Eric's POV
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Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Fucking stupid.
So unbelievably fucking stupid.
Eric couldn't believe that he'd lost control like that, drink aside, he knew better. He was a fucking leader; he couldn't slip up like that.
Fucking fuck.
Lucas deserved better than having him as a friend; because he was a terrible friend.
He'd managed to avoid him for Monday and Tuesday, but that morning Lucas had arrived in his office and thrown himself in his chair like he was going to fucking therapy.
His best friend told him some bullshit about how he understood if them having dinner at Eric's house was weird, and it wouldn't happen again. Lucas actually thanked him and told him he was a good man for helping out Skylar with cooking.
Eric had taken a sip of his coffee to cover up the look that he knew had crossed his face, because God forbid Lucas to find out that he'd only used it to rake his hands all over his sister's body and end up dry humping her against the fucking counter.
Then Lucas has said something along the lines of "I know babysitting probably wasn't what you had in mind for that Sunday, but even you have to admit that cake she made was fucking good. Better than the cafeteria even."
And of course, Eric had coughed up his coffee and spent nearly half a minute trying to calm his beating heart. Because the first thought that had come to his mind; what a delightful fucking word choice for him to use, "better than the cafeteria's cake," as if he knew about Eric's and his sister's stupid fucking bet they'd made with in the hallway last week. Though they'd never decided on anything, right?
Then his second thought was something along the lines of the kind of desert he'd really fucking wanted and how it hadn't been cake and him and his brother's arrival had ruined that.
His third thought was the memory of her grabbing his belt as if she was actually going to go through his suggestion. Followed by the memory of the noise she'd made when he'd kissed her lips, then the one when he'd kissed her ribs, and for fuck's sake he thought was going to lose his shit.
Then Lucas laughed at him, and for some God forsaken reason, Eric had told him it was fine because it was nice to celebrate his birthday.
It'd come out like word vomit.
That's what that little bitch did to him. Made him say crazy-stupid shit and be impulsive, and it wasn't okay. It was far from okay, actually.
And Lucas had stared at him. Just fucking stared; as if Eric were insane. And honestly, Eric was starting to think that he was insane. Then he'd laughed again and told him he was a fucking jackass for not telling him and that they needed to really celebrate.
Which is why Eric was now headed toward the bar with them, despite his pleas that Lucas keep quiet. But Lucas had promised it would only be a few people.
A few people meant his brothers and their friends, Max, and the other leaders.
Fine. He could deal with a few people. So long as he was drunk. And he planned to get drunk.
But only if the Smith brothers didn't involve their sister in the plans,
because Eric knew that the word vomit would only get worse if they did.
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Four hours and more drinks that he could count later, Eric was walking side by side with a very cheerful Lucas. Jami had disappeared with some girl and showed up about a half an hour later, and now he was flirting with some girl that had met up with them when they'd left the bar.
And now they were in the pit, and Eric was glad he was nearly drunk because there was no way he'd be able to deal with the morons in this faction today if not. Especially the initiates, which seemed to be everywhere.
"Ayee," Jami moved past them and motioned for some of the initiates to come over to their group as they took place next to a wall and circled.
"You there," Jami said again, motioning them forward. "Yep, talking to you kid."
Eric watched as the initiate gave his friends a look and walked toward him. He knew right off the bat that the kid had to be a transfer because he wasn't strong enough to have been a Dauntless-born. Or at least he hoped.
"You're that kid, my baby, Sky-Sky is helping, right?" Jami said it, though it was more of a statement rather than a question. "From Candor too? Where's she at?"
The kid stopped and folded his arms uncomfortably as he glanced between Jami and Lucas. Perseus was near Zachary just outside their group but was still watching.
"Hello?" Jami asked him.
The kid shrugged. "I don't know; she was with Alec and Conrad. Said she'd be here in a bit."
"Alec is Jacobsen's kid, right?" Jake chimed in. Jami nodded to him.
"What's your name again?" Jami's words were slightly slurred.
"Meckham," he answered. "You already knew that though."
Oohs and ahhs came out from around them. That kid was brave for mouthing off like that.
Jami laughed at him and nodded in agreement and waved them off. "He's from Candor, let him be."
"How's she doing, then?" Lucas chimed in from next to Eric.
"Um, great," Meckham said. Eric could tell he looked nervous, but also a tad annoyed.
"Great?" Lucas said, raising an eyebrow, his voice lowered. "Seriously though kid, from an initiate's point of view, she's settling in well, dealing with being in a new faction and all?"
Meckham stared at him with a confused look on his face.
Lucas stepped forward and snapped his finders in front of his face, "are you going to answer me, kid? What's your problem? Be honest kid."
Meckham looked at him, and his eyes flashed, "I don't think you really want me to be honest with you," he deadpanned.
No one oohed and aahed that time, just stared at him.
After a moment of silence, Jami started laughing. "Should we expect any less of her friends? Especially ones from Candor?" Jami turned to Lucas then back to Meckham. "Seriously though kid, what's your deal? We aren't going to kick your ass if that's what you think. Not after she's been helping you or whatever; she's likely got a reason."
Eric didn't know what that reason could be. Because this kid wasn't good looking, nor did he look promising as a real Dauntless. He seemed like a lost fucking cause. Skylar could do better.
Meckham stared at Lucas for a moment, as if he were contemplating his words, then turned back to Jami.
Eric knew this wouldn't turn out well. It never fucking did with the Smiths, and he was starting to understand that the younger they were, the worse they got. He'd thought Jami was trouble, but Skylar was worse, so much fucking worse. Though he was too, considering he'd pinned her against his kitchen counter just days ago. Made her moan against his mouth.
Eric shook the thoughts from his head. The last thing he needed to be doing right now was thinking about her like that. But she was fucking everywhere. Fuck.
"Whatever you're thinking, spit it out, kid. Lucas told him, conveying the annoyance in his voice. Eric could only think that Meckham was more than lucky they had all been drinking.
"What I think, is that you guys are assholes," Meckham shrugged.
Eric couldn't contain his snort at the look on everyone's faces, covering it up with a cough when Lucas glared at him and turned his attention back to the kid. Even he had to admit the kid's bravery was slightly entertaining. No wonder Skylar had been helping him.
Meckham's face was white, but he continued. "Well, I mean, you'd think that if you really did care about her, you wouldn't act the way that you do."
Lucas stared at him and folded his arms, and Jami narrowed his eyes. Eric watched Perseus step forward and push past Jake, having no idea where this was headed.
Meckham looked at Lucas and shook his head. "Whatever, kick my ass if you want." He clenched his jaw and looked toward the ground, then back to Lucas's face. "I guess it just pisses me off that she talks about you guys like your fucking Gods, yet you make it seem so inconvenient that she wants to make plans to spend one night a week with you. One night! I mean maybe after the shit she dealt with from her mom I shouldn't be surprised, maybe being a dick is just a family thing, and she got lucky. Well, no she didn't, she's a dick too, but she's a different kind of," Meckham shook his head and snapped his mouth shut.
Eric didn't know what shit he meant about their mother, and by the look on Perseus and Jami's face, he doubted they did. Lucas continued to glare at the kid though, and Eric knew he was probably going to have to stop him from beating the crap out of him.
He'd let him get a hit or two on the kid, of course, but that was it.
Though, they had told him to be honest.
And hadn't Skylar told Eric herself just the other night that she thought they didn't take her seriously? That she hadn't even met Lucas's girlfriend -not that she was missing much- and that he hadn't met Jami's roommates? And she'd said herself that she'd had a hard time getting them together. And to be fair, they'd also been nearly an hour late for that dinner she said was important to her, after it'd only really happened because he'd suggested they used his place.
Nope. He was not about to take sides.
"What shit with my mom?" Jami asked him, stepped toward Meckham,
"What?" Meckham looked at him curiously, his features softening. "Wait she didn't tell you that your mom moved in with Jack, like, a few months ago?"
"What?" Perseus asked, looking at Lucas to see if he knew. Lucas shook his head and clenched his jaw. "So, they were living with Jack before she transferred?" Perseus looked back at Meckham, who stepped back and folded his arms, looking like he wanted to vomit.
"No, your mom was," Meckham explained. "Skylar was living on her own I guess. I mean it was only for like two months, but yeah" he added.
Eric raised an eyebrow. How the fuck did anyone let that slide?
Jack? Jack Kang? As in the Candor leader? That was probably why. What the fuck kind of shit.
Everyone was watching them, just as they always were when the Smiths were involved. Eric realized that this was probably just a family conversation, especially if the leader of another faction was involved, and turned to the others, telling them to beat it. They all looked hesitant until Eric stepped forward again with a glare.
Were they fucking mental? No one disobeyed him.
When the others left, the brothers continued speaking, Zackary the only other one there.
"Please tell me this kid is fucking with us?" Perseus turned to Jami. "And that you're in on it."
Eric almost snorted. Clearly; he wasn't in on it.
"No, I didn't know that," Jami said and turned to Lucas.
Eric glared at his best friend's younger brother. Why the fuck would Lucas know that and not tell them? Better yet, why hadn't Skylar told them about that?
Then a thought occurred to him; maybe she hadn't told her brothers because she didn't want them to spend time with her because of their mother, but because they were family. The thought made him want to punch something.
Eric's family had been shit. More than shit. He'd have given anything to have siblings he was close to like she was to them. At one point, when he was much younger, he'd even looked up to his older brother. But his older brother was a fucking douchebag, and always would be. The Smith's weren't.
"I guess that means you don't know that she didn't even show up to the choosing ceremony," Meckham added quietly. "And now I feel like the asshole."
"What?" Jami turned back to him and all but growled the words. "She didn't fucking go to her choosing ceremony?"
Eric watched as Meckham nodded slowly.
"Fucking fuck," Jami said and turned back to them. "Why the hell did she not tell us this?"
"You tell us, you're the favorite," Perseus told him bitterly.
Eric wanted to smash their heads together.
"If you aren't planning to kick my ass, do you mind if I at least go tell her that I told you all this so that she doesn't kick my ass?" Meckham said jokingly, though his voice was quiet and he had backed away from them more.
Eric watched as the two brothers turned to Lucas, who, for the first time the entire conversation, turned to Eric, who nodded back to him.
"Don't tell her," Lucas said. "She'll tell us when she's ready."
"Oh my God," Persues said and threw his hands up.
"Um, honestly? If we're still doing that?" Meckham asked. "Keeping a secret from Skylar is like pretending that rain isn't wet."
"Blood is wet, want me to show you?" Jami snarled at him.
Lucas waved his hand in the air and turned to Eric, growling in frustration.
"Get lost kid, and keep your fucking mouth shut until they tell you otherwise," Eric said demandingly. Everyone looked at him, and Meckham took advantage of his words and disappeared.
Once he was gone, Eric was surprised when Zachary was the one to speak first. "Well, you did say things would never be boring with Skylar at Dauntless, right?"
Eric couldn't agree more.
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