Chapter 13

I gasp as I sit up in my cot. Sweat covers my whole body and my breath is as short as it was in my dream. That was years ago and yet that day still haunts me. I push myself to get out of bed and I carefully change in to my training clothes. It's later than when I usually get up. I didn't think I had the energy to run anyway but stretching and maybe a walk wouldn't hurt. I've slept enough.

When I make it to the pit I find a spot in the light and let my skin soak it up. I allow my body to stretch and I breath in slow breaths. My muscles are sore and my bruises are painful when I move. I hear footsteps behind me and I turn to see Eric.

"They said you escaped the infirmary last night." He says plainly.

I scoff and turn back around to continue stretching. "I wouldn't call that an escape. I just walked out the door." He doesn't move behind me and I ignore him. Hopefully if I do it long enough, he'll just go away.

"You took quite the beating yesterday." His steps are slow as he rounds me.

"I know. That was kind of your plan wasn't it?" I avoid looking at him.

"No." He says. My eyes flash to his face and his lips are pursed.

"Well it sure seemed like you enjoyed the show." I reply. I should probably check my attitude but I was never very good at keeping my mouth shut. That's how I ended up in that situation in the first place.

"I didn't." I look at him again and this time he looks upset. He changes his face quickly when he notices me watching him.

"You know one minute you're hot and the next you're cold. I can't keep up with your mood swings." I exhale. "I'm just trying to train and you're making it very hard."

He smiles a little and that annoys me more. "Am I distracting you?" He says.

I stand up straighter and sigh. "Yes. You are. You should go use those skills on your girlfriend." I return a stiff smile to him.

"I don't have a girlfriend." He raises his eyebrows at me.

"Well you seemed pretty familiar with that girl the other day." I cross my arm and jut my hip out to one side.

"She's just a friend." He mimics me and crosses his arms. He looks a little more relaxed and I can't help but notice the way his arms bulge. They're very muscular and my memory of him getting his tattoo crosses my mind. I remember the rigid lines in his abs and the way his back muscles shifted with every move.

"A very good friend." I let out sarcastically. I start to walk away and use the railing on one the slopes to help stretch my back. I put my feet to the wall and grab the railing. I slowly allow myself to fold and my back stretches as my body bends.

"It's…. a mutual agreement." He follows behind me and stands next to me. I look up at him under my shoulder and he looks down at me. I take a deep breath out and stand back up.

"Well I hope you enjoy whatever it is." I start to walk up the slope and he's on my tail again.

"Why does it upset you so much?" He asks. Now his hands are behind his back and we're shoulder to shoulder.

"It doesn't upset me." I lie. I keep my eyes forward to not give myself away.

"You shouldn't lie initiate."

"You know I have a name, Olivia. You should use it some time." I scrunch my eyes at him a little and he smirks.

"Your name isn't initiate? I never knew." I let out a little laugh.

"Now being from Erudite, I would've expected more." I tease.

"And being from Candor, I wouldn't have expected less." He leans over me. We stop and keep eye contact for a minute and I search his eyes.

I remember how clouded they were when we first met. They were shielded, and while I still had trouble reading him, he seemed to let himself slip around me. I've seen him interact with other people and it certainly wasn't as light hearted as some of our interactions. Even when I caught him making out with that girl, he was very much in control. It didn't seem like he wanted it but more like he needed it. The carnal desire inside him taking over and pushing him to fulfill his needs.

And yet, still some of the stuff he does is a mystery to me. Why he would pin Peter and I against each other? Was it to hold his power over my head? What was he working with Janine on and why was he so secretive about it? Did he actually like me or was he just toying with an initiate to pass time?

"Is being from Erudite the reason you like to stay guarded? I don't know what it's like there but it definitely doesn't seem like a warm and fuzzy place to live." From what I remembered of Erudite they were cold and calculating. A trait Eric definitely held on to.

"And you think dauntless is better?" He asks incredulously.

I snort at him and continue walking. "Not exactly, but it's definitely more of a team here. Like we're all on the same side. I know these people will have my back when I need it and I have theirs. I trust them." I shrug my shoulders but I can feel his eyes on me.

"Do you trust me?" He asks. I don't look at him. Do I trust him? My brow furrows and I have to think about it.

"As a leader of dauntless, yes. I trust you to ensure the safety of Dauntless and the other factions. I mean that's the whole reason we're here." He stops and I look back at him. This time he's thinking. His brows are furrowed and his shoulders are tense. He nods his head at me in dismissal and swiftly turns the corner. He's gone before I know it.

The next few days I was sluggish. My body was still recuperating while still having to keep up with intense training. I was able to keep up with everyone and after my loss with Peter, I was given a day off from the fights. I found it quite annoying but I knew I wasn't back in to fighting mode yet.

Then they started me off with Myra. She wasn't much of a challenge and the win was easy, even in my condition. Molly was another story. After seeing herself so low on the score board she's been fighting dirty to win her fights. She targeted places she knew I had bruises and had no mercy. It only made me angrier and the win even sweeter.

After that I had fought everyone but Edward. I've been watching him train, trying to pin point his weaknesses. All I could picture was going down the same way from when I fought Peter. Edward was the best in our class, which I found ironic since he was dating the last in our class. One of his weaknesses was definitely Myra but I wasn't in for mental warfare. I needed to find his physical weaknesses.

He was large and this made him slower, but for what he lacks in speed he makes up for in brute strength. When he hits, he hits hard. Ducking would be better than blocking. Then I noticed his stance. He pays less attention to how to he grounds himself than he does to arm placement. Knocking him off his feet would be hard but if I managed it, I would have a real chance at winning the fight. I wondered what people had seen of my weaknesses in fighting and I frowned at the thought. Hopefully they wouldn't find any.

I wasn't surprised when they called us up to fight the next day. I could tell Edward was confident. He had won all of his fights so far and I really wouldn't mind knocking him down a peg. He managed to stay humble for the most part but he would drop little comments here and there. They never went unnoticed by Peter or I. As we were about to start Eric entered the room. I was surprised to see him since he disappeared after our talk a few day ago. Suddenly loosing didn't seem like a choice. The last fight he saw ended with me bloodied and unconscious. I wanted nothing more than to redeem myself with him.

Edward went in for the first punch and I ducked it as planned. I stepped in for a punch to his gut and it left me exposed. My punch to him didn't cause much damage and he was able to hit back in my side. I groaned out load and a bruise that hand been healing was hit. After that I managed to evade his other attacks and watch for the right moment to strike. I could tell he was getting annoyed. I studied his movements and I watched as he switched stances to kick. As his foot lifted off the ground, I crouched underneath it pushed it to the side giving it more momentum than Edward had prepared for. With him caught off guard I turned and kicked him on the inside of his knee.

He fell to his knees and I grabbed his right arm and twisted it behind him and pushed him forward. His left hand stuck on the mat to hold himself up. "Say uncle." I say in to his ear. He doesn't say anything and I think I've won. Just before I let him go, he grabs my ankle and pulls it forward while simultaneously whipping his head back to hit my nose. I fall back with him on top of me. He twists around and pins my hands over my head.

"Now you say uncle." He taunts. Okay I deserved it but I wasn't giving up yet either. I put my feet on his hips and I push upward lifting him up and throwing him back with the whole force of my body. He rolls forward and off the mat and I roll with him. He manages to tuck his head but he still hits it hard on the ground as he falls. This time I straddle him and tuck my feet under his knees to keep control. He's sluggish from the hit to his head and weak. I punch him in his cheek to the side careful not to put more force than needed to knock him out. We weren't on the mat anymore and he already took a big hit to his head.

I stood in triumph and Al and Will help carry him to the infirmary. I worry about his head a bit but otherwise I'm very satisfied with my victory. Besides we've all taken hits to the head, it was about time he got some too. I walk up to Eric. His arms are crossed and his face is stoic, but I can see it in his eyes. He's impressed.

"Not bad." He compliments and I balk at him.

"Not bad? That's all I get?" I knew that was already a lot for him, but I was still running on adrenaline and I liked to tease.

He raises an eyebrow at me and I hold his stare before he cracks a small smile. A very small smile. "Get cleaned up, initiate." He teases back. I hadn't noticed the blood that had dripped out of my nose until now. It's started to dry a little and it felt stiff on my upper lip. I squint my eyes at him playfully and turn to the bathrooms.

"I thought you were distancing?" Peter questions as he falls in line with me.

I bite my lip unsure. "I really know I should be, but…. There's just something about him." I look at him over my shoulder. He and four are now in the middle of a heated discussion. Neither of them seemed to enjoy the company of the other and luckily Eric wasn't around enough to make Four mad. You can always tell when he's brooding about something; our training becomes more intense.

"I just don't want you to get caught up in him." Peter sighs. He's sweet. Well not really, but he is to me. Sometimes I wonder what Peter would've been like if we hadn't grown up together. He used to be an awful kid and I was always there to maintain him.

I turn back to look at him, "I know. Me too." I said it so easily even though I knew it was a lie. If I had the chance, I would completely drown in Eric.