I found Newt in the gardens, hard at work with a shovel in his hands.

"Newt! I need to talk to you!" I called.

He straightened up, a worried look on his face, and he hurried over.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked as soon as he was close enough. He was reaching out his muddy hands, he grabbed my face, twisting to look at me better.

I swatted his muddy hands away stepping backwards.

"Eww dude! Gross! No, I'm fine!"

I rolled my eyes trying to wipe the mud off me. He visibly relaxed, his eyes calming down and he dropped his hands.

"Then wha' can I help ya with Snips?"

Suddenly I felt nervous and didn't want to ask. I looked down at the grass and kicked the ground with my toe. I ran a hand through my hair and then shoved both hands into my back pockets, and finally looking up to a bemused Newt.

"I umm need a...favor." I mumbled.

I could feel my face heating up. He raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk on his face now.

"What kind of favor? You know your not my cup of tea!" He said cheekily.

I gasped and punch his arm. He threw his head back laughing loudly.

"Eww! Newt! No! You of all people!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He snickered, trying to get himself under control. "What can I help you with Snips?"

"Umm well. I'm helping Minho with a umm project. And I uhh need glue."

"Glue? Okay. What does that have to do with me?" He asked, frowning again, trying to figure out where this was going.

I groaned and looked at the sky, closing my eyes I spat it out as fast as I could.

"I need you to ask Gally if I can use the glue. I saw a huge container of it when I did my job trial!"

"Ahhh!" He chuckled, "I see."

I looked back at him, he had a smug knowing smirk and crossed his arms.

"I should go make you ask."

"Not a good idea."

"Why the bloody hell not?"

"You know very well why not!" I threw my hands into the air. He was going to make this much more complicated!

"Did you not see this morning?" I growled

His smug smirk grew bigger.

"Oh I saw! Most of the Glade bloody saw."

"Then you know I'm not going to go talk to him!" I threw my hands around again, frustrated. I felt my face heating up, and I growled in annoyance.

"We wouldn't want a repeat of that, now would we?"

"Exactly!"

"All that intense eye contact and blushing and tension so thick and juice Frypan's steaks would be jealous."

"Excuse me? The shuck?"

Newt chuckled again, his smug smirk was making me angry, I wanted to smack it off his tanned face.

"You heard me Charlie. After the tender way he treated you last night, and now that big fight this morning? Come on."

"Sure he helped me. It was long over due! And he was being a jerkface this morning."

Newt just hummed. "You know, Snips, love and hate are very similar, uses the same parts of your brain. Makes your body react almost the same...for example...your flushed face? From a blush or anger? Or both?"

I opened and closed my mouth a few times. The shuck? Is that true? No. No it is not. When I think of Gally, I'd rather wrap my hands around his neck then kiss him! I shook my head. And crossed my arms.

"Are you going to help me or not?" I demanded.

"Nope."

"You are the worst." I threw my hands into the air. And spun away. "I'll go ask Alby. I thought we were friends Newt. This is 100% betrail!"

I heard him groan. "Fine. Just this one bloody time!"

"Thank you!" I spun back towards him, smiling in releaf. "Oh! And don't say it was me. He'll refuse if it's for me."

Newt rolled his eyes.

"And once I acquire the glue?"

"You can find me by the Deadhead and MapRoom. Thank you Newt!"

"Ya, ya. You owe me one Snips!"

I rolled my eyes, but with a smile.

__________________________

Ten minutes later Newt showed up holding a tub of glue.

"Here ya are! Now what's this project Minho has you working on that required me to lie for you to get glue?"

I paused. How would Newt react if he found out Minho was training me to be a Runner? Only Ben and Alby know. He probably would not react so good. But if I just don't tell him the whole truth...

"I'm making a modle if the Maze for him and the runners."

Newt did a double take and narrowed his eyes.

"Why would he ask a none runner for help? No one is allowed to see the inside of the Map Room."

I shrugged, feeling slightly guilty about not telling him the truth.

"He knew being in the Glade sucks. And thought I could use a project and if I can help get us the shuck outta here why not?"

He didn't seem like he believed me.

"Also, Newt I'm not just anyone! I'm your one and only girl!"

He hummed, still it fully buying it.

"Dude! Who am I gonna tell? I know it's all a big secret hush hush club! Why do ya think I got you to get me the glue and say it's not for me!"

He finally relented. Golding his arms and rolling his eyes while also clicking his tounge. I knew he didn't fully believe me, but he trusted what I said.

"Thank you."

He nodded and marched away. I gathered the bucket of supplies and the glue and snuck inside the Map Room.

__________________________

I sat at the table in the Map Room, with maps of the maze spread out in front of me. I had a bucket of sticks beside me as well as a big flat board from the scrap pile.

I  had a pencil tucked behind my ear and a ruler in my hand, making sure everything was properly done to scale and it was straight. I drew out on the board with pencil first. Once I had it mapped and laid out, I'd start glueing the sticks and twigs down creating a model of the maze.

I was deep into my head. I loved this! This was a project that took time and skills and brain power, patients and a detail orientated mind and surprisingly a lot of math.

I had my bottom lip between my teeth and scratching out something on a scrap paper, the math didn't add up. When the MapRoom door creaked open. I jumped so much I slipped off the stool.

Minho and Ben appeared in the door.

"Tiger!" Minho bellowed.

"Shuck sakes! Nearly gave me a heart attack!" I grumbled, slowly picking myself off the ground.

Both boy's chuckled.

"It does get quiet in here, easy to get lost in your own head." Ben nodded.

Minho came sauntering over to the table.

"Whatcha working on?"

"That modle."

And I quickly explained my idea and the process. How I was making it to scale and I'm just at the beginning of the sketching it phase.

"Wow Tiger! I didn't realize how detailed it was going to be."

"If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right!"

"Makes you a good Runner already." Minho beamed at me.

The map room door creaked open again and Jax and Allen walked in. They both gave me a weird look and pointed at me, giving Minho an odd look.

"Once everyone is back I'll explain. But she's cool. Just map your section."

They shrugged and pulled up at the table. A few minutes later two more guys showed up, Nick and Leroy. They did pretty much the same thing, double take to me and a raised eye brow at Minho.

I kept my head down, still working on the scale math. The door creeked open a third time and Kev and Jasper walked in. Before they could ask Minho gave the same speach.

"Ben go grab Jonny and Devin, I think they were helping the builders. We need a Runner meeting."

Ben did as he was told. The other runners were quiet, working on their maps. Ben was right, the smell in the inclosed room was awful. A few minutes later when most of the runners were done mapping the door creeked open.

"Okay good. We're all here. Now. As everyone clearly noticed we have a new face in the room."

Everyone turned towards me. I waved awkwardly. Eyes went back to Minho. Who cleared his throat and continued.

"She is going to be sticking around here while her ribs heal from her accident..."

"The whole roof feasco."

"Yeah that." Minho nodded, "so while those heal, she has taken on a special project. To help us in the maze better. Tiger here, is going to be making a scale model of the maze, based off of your paper maps."

"Well that's cool!" Jax said nodded.

"Yes. Yes it is." Minho nodded solumly.

"So, with your paper Mapes and the scale model we'll be able to actually see our progress and see what it looks like from a different perspective."

"Wow. Charlie, that's really clever!" Leroy said.

I actually allowed myself to smile slightly.

"Oh also! She also had the clever idea of using notepads out in the maze, makes remembering everything a bit easier. Write down anything out of the ordinary, or anything new. Directions...that sorta thing."

The guys looked a little dumbstruck. Eyes glancing at me.

"So, she's joining the team once she's healed, right?" Jax asked, "we need a brain like hers!"

"That's the plan." Minho said with pride, he puffed his chest out, hooking his thumbs into the runners vest. He looked at me and beamed. I actually felt I had value in this moment. Here, with these guys in this small dim stinky room, I finally felt accepted.

"But no one knows except Alby. So mums the word. Zip those lips until I say otherwise." He rounded back on the guys, his face pulled into a scowl. The guys saluted.

"Tiger! Welcome, officially, to the Runners."

There were a few whoops and some clapping, making me smile.

"Well that's it...if your done mapin' then your free to go."

The guys all got up and came over to welcome me and ask a few questions about the model. It made me smile even more.

Once the guys cleared out it was just Ben and Minho with me.

"So?"

"Thank you."

"For what Tiger?" Minho asked, and holding the door open for Ben and I.

"Making me feel like I have value and meaning. For accepting me right from the start."

"Well when the loan girl kicks your ass you respect her!"

"Shucken rights!"

We all laughed on our way to the dinning area.

_____________________________________________