Why Can't I Hate You?

Clattering pots and pans attacked my eardrums. I bolted awake, covering my ears from the horrific noise. Newt stood by my bed, holding two metal pots, banging them together.

"STOP! NEWT!" I shouted over the noise.

He stopped, letting the weight of the pots drop his arms. "You're not sleeping in agai. Gett up and do your job."

"Are you kidding me? My head is pounding, and you just about burst my eardrums, you maniac!"

"Should've thought about that before you got drunk and danced with the Greenie until half three in the morning." He dropped the pots, letting them clatter on the floor.

"Why do you even care? It's none of your business what I do in my spare time, and his name is Thomas."

His eyes were practically piercing daggers into me. "I don't care what you do or who you do it with, go skinny dipping in the lake with Thomas. JUST DO YOUR DAMN JOB!"

He stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I grabbed my pillow and shoved it in my face, screaming.

                              ***

"I can't believe the audacity he has!" I stood ranting to Jeff while I organised the bandage. "He's loopy."

"Y/n, I have no idea what this whole thing between you and Newt is about, but if it doesn't get resolved soon, someone is going to get murdered."

"I'm sure he'd enjoy watching me bleed out."

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's him" He chuckled, handing me a glass of water and some painkillers.

"Thanks, Jeff."

As the day went on, the weather got hotter. Since it was a pretty quiet day in the medjacks hut, Alby allowed us to leave. It was boiling in that damb hut. It was like an oven cooking us alive. However, we didn't get away with doing nothing at all. Alby sent us to the gardens to help out.

I groaned at the sight of Newt in the gardens, talking with Thomas. Perfect.

Me and Jeff were made to dig up weeds. It wasn't an easy or clean job. At least I wasn't made to do whatever Newt was doing.

I came across a particularly stubborn weed that wouldn't come out. The shovel broke off the handle, and Jeff chuckled at me.

"Shut up!" I flicked some dirt at him "Zart my shovel, broke."

"Newt, go show her to the spare supplies."

Newt sighed and walked over to me. I felt heat rise to my cheeks. He was shirtless. Usually, he would take off his hoodie and work in his orange tank, but this time, he was completely shirtless. A lot of the other boys were too, and it wasn't like I hadn't seen it before. I got my act together and followed him to the supplies cupboard.

He handed me a new shovel. "Try not to break it this time."

I rolled my eyes at him.

"And get rid of the attitude."

"How can I? It's shucking boiling." Then a wicked idea popped into my head. I knew the perfect way to get him back for this morning.

"Maybe I should take off my shirt too."

"Y/n-"

I slipped off my shirt, leaving me in my bra. His eyes flicked down for a second, and then he looked back up at me with a stern gaze. "It's not the same, and you know it. Whatever you're trying to do, I suggest you stop. Put it back on."

"You're right it's not the same, I'll just get this pesky bra off and-" I reached for the clasp of my bra.

"No-no-no-no-no!" He shouted, lunging for me.

I slipped away from him, still pretending to unclip my bra when he lunged for me again. Grabbing my hands and pinning them above my head, pushing me back into the wall, "Don't."

I looked up at him, so close to each other that his chest was pressed against mine. I giggled. "Someone's ticked off."

He let go of me, moving back. Then, he took his shirt off his waist, slipping it back on. I watched him as he shoved my shirt into my hands. "Put it on."

"Or I could just walk right out there like this."

"Put. It. On."

I smirked, putting it back on over my head. Then, I walked out with the satisfaction of knowing I pissed him off.

                              ***
I bandaged up Winstons hand. He cut himself again, slicing pork. The slicers were our most frequent visitors. They tend to injure themselves the most. Every once in a while, we get a cook with a burn or a runner with some sort of injury.

Someone outside started screaming for help. Me and Jeff looked at each other and hurried outside to see what was going on. Thomas was running and yelling, away from... Ben?

Everyone ran over from different directions to help as Ben grabbed a hold of Thomas, bringing him to the ground. Newt swung his shovel at Ben's head, knocking him off. I reached Thomas, who was now at his feet. "Are ok? What happened?"

"I don't know, he just attacked me," He panted.

Newt and Gally held Ben down as he writhed. Something was wrong. He wouldn't just attack someone like this. Alby pushed through the crowd with a seriousness that concerned me. "Lift his shirt."

"No!" Ben squirmed.

"I said lift his shirt!"

Gally pulled up his shirt to reveal black, dying veins on his stomach. How could this be possible? Ben got stung. In the middle of the day?

"How has he been stung?" Gally questioned "in Broad daylight?"

Alby's cold gaze slipped for a moment. Sympathy, for his old friend. He knew what had to be done for the sake of the others. "Take him to the pit. Go!" He ordered .

Gally and Newt heaved the protesting boy up from the ground, and two others helped to restrain him, to take him away.