[Beep beep beep]
I grunt as I slowly open my eyes; my head throbbing painfully and the world twirling around me. Looking down, I find myself in my usual hospital bed and a thin tube is attached to my wrist's vein with the help of a needle. Trailing the tube with my eyes, I reach a small, transparent bag filled with lavender liquid to the top; the droplets gradually trickling down the pipe and into my body. Suddenly, I feel the urge to burst into an uncontrollable laughter. My hysteria slurs with my painful warnings of my body's battered form, but I cannot find the will to stop. Wheezing, I clutch my side as I steady myself with my free of the tube right hand. My mind begins playing tricks on me as little petals, daisies and roses appear in front of me. I gape in awe, widening my eyes as I try to touch them. The curtain is pulled violently only to reveal Eric, who quickly paces towards me. He grabs my head and leans in as he inspects my dazed state. I giggle reaching up to bop his nose before going for his hair. He shrugs me off.
"Tris..." We both turn around to meet the dark eyes of Nurse Sara, who is squinting her eyes as she looks from me to Eric. He walks towards her and slaps the file in her hands, leaning in viciously.
"What the fuck is wrong with her?" He points back at me, not breaking eye contact with the pale girl. She visibly gulps, walking around him before handling the fluid-filled bag connected to me. I whimper mockingly as I attempt to get out of bed. "Ericcc," I pout, feeling the tears glisten in my eyes, although now I feel anything but sadness. I stretch my arms out for him. My subconscious is screaming at me to be careful. Sara is here. "Hug meee," I whisper, giggling under his death glare. He presses his lips together, narrowing his eyes but I just stick my tongue out at him, wishing that I can overcome the amount of pain my muscles are going through just to hug him. I pick a random strand of my hair and begin twirling it around my finger, shifting back and forth as I hum to myself. Sara curses under her breath.
"We've accidentally given her a higher dosage of the peace serum," she whispers timidly, glancing back at the silently raging Eric. "Why would you even give her the peace serum? We're Dauntless. We shouldn't even have that Amity shit," he growls angrily, taking a step towards her. She jumps back slightly, unhooking me away from the fluid before attaching me back to another liquid filled bag. As soon as it enters my bloodstream, I immediately calm down, resting back onto the pillows as I let my eyes drop. Barely awake, I force myself to continue listening to the infuriated leader and the nervous nurse.
"...so she was too battered. You could have killed her Eric. She won't remember anything...internal bleeding...shock...excruciating pain...she's lucky." Her words stand out and I can only imagine that she is talking about the consequences of my stupid choice. I feel him slump down on the end of my bed, squeezing my leg lightly through the warm blanket.
"She'll be okay," he mutters; I can hear his genuine smile on his lips as he says it. I sigh contently before turning my head to the side, my consciousness ebbing away, my mind going into a free fall, swirling with the beautiful chaos of a new dream.
I must have been asleep for a few more hours. This time I feel different as I slowly bring myself back to reality. Looking around, I meet the curious, silver eyes of the young Dauntless leader that put me in the Infirmary in the first place. He is sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, beside my bed; resting his elbows on his knees; his contemplating stare sending shivers down my spine. I run a hand through my hair as he furrows his brows slightly, shuffling out of his seat to sit beside me.
"Hey," I croak out, frowning at the sound of my raspy voice. He chuckles, smirking as he runs two fingers across my cheek. I lean into his touch, smiling as much as my face muscles allow me. He cocks his head to the side, squinting his eyes a little.
"...How are you feeling?" His low voice sends me into a vortex of blissfulness and excitement. "Like I just got beaten up by the toughest guy here." He pulls his lips together, lowering his head. "I'm fine, really." I trail his maze tattoo on his forearm. He nods, still not meeting my eyes.
"Uh...do you remember anything that happened today?" He sounds curious and I don't know why. I pause to go over what I recall from after the fight and the memories only come in a scruffy shape. I shake my head slightly.
"I remember calling you out to fight against me. I remember each punch...oh." I wince as I relive the moment when I flipped his switch and turned it to the worst. He senses my uneasiness and urges me to skip that part. I bite my bottom lip before continuing. "After I was unable to continue...you took me to the Infirmary. I don't know what happened between the time after leaving the training room and before entering the hospital area. Did we fight...?" I search his face for clues; something that might help me figure out what I had lost during that period of alone time with him. Nothing.
"Oh ok," he sighs, deeply relieved but at the same time disappointed at my answer. I raise my eyebrows, flinching at the pain. "You know if I said something stupid or if something happened, I want you to tell me..."
"No no," he retorts quickly, "Nothing happened, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have asked such a question after you've gone through such a traumatic experience." I exhale, nodding, not wanting to push him more. I smile at him, wishing with all my heart that we were secluded and back in his apartment.
"Kiss me," I sigh out, forgetting how mad I was at his cold demeanor just this morning. He laughs quietly before leaning in, only to be stopped by a voice calling his name behind the curtain. He moves back as he puts his sternest and grim expression onto his beautiful features. I fall back into bed, expressing the pain I had just put myself through with a whimper. Eric's face softens and I can see him fighting the urge to sit beside me again. He scowls when the curtain is pulled back to reveal Four's pained face. He looks baffled; as if he is legitimately surprised to see the Dauntless leader here.
"Um hi, I need you for a sec Eric." His voice is low and quiet, urgent. Eric smirks cockily before following him out. I hear them exchange words right outside. I hear Eric yell out "WHAT" before Four tells him to lower his voice down...but not nicely. They argue for a bit more and I can't pick out what they're saying. Towards the end of the conversation, I hear Four saying my name. I try and sit up but my ribs and abdomen begin burning so I decide against it. Finally, Eric slides back in the room before turning around and telling Four to go away. His brows are furrowed and he's chewing on his bottom lip. I send him another smile, as much as I can at least- which might have been enough for someone to call it a contorted glare. He sits down, rubbing his eyes before exhaling loudly. He looks paler, which causes my stomach to drop.
"Hey," I reach for his hand but he catches it before I get to even raise my arm out. He leans in and kisses my lips; brushing them over my forehead. "Talk to me, what's bothering you?" I whisper, staring at him with pure affection. He smiles at me gently, a smile I have probably never seen before.
"I'm sorry Tris..." My eyes widen as I feel the blood leave my face. He moves closer; afraid to tell me what the fuck is happening.
"Spit it out..." I snarl, my voice faltering and breaking. He sucks a breath through his teeth, avoiding my glare.
"Will was found dead in the Chasm, baby, I'm so sorry. I know that he was a good friend of yours." He carefully pulled me in a hug. I grit my teeth, feeling like the whole world has collapsed around me. My heart is screaming at me. Who did this to him? He didn't deserve this. And then I breakdown into a sob. Eric clutches me. It's probably really embarrassing for him to see me so weak all the time. I place my hand on his broad chest and push lightly.
"Eric...just go. I don't want you to see me so weak all the time." He growls and I look up to see his angry and pained expression. Why the hell is he hurt?
"Don't tell me to leave. Please. You're afraid that I'm going to judge you that you're crying." I nod slightly, unable to stop the tears from pouring down onto my blanket. Now he looks upset.
"Do you really think I'm that heartless and cold? To the mere point where I'd make fun of you for mourning the loss of your friend?" His low and pained voice; his words; it all hits me at once. When the words would not come, the tears do. I cry like a child, noisily, with running snot and choking sobs and I am finally not ashamed of it. I stretch my arms out for him; happy that he runs to the rescue without a second thought as he once again folds his arms protectively around me. Protective against the pain.
"I'm sorry Eric...I need you now...don't go." I whimper out, grabbing a fistful of his black shirt. He smirks in my hair, kissing the top of my head. "I wasn't going to leave anyway." I laugh through the tears until the cramps of my bruised up ribs and stomach hit me with full force. I gasp for air, pounding my palm onto the mattress. He lets go, panic-stricken.
"What's going on? What did I do?" I cough up more blood, holding my hand out for him. He ignores me and rushes out calling for Sara. She sprints in, patting my back as she makes him bring me a towel. She soaks up the blood as I ask her what the hell is going on with me through chokes. I see her glance at Eric before sending me a sympathetic smile.
"After the beating we checked you out and you were internally bleeding with your ruptured ribs rubbing onto your lungs. Stay put and I'm going to hook you up to the strongest healing serum we have here. It's going to hurt a bit but it's going to fix you up in no time..."
"Why didn't you give her that when I first brought her in bleeding," Eric barks out, glowering at a non-affected Sara. She continues strapping me to another wire connected to an IV. "We only use it for extreme situations. The case has to be severe; like this one. When she first began coughing up blood we thought we fixed it. I guess we were wrong." He shuts up, looking down guiltily. I sigh when the fluids enter my system, wincing at the growing pain in my lungs. Gritting my teeth, I need to stay courageous. I am strong. I can do it. I stare at Sara.
"How long till I am able to leave? The ranks are gonna be up later on..." I ask timidly, biting my lip, frustrated.
"You can leave when all the fluids are in your body. It'll take a couple of hours. If you want I can call someone to stay with..."
"I have nothing to do so I'll just stay here...in case she begins coughing up her guts again. And then I need to file paperwork and nahh I can't deal with it," he smirks. She nods coolly and walks away. I sigh out in relief. Eric moves back into his chair, groaning as he runs a hand through his messed-up, cute hair. I cross my arms, carefully avoiding the needle. He looks up questioningly. I pat the empty space beside me, quirking my eyebrows playfully. He hurriedly paces towards me, spreading himself beside me, putting an arm around me as I rest my head on his chest. We chat for a while; me relaxing under his touch as he plays with my hair. It would have been perfect if I wasn't strapped to medicine that kept me from spilling out my circulatory system.
"What time is it?" I whisper, tucking onto his wrist to reveal what his watch says.
18:24
I snap my head by to the IV, laughing excitedly when I see that there's no more fluid in there. I rip the needle out of my arm before smoothing out my hair. Hopping out of the bed, I walk towards the small cart filled with different medical equipment and I rummage around to find a suitable little plaster to put over the small hole. When my mission is accomplished; I glance at Eric who is standing up hastily as he pats down his jeans; an amused expression on his face. I hobble over towards him, still trying to be careful with all my sudden actions.
"The rankings?" He nods before his features turn serious. He looks away.
"Before revealing them, there's going to be a memorial speech in memory of the deceased initiate...sorry Will." I lower my head, feeling his wrap his arms around me, pulling me closer to him gently. "It's just going to be a small speech, we do this every year." I flinch at his untouched tone. He isn't used to caring about other people so I'm not really mad that he is unaffected. At least he's trying. I look up, holding his gaze.
"Eric, if you know who did it, tell me now. Please." My voice is barely audible but it's clear enough for him to understand. He explains to me how when Four came to tell him the news it was known that Molly, Drew and Al were in charge of the brutal murder. He had barely survived the fall surprisingly, however he died because of the shock. It was too much for him.
"His girlfriend being a Dauntless-born tried to hunt them down an hour ago. Only got to Al. The other two hid well somewhere around the compound."
"Isn't the Leadership going to punish them?" He nods, biting the inside of his cheek before smirking down at me.
"After the speech, since I'm the one who's usually in charge of things like that, sorry, Max told me to call them out and publicly humiliate them by kicking them out of Dauntless in front of everyone." I smile, draping my arms around his waist. I feel no pity whatsoever for them. Even with her becoming Factionless, they have chosen to follow her command and get kicked out too. Eric squeezes a little harder, making me wince in pain but I quickly suppress it. We hear Uriah and Peter's voices enter the Infirmary as they hunt me down. In the few last moments of peace and quiet, I press my lips against his, earning a pleased growl from him.
"I'm gonna go find Four to check on the rankings one last time. Also, I think Uriah is planning something tonight. You know how loud he talks. Watch yourself. When everything is all over come find me. If not, just go to my apartment," he adds quickly before stepping away just in time for the two boys to jump into my vision. They immediately stop laughing under the intimidating glare of their superior who nonchalantly slips past them, winking at me before disappearing behind the curtain. They both visibly relax. I walk over to them, pulling them both into a tight hug, laughing and telling Peter off when he tries to pick me up with the help of Uriah. He jumps on the bed, gasping at the sight of my untouched pudding on the bedside.
"Go ahead," I nod, shaking my head as I turn to Peter. I ruffle his hair before he hugs me again.
"We all thought he killed you, hell, you still look as good as dead." I roll my eyes as I playfully push myself off his chest. "As if. You're probably just jealous because I look too damn good for a person who just got beaten by Eric." Now it's his turn to toss his eyes towards the ceiling before we engage in small talk as Uriah finishes off the dessert. Mid laugh; my smile falters as I remember how one of us has been killed ruthlessly just a few hours ago. And here we are laughing and enjoying ourselves. I gulp.
"Have you heard about...?" They exchange sad glances before dropping their heads. I sigh.
"We didn't know how well you were before we got here. We figured that it wouldn't be good for you if we came here all depressed and sad. We just wanted to help..." Peter says quietly as I shuffle towards him, grabbing his hand. "I know. Eric told me about it before anyway. It just sucks that we're having fun when Will got..."
"Tris we can't be sad every single time something bad happens to us. Mourning and watching someone die is just a part of life. I think we're all feeling a little bit guilty about how we're going to celebrate tonight even though we lost someone dear to us. But we need to move on. I'm really going to miss him, so is Peter and so are you. But I am not letting any of us to ruin tonight. Because tonight is one step closer for us to become a full-fledged Dauntless member. We all know Will won't want us rolling around the Pit crying about him when we want to become fearless warriors," Uriah declares seriously. I low-key feel like whenever Uriah is humorless, then things are really serious because that very rarely happens. We all nod at each other. He's right. And it just sucks that he is.
We begin walking back to the Cafeteria and a couple of members stop to pat me, congratulate me and even bow their heads at me respectfully after my final fight against their most feared leader. At one point I'm out of breath, the pain of the bruising too much, so Peter has to carry me. We enter like that; me on Peter's back whilst Uriah is sulking behind us like a forgotten puppy. He lets me go when we're at our usual table before going to get me some water.
"How do you feel? Ranks are gonna be up in two hours? You excited?" Uriah exclaims, bouncing on his bench opposite me.
"It doesn't matter what I feel. What actually matters is how you feel. I wonder, do you feel sad, happy, maybe tired?" I snicker as he rolls his eyes at me.
"So Marlene told me to tell you that she wants you to come see her in the dorms after we spend our time with you. She wants to get you all pretty and dressed up for the celebration. Girl things I don't know," he puts his hands in the air as I chuckle, thanking Peter when he hands me a glass of water before propping himself next to me. "So anyway Trissy," Uriah exclaims, sending me a playfully dark look as I tilt my head.
"Mm?" I sip the water as I wait for Uriah to continue. "Well my brother Zeke is gonna go out celebrating with his girlfriend Shauna and Four and he's not gonna be home till late; I'm allowed to bring some people over, have alcohol and aghhh it's gonna be so fun! We can play different games, Trissy, we're gonna be Dauntless!" I laugh, nodding my head as I wholeheartedly accept his invitation. Looking at the time, I see that it's nearly seven and I should slowly begin moving back to the dorms to get ready and see Melody and Marlene. I say my goodbyes, sealing them with a quick hug before limping out of the Cafeteria.
I pass the Chasm, deep in thought before turning around someone's voice calling me.
Al.
I glower, turning back to walk towards the dormitory, giving him a second chance to go away. I hear his heavy steps follow me as I march away angrily.
"Tris please wait..." He squeezes my aching shoulder and moments later I have kicked him down to the ground. He whimpers like the coward he is, not even fighting against me. I snort, capturing his neck in my hand.
"How dare you try and speak to me after murdering Will. One of us! He chose to be in this Faction and you and those other fuckers took that choice away from him. Damn you," I spit at him, anger fueling within me to the point where I have no filter. It must be the Candor in me. He shakes his head violently, large tears welling down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...please understand...I was forced..." I snort, shutting him up by clasping his cheeks together making him hiss in pain.
"Shut up. No one can force you to do anything unless you're too weak to not be able to fight back. If you try talk to me or anyone else about your whiny little problems, I am going to end you. Got it?" He nods fervently before slumping to the ground, rubbing his face. I angrily continue my way down the hallway until I enter the Dauntless-born sleeping area. I look around until my eyes rest upon the two figures lying in the furthest bed. I hobble over to see Melody; her head resting on Marlene's lap. They both turn towards me; the blonde girl sending me a warm smile; both their eyes bloodshot. They both look like a mess and my heart is breaking.
"Hey," I say weakly, crouching down before sitting in the space beside Marlene- who pulls me in a calculated-over-Melody embrace. I look down at the broken girl who has remained silent, running my hand through her onyx hair. She grins softly, tears pouring down her face as she sits up, wiping her face.
"Do you wanna just skip tonight? I can run down, get some desserts and we can just feast on them here without caring about how we look?" I retort, huddling closer to Marlene's side. Melody shakes her head.
"No. Will died and I am heart-broken. It feels like I actually can't breathe given the fact that I'm the reason he ran off in the first place." I widen my eyes as Marlene shoots her a shocked glare.
"Mel...don't do this." She turns back to me just as Melody sniffs loudly, wiping her eyes impatiently. "Whatever, it's only Tris. Tell her what a piece of shit I am." Marlene sucks air between her teeth before hastily talking me through what had happened between her and Four, and how they've known each other for a while. I sit there, amazed and to an extent relieved. With time, maybe I can finally tell someone other than Uriah about me and Eric, maybe Melody can understand it. In the end, I grab her hand, squeezing it tightly.
"Don't blame yourself. Just because he ran out right after he saw you and Four doesn't prove anything. It just happened because of the timing. I just don't think it's right for you to blame yourself. After all, it's not like you forced yourself onto Four to make this happen. It's past seven, rankings are out in an hour, your call Mel. What do we do?" She smiles, squeezing my hand as her other hand finds Mar's. We stare at her thoughtful expression, waiting patiently. She sighs.
"We're going. I'm not ruining you guys' night just because I'm sulking around. Maybe going out and having some alcohol can ease my nerves. Help me get ready though." I grin when she hoists me up to my feet while Marlene maneuvers around us to go through her pile of clothes on the edge of her bed beside Mel's. She throws a backless, burgundy dress towards Melody; with no sleeves and a thick, black belt strapped around the waist area. She then turns to me as she crosses her arms across her chest in thought.
"Give her the lucky dress," Melody calls out with a wink, earning an 'ah' from Marlene. I send them a confused gape. "The what dress?" Melody laughs before turning around to clasp on her matching red, strapless bra. My cheeks redden as I look down, still getting used to the comfort shared between the girls.
"Basically whenever someone wears that dress something good happens to them. I wore it once when I was a dependent and I walked into the Pit without getting caught because yanno dependents aren't even allowed to be down here. Marlene wore it one time and Uriah kissed her for the first time. All sorts of things happen when you're wearing the dress." I laugh, shaking my head at her eagerness. She is smiling now, and that's all that matters. I turn and stare at the fabric Marlene is holding.
It was a tight, black dress with no designs on it. It was so simple it even surprised me. It was nicely cut out in the front for people who had some cleavage and it ended a little before the knee area. It wasn't too short but I'm still getting used to showing my legs through the leggings we have to wear for training. She tosses it towards me and I catch it, gasping at how soft the fabric feels under my touch. I look up, meeting their proud stares.
"What?" I laugh and they just exchange a glance before shaking their heads. I hurriedly change into the dress, feeling it stick to my body in the most natural way possible. It was showing too much of me but somehow I feel so comfortable I didn't say no. Mel then let me borrow her ankle strapped, low-heeled boots which match the color and simplicity of the dress. I don't do much to my hair except brushing it out and letting Mel braid a couple of extremely tiny plaits on the right side of my head to exploit the couple of new piercings as well as the first one I got done. I then let Marlene play around with her makeup on my face, listening to her thoroughly explaining what eye-shadow is and where you're supposed to put mascara. When I was done, I slowly walked over to the bathroom to finally take my new appearance in. Upon arrival, I gasp at the sight. The dress' color and tightness had hugged my curves and enhanced them to a petite hourglass figure, the openness of the top part revealing my raven tattoo as well as the few bruises I sport here and there. My complexion is unnaturally pale, but I blame the lighting, not the beating I have forgotten about in the moment. I lean in, examining the light shade of purple pressing onto my eyelids as they bring out my hazel eyes. I raise my eyebrows, inwardly congratulating Marlene for her fantastic concealment of the cuts and blemishes on my cheeks and the plumpness of my lips. For once I feel satisfied with my appearance.
I walk back to see Melody leaning down as she attempts to put on her stiletto heels without ripping the dress with her actions. I can't even walk around in these boots let alone in heels? The dress looks gorgeous on her and the dark makeup along with the matte-black lipstick further highlights her striking green eyes and the silver studs on her face. Marlene is wearing a beautiful, satin red dress that is quite short in the front but longer at the back with matching-colored boots going up after her knees. She has a black ribbon clasped around her waist and her hair falls loosely down to her chest. She too- is sporting dark makeup with a wine red shade of lipstick, making her teeth look whiter than the Erudite building. I envy how naturally perfect they both are compared to me. They both gasp as they look me from head to toe, making me blush. They walk on over to me, Melody a bit taller than me now wearing heels and Marlene taller than both of us even though she isn't wearing that big of a heel.
"You ready to be one step closer to being a full-fledged Dauntless member?" She whispers earning a sharp nod from Melody and a shy shrug from me. I nearly end up on the floor because of the light nudge she sends my way but I am saved because in the last moment I clasp onto both of their forearms for support. "Alright alright, obviously…now let's go," I giggle, letting them lead me into the full Pit. The music is extremely loud and there are already people drunk by the bar. The lighting is a tinted red, which for some reason makes me feel both relaxed and uneasy at the same time. I feel the girls both clasp either of my hands as we try and squeeze through the crowd to find our boys. We find them somewhere in the center of the dance-floor, Peter awkwardly shuffling around a tipsy Uriah who is dancing violently like no one's watching. I laugh loudly and surprisingly Peter twists around to meet my eyes, given the fact that we were surrounded by heaps of noise. His lips part slightly as he takes in my appearance just like the girls did before, no judgement filled in his eyes. I walk over to him, nearly tripping over again. Maybe this dress really is lucky! I let my eyes quickly gaze down at his appearance. He and Uriah are wearing matching black shirts with the first button undone; and black jeans. They are both really handsome. I open my mouth to say something but am interrupted by Marlene's soft voice in my ear.
"We're going to go get drinks. Wanna come?" Before I can agree, I feel Peter shove his glass in my palm. "Take mine, I don't want it," he yells over the music and immediately I feel too uncomfortable to give it back so I agree. I take small sips as I follow him to the slightly less populated part of the dance-floor. His hair is longer and dreaded and it hangs just above his ears and the smile he is wearing makes him appear less threatening.
"You look hot," he says bluntly making me choke mid-sip. I laugh, wiping my chin as I enthusiastically accept the compliment. "You don't look that bad either Peter!" He grins, rolling his eyes before we both turn to see a stumbling Uriah make his way to us.
"WOW," he shouts, pointing at me, "Look at you! You look so good Trissy, I mean you look good anyway but you know..."
"Thanks Uriii," I waver him off, pulling him and Peter into a tight sloppy hug before jumping at the familiar voice of my favorite leader beckoning us to shut up. I walk to stand beside Melody and Marlene who are near to where Eric and Max are standing on the higher level of the Pit. I see his eyes skim across the room before they land on me, and when they do, I can visibly tell how he sucked in a breath quickly. I lower my head, slightly embarrassed at his reaction to my appearance and of coarse pleased with Mel and Marlene's work on me.
"Before revealing the final ranking marks, the Leadership would like to shed light to a very unfortunate event that took place earlier today. An initiate known as Will died by getting pushed into the Chasm by three fellow initiates." A series of different gasps erupt around the room. "Pure jealousy if you ask me." I find myself and my friends involve ourselves in the series of cheers replacing the gasps from a moment ago. "Therefore I would like to call out Molly, Drew and Al." He points somewhere towards the back and we all turn to see the trio frozen on the stop as they had just entered the Pit. "As a leader of Dauntless it is my duty to be able to pick out the best of the best, and seeing that you are all sharing an ugly trait that is strictly frowned upon in this faction; you are giving me no other choice but to send you off to the Factionless." His cold, untouched voice sends shudders down my back yet I find myself cheering loudly when he kicks them out of Dauntless. I laugh heartlessly when I look at how Molly breaks down, screaming and stomping her feet like a child in a tantrum. Al goes pale and Drew rolls his eyes before trying to pull Molly back to her feet. "You have ten minutes to pack your belongings and exit the compound. If you are still here by the eleventh minute, we will use force. Don't even try to hide; there's cameras all around the compound. So you better get going." Boos break out throughout the Pit as the three run out shamefully. Turning back to Eric, he clears his throat loudly, calling for attention. "Back to Will. We did not choose a life of ease when we let our blood sizzle on that coal. And the truth of it is; Will is now exploring an unknown, uncertain place. Who among us is brave enough to venture into that darkness without knowing what lies beyond it? Will was not yet one of our members, but we can be assured that he was one of our bravest! We will celebrate him now, and remember him always!" He lifts the bottle he is holding and takes a gulp out of it, barely squinting at the taste of the alcohol. He raises the bottle before shouting, "To Will the Courageous!" I raise my glass with him, along with pretty much every dauntless member holding a drink.
"To Will," they chant until his name is no longer his name. That is until Eric tells us to shut up again. He turns towards the digital board beside him before fiddling around with the remote he is holding.
"The results," he bellows, moving to the side just as our names begin trickling into our sight. At first I don't see my name, but then I widen my eyes when I see:
5. Tris
I feel Uriah picking me up and twirling me in the air as I pump my fists up, urged to yell louder as the cheers and congratulations around us are too loud. When he finally decides to put me down I run to hug Peter, Marlene and Melody in turn. Someone taps me on the shoulder and I turn to see a smirking Lynn. I scoff, laughing as I pull her into a tight hug.
"Where were you?" I yell over the cheers and the music. She shrugs.
"I may or may not have been waiting for the perfect moment to beat that Molly bitch up. Like her getting kicked out of Dauntless was my calling! I had to!" I roll my eyes before hugging her again and returning back to the rest of the group. This was perfect. If only Will was here with us too.
"Hey!" Melody shouts, grabbing her cousin by the arm, nodding her head to the bar. Lynn smirks before walking up to the bartender, engaging in flirtatious small-talk whilst Mel sneaks in behind the bar to grab as many bottles of whatever booze she can find. Marlene and I go help out until the bartender shrieks out for us to stop what we're doing. Our master plan would've failed if Melody didn't warn us to take our heels off because now we are sprinting for our lives towards the exit. I turn around, trying to see the ruthless leader somewhere in the Pit.
"GO TRIS CONTINUE GO GO GO," Peter howls from behinds me as I follow the girls and Uriah out and into the resident hallways towards the apartment. We are all laughing and hysterical when we finally reach Zeke's apartment. Uriah unlocks the front door before leading us to the living room. We all sit down around the coffee table, placing our bottles in the center.
"Excellent!" Uriah exclaims whilst clapping his hands and sitting in between me and Marlene. We begin drinking and playing card games. Well I'm not really playing, more like I'm listening to the rules and then laughing at Lynn's reactions when she loses. Melody turns the speakesr on and the mood is really set for a party! I hold onto my glass of whiskey as I talk to Peter who also isn't part of the card game.
"Alright I'm done I wanna play something else," Lynn sighs loudly when she throws her cards at Uriah. "Fine fine. Suggestions?" I look around, amused at their thoughtful expressions. Until Lynn's face lights up.
"Candor or Dauntless! Oh my god we haven't played that in years!" Uriah groans while Marlene barks out a soft laugh. I frown slightly.
"What's that?"
"It's basically truth or dare but we call it Candor or Dauntless, Uriah loves it huh!" Uriah grumbles again before hiding his face behind a pillow. I pull it away laughing before leaning close to him to the point where only he can hear what I'm saying. "What's wrong Uri? Did they ask you who you like?" His face goes red and he shakes his head. "Even worse. I had to go to Eric and ask him to marry me." We begin laughing until I have to clutch my side.
"So...uh...did he say yes?" Peter chuckles, wiping a tear. Uriah looks ahead like as if we had just asked him about the darkest times of his life.
"He instructed Ida the cook to ban chocolate cake in the cafeteria for a month. A WHOLE MONTH." We laugh again until we can't breathe.
"ANYWAY I'LL PLAY AS LONG AS ERIC AND I AM NOT INVOLVED." We all agree and the games begin. Lynn begins.
"Marlene, Candor or Dauntless?" The latter smirks and replies, "Candor." Lynn looks shocked but she plays on. "Okay...would you rather be Factionless or Amity?" She laughs before humming in thought.
"To be honest I'd rather be Amity, they're always happy under that Peace Serum and I wonder what it feels like." I silently agree.
"Uri, Candor or Dauntless?" Marlene snaps excitedly. He gulps before scratching his head. "Candor?"
"Who is the hottest girl in the room?" He turns red again, biting his lip anxiously. He grins evilly before wrapping an arm around my waist. "Tris," he nods at me, earning a scowl from Marlene. When they look away, I high-five him, earning a small wink from him.
After a round has passed with most of the answers being Candor, people are bored. I down my drink before turning to Peter. "Hit me up. I choose Dauntless." He opens his mouth before Uriah pulls him closer to whisper something into his ear. His grin becomes wider and I begin regretting my decision.
"I dare you...to kiss Melody for five seconds." My cheeks feel red as I lower my head in embarrassment. Lynn scoffs and Marlene tries to hide a giggle. "Not fair, Uriah helped you out!" I point at Uriah before throwing a pillow at him. Peter crosses his arms. "Actually you never know, he might have just asked me where the toilets are!" I roll my eyes. "We're in his house..." The boys laugh before Peter snorts, taking a sip out of his drink. "Accept the dare before I turn it into a make out session dare." I walk over towards a relaxed looking Melody.
"Are you okay with this?" I whisper timidly. She nods nonchalantly. "Dude, I just got dared to make out with the wall, I doubt this can be worse." I sigh out before leaning in and pressing my lips on hers. Unlike my kisses with Eric, I felt nothing whilst kissing Mel, except a strong urge to get my revenge.
One...two...three...four...five...
I pull away, pursing my lips as I sit beside her, refusing to go back to Uriah. He pouts and I roll my eyes. By the end of round two, Uriah had to kiss Marlene, Peter had to kiss me and Lynn had to go knock on the neighbour's door to ask for spare underwear. Unluckily it was a man. By round three, we are a little tipsy.
"Uriah," Melody calls out, pointing her finger at the boy. "Candor or Dauntless child." He rolls his eyes, and confidently blurts out "Dauntless. I'm a man. I don't think you're all ready for how tough I really am." We exchange glances before I lean in to pretend like I'm whispering something in her ear. The plan was already made from before when we both went to the toilets.
"I dare you to go down to the Pit and propose to Four." His face goes white and he bites his lip before turning to glare at me. "You can't help her you idiot!" I raise my hands in the air innocently. "Um then take back mine and Mel's dare from a round ago." He rolls his eyes before drinking up the rest of the wine in his cup. Peter helps him up.
"Fine," he blurts out. "What could possibly go wrong?"
We make our way down to the still very full Pit, even though it's nearly past twelve. I stand at the entrance, scanning the whole room for our instructor. In the end, Melody's sharp eyes find him standing beside the corner of the bar, talking to Zeke- as Uriah recognizes. We clutter behind him as he carefully walks towards the two men. They immediately stop talking and turn their glares towards Uri, who looks nervous. Honestly, I would be too before a proposal. He goes down on one knee before looking up at Four and beginning his heartfelt proposal. Zeke slams his hand on the bar as he begins laughing whilst Four continues staring down at the boy. When Uriah hoists himself up and begins walking off; Four grabs him and pulls him back to him, whispering something in his ear. At that point Uriah yanks himself free from his touch and runs full speed back to us. I look back to see Four and Zeke smirking as they clink their shot glasses; probably still laughing at this unexpected event.
"What happened?" Marlene asks humorously as she pats his back gently. He shakes his head before looking up at us, tears in his eyes. "He was so serious...and when I tried leaving he pulled me back and just said 'when and where?'" We begin sniggering loudly, our excitement slurring with the sounds of the people dancing, raving and having a good time on the dance floor around us. We find a quiet spot on the other side of the Pit, and 'nowhere near Four' so we could continue our little game which grows more and more intense. I get dared to dance on the bar until Four pulls me off and scolds me like a disappointed mother; Marlene had to dance ridiculously in front of everyone and then fall; Melody had to go kiss a random stranger who tried chasing back after her for a good half hour until she finally lost him; Lynn had to climb up to the DJ, steal a microphone and sing karaoke until it was finally Peter's turn.
"I've got it!" I yell, staring at Peter cockily. He raises his eyebrows, underestimating my power. I wasn't drunk but I wasn't sober, so if one asked me why I dared him that, I would definitely say it's because of the alcohol.
"We've already had a proposal so that's not really new...and we've practically done pretty much all the fun things...so I dare you...to go profess your love to Eric..." I nod towards the other side of the bar, where Eric is sitting alone, sipping his drink whilst staring into the brooding oblivion. The girls high-five me and Uriah frowns hard because he's been through this and he knows how hard it is.
"Alright," Peter finally replies, sucking a breath through his teeth as he stands up to walk towards my leader. I feel a twinge of jealousy but I recover from that as quickly as it comes. As if he'd fall for that.
I chuckle when I see Peter lean into the bar as he shifts closer to Eric. We watch as he clears his throat, finally getting Eric to notice him, his face cool and emotionless. At first Peter stutters, obviously extremely nervous under Eric's dominating glare. At one point, Peter reaches for Eric's hand, touching it slightly before wincing and pulling back when Eric slowly narrows his eyes. He then hangs his head lowly before trotting away back to us pouting; Eric rolling his eyes finally amused before turning back to his drink. It takes everything in me not to go and just be with him, as much as I'm having fun.
"I think I just got rejected," Peter whimpered. I squeeze his shoulder. "Don't worry, maybe he was just having a bad day. You can try tomorrow." He tickles my sides until I'm squealing for mercy. "Since you're so eager, why don't you get him to join us back to the apartment for another round of fun." I roll my eyes, my overly confident state taking over. He gasps when I begin walking away. I stop midway and curse when I see that Four has joined him. I turn back and see Uriah, Peter and Melody quietly forcing me to invite him too, in their own little ways. I sigh, shake my head and continue my way.
"Whoops," I giggle, grabbing onto the chair beside Four. They both turn towards me. Four exhales, rolling his eyes. "What do you want Tris? Here for another dance on the table?" Eric sends him a deadly glare but the instructor doesn't seem to notice. I chuckle, shaking my head as I point back at my little dauntless family. "As you already know, we were playing Candor or Dauntless, hence you getting a wonderful proposal and you getting a loving confession...my dare is to get you guys to come back to the apartment with us so we can play another round with our favorite Dauntless members," I giggle, elbowing the amused Four before turning to stare at Eric.
"Fine." He declares, not breaking eye contact with me. I widen my eyes. "Oh uh...I don't really know what to do now. Normally you reject the person and they walk back to the group."
"You can start by leading the way," Four counters, staring back at the group...or at someone. I nod sheepishly, gesturing them to follow me as I walk back with two important Dauntless men trailing behind me.
When we arrive back to the apartment it's about one thirty in the morning. I sit between Uriah and Peter, a little uncomfortable but it's too late to turn back now. Eric sits in the chair beside Four who is sat opposite me and next to Melody. They're really close in proximity but I don't think anyone notices except for me. She leans in towards the coffee table and takes a bottle of whiskey before gulping it straight out of the bottle. I feel Eric's stare before I shift my eyes to meet him. He is slightly pouting but I just shrug my shoulders and blow him a small kiss. He rolls his eyes before sitting up and cracking his knuckles.
"So are we gonna just stare at each other or what?" Four breaks the awkward silence; Melody of coarse agreeing with him. Uriah runs towards the fridge, slamming it shut before bringing back a new beer bottle. He sets it down in front of Four before snickering.
"Candor or Dauntless Four?" The latter rolls his eyes before choosing the obvious. "Perfect! I dare you to drink this whole beer in less than forty five seconds." I gasp quietly and I seem to be the only person who thinks that this is impossible. He scoffs, cracking the bottle open and taking a deep breath. Marlene brings out a stop watch from one of the drawers and sets it to forty five seconds. "Ready?" Four nods, not breaking the intense stare between himself and the boy beside me.
"Go!" He begins drinking, gulping quickly and before I can even blink twice, thirty seconds have gone by and the beer bottle is empty.
"Oh..." Uriah whispers whilst staring at the empty glass bottle being tossed at him. Lynn raises her hand up before speaking out. "Can I ask Melody?" Most of us just shrug but everyone's just keen on continuing the game. She smirks.
"I dare you to go make out with Eric while being sat on his lap." My jaw drops along with pretty much everyone else's in the room. Four clenches his jawline and right now I agree. Jealousy runs through me like static electricity as I see her huff, unimpressed, beginning to walk towards Eric. He seems tense too, but it's not like he can push her away. We had already told them that if they deny participation in the task they're 'pansycakes' and Uriah takes that insult very seriously. I inhale a shaky breath just as Uri grabs onto my hand, gripping onto it tightly as he stares at me. I refuse to look at Uriah though, my eyes trailing after Melody's stumbling, drunk form until it finally reaches to straddle Eric's lap. I feel tears prickle in my eyes and I curse myself for being so fucking vulnerable. She tilts his chin up before kissing him breathlessly, rocking against his lap because of the force of the kiss. I grit my teeth as I watch him capture her waist to secure her onto him, but I finally take another breath after seeing him incline his head away from her grasp. I caught his stare; his eyes as grey as the ash in a dying fire. I look away though, afraid that if I continue staring at him I would easily forgive him even though he can technically do whatever he wants. We continue the game; Eric daring Marlene to ask the hottest guy in the room out. Without a second thought she twists around towards Uriah and asks him out. Sometimes I believe that in their little thing going on, she's the guy because he goes red and shyly agrees. Melody then nods at me, smirking.
"Candor or Dauntless, Trissy?"
I open my mouth out to reply with my usual 'Dauntless' answer, but my head began swirling around, so I just pick the other. She chuckles evilly and I rub my head, knitting my eyebrows.
"Who would you honestly fuck out of the guys in here?" She winks, swirling her tongue around her lip piercing. I feel Uriah tap my back urgently and I once again ignore him. I shift in my seat and turn around to smile innocently at Peter. "Peter." I nod at him and jumping back, surprised, when he leans in to kiss my lips. I plaster on a fake smile, biting my tongue to hold back the urge to burst into tears.
It wasn't supposed to end like this!
I glance at Eric, seeing the hurt in his eyes but he just nods towards the kitchen. I tell everyone to continue without me before walking over towards the kitchen, waiting to finally talk to him. Not long after, the familiar cologne overcomes my senses and I take a deep breath before turning around to face him as I lean against the sink.
"You deserved it," I retort, crossing my arms but denying giving up the little will I have to fight against him and look him in his eyes. He snorts, but doesn't say anything. He continues making his way through the dark kitchen towards me. My breath hitches in my throat as soon as he's in close proximity. He drags his fingers from the hem of my dress to my collarbone, but I still choose to look sideways. He huffs before grabbing my chin.
"Tris."
"Hm?"
"Look at me."
"No." He laughs his cold, ruthless laugh which always successfully sends shivers down my back for the third time today.
"Did that sound like I was giving you a choice though?" At this point, I angrily look at him, widening my eyes as I lose the game.
"I don't care. I said no." I pull myself out of his grasp and I wriggle away from his reach. He waits for a second before grabbing my wrist and flinging me back into him. I glare up at him angrily, involuntarily softening up as soon as I see his agitated expression. He leans forward, resting his forehead on the side of my head, where it is braided.
"Wait till we get home," he rumbles lowly before placing his lips on my neck and biting down hard. I hiss and jerk away, narrowing my eyes at his smirk. "Who said I'm going back with you, after you kissed..."
"Tris," he snaps, "Again, I don't think I made it sound like I was giving you a choice. Besides, it's not like I was enjoying it..."
"You damn right looked like you were," I counter, feeling my blood boil because of his stupid, amused gaze. "Care to tell me what's so funny Eric?"
"You're so cute when you're jealous." My cheeks begin heating up but I continue denying it. He raises his pierced eyebrow. "Sure you weren't, otherwise you wouldn't have reacted like this." I make a face.
"Fine then since you're allowed to go around kissing girls I'm allowed to kiss Peter." He tenses up. Now it's my turn to look amused. "Seems fair?" I begin walking back to the living room only to be grabbed by the waist and placed onto the counter island by Eric. He wraps his arms around me tightly, burying his face in my neck. I exhale, rolling my eyes as I run my fingers through his hair, tucking on it as I make him look up at me. Ignoring the dark, moving figure in the hallway coming towards us, I snake my arm around his neck as I move in to kiss him. It lasts for a moment, but in that moment I felt so many different things within me. I feel him push away, completely backing up. He stares at the entrance angrily and I follow his glower, gasping at the figure standing there, wide-eyed.
Melody.
I look back at him death-glaring me and I furiously hop off the counter. "Don't look at me like that Eric. You started it." He scoffs. "Of coarse Tris, fucking blame me all the goddamn time. Do you realize what you could have done?"
"Um guys..." Melody tries but we continue scowling at each other.
"Oh sorry. And what could I have done? Oh man, people are going to find out that Eric the ruthless Dauntless leader has feelings and knows how to kiss. Kill me now!" I raise my voice, narrowing my eyes at him. He opens his mouth to shout at me but Mel cuts him off.
"Eric! I'm not going to tell anyone. I swear to Dauntless. It's not Tris' fault that I walked in at the wrong time. I'm sorry," she mumbles. He stares her down before sighing and looking back at me. I'm still glaring at him even though he's just staring.
"I'll find you later Eric," I say. He nods stiffly before turning back to pass Melody. "You better not tell anyone," he mutters, brushing past her. As soon as he's gone, I lean down until I'm on the floor. She slips down beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. We sit in the dark silently.
"I was going to tell you in the right time," I whisper, trembling and guiltily. She shakes her head. "Dude, I get it. I know how you're feeling. Here." She lights a cigarette, inhaling and exhaling the smoke before passing the thing to me. I shake my head, but give in and try it for myself. The smoke passes through my throat until it hits my lungs. The painful, itching sensation makes me cough uncontrollably but I do it again and again until I'm lightheaded. She takes it back smirking. "Listen, Four and I are in a secret relationship. I'm telling you because I trust you and I want you to know that you're not alone in this fucked up little situation. It's even worse for me because of what happened to Will…" Her voice is shaky and she looks away. I sit there quietly, giving her some time to settle down.
"I'm alright," she mumbles quietly, more to herself than me.
"He's so difficult," I complain, holding my head in my hands as my elbows rest on my knees. She huddles closer to me, the scent of cigarettes, vodka and regret laced around her.
"You'll manage Trissy. Four isn't a saint either. But I love him and I'll stand beside him no matter what. Even if the world is tearing apart around us and I can't stand on my feet, I'll get up and see if he's okay. Would you do that to Eric?" I don't even hesitate.
"It kinda sucks that it feels like I sold my soul to the Devil. But yeah, I'd do anything for him." My stomach turns as soon as I say it out loud. It is as if I am speaking a foreign language, a language and culture I am yet to discover and overcome. She chuckles quietly, opening her mouth to probably conclude all of my feelings into three simple words. Three words that can either break me or help me.
"But what do I do now?" I continue, a tear falling down my cheek. She smiles, wiping it away. "I say you get that tight little dress back to his apartment and claim him yours." I twitch away from her, horrified at the mere thought. She snickers.
"Not necessarily in that way you dummy! Kiss him senseless and prove to him how much he really means to you. Let him feel your body. You don't need to be afraid. I see the way he just looks at you. Honestly, I was going to pull you into a corner and ask you if anything's up just because of the amount of glances you guys have shared in this past few hours…Just go." She kisses my cheek before pushing my shoulder. "Go and tell me all about it tomorrow." I nod excitedly before standing up and running out of the apartment. I almost forget that everyone else are unaware of what had just happened so I tell them I'm feeling sick and I'm going to call it a night. They all say goodnight and Uriah winks at me before I shut the door behind me.
Five minutes later and I am knocking on Apartment 104 on the leadership floor. After the second knock, Eric opens the door in his black boxers and parted lips. I look him down, biting my lip before trotting in and slamming the door. He smirks, leaning against the wall as he's waiting for me to pull the shoes off. I fiddle around with the dress before looking up innocently. "Aren't you going to help me?" Immediately, his eyes darken; lust clouding that beautiful grey color I can drown in; as he shoves me against the opposite wall, capturing my lips with his. I put my legs around his waist, feeling the fabric of the dress crawl up to my hips. He slams me against the wall once more, picking me up until I'm completely off the ground. I gasp when I hear the dress quickly get shredded off my body until it's a pile of cloth on the ground. He continues kissing my neck while I drag my fingers up and down his back.
"Can we go somewhere more comfortable. And remember, slow," I warn him and he rolls his eyes, kissing me passionately. "I know Tris. I wasn't planning on doing anything more today. But I'll see what else I can do." I giggle as he throws me over his shoulder, practically running towards the bedroom. He hauls me onto the soft duvet and only that's when I realize that I'm in Eric's bed in my matching purple underwear…only. His eyes skim over me, immediately making me self-conscious until I see him grinning and muttering something to himself. He then crawls over on top of me as he begins to graze down my neck, sucking and biting slightly before soothing the pain with his tongue. His kisses travel down my collarbone, my chest, my stomach, my abdomen and then to the top of my underwear. As he goes lower, his hand cups my bra and just rests there, occasionally squeezing lightly. My breathing becomes faster as his kisses and tongue dust down my stomach before trailing back up the same way until they're on my lips. He is rough and I'm losing it. I mewl, feeling him chuckle into the kiss. With his help, I manage to straddle him. He cocks his head slightly, smirking up at me before latching onto both sides of my waist.
"Jeez Tris, your waist is fucking tiny," he moans, squeezing it tighter and tighter, making me squirm. I hold onto his wrists, snatching them away from the curve of my waist as I just hold onto them, looking down to inspect my skin. I gasp when I see light patches of purple and blue handprints on either side of my stomach.
"Idiot, don't you think I have enough bruises? Especially from today. Did you forget already?" I snort, letting my fingers graze over the hurt skin. He smirks. "Yeah, I haven't forgotten about today, but I like it when I mark you here." He rubs my wrists. "Here." He fingers the bruises on my waist. "And here." A groan escapes from his mouth as his fingers trace up to my collarbone and my neck. When they pass a specific spot it begins stinging, making me hiss slightly and then making me glare at him.
"You did not." He smiles innocently and the only way I can rub it off his arrogant face is to lean down and kiss him. He deepens the kiss, letting his hands brush down my back until they reach my ass. Eric then attempts to turn us over again so that he's on top but I refuse.
"Maybe you should try being a little more gentle." He pulls an adorably disgusted face. "Maybe not." I snort, pushing him back down into the covers before latching onto his neck. He grunts softly in surprise, inclining his head to the side so he can give me more access. But that wasn't the plan.
"Tris," he hisses as I bite onto a specific spot. Hopefully that'll teach him a lesson. He moans and I intensify his pleasure by grinding my hips against his. "Tris," Eric's voice is firmer as he snakes an arm around my waist before turning us around unexpectedly. I whimper sadly but snicker evilly as soon as I see the really noticeable love bite I have managed to give him. I look down to see the growing tent in his boxers and immediately my embarrassment colors my cheeks a deep deep pink. I hide my face in my palm until Eric snatches it by my wrist. "Told you before and I'm telling you again. It's natural, I can't help it. Don't start something you aren't ready for today Tris." I nod, disappointed. He kisses me passionately before rolling off me to go inspect himself in the mirror. I hear a bark of laughter and then see his cocky form walk back to the bed as he crosses his arms and smirks down at me. I send him a toothy grin before taking his hand and entering the bathroom. I widen my eyes as I stare at our reflection. My bra strap was falling and I have bruises on my waist and the large one on my neck. I then look towards the tall man in black boxers beside me. I love the way he clutches onto my waist now, as if he's afraid that I'm going to run out of his apartment any second now. I bite my lip as I gaze at his muscly form and then at how perfect his hickey was. It was my mark and my mark is on him. And his messy hair- probably my favorite thing about him.
"See something you like?" He sneers arrogantly. I lean into him, shrugging my shoulders; offending him mockingly. I turn back to the mirror.
"Look Eric we have matching love bites now." I probably sound like a child, but so what? I'm excited. He smiles dearly, squeezing me. I yawn and look up at him dreamily.
"Eric?" I whisper.
"Yes?" He plays along.
"Can you pick me up and let me cuddle you to sleep?" He begins grinning ear to ear before picking me up bridal style and walking me towards the bedroom. After securely tucking me in, he walks around to his side and pulls the cover over him. I tangle my legs over him as he puts his arm under my head, scooting me closer.
"Trissy?" The butterflies flutter in my stomach. Only he can call me that without me getting frustrated.
"Yeah?" I look up at him staring at the ceiling. He looks down, meeting my eyes, surprising me when I see that raw vulnerability back in them.
"Don't go," he mumbles. I shake my head and laugh, sleeping crawling into me.
"I wasn't even planning on doing anything stupid like that." He buries his face in my hair and I can feel him grinning again. "Good," he whispers back before falling silent. I kiss his neck, cherishing his musky scent. He knows I wouldn't leave right now, but I doubt that he was pleading about that.
A/N
Hey you! I hope you seriously enjoyed the longest, most emotional and most action-packed chapter up to this point. I feel awful for not being able to just pop by and let you guys know that I'm working on the chapters. I also can't reply to the guests who have been reviewing but a big THANK YOU goes out to anyone who has taken time to just write a small comment! I hope I haven't disappointed and I hope the wait was worth it. X
Fair warning: these two weeks or so there's a very small chance that I'll be posting chapters here. I have exams and all that jazz. However, that does not mean that I won't be trying to write and continue on with the story ;)
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Till next time,
Niki X