Chapter 14

After leaving Tris, I head back to the simulation room to finish up with Drew and Uriah. Uriah being last and his fear looking gruesome to say the least. He's tide up to a medical bed, with some faceless doctor standing over him cutting him limb for limb. When he gets to, he is officially second, his time just over 7 minutes. He screams just like all the others do, looking pale and unsure of where they are at first.

"There trying to kill us aren't they?" He asks me, breathing hard. He has tears in his eyes, but he's doing a good job of holding them back. He's still shaking though but is handling it better than the others I must say.

"No. We're trying to teach you how to react under difficult circumstances." I say, not doing a good job at keeping a straight face.

"Huh. You could have fooled me." He says, jumping of the seat. "Well, I'm going to the infirmary to find out if they have a Defibrillator. I think my heart just stopped." He says and walks out the room clutching at his chest, making me laugh. He's just like his brother. I stay back for a couple of minutes longer, making sure all results have recorder and stored successfully, sending a copy to myself and Max. The best part of this stage of initiation is that there's no Eric breathing down my neck the whole-time.

Walking back to the dining hall, I bump into Zeke and the rest of the gang, all standing close to the chasm.

"Dude, what you do to my brother?" he asks me, not looking too impressed.

"Fear simulation." I say ordering a drink for myself. What the heck I think to myself. After a day like today, who could blame me?

"Ha… I have to be there the next time he goes under. I'll stand in a mask, going 'BOO' when he gets out of it." He says laughing out loud. "Maybe like a grim reaper mask, be Death himself."

"Hey Death!" Shaun's call's him over. "Why don't you come show us a couple of tricks with that scythe of yours and get us some more drinks?!" We all start laughing, whistling at Zeke as he sashays over to the bar, playing along making us all laugh even harder. I take a big gulp of my drink, finishing it and take another one from Zeke, already feeling the buzz and enjoying it. Someone a couple of meters down starts pounding on some drums, filling up the whole pit with beats and rhythm making everyone come alive with fun and laughter. People dancing and making out. Some are even setting up bets for fights among the older Dauntless members. Life in Dauntless has its perks sometimes.

Lauren joins us after a while, becoming loud after her third drink, dancing and swaying. We all start getting louder though, making jokes and bets aiming it at one another. Still rolling with the Death jokes. Without noticing I start swaying to the beat too, which I normally don't do.

"What's with all the Death jokes?" Lauren shouts at me.

"Zeke wants to be Death and scare Uriah in a fear sim. It's just carried on from there." I explain and she starts laughing.

"Hey Shaun's!" I yell over to her. "If Zeke gets Deathly boring tonight, you know where my room is." I carry on making everyone explode.

"Watch it Four. I can still kick your ass from here all the way to the Amenity compound." Zeke says, not looking impressed.

"Sure thing Four, I might just take you up on that!" Shauna cuts in, playing along.

"Ha-Ha" Zeke mock laughs "Keep it up, you're all very funny." He says, taking a shot of whatever is in his glass.

"Awww." I say walking over to him, rapping my arm around him. "You know I love you sweet cheeks."

"Yeah right." He says, but smiles none the less.

Lauren hands me another drink and I take it gladly, feeling the last couple of days seeping out of me.

"Hey Four!" It's Shauna. "Isn't that Tris walking over there?" She point over to the other side of the bridge. I look over and sure enough it's her, walking with Will, Christina and Al. She looks different tonight. More…. Womanly, exposing her shoulders.

"She's looking good!" Zeke pipes in. "Maybe when Shauna pays you a visit ill call on the Stiif." He carries on, earning him a punch from Shauna. Not liking the idea and clearly not thinking straight I run over to her, leaving the others laughing after me.

"Tris!" I call out to her. She looks over at me, confused. She would be, after all I'm not addressing the others. Only her… and good God. Her eyes!

She has eyeliner on making them stand out even more. Like a pit full of stars. Oh damn I sound like a moron.

"You look different." I say, realising how I must sound to her.

"So do you," She says, trying not to smile at me. "What are you doing?"

"Flirting with death," I say laughing. If only she knew. "Drinking near the chasm. Probably not a good idea."

"No, it isn't." she says going quite.

I look her over, noticing the muscle she has built up since being here, the way her skin glows under the warm light of the pit. I look over too her shoulders and stop, noticing three birds on her collarbone "Didn't know you had a tattoo," I say. Damn that's so… sexy. I take another sip of my drink, clearing my head.

How is it that she looks so good now when only hours ago she was pale and small after her fear sim?

"Right. The crows," I say. But why would that be on her shoulder? She said she's not afraid of them.

Maybe I should ask her to stay, have a drink with me and find out. I wander if the others would mind? I look over my shoulder at where they are, not paying much attention to us and look back over to her. Would she like this side of me?

"I'd ask you to hang out with us, but you're not supposed to see me this way."

"What way?" she asks raising her eyebrows. "Drunk?"

"Yeah…well, no." I say, softening my voice. The person I am when I'm not your Instructor "Real, I guess."

"I'll pretend I didn't." She whispers, leaning in to me.

At that I smile at her. "Nice of you." I say leaning in even further, whispering into her ear. "You look good, Tris." I tell her, meaning every word even though I know I should not be doing this. I hear her inhale sharply at my words, see her getting Goosebumps on her arms and smile to myself.

She liked that. I slide my eyes over hers, seeing that familiar flush on her cheeks and quickly pull back.

She starts to laugh at me, not knowing what else to do. "Do me a favour and stay away from the chasm, okay?" she asks. Is she worried about me?

"Of course." I say winking at her. Winking of all things! I have probably had way more to drink then I thought. But the smile she gives me makes it all worth it.

For the first time I notice Will standing uncomfortably next her after he clears his throat. But Tris ignores him. Does she want to join me? If she wanted to, I wouldn't mind, I'm sure the others wouldn't mind either. They're all as buzzed as I am.

Before I get to ask her, Al rushes at Tris like a rolling boulder and throws her over his shoulder making her shriek out, clasping him on the sides.

"Come on, little girl," he says, "I'm taking you to dinner."

She start laughing, waving at me as he carries her away from me. I want to go after them, get Tris back here. This has been one of the first real conversations we have had since she got here. No falling from a Ferris wheel, No knives being thrown at her head, nothing but talking. But knowing this is probable the alcohol talking I let them go, turning to return my group.

"Where'd she go?" Lauren asks.

"She went with her friends." I state, finishing yet another drink.

"Look guys, Four has been ditched for the first time in his life." Everyone laughs again.

And that's how my night carried on. Making joke and drinking.

I'm so going to regret this in the morning.

PS: I really enjoyed writing this one. Getting into Four's head when he's not so, well Stiff. LOL… Please review.