The next morning starts off terribly. It appears that Peter has taken it upon himself to bully Tris, because the moment she heads to the bathroom, clothes in hand, he pulls a can of spray paint out from under his bed and starts to create what I'm sure he considers artwork all across her bed. He then goes to continue all along her bed frame and the rest of her bedding. While a part of me thinks that I should say something, that I am one wrong step from sharing her upcoming misery, I can't bring myself to care enough. If Tris wants to survive here, she needs to be able to handle her issues on her own.
As Tris comes back out and approaches her bed I leave, not wanting to be around to witness whatever aftermath comes. There is more stiffness in my limbs as I make my way to the training room, the training with Eric yesterday awakening even more muscle groups that I was unaware existed. I take time to breathe slowly through my nose and mouth as I walk, trying to stop the mild limp and just continue to walk like normal. I need to bust out the stiffness, and nothing will stretch the muscles quite like movement, no matter how uncomfortable that might be.
When I reach the room, Four is the only one there, writing on the chalkboard. He turns slightly when he hears me walk in, but doesn't say anything. I walk over to the corner and begin to stretch, trying to get rid of that last bit of stiffness because I know I can't afford to mess up a fight since I'm already behind. After a few minutes, Peter and his cronies walk in, closely followed by Edward and Myra. Peter and his group are laughing and already ruining the tenuous quiet of the room. Christina and Will are next, joking quietly and roughing around slightly. Tris and Al only barely make it in time, Four glancing at the doorway every few moments until they finally made their appearance. It is clear that Tris is still upset but Al is talking quietly to her and seems to have calmed her down slightly. Now that we are all present, Four moves away from the board, allowing us to see who we are paired with for today's matches.
I see my name about halfway down the list paired against Drew. Casting a look at him, Drew is clearly still hurting from his fight against Peter yesterday, bruises littering nearly every visible section of skin. He winces every time he shifts his weight. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tris stutter in her steps and when I look, the wide-eyed look of shock causes me to look for her on the list. Her name is towards the top, paired against Peter. Her reaction now seems rational, Peter has somehow managed to be one of the better fighters in the group.
The first fight is Molly and Edward, and so the rest of us make our way to the outside edges of the room while the two fighters make their way to the center of the ring. I think I may have overheard Edward mentioning something about taking up fighting as a hobby, so I can't see this match lasting all too long. This quickly proves to be the case as Edward strikes first and hard. Molly stumbles and can't seem to get her balance quite right to be able to counter against Edward's agile movements. Glancing around at the others, they don't seem to be paying all that much attention, which will likely cost them further down the line. The best way to prepare for a fight is to figure out how your opponent fights before you even step into the ring. The only one who seems to be processing anything is Tris, who seems to be panicking at the other side of the ring.
Quiet steps behind me catch my attention and I turn to see Eric walking in and standing next to Four in the doorway. Both are watching the match intensely, but with opposite expressions. Eric looks almost hungry, his foot tapping a quick staccato as his jaw as he quickly glances around the room every few minutes. Four looks pained, a tension in his face and shoulders and he has his arms crossed as if hiding from the situation.
As I turn back to the match, I barely catch Edward throw a final hit to Molly's cheek and watch as she collapses and then doesn't move. No one moves to help her, instead Edward waits a moment for her to begin to stir and then walks over to Myra. Molly finally sits up and slowly rises to a stand, unsteady as she walks over to where Drew is standing. Peter has already made his way to the center of the ring, not acknowledging Molly, and choosing to focus on Tris as she goes to stand opposite him.
At this point, the only way to describe Tris is terrified. While Peter holds himself easily, bouncing his weight between his feet with a smile adorning his lips, Tris is pulled taut like a string, holding all of her tension in a straight line up her back. And before the first punch is thrown, Peter is already heckling her. I can't be sure she even hears him as she doesn't seem to react, just continuing to stand like a statue.
However, Tris goes to attack first, with a somewhat unsteady kick to Peter's side. It doesn't work, being too slow and obvious and Peter counters her quickly, throwing her to the floor. She scrambles to stand back up but it's clear that Tris has already lost. There is no strategy, no form, no thought in her head. She is simply trying to survive this fight.
Eric sighs and a look at his face shows just how annoyed he is that the fight has even lasted this long. He snaps out something and it is like a switch has flipped for Peter. The playful look on his face slides away and instead he starts to look more like a fighter, like someone who is actually trying. His next hits are quick and precise, and Tris doesn't seem able to keep up. It is almost cruel to pair her against Peter so soon, especially since she hasn't had a fight before like the rest of the people here. The fairest fight would have been against me, technically.
The fight becomes steadily more uneven, and more painful simply to watch. For a moment, as Peter slaps at Tris's ear and she cries out, the room in front of me seems to blur with another room, and for a second it isn't Tris on the ground. I blink and take a deep breath and when my eyes open again everything has returned to the way it really is. I hear Four leave behind me right as Tris hits the mat and doesn't get back up. Peter stands there for a moment, foot raised as if to kick her again but when she doesn't move, he puts it back down and walks away.
Unlike the others, but similar to Will from yesterday, Tris doesn't stir after several minutes. But instead of asking for anyone to take her to the infirmary, Eric walks to the center and picks her up, calling out,
"Next fighters, get moving!"
Four comes back in with another member of Dauntless and without a word, Eric deposits Tris into their arms and the two of them carry her out. Eric turns back as Christina and Will begin their fight. Drew and I are next and so I find my mind drifting throughout the fight. Occasionally a hit will ring through the room and I find myself focusing again, but before I am really aware of what is happening, Will punches Christina in the jaw and she falls lifeless. Will seems to panic for a moment, and kneels down next to her. She quickly wakes up though and Will helps her to the side of the ring.
Drew is still stiff and mildly limping as he walks to stand opposite me. A quick inventory can tell me several things that will be crucial before we start. He is favoring his left leg, so his right hurts more. He flinches after he puts his full weight down, so it is his knee that hurts and not his ankle. He is holding his head abnormally straight, so his neck is hurting. And his breathing is shallow, indicating some type of bruising to his ribs. A glance around the ring and see that most people still aren't paying attention. Eric, however, has approached the ring and is standing right at the edge.
Looking back at Drew, I see him lower his body and lean forward before charging like some sort of animal. His movements are all wrong, and so is his balance, so I take a step to the right. Drew can't manage to slow down or change direction and so as he runs past me, I aim a kick to the side and feel my foot connect with his knee. He cries out and falls, but when he tries to lift himself back up, he is slow. The rest is quick. A kick to the ribs, and I climb over him as he tries to roll over. I am sitting atop his chest and he weakly grabs my leg to try and pull me off and so I land a blow to the face and it's done. He didn't even manage to land a single blow. The fight could only have lasted a couple of minutes at most. He was still too injured to even put up a good defense.
I get up and wait a moment for Drew to begin stirring before I turn to walk away. As I pass Eric, he grabs my arm in an almost too tight grip. Pausing to look at him, he doesn't face me and instead just continues to watch as the next fighters make their way to the ring. He does glance over for a split second, and what could almost be a smile pulls at his mouth.
"Nice fight. That might have been the fastest one yet."
"Thanks," I laugh quietly, more like a puff of air than a real laugh. He lets go and I walk back to where I stood before, and Eric goes back to standing by the doorway as Four comes back in. He glances at me, then up at the ring, his brows pulling in a bit in what I can only imagine is confusion. He hadn't been gone all that long and yet he missed a full fight. Christina, Will, and Al all approach him. Probably asking about Tris. He simply shrugs and says "later" to whatever it is they asked.
Al and Myra go to stand at the center of the ring and being circling each other. This match shouldn't last long. It's almost sad how uneven some of the matchups have been. Myra may have gained some knowledge through being with Edward, but she is still weak, and with Al's size, the fight should be over quickly, potentially with a single hit. I make my way over to where Peter, Molly, and Drew are standing. Peter smirks as I walk up.
"Good to see another winner. I was beginning to worry that these two pathetic wimps would start sucking the strength right out of me." Drew and Molly both flush and look away, the frustration and embarrassment clear on their face. Not that Peter would care, he's too busy gloating over his title of undefeated even though he has only fought twice. And quite frankly, I would hardly consider what happened today as a fight. Drew sways slightly and I reach out a hand to steady him. The moment I touch him, he flinches and as soon as he stops swaying, I let go.
"Are you okay?" When he looks at me, his eyes are still somewhat unclear. He doesn't speak, choosing only to nod his head and look at the floor.
"Don't worry, his head is still ringing. He'll be fine," Peter dismisses quickly with an eye roll. I throw one final glance at Drew before turning to go back to where I had been standing. As I start to walk away, Peter calls after me.
"You're welcome to stay here and talk. I could use some proper, educated conversation."
"If that was what you were looking for, maybe you should have transferred to Erudite. I have better things to do."
He makes an affronted noise, and I hear Molly start to laugh before it sounds like Peter punches her and she cries out.
"Hey," Eric's voice cuts through the rest of the chatter, "if you have that much energy then maybe you should be working harder in your training." His expression is firm when he looks over my shoulder at Peter and his two minions. They become silent and I can almost feel the heat of Molly and Drew's embarrassment growing.
Eric spares a glance in my direction, his mouth twitching into a smirk, as I walk past him yet again, but I choose to ignore him with a smirk of my own. This seems to be a bit of a mistake, as he follows me. Whispers begin, and when I turn to the ring and look around, the others are choosing to watch me instead of the match as Myra finally throws a punch that somehow manages to land on Al's chest. Eric is standing very close, at this point towering over me and while a part of me knows that I should be scared, I can't really bring myself to care. Instead I look at him from the corner of my eye and choose to wait. For a minute he just watches back, arms crossed with a relaxed tilt to his head.
"Something funny initiate?"
I turn slightly to face Eric now, and notice Four is still near the doorway but his attention is solely on Eric and I. His arms are at his side and his face is too tight. I return my focus to Eric as he shifts slightly to block my view. I have to tilt my head ever so slightly to meet Eric's eyes with how close he is.
"Not at all, Eric."
"Really now? Because I could have sworn you were laughing just a moment ago," the smirk is back on his face, his face hidden from everyone else. I can hear footsteps approaching from behind Eric, and the heaviness can only be Four. This banter, while welcome, is still strange though. What makes Eric feel so comfortable as to tease this openly? And what is it about me that has seemingly given an invitation? And no matter how helpful Eric may seem, I can't allow myself to forget the reality of who Eric is. A leader of Dauntless and someone who could easily ruin my life with a few simple words. I can't allow myself to pretend to be some silly girl, playing along with whatever game Eric seems to be playing. But it feels so easy just to play along, even if just for a little while.
"Maybe I just find the fact that these fights are taking so long rather – how shall I put this – enlightening. There was no offense meant to anyone." A hand appears on Eric's shoulder, knuckles whitening quickly. Eric doesn't react aside from a tensing of his jaw and an eye roll.
"Can I help you Four?" Eric turns his head to look at Four, but keeps his body facing me. It is almost reminiscent of a wall, the way that Eric has somehow managed to isolate me from the rest of the room. The rest of the room is silent, even Myra and Al's footsteps having disappeared.
"Back up." Four's voice matches the rest of his posture that I saw earlier. It is dark and tense and instinctively I find myself bristling at the sound. While I would never insult Four by saying he has Marcus's voice, there are moments where his intonation, his tone, and the way he forms his words that bring to mind an echo of Marcus. His voice calls forward memories of what can only be some of our darkest memories.
A smile, not just a smirk, is pulling at Eric's mouth now as he turns just his shoulders towards Four now.
"What?" I catch a glimpse of Four's face now that Eric's shoulder is no longer blocking my view. Almost instantly I regret looking. His eyes are shadowed in the dimly lit room, but he is close enough I can still see them and it is too similar. I unconsciously suck in a quick gasp of air and lean back, swallowing down the lump that is quickly forming in my throat. I try and focus on Eric in front of me, once again trying to envision him as a wall between myself and Four.
The two seem to notice my reaction, and while Eric simply looks confused, Four's expression shifts immediately. It flickers to panic for just a moment, then guilt, and finally settles on barely held rage. He also takes a deep breathe, glancing at the floor to seemingly collect himself. And for a second I am startled with how well I can still manage to read him. One would think that after these years of torture one of us would have changed, but it seems like, in the most fundamental of ways, we are still the same kids we were before he left.
"I said back up," Four spits out and Eric's brows lift, pulling at some of his piercings, as he turns back to face Four. He quickly glances at me before taking a step towards Four.
"I'm sorry, since when was I taking orders from you?"
"These initiates are my responsibility. You are just here to oversee some of their training."
The two have straightened their posture, standing at their tallest heights. The standoff seemingly makes the others uneasy, as they all start to look at each other with worries glances. Al and Myra are shifting around, looking at each other and then at the two men who look to be a moment away from sparring themselves. But after another second of tense silence, Eric turns to the two in the ring with irritation painted clearly in his expression.
"What are you waiting for? I have better things to do with my time!" He strides to the edge of the ring and crosses his arms, ignoring everything that just happened. Everyone else still seems nervous as the chatter begins again and Myra and Al share a nervous glance before beginning their circling again. Eric groans at this, running a hand down his face.
"Come on! Throw a punch!"
Four approaches slowly, his shoulder lowered and head hanging slightly, as if trying to make himself seem smaller.
"Sorry," his voice is quiet again, and almost timid, "are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You didn't need to step in, I was fine."
While I turn back to the ring, I can hear the exasperated sigh Four gives and I stupidly hope that he might leave the conversation at that.
"You can't trust him."
"What?" I almost laugh as I look back at Four, and am startled by just how tired he looks at this moment.
"You can't trust anyone in leadership here," his voice is quiet, "sure, they treat you well while they think that you might be useful. But the second that you start to be anything other than their perfect pawn, they'll break you and throw you out."
I can only find myself staring, unsure of how I could even respond. Luckily, it isn't necessary as a loud thud announces Al's loss and Eric lets out a loud groan.
"Just," Four nearly whispers as he turns to walk away, "be careful."
I watch his back as he makes his way to Christina and Will. He says something to the two as they nod aggressively before rushing into the ring to help Al who has sat up. He then clears his throat, to get everyone's attention. He crosses his arms as we all face him, including Will and Christina once they get Al standing.
"Tomorrow we will have a field trip. I'm taking you all to the fence in order to show you one of the main responsibilities of Dauntless members. We will meet at the normal time at the train. Do not be late."
Eric laughs, drawing the attention his way.
"If you're late tomorrow, you may as well leave. We don't need that level of carelessness here."
Four doesn't say anything, instead walking away to the edge of the ring. After a moment of everyone standing and waiting for further instruction, he tells us we are dismissed and most of the others make their way out of the room. Eric walks over to Four and is discussing something, though by the pinched look on Four's face I can't imagine it being a pleasant conversation. Al is no longer supported by Christina and Will, and there doesn't seem to be any sort of stiffness or pain. It is strange, almost as if he wasn't actually hurt at all.
I shift my weight and the stiffness still present in my legs reminds me that my fight didn't so much to warm-up my muscles. I take a second to stretch my legs, trying to determine if it is too much movement or a lack of movement that is causing the pain.
"Four," I call out as I approach, "is there anywhere I can run outside of the compound building?"
Both Four and Eric look over, Eric's face confused and Four's still pinched like he is in pain.
"What?" Eric rolls his eyes at Four's response, a condescending snort following quickly after.
"What, our training not keeping you worked enough?"
"The fight today wasn't all that engaging. My legs are still rather stiff, so I was hoping I might be able to go for a run to loosen them. Plus, endurance isn't really something they train you for in Abnegation. I figure I should start now to be able to catch up."
"What is wrong with running in the compound? People run around the Pit fairly frequently. People know to watch out and get out of the way," Four asks.
It suddenly feels like an interrogation, both Four and Eric watching and asking so many questions. I'm regretting my choice in asking. I should've just practiced some kicks in the peace and solitude, not having to justify my choice. I understand the questioning to some extent, initiates generally aren't allowed outside of the main compound from what I've gathered. That is something that is shared among the factions.
"I was just hoping that I might have an opportunity to run in a more open area. There's nothing wrong with the Pit. Actually—" I shake my head and lift my hands to cut off my rambling—"nevermind, forget it. I'll just run in the Pit." I turn and start to leave without waiting for a response, hoping we might all just forget everything that happened.
"Hold on," Eric's voice causes me to stop, "you're allowed outside the immediate compound so long as you have a chaperone."
When I turn to look at him, I find Four also looking at him, an incredulous look on his face. I wait for Eric to elaborate, but he simply continues standing there, arms crossed, watching.
"Okay. So if I get a chaperone, I could go for a run outside?"
He doesn't deem it worthwhile to answer, simply raising his brows. The expression pulls at the piercings in his brows, and I find myself staring at them for a second, distracted. Realizing this, I shake my head slightly to ground myself.
"Does it need to be someone overseeing the training? Since you both seem busy," I quickly add.
"Technically, it just needs to be an adult member of Dauntless. But you should inform me that you are leaving the compound," Four answers.
"I'm not busy," Eric states. "I can chaperone you."
"No," Four snaps immediately, jaw clenched. "I'll chaperone. As we've established, I'm overseeing your training. Plus, I could use a run myself."
Glancing between the two, the tension from before seems somehow worse. Eric's expression is matching Four's as the two straighten their postures, arms dropping to their sides.
"Actually, Four, I'm—"
"You could both come," I cut in. They both stop and look at me for a moment before Eric seems to settle back into a semblance of his normal, effortless façade.
"No, I've got some business that could use some attending to." He starts to leave, pausing beside me and resting a hand on my shoulder. "Just make sure he actually makes this into training, and not a repeat of that robbery from yesterday."
"I didn't rob Kat of anything. I may have made a simple miscalculation of how long it would take, but it wasn't intentional," Four practically growls, before taming himself.
"Sure Four. You know, if I didn't know better, I would almost think you're trying to sabotage Kat. Afraid she'll outshine you as the best initiate we've had?"
Everything about this interaction is uncomfortable. And the idea of being used as a tool in whatever this personal spat is, sets me on edge. I'm not sure what Eric is alluding to, and I surely don't understand what he is referring to. Though I can't deny the tiny spark of warm pride that rises with the implications of Eric's statement. I'm almost incapable of keeping my focus on Four, instead looking over at Eric. His expression holds that same hunger that I've seen repeatedly now. While there is something inherently unsettling about the look, when it isn't aimed at me, there is something about it that makes it almost fascinating.
He turns to me and his expression softens in some way. Still arrogant, still sharp and cutting, but lacking the maliciousness that seems to hang around him. And it catches me off guard, to see something almost soft from Eric. That wolfish grin of his settling more into a simple quirk of his lips. But without another word, he walks away and out through the door.
Turning back to Four, there is a storm cloud around him, all thunder and lightening. He doesn't acknowledge me at all, choosing instead to continue glaring at Eric's retreating figure. It isn't until he is no longer visible that Four takes in a loud and deep breath through his nose, holding it in his chest before letting it out with a hiss, that he turns back to me. He starts to mumble out something that could only be an apology, something that I have neither the time nor patience for.
"Don't. Let's just go."
He nods, and then leads the way. We wind through several hallways. I lose any sense of direction after a few minutes, settling for just blindly following Four. After a while we finally reach a dead end hallway with a ladder at the end. He wordlessly climbs, not even pausing to ensure that I'm following but just trusting that I am. As we climb, I can see a landing at the top, with a glass ceiling that shows a slightly cloudy but still bright sky.
While there are plenty of windows in the main areas of the compound, it isn't until this moment that I realize that it has been days since I have been outside and experienced the sun on my skin. In this realization I am filled with a craving that I wasn't expecting. It was something that I took for granted and while I know that this training won't last forever, but it seems to hit out of nowhere, that sudden longing for what was comfortable. And I'm not even sure what it is that I found comfortable, because I can't remember a single day of comfort. But this change, independence, and protection that I have now is so foreign.
"Everything okay?" Four calls down.
I jerk, hand slipping slightly and causing a moment of panic before I restabilize my grip. I hadn't realized that I had stopped. Looking up, I am still a few feet away from the landing and Four is looking down with concern. I take a few breathes, loosening the tightness in my chest, and then continue my climb.
"Yeah," I call up, "I'm fine. I just got distracted."
"You can't afford to be distracted up here. It's dangerous."
"Yeah whatever." I roll my eyes as I make my way to the top and pull myself onto the landing. Four extends a hand to try and help but I wave it away. These little moments are what possibly frustrate me most. The little offers of pointless help, as if he doesn't know what I've had to get through to reach this point. He knows I am more than capable of taking care of myself, and to pretend that I have ever desired his help is nearly insulting.
Looking around, the landing is small, seemingly only intended to connect the ladder to the glass door directly in front of us. The vaulted ceiling never meets a wall, instead connecting directly to the floor of the landing. Four walks up to the door and swings it out, holding it up and gently laying it against the angled ceiling. Stepping through, we reach what must be a concrete portion of ceiling for the other parts of the compound. But while the roofs adjacent to the train tracks were fairly small and numerous, this is a large expanse that is broken by portions of glass. However, at the very far edges, nearly out of view I can begin to see breaks between roofs, becoming similar to those by the tracks.
There is a somewhat strong wind blowing, and it catches me off guard at first, forcing me to take a step back to rebalance. The air is notably different up here. While the compound is clean, the air is musty and stale. I take a deep breath, feeling the slight bite of the somewhat chilled air in my lungs. I close my eyes for a second and feel a smile pull at my mouth, in finally feeling the sun and allowing my lungs to expand. When I open my eyes again, I find Four staring, a whisper of a smile tilting the corners of his lips ever so slightly. Irritation spikes through me again and in a second the bliss I've felt is gone.
"What?" Four's expression turns more wistful at my tone.
"Nothing," is all he says and he turns back to the expanse of concrete in front of us. "We can run laps around this area. Just stay several feet from the edge, I don't want to risk any accidents."
He waits for me to nod before turning and starting to run. He starts at a slow pace, mindful of my lack of athleticism. We get a few laps in, having to stop every lap to let me catch my breath. After our fifth lap around the roof, I ask Four to stop again. But I start to wander over to the edge of the roof.
"Wait," Four calls out. I stop and turn to him, and he is fidgeting.
"What? I just want to see something." Ignoring his further outcries, I make my way to the edge and look down. The distance is too far for me to judge, but I know that a fall from here would be fatal. A glance at the gap to the next roof is about 5 feet. And for a split second, the urge to try and jump across is almost consuming. I know that I don't have the strength to make a risky jump like that, but the challenge seems so fun.
"Kat!" Four's call leads me to turn back again. He hesitates for a second, shifting his weight between his feet before taking steps towards me. "Get away from the ledge. It's dangerous."
I take a final glance to the other ledge before turning and making my way back to meet Four.
"It really isn't. You'd almost have to go out of your way to fall that far."
"Just stay away from the edge. If you can't follow orders, I'm not taking you out here. I am not going to be responsible for your stupid death."
"Whatever. I'll just ask Eric." Four stiffens visibly at this. His expression turns cloudy and sour, and while he always seems almost too uptight, this feels different. My skin starts to crawl, something shifting and I turn to start running again. Before I have the chance to start, Four grabs my shoulder tightly.
"Kat," his voice is quiet and clearly restrained, "be careful with Eric." I roll my eyes but his grip squeezes impossibly tighter. "I'm serious. He's far more dangerous and manipulative than you could possibly understand."
And there it is again. That pointless concern, and baseless care that should be comforting but instead feels like an insult. Like he is pretending to understand exactly what I've been through in the years since he left. Like he is still that protective brother that I once thought him to be. Like he didn't just leave. And I realize how irrational the anger is, how irrational the hurt is. I know that Marcus hurt him. I know that Four suffered for longer than me, and he had the opportunity to leave and I realize that if our roles were reversed, I might have done the same. But hurt isn't rational.
"I think," I roughly shake off his grip, "that I can take care of myself. I've seen the worst. I'll be fine."
Four's mouth starts to open, but the anger swells up suddenly.
"No, I'm not arguing this with you Four. You don't just get to leave and then pretend that you still need to protect me. The moment you left the house, you made you priorities clear. And you know what? I can't say that I blame you. But I've made it this far without you Tobias. And I sure as heck don't need you now. And so, with all due respect, I appreciate you overseeing training, but that is all I want or need from you."
My vision clouds halfway through, but at the same time I watch as Four seems to shut down. His face closes off, no expression visible. His stance straightening, he turns his face away and there is silence for what seems almost like an eternity, neither of us sure what else to say. Finally, the discomfort begins to seep under my skin, and I can't quite tell what emotion is stirring around, but whatever it is starts to make my stomach churn.
"I think I'm done, if that's fine with you."
"Yeah," his voice is quiet, "that's probably for the best."
He turns and goes back to the doorway, letting me through first and pulling the door shut and locking it behind us. At the bottom, I let him take the lead and we walk silently through the maze of corridors until we reach the Pit. Four starts to walk away without a word.
"Four," I call out. When he turns to look at me, his expression is just as closed off as it was on the roof. "Thank you. For letting me have a run. I appreciate it."
He simply stands there for a moment, unmoving. After a while, he purses his lips before giving a curt nod and continuing away.
I had to change some details from the book. I guess it wasn't necessary, but I felt that it just it better. I know that Al fights Drew here in the book, but for some reason I felt that Kat fighting Drew would fit more than her fighting Myra. Don't ask me why, I have no rationale for the choice, it just felt right and so I went with it. Thank you all for your support and for keeping up with the story, I really appreciate it! And I will go ahead and say that the themes of abuse will pop up throughout this story, so if that is something that makes you uncomfortable, please be aware.