Sorry, I know that I haven't updated in a while, but I was on a family vacation, then I honestly just didn't get around to it once we got back. I also wanted to let you know that I redid the rest of the chapters. I didn't change any of the story. I added some details, fixed grammatical errors, and reworded a few sentences. In any case, here is chapter 9:] –Lil
Chapter 9
Oliver smiles at me when I find him near the net.
"I was starting think that you weren't going to show." Before I reply, he takes my hand and leads me up the platform.
"What's going on?" I ask suddenly suspicious.
"I wanted to show you something" he says, hoisting himself up into the net. "You see. Because the compound is underground, there are things that we rarely see for ourselves" Oliver positions himself and offers me his hand.
I give him one hand and place the other firmly on the edge of the net. He lifts me easily off the ground, his muscles contracting under his black t-shirt. Oliver starts to crawl to the center, so I follow him. We lay down side by side, so close that I feel every breath between us.
"Look up."
I move my head up towards the massive hole in the roof, and see an arrange of stars. Every constellation there just for us. The sight is enough to take my breath away.
"Oliver, it's… amazing." I smile at him. Amazing is hardly enough to describe the way it makes me feel, but it's the only word I can find.
Being in dauntless, I rarely see stars, not like this. We are a few of the lucky ones that have windows in our apartment, but it just feels so much more personal this way. There is no glass separating me from the outside world. This is pure.
"You like it?" Oliver asks already knowing what my answer will be.
"So much" I add before he takes away the remaining space between us. I've never even been this close to anyone before. It makes me feel nervous. I think I like it.
Oliver props himself up on his elbow and fits his other hand to the side of my face, hooking his fingers around my ear. I pull forward, deepening our kiss. We pull back a few minutes later, out of breath. I look back up to the stars and lay my head against Oliver's chest. His heartbeat keeps a steady rhythm in time.
"So, Calah Eaton, will you go out with me" he asks suddenly.
I think about it for a second. I don't let myself have moments like these often, the moments where I am content, happy even. Where things seem right. On most days, the things that I do for fun, I do for others. I shop and go to parties for Huxley. I started shooting and knife throwing for my parents. I studied and got good grades for my teachers. But this desire is selfish. This desire is right.
"Yes" is all I manage to say before his lips crash into mine again. And I let them, happily.
"We will be fighting again today" my mother announces pulling our attention towards her. "The pairs are: Quinn vs. River, Cameron vs. Henry, Calah vs. Jorgi, Huxley vs. Alex, Oliver vs. Brian, and Ash vs. Hunter" my father finishes before moving towards the ring. "Quinn vs. River. Let's go!"
River actually looks rather giddy for her first fight. Or maybe she is just excited because she did not get paired up with anyone who was excessively stronger than herself. She steps confidently onto the platform, waiting for her partner. Quinn takes a shaky breath before getting into position. My father nods slightly, encouraging them to begin. I really don't want to watch two of my friends fight though.
River takes the first punch, steering her fist towards Quinn's cheek, though River is clearly holding back most of her strength. This is something that I am thankful for. Most people at dauntless would see holding back as a sign of weakness. Quinn narrowly dodges the hit, letting River's hand skim her face, and brings a fist back to River's stomach. It doesn't look effective in the least.
River brings the heel of her hand to Quinn's ear, causing her to stumble back. Noticing the advantage, she quickly sweeps Quinn's legs out from under her and lands a solid strike to the side of her neck. Quinn falls, no longer able to receive air. It was an undeniably brilliant move on River's part- one that the dauntless do not teach. The reason being that it causes enough damage to disable your partner, but not enough to seriously hurt the person. Most dauntless are about long lasting, brute force. This move was well thought out, erudite almost- if the erudite ever actually fought.
Quinn flails an arm around in the air to signal the end of the fight. My parents finally got their way this year, permitting forfeit in the fighting. It drops your score, but it can also keep you out of the infirmary. River extends a hand out to Quinn, who takes it gladly. My mother smiles slightly at the two and circles the name on her clipboard.
In the next fight, Cameron effortlessly subdues Henry. I'm sure that it's one of the perks of growing up in dauntless. When it's my turn to fight, I am sort of worried. While Jorgi is a pleasant enough person, she tends to fight dirty in the ring. I am not the best fighter to begin with, but when you account for my size and the overall beating I got yesterday, the outcome is not looking all that great.
I walk up onto the platform with my head held high, ignoring the throbbing under the bandage when I do so. Jorgi and I face each other with our fists up. I know that I should be sitting out under Aunt Christina's orders, but as far as I know, she hasn't told my parents that detail yet. There is no way that I will be the one to remind them.
My father nods, and I throw a punch out at Jorgi's hip. I hear a slight groan behind her gritted teeth. She lunges out at me. I do my best to side step, but I feel her fist connect with my already swollen nose. I ignore the blood seeping its way down my face and hit her as hard as I can in the abdomen. She doubles over in pain before I hit her again in the back. Jorgi falls clutching at her stomach. She is still fully conscious but she doesn't bother to stand back up. I look at my mother who is already circling my name.
Without a word, I turn back around and help Jorgi to her feet. I am still mad about my nose, but we will all have to fight each other eventually. There is no use in being upset.
I help Jorgi to the infirmary to see Aunt Christina. I am here to make sure that I didn't seriously hurt one of my friends and to make sure that one of my friends didn't seriously hurt me. We walk into the waiting room quietly. My parents' friend, Marlene, looks up from her secretary desk long enough to know why we are here. I have a hand around my nose, hindering the blood flow, and the other keeping Jorgi, who still has a firm clutch on her stomach, upright and walking.
She types something into her computer, before getting up and helping us to a room. Aunt Christina follows her immediately.
"I thought I told you to sit out for a few days" she reprimands while shaking her head. I pause while she checks on Jorgi first. I have to think of a good reason if I don't want her to nark on me to my parents. Aunt Christina turns back. The look she has demands an answer.
"Well, uh, there's an even number this year. I didn't want anyone else's score to drop because of me. Besides I felt great today." I force a laugh to cover up the unsteadiness of my voice.
Jorgi looks back at me. "You could barely even get up this morning. And you winced every time you moved." Apparently I didn't hide it as well as I had thought.
Aunt Christina shakes her head again. "Alright, Jorgi, I'm going to send you to the next room. There they can take a better look at you, and I'm guessing that Calah broke her nose this time with the amount of blood and all." Jorgi sighs and walks over to the next room. It looks like it stopped hurting a bit, but it probably kills her to walk.
Aunt Christina unfolds my hand from my nose. "So, you were clearly in a lot of pain, and you know as well as I do that your parents wouldn't drop another initiate's score because you couldn't fight. They probably wouldn't even drop your score. Why did you fight?"
At the time, it just seemed like a good idea. But I know that there was more to it than that. She does too.
"I guess I just didn't want to seem weak in front of the others. I'm good with knives and guns, but not with fighting. So if I had to sit out, then maybe the others would think that I was just too chicken or whatever. But if I won… I mean, I lost to Huxley yesterday, and she was still pretty, uh, sick."
Aunt Christina smiles. "Don't worry. Your parents told me that she got drunk at the party. They also told me that you got her back to the dorm, even after everything she did. So, thanks for that."
"Wait" I stop her. "How did you know about what she did? I didn't tell my parents that. I didn't actually talk to them about the party. My father was pretty pissed when I left." Aunt Christina is the only adult that I have ever felt safe to curse around. She is the only adult that I generally talk about my life with.
"Huxley felt really bad about making fun of you and that Oliver boy, so she came clean about everything." Despite the things that Huxley does, she always comes clean about them eventually. But she only comes clean right away when she is guilty.
"I'm not mad about it anymore" I reassure her. She nods.
"About you and that Oliver boy" she smiles. "He seemed concerned about you yesterday. What's going on with that?" I give her a glare attempting not to smile, but I do anyways.
"Fine, fine. I'm one hundred percent sure that your nose is broken, but let's get some x-rays anyway. After that, one of the normal doctors can take a look at it, and then we can get you out of here with some painkillers. But, no fighting for the next couple of days." Aunt Christina demands.
"Okay" I laugh.
I felt that I should warn you. I am actually on another vacation right now. There is wifi, but we are going to Canada tomorrow. There might be a little bit of time before another chapter[ a few days]. Also, fear landscapes are coming up soon, so I will be extremely happy for some input. I know how many fears Calah will have, and I already know some of them. But I could use a few more for ALL of the characters. I would really appreciate it. -Lil