Stone Cold Heart
Hey, guys! I know it's been so long since the last time I updated and I am terribly sorry. However, chapter 5 is here and damn, I had so much fun writing it so I hope you'll enjoy reading it.
In case you do then please:
REVIEW, FOLLOW, FAVORITE
Chapter 5
"You are a force to be reckoned with."
I woke up this morning with a throbbing head and a sore lip, other than that I couldn't complain much after the fight with Candice. A cold shiver passed through me every time my mind drifted off to yesterday's events. Fortunately, she came back to the dorm last night which only meant that her condition wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be. She avoided me all morning but I took a glance at her face which was a mix of purple and black, I can say that didn't look very pretty and it still makes me feel bad. However, the feeling of guilt is getting smaller and smaller thanks to my friend's constant reassuring.
We were eating at our usual table in silence when all the attention drifted towards the very familiar voice of our instructor, Four.
"I have a little announcement to make initiates. Today after breakfast we'll meet at the railroad and not the training room as usual, it's trip day and if you think of skipping you're out." He said in a calm voice, his expression serious.
The dining hall erupted with the loud noise of the initiates all wondering about this trip's destination, but I ignored the noise as I took a sip from my water.
"I wonder what's this trip about?" Jess chirped as she played with the fork on her plate.
"Maybe a crazy dauntless experience of some sort," Alex said as he took a bite from his sandwich.
"You've been very quiet this morning, is there something wrong?" Jess asked me, her cheerful expression being replaced by a serious one.
"Not at all I'm still a bit drowsy that's all. I didn't get much sleep last night." My voice sounded empty of any emotion, but I tried to smile and spare away my newly annoying attitude.
"I slept like a baby, actually I don't even remember the last time I slept so good," Marc said giving me a cocky smile, but I just rolled my eyes at him
"Yeah, well maybe that happened because of those kicks you've got from Michael yesterday."
"Whatever, I still kicked his ass to the infirmary."
"There's still a long way to go so we'd better not get excited yet." I finally spoke while I stared at a specific spot on the table
"That's right, tomorrow we will have to fight again." Jess pouted crossing her arms over her chest
"Talking about fights look who's walking in the dining hall looking like he might throw a few punches." My head instantly turned in the direction of the young, ruthless leader whose glare could turn people into ice cubes.
I haven't seen him since our mini-heated argument from yesterday and to be honest I planned on avoiding him from now on. Easier to be said than done
The thing is my main goal is to become a dauntless member and if one of the leaders holds a grudge on me then my odds are highly decreasing.
I turned my attention back to my friends trying to hold onto my plan.
"If looks could burn…" Alex murmured suppressing a smile as Marc shoved him in the ribs playfully
"You'd be burning alive by now." Marc finished the sentence and I gave him a confused look
He just shook his head as he cleared his throat
"Mr. Grumpy Pants is staring at you." He finally said and I reluctantly turned to look at Eric.
He was sat at the leaders table his eyes never leaving my figure and as he realized I was looking at him I was captured by his piercing grey eyes. He didn't look as menacing as yesterday; I could say he looked good if he wasn't such an arrogant arse.
I finally looked away still feeling his eyes on me as started to play with my fingers. Stupid habit, really
The clinking of boots caught my attention and once again my eyes locked with Eric's who was heading towards the door. I gulped involuntarily when he motioned for me to follow him. I shot him a confused look, but he kept his serious face and I got that as my clue to go.
"Where are you going?" Jess asked as I got up from my seat and tried my best to put on a decent act.
"I'm going to the bathroom, but you don't have to wait for me, I'll find you guys later," I answered with a small smile as the shameful lie left my mouth.
"Are you sure?" Alex asked with a bit of concern in his light blue eyes and I just nodded my head and waved at them not wanting to lie more than I already had.
It's not that I don't trust my friends but telling them that I am actually going to meet up with Eric just because the dark lord pleases so doesn't sound like a good idea.
I got out of the dining hall taking small steps and feeling a bit nervous. I can't think of a reason for which Eric would want to talk to me and I don't remember doing anything wrong in the last 24 hours. But what am I talking about? Eric clearly doesn't need any reasons to scold or punish someone and since I came to dauntless he's been like my shadow, with his confusing bipolar character and as much as I'd like to ignore him it's not everything in my power.
The familiar blonde hair caught my eye and I headed towards the corner of the hallway while I straightened the hem of my tank top.
"You don't look that bad after the fight you had yesterday," Eric said in his usual husky voice wearing a smug smile on his face, his eyes though looked serious.
"If that's what you called me here for…" I protested feeling my temper rising, but Eric took me off guard as he put his index finger on my bottom lip silencing me.
"Look I'm growing really tired of your hot temper so listen to me carefully and then you can open your big trap to protest. Got it?" I nodded reluctantly and he removed his finger from my lip leaving a tingling sensation on the spot he touched.
"I didn't call you here to continue our fight from the other day so don't get too excited." He smirked before continuing "I guess Four told you about the little trip you'll do today."
I nodded my head motioning for him to continue
"Good, then after dinner I want you to be in the training room at 8 sharp." He said with a serious expression and I shot him another confused look.
"Aren't you coming with us today?" I asked in a low voice
"No,, I have better things to do." He answered in a bored tone as if my question was completely stupid.
"Ok, then why did you ask me about that trip?"
"Because I want you in the training room after that and dinner."
"Is this some sort of punishment?" I spat my voice rising a bit
"Take it as you want just be there at 8 and stop asking questions. I have to go now and I hope you don't think of ditching me because trust me, you don't want to be on my bad side." He said in a cold voice while he looked me in the eyes sending shivers down my spine.
"You really want me to stop asking questions? For as much as I know you might plan to kill me or something and I don't have a death wish." My voice came out a bit too scared and he frowned as he opened his mouth to speak.
"So you think that I plan on killing you and I am so stupid that I'd tell you the exact time and location of the crime scene?" he asked in a serious voice but he was failing to hide a smile.
"I don't know what's in your mind Eric and stop laughing at me." I pouted offended by his amused smile.
"It's hard to really but I'll try. Don't forget 8 sharp in the training room and I promise that I'm not going to kill you." He said suppressing another smile as he walked away and left me alone with a lot of unasked questions.
Douche Eric is douche
I felt my lungs fill with the fresh air as I was sprinting towards my friends near the railway. I headed straight here after my conversation with Eric as it was obvious they had already left the dining hall. However, I was hoping that they won't ask me too many questions or get too suspicious.
"Here you are, I was worried that you're going to miss the train!" Jess exclaimed with a frown as she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug.
"Definitely not, did you guys find out where are we going?" I asked changing the subject.
"I heard we're going to the fence," Alex answered in a flat tone as he was playing with Jess's hair.
"I wonder if I am going to see someone from my family." She whispered in a sad tone, her bright blue eyes glimmering.
"Even if you don't see them today you might see them tomorrow as it is visit day," I reassured her
"That's right, I can't wait to see my family too. My mom was a little surprised when I chose Dauntless over Candor, but I'm sure she'll visit me tomorrow." Marc said with dreamy eyes as if he was reminiscing about old times
I wonder if my family is going to visit me, they have to at least mom or my sister. My father wasn't very happy with my choice; I can still see crystal clear his disappointed expression from the Choosing Ceremony. In Abnegation families don't show their emotions this is why are we called stiffs by the members of the other factions. However, I've been always close with my mother and my sister, Beatrice and I can't imagine them not coming tomorrow.
I was woken from my day-dreaming by the sound of the train and I started to run along with the other initiates.
I took a leap and grabbed the metal handles feeling the wind messing with my hair. A few strand of auburn hair blurred my vision and I started to panic as I was losing my balance, but a firm hand reached my arm and pulled me inside the train cabin. I let out a relieved sound and looked to see Marc standing next to me smiling.
"Thank you!" I breathed out feeling the adrenaline rush leaving my body
"You're welcome!" he said giving me a warm smile
The train ride was very noisy as Keith and his friends made ignorant jokes and laughed loudly while Jess and Alex kept teasing each other. I smiled as I remembered what Marc said the other day about these two and how right he was. By now it was pretty obvious they fancied one another and I can say whole heartedly they would make an adorable, noisy but still adorable couple. The ride also took my mind off the thing that worried me the most at the moment and that was the meeting with Eric this evening. To say that I am only a slightly concerned would be an understatement, I am almost terrified to be alone in a room with that cruel bastard. At least, I should feel partially relieved as he promised not to kill me. Seriously even his attempted jokes come out scary.
As we reached the fence Four started to tell us about the job possibilities we could have as dauntless members based on our ranking.
"As I told you before rankings are important for two reasons, deciding who becomes a dauntless member and what jobs you can get based on your rankings. If you don't rank in the first five you are more likely to guard the fence or to be sent on special missions outside the fence." Four explained as he took us on a tour along the fence.
"If you rank higher you can choose between leadership, instructor or to work in the control room as I do."
That makes me think about what I want to do after initiation and really, I have no clue whatsoever.
"Now you can walk along, ask the fence guards more details about their job in case you are interested."
I saw a few initiates heading towards some guards while others were wondering about those special missions Four just told us about.
Behind the fence, there are Amity's fields and greenhouses, further than that there are just places destroyed by the war from what I heard.
I gasped as I felt a hand grabbing my shoulder but when I turned my head I saw Jess giving me a big smile.
"What?" I asked confused
"Look," she said pointing towards Amity's fields "In that truck there is my older brother, Jeremiah. I wonder if I'm allowed to talk to him?" she said in a whisper
"It's not like Four is going to scold you or anything, come on he's getting out now," I said while I grabbed her hand and we started to run towards the gate.
She giggled and waved her hand when she spotted her brother on the truck. He had dark brown hair and the same bright blue eyes and kind smile as his sister.
I saw him motioning for the truck's driver to stop and as soon the engine stopped he got out of the car and ran towards Jess. He scooped Jess in his arms and she started to giggle shoving him playfully.
"Jeremiah this is my best friend Aviana." She said motioning towards me
"Nice to meet you." He said as he engulfed him in a hug.
"Nice to meet you too," I said smiling
They continued to talk for a bit and Jess tried to find Alex and Marc, but they were nowhere to be found. After Jeremiah left we continued to look for them and we found the two talking to one of the guards, a dark-haired woman named Lola.
Marc seemed a bit interested in the whole guarding thing so he asked Lola more about the job while Alex just joined him casually. He was more interested about working in the control room and I also thought that could suit him.
We spent half the day at the fence and when we finally left I began to panic.
The dinner seemed to fly by and I constantly checked the time looking at the big clock from the dining hall. I didn't see Eric in the dining hall and that somehow calmed me a bit.
I left with five minutes earlier lying to my friends once again. I told them that I will train for a bit by myself as tomorrow we had to fight again and fortunately I convinced them that I want to train alone as it would be less distracting. This is the second time I lie to them and both times I lied for Eric, in a way. I really hope this is not turning into a habit.
As I reached the door and opened it I could only hear the clink of my boots and my accelerated heartbeat. Calm down Aviana, what can go so wrong?
Darkness engulfed the huge room and it seemed that Eric wasn't here so I just made my way over to the mattress and lied on it resting my bones. I didn't even get the chance to lay on it for a minute when my attention was disrupted by the sound of footsteps and I jumped back on my feet.
"Good to see you came,'' Eric said as he stood in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug smile on his face.
"Like I am so stupid to disobey your orders." I spat rolling my eyes at him.
"Like you didn't do that before.'' He spat back mocking me
"When did that happen?" I asked offended. Okay I might have a big mouth but I don't remember disobeying his orders
"All the time you open your mouth to ask a stupid question. You should know by now that you have no right to question your leader still you do it all the time." He said coldly looking through me with his piercing grey eyes.
"Alright, but I am pretty sure that a leader shouldn't meet secretly with an initiate at 8 PM in the training room," I said giving him an arrogant smile
"See exactly what I was talking about you just can't keep your mouth shut," Eric said trying to seem serious, but the smile that was playing at the corners of his lips betrayed him.
"So you called me here to put duck tape on my mouth or?" I asked trying hard to hide a smile.
"That could be useful but no, I called you here for something else and you should be grateful for it as in a way you can say I give you special treatment." He said and I thought I saw a small smile on his face, but it vanished so quickly that I can't be very sure if it was a smile or a grimace.
"I don't need your special treatment plus what special treatment are you talking about?" I asked feeling the blood boiling in my veins. He treats me horrible and that in his hard head is called special treatment
"It is clear after yesterday's fight that you didn't let go of your Abnegation completely. When you are supposed to fight the only thing you should be concerned about is winning and when you do win you shouldn't feel sorry"
"You don't understand…" I tried to speak, but he cut me off
"No, you don't understand. I was talking about special treatment because I called you here for training, separate training so you'd better keep quiet about this as you were right earlier and a leader shouldn't do this." He said seriously in his low, husky voice.
"Then why do you do it? I didn't ask you for it and you're clearly breaking the rules by helping me. Plus, how is your training going to make me stop feeling sorry for beating someone?" I asked confused by the newly received information
"Trust me it will. But I need to know if you can keep quiet about it, when I say this it means that you can't tell anyone, not even to your friends." I looked him in the eyes getting lost in that hypnotizing grey while I thought about it. Lying to my friends again, and should I accept his help in the first place? It wouldn't be the first time he helps me and I still don't understand why he's doing it. From the moment I met him a part of me was scared and the other one somehow intrigued because it must be more to him than this frightening façade, his putting on.
Maybe this training will come in handy, I mean he is a leader and he definitely knows what he's doing. But he is also trouble, big, scary trouble and if I make a wrong move he might throw me over the chasm, I wouldn't be surprised.
"Alright, I promise you I won't tell anyone about it." I breathed out while he studied me carefully.
"Good. Now jump in the ring." He said casually as he took off his vest and headed towards the ring.
''Wait, we're starting now?" I asked flabbergasted
"No, tomorrow. Of course, now." He said rolling his eyes at me as he stepped in the ring taking the combat position.
Stupid Aviana is stupid. What have I gotten myself into?
I stepped in the ring in the opposite corner while I placed myself in the same position.
"I would say that it's not fair to fight with you as you are much more experienced, stronger and also older, but that would be an irrelevant statement. Right?" I asked with a tiny bit of hope in my heart
"Exactly, now get it going. I'll let you make the first move." He smirked maliciously and I gulped before I threw my first punch.
Someone is going to get bruised out of this and I have a feeling that I am going to be the one.
"The rough must always accompany the smooth. Without one or the other one learns nothing about oneself."
-Solange Nicole