"So, where did you go? You should've kept cleaning the Dauntless cafeteria, but you said you left. Why and where did you go?" Jeanine presses me for information, and sometimes I feel like she's not doing it for herself... sometimes I feel like she's doing it to pass it on to someone important.
"I left because I thought it a perfect time to explore the Dauntless compound." I say. I am a perfect liar.
"Describe it for me." Jeanine says curiously.
I describe the grounds, though not in perfect detail (since I don't know it all, and besides I was suspicious). Then I excuse myself and leave.
I followed Tobias and Marcus up some stairs, through a few very long hallways, and finally they came the the door, Tobias shutting it behind him. I peered through the mail slot to see what was going on... and couldn't believe my eyes.
Marcus walked towards Tobias, drawing his belt from the loops. Tobias shrunk into the corner, like a deer surrounded by hunters. Marcus made a motion with his hands, and Tobias slowly lifted up his shirt. Marcus flipped him around and brought down the whip.
I stayed glued to the mail slot, watching in fascination and horror. Marcus kept saying things like "This is for your own good" and "I'm making you a better person". I had half a mind to burst in there and beat Marcus up. Finally, he let Tobias go and turned away from him, as if disgusted. Tobias put on his shirt as he was walking out of the office, and I scrambled out of the way just in time.
He paused after the door was closed, turning to the shadows where I was hidden. "So, Tris... now you know." He said bitterly.
I crept out of the shadows guiltily. "How did you know I was here?" I asked. "I thought I was pretty well hidden."
"Well, Tris, for one, I knew you were following me. I let you follow me, to see what a monster Marcus is. And also because I didn't want to draw attention to you because of Marcus, he might have beaten you, too." He said, matter-of-factly. "And for two, I saw your eyes in the mail slot."
I did a facepalm as we walked down the steps. "Of course you did." I said. "But... you're a pretty bulky guy. Why don't you beat him up? And doesn't your mom protect you? And why haven't you reported him?"
"If I beat him up, Marcus would tell. My mom's dead, and no one would believe me if I did report him." He said a bit sadly. "But I plan to beat him up eventually."
"Hands up, now!" A new voice said, directly to my left. Tobias pulled me closer to him and glared to our right.
"We both know it's you, Peter. I'm not going down without a fight." He said quietly. I shivered, and Tobias wrapped his arms around me. "Are you cold?" He whispered to me.
"Not very." I whispered. "Just... don't kill them."
I could imagine his smirk in the darkness. "I won't."
He pulled away from me gently and pushed me down to the ground. I curled into a ball against Tobias's leg, comforted by the warmth.
Tobias jumped into the darkness.