneath is a rather old mirror, it wasn’t overly fancy, being made of a cheap looking wood with no carvings. The glass itself was dusty and scratched- basically imagine a haunted mirror. That.

“Duuuude.” Minho said looking at the sketchy mirror, “There is a reason that thing had a dust sheet.”

Teresa then had an idea, “It looks haunted so who wants to do haunted experiments?”

----------------------

Teresa told us about a type of paranormal investigation called scrying and Minho wanted to try.
“I’m not scared man, its just a mirror”, Minho said as he sat in the chair Teresa had placed in front of the mirror. Teresa went and turned off the lights, before turning on a torch and placing it on a tripod behind Minho.

“So you’re meant to just look into the mirror and tell us anything you see.”

A few seconds passed then…
“It looks like my eye just disappeared. My right one.” He said before shaking his head, “Yeah thats a bit freaky”
He got up and gestured for Gally to take a seat, however Gally shock his head, “I’m not doing that, I actually believe this stuff guys.”

---------------------

Eventually Teresa, Brenda and I had all had a turn;
I watched a shadow join my group of friends.
Teresa started shivering.
And Brenda sat there for 15 minutes with nothing…

Whether or nothing it is real, it was fun.

Chapter Text

“Hey guys remember in year 7 when Minho still thought his imaginary friend was real?” I asked, chuckling as the thought came into my head.
We were having a sleepover and about to watch a movie (something about kids stuck in a maze), Newt and Thomas were getting popcorn and the rest of us were just chatting.

“ Really , he still thought that?” Teresa asked, chuckling a little. I remembered that both she and Thomas had joined in year 9. Perfect opportunity to embarrass Minho, no?

“Yeah he talked to it and all, didn’t have any friends for a month because of it” I continued
“Ah, ah, ah!” Minho said, “Let’s not forget the time you talked to your cookies that were in the oven because you thought the ‘talking to it helps it grow’ was for baking and not plants!”

He didn’t go there.

“What about the time you fell over 3 rows of benches in assembly before most of the school entered”, Thomas chimed in as he and Newt began to pass out (extremely large) bowls of popcorn.

“What about the time you jumped on Newt by accident when jumping out of a tree!” Minho retorted

“You do not want to say anything including me, I have known you for longer than these lot. I could ruin your social status.” Newt joked rather seriously.

“Fair dooes” Minho replied, lounging back on the sofa, leaning partially on Brenda and earning a slight scowl from Gally.
We all began to make ourselves comfortable, Newt and Thomas on one sofa, Brenda and Gally and myself on the next, then Minho and Teresa on the last.

——————————

The movie was pretty good and we laughed at the similarities between some of the characters and ourselves.

“Ok, best subject in school” Newt said, a mischievous smirk on his face.

“Obviously PE or Politics”, Minho started, Thomas nodding along
“Maybe Computer science though” He added before receiving mixed reactions.
“Yes!” (Teresa), “Hell no!” (Minho)
“Cooking is fun” I said,
“Not when you burn everything” Gally muttered. (He tried to make cookies for MInho, Brenda and I two years ago and it was straight charcoal when it came out of the oven). “How about Art or Photography?” he added
“I’m sure it’s Politics, like you can talk your way out of anything” Minho said, repeating his previous idea.
“But Biology teaches you how you work and is all very good discussing like children but it’s better to learn something real” Teresa replied.
“How would Biology help anywhere in life then?” Minho asked incredulously
“Sciencetist, biologist, vet, doctor, nurse, surgeon. You know all the respectable jobs instead of politician .”
“I guess we aren’t going to all agree on Chemistry then” I laughed as the two continued

“That's because the answer is Maths.” Newt said, Teresa and Minho turned to him about to argue but then he continued, “Everyone put your hand up if you took Maths because it's cool and interesting?” 4 hands (including his own) went up. “Oh it looks like it's the most popular so there it's the best. Argument over.” He said with faux innocence.

Chapter Text

“Oi. Kiddios”, I looked up from the chess game I was having with Brenda - she was far too competitive for chess, shown by how angry she was quickly getting 20 moves in. Jorge was standing there, covered in grease and grime, having been in the garage cleaning up Bertha (his car that he had gotten from a tip a few years ago). “I found some old oxygen tanks in the garage under some of the junk”, He said, “I was wondering whether you wanted them or not, I’ve got no use for them.”
“I’ll take them!” I said, my excitement accidentally knocking over the chess game, “Whoops.” I said half-heartedly as I went with Jorge to the garage.
There were 5 oxygen tanks sitting half under a broken mattress and empty cans of paint. They didn’t look fully functional, however I doubted it would take much work to get them to their old state. “Thanks Jorge” I said, picking one up and turning it round, it truly didn’t look too bad. “I might take these home now, see you!”
“See you!” Jorge called back as I picked up 2 of the canisters, slinging them over my shoulders with the old leather straps attached before picking up the other 3. I walked through the kitchen, weighed down and limping.

--------------------

I managed to reach my house, having waved goodbye to Brenda and limping the 45 minutes home. I took the cans upstairs to my room, passing the other boys who lived in the home as I passed. By now they deemed me crazy enough to leave me alone if I was on one of my “tangents”. I luckily got my own room, either because of the complaints over the years or because of the fact I was now the oldest boy here.
Matron watched me pass with a disapproving look, shaking her head lightly as I passed, walking up the creaky stairs. I got to my room and placed the tanks on the floor in a small pile near my desk. I grabbed my watering tank and quickly watered the many plants on my shelves. They had grown a hellish amount, with Matron making my cut them often, with I found rather funny.
I sat by the desk, moving one of my plants of it (it was a large oxeye daisy) and pulling one of the canisters onto the desk and getting to work.

Chapter Text

No one had heard from Newt all weekend, other than Brenda who saw him after school on Friday. It was rather wondering especially as last time this happened he had a serious injury. However Brenda swore that he didn’t have one and instead had taken 5 oxygen canisters from Jorge??
Thomas and I were terrified for him by the time Monday rolled around, we went to his form instead of our own to check in waving hi to Ms. Cooper. We waited talking to some random people in his form and quizzing each other for the politics quiz we had today.
It took 15 minutes before Newt came hurrying through the door, wearing his jacket (still, I don't know how as its hot as hell - Ms. Cooper seemed concerned too) and his satchel looking down at notepads and papers in his arms not paying much attention as his coffee’s paper cup balanced precariously in his arms. He managed to run right into Thomas who had been standing near his desk, almost falling and dropping everything. He was only saved by Thomas quickly grabbing his cup and his shoulder to steady him. “You okay?” Thomas asked and Newt went bright red in embarrassment. “Sorry guys, I wasn't looking where I was going.” Before he added with confusion, “What are you doing here?”
“Well no one heard from you all weekend so we got a bit worried, you didn’t answer your phone and we don’t know where you live so…” I said, pointedly looking at him as he began placing his papers on the table, “What were you up to then? Brenda said you got some canisters from Jorge or something.”
“Yeah, oxygen canisters. Its a project I’m working on. Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough” Newt added with a wink.
“Okay then.” I said with a smirk, “How exciting.”
Newt quickly began sorting the papers into the notebooks, they seemed to show various sketches of gas canisters and notes that I decided not to question. He looked up with a smirk to me and Thomas - who had just been staring at him, “don’t you two have a form and a politics test?” He questioned.
“How’d you know about-” Thomas began.
“The test?” Newt asked, “You have your notes on my desk and on Minho’s hand it says ‘politics test, Monday’” He smirked pointedly at Thomas, who, now I noticed, seemed rather sunburnt and pink, either that or it was the light.

“You also have 2 minutes until form starts,” he added.
Shit.
Run.
I don’t think we have ever ran faster as we bolted from the room.

Chapter Text

Newt had “hired” me onto his little crusade involving the gas canisters (yes, Newt, I do know what all those delightful long words mean). Now. It was rather funny, as we had taken to going to my bungalow the second school ended and working on the gas canisters. We have managed to get 2 to work, one didn’t need more than 10 minutes of work on reattaching a new strap.
We were currently working on the final two. Newt only looking up from his to look at his notes. It was Friday and Newt desperately watched to get them finished tonght for a little surprise he had for the group.
A few hours went by and it was dark before he looked up stating, “’m done, how ‘bout ‘ou” His accent was ridiculously thick and it took me a second to process the words. Then I said, “Almost. Got to sort out this valve but it doesn’t look too bad.”
“Then I’ll take it home and sort it out.” He said,
“You sure? Don’t you live quite a bit away, don’t want you to get hurt carrying these all home.”
“No worry, I’ll be fine”, he replied beginning to pack up the various tools scattered along to table and follow. I stood to help out, feeling rather dizzy as I got to my eet. “Christ what time is it, I’ve got a banger headache.” I muttered
“11:30. It’s not too bad”
“Yeah but you don’t sleep do you punk.” I snapped half-heartedly at him as he smirked.
“Just go to sleep. I’ve got this. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said, continuing to pack up the tools.
“Sure.” I muttered, “See you tomorrow” I said with a yawn.

--------------------

It had been 6am when I received a text on the groupchat.

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [6:03]
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Newt is online

Newt - Hello Shanks (and Teresa)
Newt - No questions asked but meet me at the square at 9
Newt - Bring swim clothes, water and food.

Brenda is online

Brenda - Bruh
Brenda - wtf
Brenda - why are you already up
Brenda - you left my house at like midnight
Brenda - how far away is your house

Newt - I got home at 1 if that helps

Brenda - did you finish that last one

Newt - Yes…….?

Thomas is online

Brenda - that looked like it would take another hour!

Newt - 2 actually

Brenda - how much sleep did you get!!!!!!!

Newt - 2 because some of the boys pulled a prank at 5

Thomas - Boys?

Newt - I mean thats what I call them!
Newt - They are just a group that go by my house commonly
Newt - Really loud and all
Newt - Thats all

Thomas - Oh okay
Thomas - Cool

Newt - Yeah any who
Newt - Just meet at the square at 9
Newt - Peace

Newt is offline
Minho is online

Minho - howd I manage to miss him!
Minho - like bro never texts me on this group chat!

Gally is online
Frypan is online
Teresa is online

Brenda - L

Gally - L

Frypan - L

Teresa - L

Brenda - L

Thomas - L

Brenda - You did NOT just take my doudle L privialiges.

Gally - OOOOOOOoooooooooooo

Thomas - Did someone just use grammaaaaaaar

Minho - shut up

Minho is online
Brenda is online
Thomas is online
Frypan is online
Gally is online

Teresa - Love how we aren’t questioning Newt’s “shanks and Teresa” comment

Teresa is online

Chapter Text

I’d offered to walk with Brenda to the square and so I was hurriedly running down the street towards her bungalow at 7:28. She was standing outside the building leaning against the wall and on her phone. She was in a lovely black t-shirt and shorts, her hair tied messily into a bun .
She looked up and smirked as I stopped and bent over panting a few metres from her. “And this is why you need good time management. Your asthma is going to kill you otherwise.” She said with a smile.
“Yeah- I know that-” I managed out, still breathing heavily as I stood, “You got your swim stuff and a towel?”
“Yup! You?”
“Of course.” I paused, “How about water?”
“Oh shit-” She said quickly running inside as I smirked.

---------------

We went on a walk for a while before we met with the others at 9. We had turned the corner to see Newt and Thomas already there, both looking rather sunburnt as they talked. Thomas was wearing a grey t-shirt and shorts while Newt was wearing his “stupid-motherfucking-cool-ass-jacket” (named by Minho) and some light weight trousers.
“Heya guys” Brenda said, adjusting her backpack strap on the way over to them.
The square is a square patch of physically decrepit grass in the centre of Mazens (the town not the damn school) that people just kinda look at. For us it was one of our 2 meet up places and to say that some of us haven’t done our own vandalism to it is a lie.

It took 10 more minutes for everyone else to show up. Frypan arrived with Teresa and Minho arrived alone but we were all at the square.
“Finally Minho! I thought we’d have to leave without you!” Thomas said.
“Yeah, boo hoo. So what are we doing?” Minho replied, asking the last part to Newt.
“Not saying.” Newt said. He began to walk towards Martha (Jorge’s only truck) that had been parked nearby, “Hop in”

Chapter Text

I called shotgun and Newt was driving (he is the oldest, but I’m still not sure he has a licence). Everyone else crammed into the 3 back seats or climbed into the back.
“What’s the large bag for?!” Teresa yelled from where she was sitting in the very back,
“It’s part of the surprise!” Brenda yelled back from where she was sitting, her head half out the window, in one of the back seats.
I turned around in my seat to face the back, “And you know that how?”
Brenda looked at me with a look that said ‘bitch-you-dumb’ and replied in her most patronising voice, “I helped ”
Oh.
I am a bit slow I guess.
bump
My head hit the ceiling as we went over the bump in the road and I turned back around. This truck definitely shouldn’t have been on the road due to its dusty, damaged condition and the fact it had 2 seat belts in total.
“Jesus Newt! Do you actually know how to drive?!” Frypan yelled.
“Oh shut it you cooking utensil!” He yelled back playfully.
In reality (and through much trial and error) we had found that Newt was the smoothest and best driver. Brenda was second purely because her driving wasn’t smooth, I had nearly driven the group over a cliff, Frypan wouldn’t try, Gally got serious road rage, no one trusted Minho to try and Teresa didn’t because she was content watching the chaos.
Newt was driving us off the road and onto a dusty, unused track, past plants and other things that definitely hadn’t seen much human input in a while.

-----------

It took another 40 minutes before we reached it, everyone had been chatting and stopped suddenly when they saw it (Teresa had to elbow Minho for him to look up from his phone however).
We had all known that Mazens was near the sea. It was like a 20 minute drive. But the beach-like area we saw now was one that was people free (an unusual thing for Mazen beaches).
“Wow” I muttered before I broke out of my stupor. Turns out that all of us had been so shocked that Newt had managed to get the large bag from the back and walk around the front of the truck.
“Hurry up, Shanks,” He said, smiling wide. He began to walk towards the beach as I jumped out of the car. I caught up and looked at Newt. He was stumbling slightly under the weight of the bag. “You want me to take the bag?” I asked, offering out my hand.
“Nah, it's fine. It’s probably too heavy anyway.” He replied with a smirk
“What else is in there then because you walked home with them just fine last night.” Brenda butted in, appearing on Newt’s other side.
“Well we needed the actual stuff or they wouldn’t work” Newt replied with a roll of his eyes.
Brenda watched as he stumbled again before realising, “Jesus, dude those things are heavy as. You have 5 in there plus the actual things!?” She exclaimed
At this point I exchanged a glance with Gally who seemed as confused as I (and I assume everyone else) was.
“Plus spares,” Newt muttered, looking guilty at Brenda’s concern.
Brenda stood in front of him, hands on hips. “Hand over the bag”
“But- “ He was quickly shut down by Brenda, he swung the bag off his back and put it on the floor. Brenda stepped forward and grabbed the handles, glancing at Newt.
He shrugged, “It’s your funeral” He said, stretching out his back and chuckling at the wince everyone gave in response to the loud crack.

Brenda tried to pick up the bag and struggled significantly. Getting it a third of a foot off the floor.
“Let me try” Minho said, flexing his muscles. He then proceeded to do no better than Brenda.
“Gally, help me get it on my back?” I asked, grabbing a strap.
Together we managed to get it on my back. “Christ Newt, how was your leg surviving this” I said as I began to stagger forward.
Newt just hummed an incomprehensible answer and started walking at my side.

Chapter Text

It took another 10 minutes to get to the beach. Immediately, Teresa, Minho, Brenda, Gally and Frypan all stripped into their swimming costumes and jumped into the water. I followed Thomas, pointing out a spot and saying a quick, “Right there”. Thomas placed down the bag and I quickly opened it, pulling out the 5 gas canisters and 8 oxygen tanks.
“The fuck-” Thomas said as I began attaching tanks to the canisters.
“Jorge gave me them, I found this beach and decided to fix them up so we could dive and shit” I replied, picking up one of the canisters. I handed it to Thomas who quickly put it on.
Everyone else realised what was happening and they (minus Frypan and Gally) came over.
After reactions and the like we all had a canister on our backs and goggles on our faces.
I led the way, placing the mouthpiece to my mouth and jumping off a rock. The water quickly surrounded me and I swam forward before turning to see 2 more people land in a cloud of bubbles.
From under the waves you could see countless fish and coral. The tanks were working like a dream too, with oxygen following in easily and seemingly non escaping.
Thomas tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see the others had swam off separately to look around. “We only have an hour's worth of oxygen” I had said and I checked my watch (it’s waterproof don’t worry), 58 more minutes. Nice.
I grabbed Thomas’ wrist and swam towards the bottom. I struggled a bit with swimming due to my leg but once we hit the bottom it wasn’t a problem. Nearby we could see a biggish cave and Thomas pulled me sharply as he began swimming over, I quickly kept up, choosing to pull myself along the rocks instead.
It was very pretty cave. There were corals and fish of almost every colour.
As I looked I saw a red coral next to a yellow, a green and a purple corals. Pride flag. Perfect for June I thought before snorting at my own in-head-commintery. Thomas glanced over concerned, an eyebrow raised to mean “are you ok”.
I nodded with a smile and watched as he smiled back.

--------------

That hour continued in a repetitive yet non-boring manner.
We had all dried and then Frypan had had the best idea.
“Guys, so Gally and I were thinking that seen as, you know, it's the weekend… why not have a sleepover of sorts here?”

So yeah. It had taken a mere hour for everyone to get back to the beach with various bags and tents.
Another hour and everyone had a tent set up as Thomas and I tried to light a fire.
“I was in scouts, I know how to do this,” Thomas said with purpose.
“Go ahead then” I said and we all watched, laughing, as he failed for 15 minutes.

We continued laughing and smiling late into the evening (even after I’d grabbed Thomas’ hand and shown him how to use the flint properly before watching a bright red Thomas try again with success).

Chapter Text

It felt like school hadn’t existed during that weekend. But shame, shame because it does.

Luckily it was Monday and I’m a 6th former and I take cooking, biology and computer science.
I love computer science and biology, don’t get me wrong. The workings of both living and technological are fascinating, but at the same time none of them quite have the hands-on science that cooking does.
I guess that WCKD kind of ruined it for me too. Too much of their syllabus was pointed towards mindless and unsympathetic research. But even without that, cooking was clearly the best.

Since I became friends with Frypan it got even better. He was often overlooked by those outside the group however his fast and witty humour was a highlight of almost any sleepover or hangout. That didn’t change in the kitchen.
“Hey T!” Bingo.
“Hey Fry! How are you?” I asked as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a dusty apron from the hangers at the door and slipped it over his head as he walked past our classmates. We had decided to work at the back together this term after I came back. The fancy scholarship at WCKD and Frypan’s gender (due to most of the class being girls) made us more disliked than most in our class. I don’t know whether they gathered it yet ( clearly not based off their smirks and glares ) but we couldn’t care less.

--------------

The teacher barely said what we were making before Fry and I were grabbing bowls and sugar. Our topic recently has been about dealing with sugar, and personally I was surprised we didn’t get around to honeycomb sooner.
It was a rather difficult recipe to be fair. You have to heat the sugar just enough and stir the bicarbonate of soda enough for it to be anywhere near solid.
And Fry and I are rather perfectionists.

We weighed different ingredients; me, the caster sugar and Fry, the golden syrup and bicarb. Then we scraped the sugar and syrup into the same pan, raising the heat as much as we could.
We had a thermometer in the pan and we stepped away, preparing pans and cleaning bowls, as we waited for the temperature to reach 150 celsius.
By the time we were done and just standing in front of our pan, the temperature was at 100 and the other students in the room were just turning their stoves on. “Well done you two!” We heard the teacher call. It was rather funny to realise that I hadn’t ever bothered to learn her name, however she kept speaking, “You’ve done this very quick and it looks great!”
“Thanks Miss.” Fry replied before we both turned back to our simmering sugar. The temperature reached 149 and at the next degree we quickly turned off the stove, added the bicarb and stirred. I watched the sugar froth as Fry began to pour the thick goop into our tin. It smelt sweet and looked perfect.
“We did well” I said, hands on hips as we looked at it.
“We did” He smirked before picking up a small spoon, “There might be some left in the pan~”
I grinned wide and grabbed another spoon before going back over to Fry who was scooping some into a small bowl.
“Leave me some!”

Chapter Text

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [12:26]
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Thomas is online

Thomas - @Teresa
Thomas - What’s the homework for Computer Science
Thomas - I missed the lesson

Frypan is online

Frypan - Think it was code something that got sent in an email

Newt is online

Thomas - Oh
Thomas - Cool thx
Thomas - How’d you know?

Brenda is online
Gally is online

Frypan - I have cooking with her
Frypan - Also when are y’alls free periods?

Thomas - I have one in an hour

Brenda - i am free til after lunch

Minho is online

Gally - Same

Teresa is online

Newt - I’m free now

Minho - free in a hr

Teresa - Free in 10

Frypan - Meet at the history room in an hour then.

Thomas - K

Teresa - K

Brenda - Yup

Gally - Got it

Newt - K

Minho - Okie-dokie

Chapter Text

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [12:26]
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Brenda is online
Thomas is online
Frypan is online

Frypan - Where y’all at?

Newt is online

Newt - Give me 2 minutes

Minho is online
Teresa is online

Minho - i’ll be in 5

Teresa - Sorry!
Teresa - Just got out of a meeting!
Teresa - Will be right there

Frypan - It’s alright

Brenda - Hurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry
Brenda - It looks like Frypans got fooooooooood
Brenda - He wont lets us have it without yall

Teresa is offline
Minho is offline
Thomas is offline

Newt - Shame shame
Newt - Guess you’ll just have to wait

Brenda - So mean

Newt - Lol
Newt - Does it look like I care?
Newt - /jk

Brenda - *gasp*
Brenda - I feel wounded

Gally is online

Gally - Shhhhhhhhhh
Gally - You’re doing my head in

Gally is offline

Newt - Fine
Newt - See you in 5

Newt is offline
Brenda is offline

-------------------------

I closed my phone turning back to chatting with Brenda, she was talking about some of the mechanics behind the tanks that she and Newt had to fix up. It’s rather interesting to watch her talk - I can’t lie and say I’m listening to any of it. She is talking really animatedly, standing as she gestures to rough sizes and shapes of pieces and making various facial expressions based off the severity of the problem they had. It was cute, watching her bounce up and down on the balls of her feet while grinning. I could feel my own grin hurting my face with how long I’ve been smiling.
“Hello.” I glance to see that Teresa has entered, holding a lot of papers and looking like she may have just ran here. “Heya Teresa, how are you?” Brenda was up and off her feet, navigating Teresa to a table as she talked and helping her put down the multitude of papers. This all while continuing to talk animatedly about one thing or another.
“Dude you are smitten.” I hear someone chuckle. I look up to see a brown-headed idiot. I roll my eyes. “Really dude. It’s cute though. You two deserve it.” I smile slightly at his comment. I know Brenda didn’t have the best relationship before me, he hadn’t been great and had dumped her the second he found out she was bisexual. It was nice to know I was being what she needed, even if it was from an outside view. I turn to see that Thomas’ attention was being drawn by something else. “And I’m the smitten one.” I laugh, watching as Thomas’ head turns back to me a bit red and shocked.
Newt had just ended behind Minho, looking very windswept and tired carrying somehow more than Teresa had been. He almost collapsed into a chair before announcing, “Come’on Fry, heard you have food.”
He had ditched his bag and papers onto the table next to his chair and stretched out his leg, rubbing the knee a little.
Fry and Teresa shared a glance before Teresa picked up the container that had been sitting on one of the tables. She opened it to show a pile of carefully made honeycomb. I could feel my mouth water as I looked. Teresa and Fry were always very meticulous with their cooking and the few times I had been able to taste their creations are the few times I have met proof of a godly power.
I quickly got up and snatched the 3rd piece - after not beating Minho and Brenda to the plate.

We all skipped the next period and sat round the classroom chatting and enjoying the honeycomb (we all had it free so we weren’t really skipping but it carried the same year 9 sentiment). It was glorious to watch the many friends I had managed to make, dotted around the room.
Brenda and Teresa were chatting about Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter (“She was a nutter!” “No Brenda she just had a very open mind”), Minho was having a pull up competition with himself? Frypan and Thomas were talking about random things from the honeycomb to elections while Newt and I sat happily listening. It is truly great having this relationship with these people, a group where the unspoken motto was care and don’t judge. And so I pretended not to notice Brenda handing Teresa a book on engineering, not to notice Thomas miming the proper way to do a pull up to Minho when he challenged Frypan to a pull up contest, and not to notice that Newt hadn’t moved from where he sat massaging his leg.

Chapter Text

“You’re a Professional Pillow Fluffer!” Gally wheezed out doubling over with laughter after Newt pointed out Minho’s slight fluffing of his pillow.
Minho was standing there a bit shocked, his pillow in his hand before he acted, throwing the pillow hard at Gally’s head.
“No I’m not!” he yelled jumping onto the bed and squatting, his arms held out straight in a T-pose.
“A gremlin then” I wheezed out before tumbling off the bed in my laughter which only served to make Gally and Minho laugh more and Newt squeal as I landed on top of where he was lying on the blow up mattress.
We were hysterical, I’m 90% sure Minho’s dad put in ear plugs the second we went upstairs because he wasn’t seemingly caring about any of the noise we were making.

“Boys-”
Spoke too quick. “Hello Mr Lee” Gally wheezed out, he was the most composed, the rest of us laughing incredulously at Mr Lee’s horrified face.
Mr Lee just shook his head, his face frozen as it was and stepped backward out the door, not turning his backs on us as he slowly closed the door.
That made us all wheeze even harder, Minho falling off his bed and almost hitting his head on the side table, Gally rolling on the spare bed while Newt and I were shaking with the heavy laughter, trying to untangle ourselves. It was a lost cause and 10 minutes later once everyone calmed we all just lay back where we were and began to play games.

Chapter Text

“ OOOOOOOOOkkkkkkkkay then.” I exclaimed clapping my hands together in a call for attention before turning to Gally, “Truth or Dare”
“Umm. Truth, I don't think I trust your dares.” Gally responded with a chuck that had Newt snort with laughter from where he was sitting, his legs still partially tangled with Thomas’.
“How many times have you and Brenda snogged?” I said, with no hesitation. Gally turned bright red in record speed mumbling something on the lines off, “Bloody ridiculous question”.
I barked a laugh, quickly followed by Thomas and Newt who turned to Thomas,
“Truth or Dare?”
“Um. I pick… Dare”
Gally chucked and I wheezed out “Wrong choice”
“What-” “I dare you to drink this.”
Newt pulled a bottle of greeny liquid and handed it to Thomas. He took it, turning a slight green just looking at it before uncapping it and taking a quick swig. He did quite well, grimacing but not vomiting or retching.

Spoke too soon.

----------------------

“I’m banning you from making dares from here on out” I laugh as we stand outside the bathroom that Thomas had run into.
“Fair” He laughed back, “I do have medicine though”
A small click and Newt got dragged through the small crack that had opened in the door, hitting the door frame and door several times.

Chapter Text

Whoop whooooop!”
I heard Brenda scream out the window as Newt drives us down the winding roads around Mazen.
It was a beautiful day and we had taken the chance to drive around the countryside. We had taken one of Jorge’s cars and warned him that we probably would be back until 5pm even through we set off at 7:46. It is just us three but we are having great fun as Newt speeds down roads like an experienced racecar driver.
“Dude how the hell don’t you crash!” I yelled at Newt, feeling my face go green as we speed around another corner.
“Christ!” Brenda yells as a tree manages to hit her in the face.
Newt and I break out into laughter and he takes a hand off the wheel to pat Brenda on the shoulder. She turns and glares harshly, “Put your hand back on the wheel man. We don’t want to fucking crash!”
Newt rolls his eyes, placing his hand back on the wheel and doing a u-turn around a corner. We don’t really have a location, the plan was drive for 30 minutes then walk. So far I think only Newt still knows where we are.
“Here good?” He asks, “we’ve been driving for 25 minutes”
I glance down at my watch, it’s 8:14, “Yeah ok, just find somewhere to park and get off the road.” In response Newt sharply turns into a lay-by and slams on the breaks. My head snaps forward but the seat belt stops me from flying into the windscreen. “Jesus Christ Newt, warning please” Brenda says breathily as she sits up straight.
“Brenda language-“ I say before turning to Newt, “and she’s right, like hell ”
He snorts and jumps out the car, walking round and pulling open the back seat-door to grab his bag and letting Brenda out.

I snorted, shaking my head incredulously before jumping off the car. Jorge had packed roughly 3 litres of water plus snacks, a map and a compass from us to take and had given it to Newt. Yet as the forest loomed around us with the dazzling sun overhead, I doubted we would need it.

“Y’all coming or not?” Brenda asks with a hand on her hip. Newt quickly turns to me and imitates the pose, earning a smack over the head from a laughing Brenda. He then proceeded to roll his eyes with mock offence and strut down the road followed by Brenda singing, “But Newtie ”.
These two never fail to make me laugh I think as a jog down the road with a broad smile on my face.

After ten or so minutes Newt has the map out and points out a path that we decide to take, heading further from the road and further into the woods. “Imagine if Newt was taking us here to kill us!” Brenda says slapping her hand dramatically on her forehead and drooping back into his arms.
“Absolutely I am” he replies with no hesitation and he wraps his arms around Brenda in a hug like fashion that leaves her hands pinned. I smacked him lightly with my bag, “Let her go you horror” I laugh as he does and takes down the path. Brenda and I quickly follow throwing small sticks and stones at him that he mostly dodges.

We continue, laughing our heads off for a few more minutes before slowing to catch our breath and collapsing down on some rocks.
“Wow-“ I breathe, gazing up at the sky which was colouring itself with pinks. “Agreed” comes Brenda’s equally breathy response which was overlapped by Newt’s own.
“The trees are beautiful” Brenda adds.
“Climbable I bet” I say sitting up to look at them. Not all are but there are one or two that I could definitely climb even with my inexperience.
“All trees are climbable silly” Newt says in response, not bothering to sit up.
I glance around, noticing a thick tree with the first branch a good 8 foot of the floor, I know for a fact that Newt couldn’t reach that.
“Right bet.” I say, “climb that one” I add pointing to the tree.
Newt pries open an eye, “possible” he murmurs.
“Show me then cocky bastard” I say and Brenda stifles a laugh. “He could you know” Brenda says.
I look at her with disbelief, “I want proof”
Brenda glanced at Newt when I do, earning a huff as he pulls himself to his feet, clearly resting more weight on his good leg.
He springs himself at the tree next to it, grabbing a branch and dangling, swing back and forth. Back and forth. Before letting go and grabbing onto the first branch of the tree I had pointed out. He pulls himself up and continues up the tree, stopping only when he is several metres into the air.
“Holy shit-“ I mutter, “that was badass dude!” I yell up the tree.

Chapter Text

“Thanks!” Newt replies and Brenda huffs a “told you so”
It’s almost like he falls back down but he swings from branch to branch, jumping down when he is a couple metres off the floor.
“I swear that one day you are going to break your legs” I said, shaking my head slightly before pausing. Brenda looked at me with slightly wide eyes as we both realised what I’d said.
I personally was never told how but I know that Newt definitely broke his leg and badly . I know Brenda and Minho know about it, and I think possibly Jorge also. However the rest of us are completely in the dark.
Newt however, didn’t seem to care, "You guys good?" he asked pulling out a water bottle. He took a sip before throwing it to Brenda.
"-Yeah" I reply far too quickly that makes Newt raise his eyebrow. I glance at Brenda who has buried her face in the water bottle. I school my face into a small smile and calm my voice before trying again, "Yeah, we're fine don't worry".
That seems to convince him more.

Chapter Text

We decided to make our way back when we realised the time. The sun had been setting slightly over the trees and it was already 7 o'clock. We were already late to be back at Jorge's but Brenda said that she doubted he'd mind, so did Newt, saying "he raised an eyebrow when we said 5pm, he isn't expecting us back then."
So we are just casually walking back through the woods, Newt had pulled a stick out the bushes and was leaning on it as we laughed.

"So you and Thomas huh?" I ask Newt after him and Brenda finished picking on me for liking Tracey Pucker in the year above.
Newt turns bright red, "What do you mean" he asks managing to keep his voice level and failing to do the same with his face.
"Well I talk to Gally and Frypan and they have seen~" I reply remembering with a laugh what Gally told me happened at their sleepover.
"Yeah but nothing has really happened" he responds,
"So you do like him~" Brenda sings, skipping along side us. And Newt goes a brighter red.
"...but-" he began. "but he doesn't like me back Brenda~"
"simply not Teresa~" "guys-" Newt tried to cut in.
"Never Brenda~ Because he doesn't make googly-eyes at me~"
"he would never Teresa~"
By this point Newt was managing to sport a bright red as he hid his head in his hands (which wasn't a good idea because he nearly fell on his face).
"You alright there Newt?" Brenda and I asked in a synchronised manner, stifling a laugh as we realised our voices overlapping.
"I think you guys suck, personally" he replied, still pink in the ears, "But honestly I'm scared of the cringiest possibility and I'm a coward so deal with it and lets move on the talking about Brenda's ridiculous love for smoothies."

--------------

"Where you lot been! You said 5! Personally I expected like 10 or something but 5am!" Jorge yelled as we entered through the door, bashful grins overtaking our faces.

Chapter Text

"-omas! Thomas! "
My head snapped up to see a disgruntled mum at my bedroom door. Click and light flooded the room before she marched over to the blinds and tugged them open. "You can't spend all day in the dark coding or whatever! You are almost and adult!"
I opened my mouth to speak, placing my laptop to the side before she interrupted, "-anyway. Your friend is here, alright?"
I nodded a quick yes, "Who is it?"
"That sweet blonde boy you met earlier this year." Oh, Newt. I looked down to see that I was still in my pyjamas and I jumped out of bed to get changed, "I'll tell him you'll be a minute!" Mum laughed as she headed down stairs.
I pull out clothes, tugging them on quickly and heading down the stairs, sweating from the humidity of the summer and the sudden exercise.
Newt was standing in the kitchen talking to my mum. She had made them both a cup of tea each which Newt had his hand cupped around as if it was keeping them warm. He was wearing just a simply grey t-shirt and black cargo trousers with his quote unquote "stupid-motherfucking-cool-ass-jacket" which was a brown aviator jacket that looked a little worn. All in all he looks like he's fucking cold
"Mornin' Tommy" Newt said, passing a third mug of tea to me as I entered. I murmured a short thanks before asking, "How are you wearing a bloody jacket?!"
"-Thomas Stephen Edison. Language!" I quickly shot an apologetic look as Newt silently laughed in the corner.
"Because I'm not hot?" He replied, making it sound like a question.
(disagreement. because it is boiling out)
"Ssssure...", I replied, "So where'd you want to go?"

Chapter Text

We decided on the lagoon beach (once again the code name came from Minho) (also after promising my mum that we would be back by 7pm). It took an hour to get down without Jorge's car, yet when we did get down Newt pulled out a chess set.
I looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I haven't played you yet." was his response, "I have beat everyone in our friend group so-"
"Game on".

Ok, so he's good. Like really, really good at chess. I heard that he could easily beat Jorge, Brenda, Minho, Frypan - apparently he beat Teresa with a bit of a struggle. He used to be in the chess club supposedly before Vince (who used to run the club) told him to try something else after Newt beat him several times.
So I should've expected it to be hard.
We went back and forth, sending our pieces forward to attack then moving back when the other made a defence. Newt seemed to be one step ahead of me a lot of the time yet I still held my ground, feigning attacks and taking pieces where his were open and losing pieces in return. Eventually it came to my king and last pawn against his king, right bishop and a knight.
"Aaaaand... I think that's checkmate" he called.
I scoured the board. My king was placed at F1 and my pawn at E7, one space from queen-ship. Whereas Newt's king was at E3 blocking my king's escape north, his knight at F3 blocking my escape east or west and finally his bishop at H3 keeping me in check.
Yup, checkmate

"That was a great game" I say as I nod in response, before beginning to tidy up the board and wiping the pieces that are in the sand.
"Really was. I haven't had someone play so well in years." Newt agrees wiping a pawn with his sleeve, "Nor for so long, we might want to get back so we can grab some food from the McDonalds."
"Absolutely!" I agree placing the board back in the bag and beginning the walk back up, loudly complaining about a politics homework while Newt defend's Vince's honour as a politics teacher.

Chapter Text

Chaos and Cooking at [20:65]
[Frypan, Teresa, Brenda]

Teresa is online
Brenda is online
Frypan is online

Teresa - So…

Brenda - Hello
Brenda - Wait....

Teresa - Wait....

Frypan - Lol you two are so in sync that you're managing to text the same
Frypan - At
Frypan - The
Frypan - Same
Frypan - Time
Frypan - You two are the reason that this chat is called chaos and cooking

Brenda - Rude

Teresa - Rude

Frypan - Lol
Frypan - Try again??

Teresa - shut up

Brenda - shut up

Frypan - you have to be planning this

Brenda - getpranked.jpg
Brenda - yeah...

Teresa - yeah...

Frypan - ...
Frypan - I'm talking to Newt and Thomas
Frypan - I don't want to listen to this

Teresa - and you want to listen to repressed crushes instead???

Frypan - ...
Frypan - Gally and Minho then

Teresa - Minho is more chaotic than us

Brenda - Minho is more chaotic than us
Brenda - (plus Gally's got work)

Frypan - ...
Frypan - I'm jumping into the lagoon

Teresa - No

Brenda - No

... added Newt to the chat
Newt is online

Newt - no

Newt is offline
Newt left the chat

Brenda - what the...

Teresa - wait....

Teresa added Newt to the chat
Newt is online

Teresa - What...

Newt - thomasandnewthangingout.jpg
Newt - Hanging out with Thomas
Newt - getting taught some coding

Teresa - THOMAS!
Teresa - WE HAD A DEAL ON HACKING
Teresa - QUIT-

Newt - He says he doesnt care

... added Thomas to the chat
Thomas is online

Thomas - no I didn't
Thomas - Sorry Teresa

Thomas is offline
Newt is offline
Newt left the chat
Thomas left the chat

Teresa - ...

Brenda - ...

Frypan - ...
Frypan - I'm just living for the chaos now

Brenda - I thought you wanted to escape it?

Frypan - ...
Frypan - shut-

Chapter Text

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [02:26]
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Newt is online

Newt - …

HOLA SHANKS AND SHANKETS at [10:26]
[Thomas, Teresa, Minho, Gally, Newt, Frypan and Brenda]

Brenda is online

Brenda - What.
Brenda - Newt
Brenda - What did we say

Thomas is online

Thomas - I agree
Thomas - I told him too

Brenda - How far away do you *live*
Brenda - Like it didn't take you 4 hours to get home

Newt - no it didn't

Brenda - YOU'RE STILL ONLINE

Newt - I NEVER LEFT

Thomas - NEWT
Thomas - please
Thomas - SLEEP

Gally is online

Newt - NO
Newt - cant
Newt - no time
Newt - or peace

Gally - is it those kids near your house

Thomas - what kids

Gally - remember when he said some kids played a prank on his house or something

Thomas - oh yeah
Thomas - i agree, was it them?

Newt - yeah
Newt - they are near my house *really* often
Newt - think they must literally live in my basement with how often they live near me
Newt - they've shut up now though
Newt - they did a few hours ago

Brenda - then why didn't you sleep

Newt - ... house was dirty

Gally - ...how big is your house?

Newt - quite big i guess

Brenda - them why dont we go to yours more often

Gally - wait is it bigger than mine

Newt - yeah...

Brenda - than mine

Newt - ..yeah

Thomas - than mine
Thomas - and Teresa'?
Thomas - and Frypan's?

Newt - .yeah
Newt - ..yeah
Newt - um...yeah

Gally - the fuck!
Gally - why dont we go to yours more often

Newt - because you cant?

Brenda - why not?

Newt - because of the rules?
Newt - I cant have people over?

Thomas - is your mum that strict

Newt - yeah. matron is rather strict
Newt - wait.
Newt - *mum
Newt - **mum
Newt - I meant mum

Thomas - ...right

Newt - ...yeah

Thomas --> at [10:34]
[Thomas, Newt]

Thomas is online
Newt is online

Thomas - ...Newt
Thomas - Are you alright?
Thomas - You've gone really quiet on the main chat.

Newt - ...
Newt - I'm fine.

Thomas - Thats a bit more grammar than normal.
Thomas - Are you sure?

Newt - no-

Thomas - Is it to do with-

Newt - my slip up?
Newt - on the chat

Thomas - slip up?

Newt - yeah
Newt - I... um-
Newt - I dont have a... home... in the sense you have. i guess

Thomas - ??

Newt - ..um
Newt - so you know... like... um. Orphanages?

Thomas - yeah?

Newt - yeah.

Thomas - oh.

Newt - yeah.

Thomas - right. So...

Newt - Matron runs the place.
Newt - We have certain rules on having friends round and stuff
Newt - I could have you guys round I think but...

Thomas - you dont want to?

Newt - yeah...

Thomas - how about just me?
Thomas - You dont have to but...

Newt - umm
Newt - I'll think about it?

Thomas - wait.
Thomas - sorry to keep bring it up but-
Thomas - why dont you sleep?

Newt - umm well.
Newt - it's about an hour walk away so minus 2 hours for travel.
Newt - then the other kids have bed at 12 so...
Newt - I dont *have* to be in bed til 2 so I help Matron a bit with tidying and food
Newt - and... homework

Thomas - car
Thomas - earplugs
Thomas - not helping
Thomas - doing homework at Brendas
Thomas - there is an extra reason

Newt - I have a bit of undiagosed insomnia?
Newt - I get *enough* sleep
Newt - like to function so its fine

Thomas - thats not really good though

Newt - its been ok lately
Newt - its rarely bad enough that I start falling asleep during the day

Thomas - ...fine
Thomas - sleepover at mine tonight??

Newt - Is this an excuse to get me to sleep?

Thomas - ...

Newt - lol
Newt - are the others going to be there?

Thomas - wasn't planning it.
Thomas - just us.
Thomas - chess.
Thomas - *sleep*

Newt - :)

Thomas - :D

Chapter Text

“We never get us all together anymore!” Brenda exclaimed as we all sat in a circle with respective notes and revision materials.
Summer had long since finished and winter had sprung up, everyone had avidly begun their revision for the soon coming A-levels meeting commonly at one another’s houses.
Gally and Brenda were still dating and Teresa and Brenda had been building a stronger friendship throughout the studies, Minho’s crazy demeanour had faded into a stress filled organisation. Newt and Thomas had been hanging out together more (Brenda and Minho made a bet on whether they are secretly dating- Brenda said they were by Minho disagreed) and Newt had been dissolving into a worrying state that Thomas was helping him out of.
Through all of this everyone promised to stay friends, we sure as hell tried but it was still difficult with the different classes, responsibilities and the like.
“Well Teresa’s coming in 15 minutes because she has to finish a Biology thing with Newt then Newt’s waiting for Thomas and Minho to get out of their politics class so he’ll take about 25”, Gally points out.
We’d all written class schedules and merged them to see when each other were free and it had been working great. “Yeah, I'm going to pop to the shops and get some snacks. Who want to come with?" I asked.
Brenda's hand shot up as if we were still in school as she shot to her feet, pulling open her bag and rummaging for her wallet because jumping half way across the room, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out the room so hard that I spun quickly and nearly fell over.
"Christ Brenda!" I squealed.

Chapter Text

I pulled him closer as the harsh light streamed through the curtains. Newt had stayed other last night and I'd managed to get him to sleep for the past 5 hours which normally - for anyone else - would be worrying but over the countless time he'd stayed round I'd gathered that he'd sleep sporadically to the point where I had found it rare for him to be getting 4 hours with the stress up coming exams brought.
"MMmmmmh-" I heard from where Newt was curled up next to me as he shifted, "T-tommy?" he mumbled.
"Yeeah Newt~" I said a twinge of mockery in my voice.
"that quite mean." He said turning and mumbling into the pillow, "Mockery isn't nice"
"What is, however, is the amount of sleep you got" I chuckled.
He frowned at that, "When'd I fall asleep?"
"Half way through our 5th (?) chess game. Out like a light." I said with a smile.
"Oh, sorry about that-" "It was nothing, don't worry about it, kinda adorable I'm not gonna lie"
That warranted a bright red face.

knock knock

"Boys quit flirting and get out of there. I need to kick you out the house for a few hours because I have work."
That warranted two.
"Going!"

Chapter Text

Thats a shit ton of screams. "Yeah Bren?", " GALLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY "
"What is it Bren?" I asked as I turn to the room in which we had been studying (Thomas, Newt, Brenda and myself). I had gone to get snacks as Brenda had left to go to the loo.
"Minho owes me a tenner" She smirked and turned to let me see two blushing, bright red , guys sitting partially intertwined with Newt's arm around Thomas' waist.
"Damn guys." I said with a small chuckle, leaning back onto the door frame next to Brenda, "About time-"
That earned several splutters from the 2 that were turning further and further into crimson messes on the floor.
We were all too busy laughing and joking to notice the knock on the door and it opening until Minho was stood in the corridor looking on in concern.
"You all alright? Sounds like people are dying." Sounds about right I thought with a laugh.
"Just Bren winning a bet" Minho raised an eyebrow at this, "The one she made against you the other day." Minho's eyes widened in surprise and laughter as he took a quick glance into the room where two - still blushing - Newt and Thomas were rolling around laughing as Brenda was failing to stay upright with how much she was laughing, holding tight to the door.

Safe to say that no work got down after that (laughing hurts some muscles that you don't realise exist until you're gasping for breath from laughing).

Chapter Text

"Heya Teresa" I said as she opened the door. She smirked, "gossip, now" and then she pulled me by my sleeve straight into the house. I stumbled, hitting the wall as Teresa closed the door.
"Right!" She said clapping her hands together, "Minho told me he lost a tenner. Now another thing I know is that his and Brenda's bet cost a tenner."
She walked through into the kitchen and pulled out tea bags, silently asking whether I wanted any, to which I nodded. "Therefore," she began as she filled the kettle and turned it on, before taking a seat next to me, "how is Newtmas doing?"
"Well- Hang on a minute. Newtmas?! What's that now?" I asked in confusion.
"ship name," she said dismissively before adding when my face of confusion didn't change, "You and Newt. Continue." She waved her hand in a 'continue' gesture before resting her head on her hand.
She smirked when I started blushing furiously again, "We're together? Um- yeah. Brenda accidentally caught us kissing about- um.. 4 days ago?"
Teresa let out a laugh at that, "Yeah I heard about that. She told me a few days ago."
"So you already knew?"
"Yeah! I want to know the extra gossip thooooough" She said in a sort of winy voice.

I laughed, "Whelp. Sorry to disappoint"

Chapter Text

I was skating up and down the over run ramp of the Glade. The others hadn't been here in a while due to the creeping exams. That's not to say I'm not revising when I can yet I still am taking time to skate all around the glade.
Talking about the others, the wind picked up making the whole place feel more lonely.
Surprisingly the wind didn't rustle the trees.

HaWHooooooooo
There was the wind again, not rustling the trees. I looked up to see Newt hanging from his knees on a branch. He then blew in my face. I tripped and feel from my skateboard.
"You bastard!" I exclaimed as my ass hit a few branches that lined part of the skate-park. Newt dropped a backpack before he swung down from the branch.
"I've not seen you in a while," Newt said, sitting on the top of a ramp and pulling out his skates, "since Psychology on Tuesday actually."
"Fair. Everyone has been studying so much, not much time to stop and chat." I replied with a smirk.
"When's your first exam?" "PE in 2 weeks." Newt laughed a bit, "What do you actually do? Run a lap, 'Oh well done you've passed!'"
"You know its not like that! You used to take PE before- yeah..." "I did but its still funny. Have you revised the muscles and tendons?"
"To the point that I could read them off in my sleep."
"Whats this one then?" Newt asked, pointing to his calf as he rides down the ramp.
"That's simple! You could name that!" I laughed as I skated after him.

"You'll never take me alive!" Newt laughed as he began circling me.