Chapter Nine - Flaws
(TOBIAS' POV)
She stares at me as if she doesn't understand what I just told her. And I realise she doesn't. A flaw in Abnegation children is that they've been taught ignore the deeper meanings of what people say. It's something I got over and she will too, in time. Eric manipulated me into never wanting to show her my past so he could do it for me, and change her opinion on me before I had the chance to explain. But I need to show her. She needs to see. I want her to accept me and this is the way to do it.
Without giving her a warning I stand up.
"Follow me." I grunt at her.
I can't help but being rude, it's all I've been doing for the past two years. She follows behind me out of my view. But I hear her. She struggles to keep up with my brisk pace. When I reach the fear landscape room I'm not surprised to see it occupied. Eric sits on one of the chairs with his head between his knees. I can see from the computer that the program is connected to his own fears. He was in there for 20 minutes. I want to show him what I'm doing, so I don't stop walking. I hear Tris whisper in protest but I have to do this for myself.
"Evening Eric," I say, "having fun."
He looks up, a paralysed expression on his face. When he sees Tris he leans back and gives her a smug smile.
"Wanna see more, Tris? Bet you didn't really see much before he dragged you out. How's your head?"
She looks at me for reassurance and I nod.
"Fine." She replies grinding her teeth together.
Striding over to the computer I remove Eric's micro chip and toss it directly at his head. His reaction time has improved as I see him catch it before it impacts. I pull my own out of my pocket and run the program of my fears.
"I'm showing her all of it Eric. Just so you know."
"Aren't you brave Stiff?" He says to me.
I turn to look at Tris but she's too busy fiddling with her hair to understand that he said that to me not her.
"Ready." I say to her, holding out my hand so she can take mine in hers. But she just nods, setting an already bemused Eric into a laughing fit.
"Okay you two, have fun." He snarls sarcastically before turning and leaving the room.
Why didn't she take my hand? I enter the simulation room and she follows straight after me. And it begins.
We get through the first three fears easy enough. I can tell she's waiting to visit that dark, cracked room again. When my third fear is over I try to prepare myself as I have hundreds of times before.
"Here we go." I whisper to her.
