Chapter 20
The Fight

"Let's go then. I think the dinner today it's lasagna." She says happily.

.xx.

We went downstairs to the cafeteria, and we were surprised to not be hearing anything from outside the double doors. Usually there is so much noise inside, it can be heard outside. We both exchanged a glance before opening them.

As soon as we opened the doors, we were surprised to see a lot of people dressed in black making a weird barrier, near the doors. They were quiet. They were watching something, that was probably in the middle of the room. The people from other floors were in their tables, also quiet, but sat in their tables, instead of being up. Their heads all turned to the same place.

I hear the double doors open again and I see Uriah and Zeke.

"What's going on here?" Uriah asks us.

"It's not what you think!" We hear a girl say, somewhere around the room. Well, she wasn't saying. She was more like... Screaming. All heads snap to the right side.

Marlene shrugs in Uriah's direction.

"And what am I thinking?" Says a boy with a deep tone of voice.

All heads snap to the left again.

That deep voice. I know that deep voice. I know it. Where from? I don't know. But I know it. It belongs to someone I know. Someone I talked to recently.

Zeke froze by the door. He was looking beyond the crowd of people like he knew what was going on there. His eyes wide open.

"Come here." Marlene says. I look at her and Uriah is going in her direction. She jumps into his back and stretches her neck, to see across from the barrier of people.

No one answers to his question.

"If this is not what I'm thinking, then tell me what is it." The boy says.

Zeke starts walking towards the crowd in a rush, pushing people, trying to reach the front.

That voice. My eyes shot open when I realize whose voice is it.

"It's Four." Marlene says, stretching herself as long as she can. "He is in the middle of the room talking t-"

"Lauren." I say.

"Not quite. It's more... Eric."

"What? Eric?" I ask.

"Yes. He is by Laur-"

I don't let her finish. I start walking towards the crowd of tall people. I can't see a thing. I just see heads, necks and shoulders. As I squeeze in between two boys, trying to reach the front I spot Zeke.

"I thought you were smarter than that. Of course it's what you think." Another boy says. Eric.

I reach the front and see the same as everyone else.

Eric and Lauren, side by side. Cara is next to Lauren. Lauren is with her arms wrapped around herself while Cara has an arm on her shoulders. Eric is with a stupid smile on his face, making his piercings holes wider. Four is across from them, his jaw clenched.

Zeke almost runs to them. He stands by Four' side. He tries to take them somewhere else. Get them out of the cafeteria, and away from all those stares.

"I won't go anywhere. I want to hear this and I want everyone to hear what a awful friend Eric really is." Four says dryly, looking around and realizing how many people are staring. By the surprised look on his face, I'd say he hadn't realized how many people were here until now. His eyes lock on mine and he looks at me for a while, before turning to Eric again, who is speaking.

"That was rude." Eric says. "I'm not such thing as awful friend. It's not my fault I'm better than you. It's not my fault she chose me, Four. Or should I say T-" He smirks.

Almost everyone in the room gasps. Four's fist clench. He is fuming with anger.

"That was just low." Zeke interrupts, not containing himself, standing right in the middle of them both, before Four can even think of answering.

"Nobody asked you." Eric says shoving Zeke, who hit his back in Four's chest. "And you," he said looking at Four who was still as stone. "I always knew you couldn't fight your own battles. It wasn't the first time, and it surely won't be the last. You're a coward." He said, with an evil glint in his eyes. He turns, ready to leave the room.

Lauren was shaking, her eyes watery. I never liked Eric, and I'm glad I never did.

And then, out of nowhere I reaize I'm standing right next to Zeke and Four, in the middle of the circle. I don't know how I got here, but I know there are words coming out of my mouth and I can't control them.

"Oh, shut up already, Eric. The only real coward in here is you, and you only." I say, louder than I should.

His head snaps at me. His and everyone's.

He starts laughing and gets closer to me. It wasn't a forced laugh. It was a real laugh. It was like I just said a joke.

"So... now you have a... middle school girl... standing up for you." He says to Four in between laughs. "That is just s-" And before he can finish his sentence, the first punch is thrown. Four's punched Eric right in his nose and Lauren let's out a scream. Some gasps are heard around the room.

Some of the Dauntless start to clap and scream incentive words to them.

In one of the tables that is full of people dressed in bright colors like yellow and red, lead their hands to their mouths concerned.

Eric touches his nose, and looks at his hand full of blood. He looks at Four and throws him a punch, but Four ducks in the last second and punches him in his lower abdomen, making Eric throw a punch in the hair instead. Eric kicks Four's right leg with his knee, making him go off balance, stumbling backwards. All I can hear is cheers of encouragement all across the room. People screaming "Go Eric," and "Four!" and even "Fight, fight, fight." As soon as Four regains his balance and lifts his head to look at him, Eric throws a punch into his jaw. Four grabs his arm and pulls him closer to him. He raises his knee and hits him in his stomach.

"STOP!" Lauren screams. "Just stop! Somebody stop them!" She begs. I can see she is holding on to Cara's arm, tightly enough to make her blue shirt wrinckle.

Zeke grabs my arm, shoves me closer to Four and we both try to stop him. But he doesn't stop. Zeke tries to pin Four's arms down and I grab Four's shirt, pulling it back, since I really don't know what else to do, but he doesn't stop nor move backwards. I let go of his shirt and try to think of a solution to stop him. The only thing I can come up with is to get in the middle of them, but I'm almost sure I'm going to get hit that way. But then Uriah and Will emerge through the crowd and help Zeke and I. While Will and Uriah try to calm Four down, Zeke slaps Four, getting his attention and he stops eventually.

But Eric doesn't. We were worried about Four, and since Eric doesn't has much friends, besides us, and the people around us were to busy cheering, nobody grabbed him. He throws a punch and aims straight to Four's head, but since he has his arms pinned down he can't defend himself. The only thing he can do his basically move his head, which he does. Seeing Eric fist going right into his nose, Four moves his head and Eric ends up punching right below his lip. Blood is now dripping from Four's bottom lip. When Eric his about to do something else, Zeke pushes him, kicking him in the ribs, which caught him off guard. Eric loses his balance and hits the floor. He gets up and instead of doing what we all thought he would, which was punch Zeke, he starts laughing.

He get's closer to Four, and I see Zeke ready to attack Eric if he tries to do something.

"I still fucked your girlfriend." He says, before going towards the crowd. Lauren has a mortified expression on her face, like she just saw a ghost, and I can see Cara holding her. He stops mid way, turns and adds, "and knocked her up" before pushing a few people, making his way to the double doors screaming "And what are you all looking at?"

"I'm sorry." Lauren whispers, tears all around her eyes while brushing past Four, going after Eric.