I sit with Four, a cool afternoon in Dauntless base and everyone is having their own time alone. Training came and went, more ruthless blows and guns to shoot, it made me wonder if all of what we were doing was in fact worth it. Did I make the right choice? It had to be so, since I felt right being her, more independent and stronger than ever.

Looking over to my right, I saw the fearless leader Eric standing alone by the balcony, his hands and arms crossed in front of him and he was watching the sunset. His stare was cold, as if he was lost in his own thoughts and away from the rest of the world around him. We never got alone really, not as much as I was with Four. Four and I were getting alone just fine, but Eric was a complete other story. I wondered, watching him from my spot and seeing his stiff stance against the balcony, if he was always this way. Four sensed by curiosity next to me, looking over as well and seeing Eric. I felt him brush his hand against my own, having me look down at him and see his eyes on me.

"He wasn't always like that you know." Four commented to me, having me raise a eyebrow at him.

"Like what?" I asked, shrugging my shoulders. Four chuckled from his spot, pointing to Eric and having me look as well. Eric, from my spot it seemed, looked as if he was searching for something in the setting sun, searching with his eyes and not being satisfied.

"You know what I mean, Tris." Four said back in return in a gruff.

"What, a dick?" I asked more, seeing him smile next to me.

"To point it bluntly, yes. But he used to be nicer, that much I know." I looked back at him in shock, though Four looked nonchalant about it. Eric? Nice? Since when?

"Really?" Four nodded his head to answer me, but I was still confused as I moved my long hair from my eyes, "What changed him?"

"It's not a matter of what." Four explained to me, having me watch him intently, "But a matter of whom."

"Then who changed him?" I pressed him, seeing him sigh and look over at me with a hint of annoyance before pouring his eyes over to our leader. But I kept my eyes on Four, waiting for some kind of answer that would quench my thirst for this mystery.

"It was a girl." I was floor when he said this, having me look back to Eric one more time. This time though, he looked softer in his stance, his eyes still searching and never staying still. A girl made him this way, into this cold heartless being? It made me wonder even more, what happened to him, with that girl, that made him this way?

"Did she reject him?" I asked in a low tone, thinking that she must of done that to make him be filled with hate. But Four shook his head, a small smile on his lips.

"It was the opposite really." He explained to me, having me watch Eric as I saw him slowly look down from his spot, as if something disappointed him.

"He was in love with her, and she loved him back." Four said some more, folding his hands on his lap and looking rather sad about it as well. I never took Eric as a man who would love, but that sounded too harsh for me and my selfless upbringing. So I wondered some more, what was she like, where did she come from, and where was she now?

"What was her name?" I asked in a softer tone, having me see Four look back over at me with a soft look on his own face. He paused, thinking to himself for a moment or two before giving me one name that would forever change my view of Eric and how he acted.

"Wendy."

It was another day in the Erudite faction for Eric. He was a young man, filled with curiosity beyond his walls of his factions, and needing a sense of adventure. He was only 5 years old, and he was already a handful for both of his parents. He had a older brother and sister, and being the youngest of three he thirsted for attention from his mother and father. His brother, being the eldest at 12 years old was named Benjamin and was a typical older brother for Eric to roughhouse with. He was too handsome, some of the other teenage girls around his age were running after him when Eric wanted to play with him and rough house. HIs sister was a gentler spirit, given the name Evangeline and was a graceful 10 year old prodigy to the proud parents. But Evangeline had a soft heart for Eric, knew when to bring him down to earth from his craziness and his while heart. The three of them were close together, but had their rough moments as siblings would.

Eric walked out to the front lawn, his sister and brother were out there as well reading their books in their studies on the porch swings. But not Eric, he wanted to explore. As much as he tried to be in his studies, since knowledge was keen in his faction, he still wanted to play and unwind. But since his siblings were studying already early in the morning, his mother making lunch in the kitchen and his father called in for work, Eric was already bored. He had his blond hair that was short and pushed back to show his green eyes that were dark but bright at the same time.

"Come on, Evvie. Play with me and read later!" Eric pleaded with his sister, tugging her hand and seeing him smile and look down at him.

"You need to read your own book, or father will be mad!" Evangeline teased him, Eric sticking his tongue out at her in retaliation and Evangeline giggled. Benjamin only snorted from his spot, clearly annoyed at his younger siblings.

"You're too needy Eric, go play by yourself." Benjamin ordered him, not loosing his spot in his book as he turned the page. Eric sighed, going back to the front lawn and sitting on the grass, already bored with no one to play with. As a Erudite, he was curiiosity, which is what got him in trouble plenty of times since he would want to venture out of his parent's reach and see what else there was in the world. But that one morning, it changed for him for the better. He saw two big trucks coming down their street, making Eric sit up and watch on his knees as the trucks pulled into the driveway of the house to their left. They were moving trucks, having Eric stand up and point with his 5 year old finger at the house.

"Look!" He said aloud, his siblings looking from the porch and putting down their books and seeing the truck.

"The new neighbors are here, I didn't think they would come for awhile." Benjamin said aloud as Evangeline closed her book and placed it on the porch swing she was on. She walked over to Eric, her blond hair flowing in the wind as she took his hand in hers.

"Lets go say hello!" She said to Eric, having Eric nod his head and walk with his sister over to the two trucks. A couple of people hopped off the trucks and started to unload the truck as Evangeline and Eric went to the first truck. There was a man there, wearing his Erudite blue clothes and having short wavy hair that was swept to the side, showing his brown eyes and a small smile on his face.

"Are you the new neighbors?" Evangeline asked him in a polite tone. She was always polite, in every situation that came to her. The man smiled at the both of them.

"I am. My name is Jackson, you must be our neighbors that live in that charming home." Jackson said aloud in his cool tone, having Eric see his sister hold out her hand for him to shake.

"I'm Evangeline. This is my younger brother Eric, and our brother there on the porch is Benjamin. It's nice to meet you." Jackson shook her hand and then looked down at Eric. Eric smiled, he knew he and to be nice or he wouldn't hear the last of it from his mother and father. He shook Jackson's hand gently and the man smiled.

"Hi." Eric said aloud to him, Jackson laughing in the process and Eric looking at him with confusion. Did he do it wrong?

"What a polite young Erudite you are. I have a daughter you age actually. Where did she go?" Jackson said aloud, looking behind him at the truck and inside, Eric looked as well, wondering who his daughter was and what she looked like, the curiosity was coming over him. Within a flash, he saw flaming red hair behind Jackson's leg, the same height as Eric and two hands grabbing his leg. Eric was now intrigued as Jackson laughed, grabbed one of the hands in his massive one and then coaxing the little girl out and around his leg.

"This is my daughter Wendy." Jackson said aloud as Eric looked at the girl. She had pale skin, but some color on it thanks to the freckles all on her face and arms, and her eyes were a ignited green. Making his green eyes look rather pale in comparison. His hair reminded him of fire, the same fire they would have in their fireplace at night. For once in his life, Eric was a bit speechless seeing her. All of the other girls he has known from his school looked rather plain, but her red wavy hair made him more intrigued as to who she was. The girl waved, her frail hand in the sun and Eric waved back.

"Hello." She said to him, her voice was soft and soothing like a summer breeze, "Nice to meet you Eric."

"Nice to meet you too Wendy."

It was the start of a tragically beautiful friendship.