"Abnegation."
"Erudite."
They had promised each other they would stay together. They had promised that they would never be apart. He promised that he'd stay, that he'd never leave her, and he was so close to fulfilling that promise, she nearly thought she saw his blood drop in water.
But no. It didn't.
At the last moment, he shifted his hand. At the last moment, he made up his mind to transfer. Faction before blood. She couldn't care less about that. The person she wanted to be with wasn't her mother, her father, or anyone who was bound to her by blood.
She wanted to be with him, and only him. But he was a traitor now, and she wished she could make herself hate him, despise him, and see him as the trash he really is. Still, she tried to convince herself that his blood dropped on water, not on stone.
She couldn't believe it. She just... Couldn't. And all these years she thought he was the one who would never betray her, the one who would always be by her side.
But he was pathetic, and she was pathetic for ever thinking she could trust him.
"I promise. Even after we choose our factions, I'll be right here. Always and forever."
Some promise that turned out to be.
And as he went over to the faction clad in gray, the rage took over her, burning deep within and making her blood boil.
He was pathetic. But she was even more pathetic.
Because beneath all her anger, she felt a tear race down her cheek, and it just stung. How her best friend could leave her like this. How he could just walk away and not spare her even just a single glance. Not even for the last time.
But she was even more pathetic. Who was she kidding? She was in love with her best friend.
It made her rage burn even brighter. She couldn't love him. He was a traitor. She honestly didn't even care if he left Erudite, because no matter what faction they could've ended up in, she just wanted him to be there. And that was pathetic. It was ultimately the most pathetic thing she was ever able to think of.
To be sufficient, you had to be self sufficient, and if she had to rely on a boy–Andrew Prior of all the damned boys in Erudite, hell, in all of the five factions–just so she could function, then she was worthless. At least, if she'll feel this way.
But emotions are disposable. Especially, love.
It comes and goes, which means she can get rid of this wretched feeling for him, and all she had to do was forget him.
'Meet me at the old meeting place at 22:00.'
He had been here for nearly an hour.
It was, well, obvious how he broke his promise to Jeanine, but hey, they had to choose where they belonged. He didn't think he'd ever really be like the Erudite; heartless and cold in their pursuit of knowledge. He was more like the selfless Abnegation; those who would do anything for the people, those who will give themselves to serve.
And that was why he had to see her.
Even in the midst of darkness and rain, he still waited there by the small cement division – barely two feet tall – of the playground they would always escape to. It was a little bit in the not-Erudite-anymore zone, but she promised him they'd never be found out. She was smart enough, even in their young age, to always be able to cook up a way to get out of trouble, and he thanked that she was kind enough to want to be friends with an averagely dumb guy like him.
Sure he was... 'Smart', at least enough for an Erudite, but he wasn't smart enough. So he figured he'd rather be in Abnegation.
But nothing could ever compare to breaking a promise. He shouldn't even be in Abnegation if he'd be that selfish as to sacrifice his own friend just so he can get in the faction he felt like he'd belong in.
Besides, even if he'd be a factionless, she'd help him. One way or the other. They swore that.
"I swear, I'll always be there for you. I'll always be right here. Always and forever."
How could he?
He had to apologize. Hell, he had to explain himself! What kind of selfless person even does that? That wasn't even smart at all! Or brave, or kind. If he was planning to act like this, he should've just gone to Candor.
Another hour passed but she was nowhere in sight.
The lights were getting dimmer, and if he got caught sneaking out after hours, he might just be thrown out for being selfish. Then again, he wasn't going to deny being selfish. It was already selfish enough of him to leave his best friend to Erudite for Abnegation.
It was already midnight, so he decided to leave, deciding to just give her a message to let her know he was there.
'Meet me at the old meeting place at 22:00.'
She wanted to. But she didn't.
She knew deep in her heart she should've gone when she had the chance, running to the place they used to meet while no one would care about her absence.
But she didn't. She couldn't bare hearing his voice, let alone meeting him in the middle of the night.
She just wanted to forget. How she felt, who he was to her. She just wanted to think of him as a transfer, and that's it. He was just Andrew Prior, no one of importance. He was just another Erudite traitor. She had more important things to worry about, anyway, and after spending the whole day getting started on initiation, she was already so close to forgetting about pathetic little Andrew and his grip on her stupid little heart.
But here he was, giving her a message after the whole day passed, reappearing into her life after he clearly gave her a sign that he wanted nothing to do with her.
And so the pain latched on to her again. Like her heart was breaking into a million pieces and the only thing she could do to keep herself intact was curling up and collapsing into herself while her body was wracked with sobs.
"Hey, are you okay?" Came a soft voice from behind her. She was thinking it was an Amity girl, but she didn't really care. She just wanted to be left alone.
"Kate, I think you should just leave her alone." Candor. Or at least it sounded like it.
"Okay." The girl seemed to lean closer to her, whispering. "It'll be okay, I promise."
She didn't believe in promises. They were just words that were, by book, always broken.
Whether it wasa promise by a treaty, or a promise by law; a promise by rules, or a promise by a pact, it was always broken, one way or the other.
Andrew Prior was just there to teach her that.
00:00
Twelve o'clock midnight.
She was there, but he was nowhere in sight.
It was stupid to come there when it was obvious he would've left by then. She was just too hopeful, and it was then she thought that maybe her emotions should just be disposed off. Yes, that sounded like a logical plan.
So, after counting to ten, she turned on her heel and left, retreating to the shadows and leaving the memory of Andrew Prior in the playground where they used to meet.
"I'll be right here. Always and forever."
He turned around, just in time to see a head of blonde and a blue coat no doubt wrapped tightly around her body disappear into the darkness at the other side of the playground.
Maybe he should've called out her name, but it was late, and he was sleepy, and maybe it was just his imagination. Besides, he really wanted to see her.
It was probably a hallucination. It was the middle of the night, and even she was smart enough not to go out at this time of the day.
So he turned back to leave, to go back to Abnegation, to leave without saying goodbye.
To leave without ever being able to let her know what he should have said a long time ago, before they went in separate ways like this.
He turned around and left, not ever being able to tell Jeanine that he loved her, and that if he could turn back time, he'd do anything for them to be together.
Always and forever.