Alby crossed his arms, his expression hard as he stared at Newt. "Newt was supposed to watch over Greenie, and not only did he almost run into the maze, even though he's not a runner, he's also fought with Gally a dozen or so times, and he's generally against our rules." His voice held明显的 frustration.

Newt shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. "Sorry Alby, I promise I'll talk to him. I swear, and..."

"You are Second In Command," Alby cut him off sharply. "Get a grip Newt, you have never let yourself be walked over. This can't continue. You don't want me to demote you..." His threat hung in the air.

"N-No!" Newt replied quickly, alarm evident in his voice. "I swear I will talk to him seriously and sort everything out!"

"I'll hold you to your word Newt," Alby said before turning and walking away.

Newt searched the Glade until he spotted Thomas near the Homestead. Grabbing the younger boy firmly by the arm, he slammed him against a nearby tree, his face inches from Thomas'. "Tommy, I will kill you for all this," he hissed. "You promised you would improve, be better, try to follow the rules. Alby's this close to demoting me if I don't get you sorted. Please stop and start listening!"

Thomas merely smirked, unfazed by Newt's anger. "Oh please, so you're up against the wall? It's cute when you get angry, but your rules are stupid, Newt. Seriously, life isn't fair and nothing comes easy. I guess you won't be Second in Command anymore." He laughed and slapped Newt lightly on the back.

"No!" Newt exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "Listen to me. What have I done to you that you do this to spite me so much? Tommy, please, I'm really trying... I want everyone to be happy in Glade, but you're making it impossible!"

Thomas' expression softened slightly. "Okay, let's do it this way. I won't make so much trouble and I'll start listening. I'm just curious, want to see how things work here. Maybe I can help you too, but I won't just sit here and do nothing. Okay? I want to be a runner and I won't change my mind. I've been here only a few hours, but I know this is my job—not this boring garden work. Trust me, Newt." He held Newt's gaze steadily.