16

                                    

                                          
"Let me tell you something, greenie. You've been here three days, all right? I've been here three years!"

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
Penelope
I AWAKE this morning with a faint headache, having come to bed late to Newt already dead asleep and not wanting to disturb him. I notice that he's still asleep when I wake up, so I quietly shimmy out of my sleeping bag and blanket until I'm up.
Making my way to the showers, I notice it's barely dawn, so the runners have most likely just left and I'll have some time to shower alone before the boys get up.
The water is freezing, but it's good enough to wake me up and cleanse my body which is coated in small specks of dirt which I continuously scrub at until they're gone. I use a shampoo style bar to de-tangle my hair and get rid of any grease or dirt traces so that it'll look more healthy. 
After my shower is finished, I quickly dry off and put on my clothes, which is just the same old change of 3 outfits I've been switching between. I decide to let my hair air dry as I make my way back to the room, not wanting to deal with it aside from brushing through it with my nails which are now decently long. I'm lucky I don't have a job like a gardener, as I don't want nails like Newt or Zart did, all dirty and showing that they work.
Making my way back into Newt and I's shared bedroom, I close the door behind me with a quiet clicking noise, gazing over to where Newt is sat on his bed, upright.
"You're up?" I make my way over, sitting next to Newt who immediately flops his head onto my shoulder, his hair tickling my neck, causing my heart to flutter as it usually does with him, a small smile coming over my face.
"Yeah, I woke up a few minutes ago." Newt speaks with a deep tone, his morning voice evident, and a small blush takes over my cheeks as he does so.
"How'd you sleep?" He lifts his head from my shoulder now, letting out a small sigh, shuffling so he's slightly closer to me before answering.
"Not great, I keep thinking and thinking, I mean," His eyes flutter shut for a moment or two, "the key, what you said, everything. Nothing is the same as it used to be, and a lot of people don't like that." I nod, staying silent as I try to figure out what to say.
"What do you mean by what I said?" I eventually speak out, deciding to break our momentary silence.
Newt takes my hand into his in that moment, gently interlocking his fingers.
"What you said last night at dinner, that you wouldn't leave the glade, even if we found a way out.." His voice trails off, the sleepiness replaced with a small voice crack when he speaks.
"I don't know, Newt..do you really think there's something out there for us?"
He shakes his head carefully, staring at me intently. "I used to think that way, too." Newt looks troubled, as though he's trying to suppress his memories, "I tried to leave this place, once."