Hello, my lovely readers!
This chapter may be a disappointment as I did not follow up on some of my promised expectations, but my reasoning is stated at the end of the chapter, and I do hope you read it. It's very important!
Cigarettes, Violence and Boos
It was a quarter to eleven and the clock was begging to be looked at. From all the commotion of the last half-hour, the den was surprisingly back to normal. Clothes were being thrown across the room, makeup brushes were flying across faces and none of the girls were trying to be quite. But the clock's ticks seemed louder than usually; reminding Tris of what was inevitably coming. She looked up to see her reflection being portrayed back to her in the mirror. Her hair was past her shoulders now, and curled at the ends. Dark smudges of eyeliner lined her eyes, making the blue stand a little brighter. She wondered if her former friends would recognize her now, and the thought made her gut clench.
"Where are you from, Claire?" She asked softly, brushing her soft brown hair, trying to manage her mane. The girl seated in front of her looked up in surprise, strands of hair falling across her face.
"The city." She finally said, wringing her hands together anxiously. "What exactly is going on here?" She craned her head around, trying to glimpse at the chaotic scene behind them. Tris quickly wound her fingers over the girl's shoulders to twist them back to face the mirror.
"Nothing that concerns you tonight." She spoke softly into the girl's ear, smoothing the hair around her forehead and offering Claire a small smile. "I used to be from the city." She added, slipping off her jacket from her shoulders and offering it to Claire.
"Really?" She asked, accepting the jacket with a tight smile. "Near here?"
"Well," Tris' eyebrows furrowed as she strained to remember, "I'm not entirely sure where here is." She confessed. "But it used to be called Chicago, and it was beautiful." She stated, images of the lush green fields and the thick, tall buildings filling her mind. "Still is, I bet." Tris felt Claire go stiff and looked up in alarm.
"Did you say Chicago?" She whispered, eyes flashing up into the mirror to meet Tris'. Her hands froze in Claire's hair, the strands slipping through her nimble fingers.
"I did." Tris stated, swiveling the girl's chair around to face her. "Are you familiar with it?" Claire held Tris' eye's, her mouth slightly agape.
"I'm from there." She spoke the words softly, as if telling a secret. "Chicago was my home." Tris searched Claire's face for any indication of lying. She found none. Her hands wove their way into Claire's, and she squeezed them hard.
"It's still there?" She gasped, relief flooding throughout every vein in her body. "The city is still there?"
"Yes," Claire responded, confusion spreading throughout her features as to why it wouldn't be. "The walls are open, but the city is still there." Tris' shoulders sagged with relief, a breath she had been holding for over a year, finally exhaled.
"They did it." She breathed, a real, genuine smile spreading across her face. The feeling felt so foreign, she had to finger the edges of her lips to assure herself it was real. She gripped Claire's hands, tightly in her own as words bubbled to the surface. "Tobias." She chocked out, tears starting to cloud her vision. "Tobias Eaton. Does he still live in the city?" Tris' ribs seemed to close in around her body as she held her breath, waiting for Claire's response.
"Mr. Eaton?" She spoke slowly, as if trying on the words for size. "Yes, I think I've heard of him. He works with Johanna Reyes?" Claire's eyebrows raised in question before continuing. "They came to my school once, they talked about improvements they were making to this city, I think?" Her words, as vague as they sounded, were everything to Tris. She clasped her hands around her mouth and felt her knees shake. "The others-" She gasped, but felt her confidence deflate like a balloon. Tris was being unforgivably selfish in this moment. I t wasn't right to pry when Claire's life in the city had come to a horrific end. Tris gave her hand a light squeeze before standing, wiping her hands on her torn jeans.
"10 minutes!" Yaz yipped form the other side of the room, and Tris had to dodge a flying make up brush as the remaining girls rushed to get dressed. She held out her hand and watched as Claire shakily accepted it. "Let's get you something to wear. You can stay in my room tonight." She felt the girl's posture relax.
"Stay?" Tris could feel Yaz's lip curl from across the room. Tris' shoulders tensed, like she was getting ready to throw a punch. The room fell silent as Tris slowly turned around, pulling on Claire's hand gently to shield her. Yaz's eyes shifted uncomfortably around the room. Her hands shook slightly, but she crossed them across her chest. "You heard Felix." She spoke to the whole room. "He wants her on the floor tonight." Yaz let the words drift around the room before she continued. "And I'm sorry, but I don't want to go through the repercussions of disobeying a member all for the cost of sheltering a newbie for a day!" There were mummers of hushed agreement coming from the occupants of the room. The woman here lived in close quarters, and only had each other to lean on when the days got rough. They shared the same scars, the same nightmares. But everyone in the room also knew that when it came down to the men that lurked around each corner up stairs-it was everyone for themselves.
"I'll take her place." Tris' response hushed all the murmurs at once, like a lid placed on a sizzling liquid. She felt Claire's hot breath against her shoulder, panting like a spooked dog. "She stays in my room tonight. I'll handle the rest." Tris tone stamped the discussion as final and finished, but the girls moved like they were lost in a haze. There was little sympathy here. Everyone knew the horrors that came with working the floor, and it was unheard of to volunteer yourself to do the job. Tris had done so multiple times, but her decision never failed to flounder the girls. Never one for prying eyes, she quickly guided Claire to the four walls she shared with Yaz and Carmen and shut the door behind her. The room was cramped and poorly lit. Three mattresses with a thin blanket strewn across, as well as bottles of perfume and various items of clothing, were the only objects scattered along the floor. The wet heat that occupied the lower levels of the building seemed to cling at your skin, and Claire itched nervously.
Once the door was closed the room was bathed in darkness. Claire could just make out the ghost of the outline of Tris' nose and wings scattered along her collarbone. "My beds the one in the corner." She whispered. "Make yourself comfortable. And if you hear footsteps, hide in the closet." Tris took three steps to the adjacent wall where she yanked on a handle invisible to Claire. She heard a screech of wood against wood as empty hangers and boxes were revealed. "You hide in there until I come get you, understand?"
Claire felt a cold sense of panic creep up along her spine, and she picked at her nails nervously. "I understand." She whispered, barely audible. She gasped and Tris took her hand in two of her own.
"I know you're scared." She said gently. If Claire squinted she could make out the whites of her eyes. "But you need to be brave." With a final squeeze, Tris turned and was gone, leaving Claire swimming in darkness.
Tris' return to the common room was met with apologetic glances and nervous fidgeting. "We need to leave." She announced, noticing the clock was already two minutes past the hour. "We don't want to keep them waiting." She stated grimly. Each stair seemed to drag on forever as they made their way up the two flights. Heels clicked and nails bounced across the railings. Tris wound her hair up into a tight knot, and straightened her shirt. She heard a symphony of gasps before two thick arms wrapped around her from behind, lurching her off her feet and crashing into the wall. As she regained her balance, a body twice her size sandwiched her form the other side.
A stench of cigarettes, violence, and boos enveloped her nostrils, as the clammy hands roamed her body. "Stephan," She choked out, still attempting to regain her breath. "Welcome back."
Thank you so much for reading. I know I promised you more plot- but I must admit I am very frustrated with the lack of response I have gotten and was so unmotivated that this was the best I could get done, and I apologize greatly.
At this point, I'd like to be completely honest with you all by saying I don't know when I'll update next.
This story has gotten almost no response from viewers with the last few chapters,, and I must confess I have been devastated. I put in countless hours figuring out a plot as well as making sure each chapter is perfect, and getting only three reviews on an update I tirelessly worked hard to improve crushed me.
What I'm trying to say is- do you guys even wish to follow this story? As much as I love writing it, I am swamped with other work and feel that if no one else appreciates the time and effort have put into this story- then why continue? I am torn between giving up and pushing further.
I would greatly appreciate a response on whether you enjoy the story and think it's good enough to continue. I'm not asking you to review for the publicity of accumulating reviews for the public to see- frankly I think that means nothing. I am simply begging for your help to make a decision.
Thank you!
Lizzy
