I'm thinking of taking a break from The program to focus on this story for a while, or at least update less frequently on The Program.
I really like where this story is headed. I have a lot of ideas. Please tell me what you think and Read and Review. PM me if you have any ideas.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 32
Tobias POV
I hear a knock at the door and make my way to answer it. As I open the door I immediately try to close it, but his hand stops it.
"What do you want?" I say to Eric. He has even more piercings on his face then a pincushion. When he smiles, the piercings pull at the holes and makes me cringe.
"Where's your little girlfriend?" He asks. I hate whenever he mentions her.
"She's busy," I say flatly. "Why are you here?"
Eric steps into the apartment and looks around. I just want to punch him for invading on my privacy. "Get Tris," he says. "Then we'll talk."
"She's in the shower," I tell him so he'll stop asking. "Now tell me what you want before I kick you out of our apartment."
"Fine," he says. "Five of your initiates left for Erudite headquarters on their own."
"Tris and I aren't permitted to leave the compound," I tell him. After all, he's probably the one who convinced Max not to let Tris see her mother after she was almost killed. Sometimes I wonder how a person can be so cold. If my mother weren't dead I would leave this compound, to hell with the consequences.
"You are, Tris isn't," he says. "Get them back before dinner."
"Who's gonna watch the other initiates?" I ask.
"Tris will," he says. He is making me go out of the compound to get the initiates so he can have Tris all to himself.
"No," I say clenching my jaw to keep from yelling.
"You don't have a choice," Eric says. "Don't worry, I'll keep her company."
I don't remember when I decided to connect my fist with his jaw, but I feel the tingle in my fist and Eric swing back. I don't feel where he hit me. Soon enough, Eric is on the ground and I have him pinned.
I hear the washroom door open and both Eric and I look over. "Tris?!" I shout at her. She's wearing nothing but black underwear and one of my shirts which falls about mid thigh. Other than on her right side as she dries her hair with a towel.
I would find her totally adorable, if it were other than the fact that I'm pinning Eric to the floor. Tris slides back into the washroom and I look down to see Eric's devilish smirk as he stares at the washroom door.
I tighten my grip on his wrist and he winces. "Leave," I say in a deep voice.
"If they're not back by dinner, they're factionless." That sends a shiver down my spine. I force Eric up and push him until he's out the door. "Bye, Tris!" He shouts into the apartment.
Tris peeks her head out of the washroom and I nod, telling her he's gone. "I really don't like that guy," I say. Tris laces her fingers with mine and I forget about Eric. All I want right now is to be near Tris before I have to go.
Tris smiles and presses her lips to mine. I want more, I want a lifetime of us just being us. I can be myself around her and as far as I can tell - considering how she walks around the apartment in just her underwear and a shirt - Tris is herself around me. I know she's only seventeen, but I know what I want. I want to be with her forever.
I tangle my fingers in her hair and Tris's fingers play with my hair. I haven't shaved it in awhile. I usually like to keep it shaved to remember my roots, but I look at Tris and I'm reminded to me selfless.
"I hate to cut this short," I say. "But our initiates decided to go on a field trip without us and Eric's only permitted me to leave the compound."
Tris gives me an understanding nod before she kisses me one last time. A quick kiss.
"Tris," I say as I'm about to open the door. She stares at me with her big eyes and her perfect smile caught between her teeth. "Stay in the apartment. I didn't like the look on Eric's face."
"Actually, I was gonna go help Zeke with some stuff for tonight," she says.
"What stuff?" I ask. Tris smiles and walks beck over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
"The party," she says.
"Zeke's having a party?" I ask.
"I'm having a party, but It's at Zeke's house." She says. Why would Tris be having a party? "For us," she says. A year ago I kissed Tris. I barely knew her, but I felt like I could trust her. I kissed her and almost forgot. How can I be so stupid?
I press my lips to hers - gently - savoring every moment we have together. Even though it's been a year I still get the jolts of electricity every time me kiss. Like I'm wide awake. "I love you," I say our faces only and inch apart.
"I love you, too." Tris says.
~ P A G E B R E A K ~
I hop off the train and head toward Erudite headquarters. I never liked the Erudite. They show too much pride in being a know it all. Although I never really had a problem with Will.
As I enter the building a man at the from desk rolls his eyes. Yeah, I definitely hate them. "Name?" He asks displeased.
"Four," I say in a cold voice.
"Figures," he says. What's that supposed to mean? "I'm assuming you're looking for a group of Dauntless claiming to be numbers?"
I just stare at him waiting for what smart-mouthed remark he might say. "Twenty-sixth floor, first door on the right," he says going back to his computer.
I run to the stairwell. I can't stand elevators, they're way too small, like the walls might collapse at any second. I think of my fear landscape and the time I took Tris in.
It takes around ten minutes to reach the twenty-sixth floor. I stop in the hallway to catch my breath, when I hear screaming from the first door on the right.
The door reads 'Caleb Andrew Prior,' Tris' brother. I open the door and see Realm with Caleb's shirt collar balled up in his fist.
They stop to stare at me, but Realm keeps shoving Caleb into the wall.
"Who wants me dead?!" He shouts. I cross my arms over my chest and clear my throats for Realm to finally notice me.
He pushes himself off Caleb. "JJ was just a hitman!" He shouts at me. "Who wants me dead?!" He shouts again this time at me.
"Jeannine!" Caleb whispers holding his hands up near his face. It makes sense. Her nephew left the faction she runs. Her own blood. I think of Marcus, but Marcus would never go so far to try to kill me.
Realm's face is a mix of shock and anger. "Go to the lobby," I say as they walk past me. "Do not talk to anyone or leave without me. You're too close to being factionless."
They leave the room and close the door behind them. "Thank-you," Caleb says. I look around the room a bit and see a sheet with a list of familiar names. I skim down it.
Number five reads: Natalie Grace Prior, and number seven reads: Michael Realm Matthews. I keep going down the list until I see: Beatrice Grace Prior.
This is a hitlist…
Caleb notices me staring at the list and he quickly swipes it off the desk, shoving it in his pocket.
"This is classified," he says giving me a fake smile.
I can't seem to get my emotions in check. Anger, betrayal, sadness, frustration. His own family. He's trying to kill his own family.
"Why?" I ask. He pretends to be confused.
"Why what?" He asks sitting on his desk.
"Don't play stupid, Erudite." I spit at him. "Why do you want these people dead? Your family dead? Tris dead!"
"They're not my family anymore," he says.
I step towards him in a threatening way. "Yes, well Tris is my family." I say in a cold, quiet voice.
"You don't know, Beatrice." He says back in a harsh tone. "She was suspected of being Divergent during her initiation. We're helping your faction by getting rid of her."
"She's not even Divergent!" I say in a whispered yell.
"We can't take the chance."
"How do you sleep at night?" I ask.
"You want to stop this?" He says. "Then take it up with your leaders, they have the final say for anyone in your faction."
If Natalie was on that list, then Marcus got to have a say in her death, even though they failed. Max approved Realm's death. Eric will approve Tris' death. The only way to stop this is to become a leader.
I remember the slashes on my back and the tattoos that cover them. The monster I will have to face if I do it. I have to do it though… for Tris.
Will Tobias become a leader? Tell me what you think!