Fractured | Tobias Eaton ✓

03 | Do You Proud

The next week is uneventful, I go to work, I come home, and get questioned every night by everyone in the house. Tammi's been kinda quiet which makes me sad because he always does this when someone's gonna leave. When Aunt Marigold went away for training, he all but stopped speaking to her... like he has to prepare himself for abandonment.

I try to genuinely decide between my two options, Dauntless or Erudite. Dauntless because the other options suck, Erudite because I've always been naturally curious. But they're stuck-up assholes... the Dauntless are just a bunch of meatheads. I'm not an idiot though...

The feeling of my elbow striking the door makes me gasp in pain, "Shit!" I try to rub away the feeling as I walk toward the front room where my mom is probably knitting.

"Rita Rose, your language is foul!" I hear her scold me just as I enter the room, she's sitting on the couch; her beautiful hair sitting freely without her hijab. "Ada's going to pick that up and sound like those men on the streets," Her eyes make me cringe.

"I hit my elbow on the door, ma, it hurt like hell."

She tilts her head at me and I mumble an apology. "Sit with me, Rita." I lean into my mom's side once I'm comfortable on the couch, "I'm making you a sweater, how's it look?" Ma lifts her half-done creation into the air for me to see, it's a pretty blue color (how she got the yarn is beyond me) and I love it already.

I reach out and feel the softness, "It's pretty. Thank you ma," I press a loud kiss to her cheek which makes her shake her head in fake disgust. "I'm not that nasty, stop it!"

"I don't even let your brother kiss me, you heathen."

"That's because Tammi is stinky!" I argue playfully.

Tamino pauses in the hall, "I am not stinky, you hardly ever wash up, Ritty." I gasp at the fact that my mother and brother are tag-teaming me. "Why do you think they put you upstairs?" He teases and I'm up from the couch before he knows it, chasing him through the house.

I hear my mother's protests as we run around like lunatics, "Why are your legs so long, are you a giraffe!?" Tammi's laughter eggs me on. He rushes down the stairs onto the floor beneath us, my chest heaving as I try and figure out what he's planning.

"Remember that time you got stuck in the wall?" His question confuses me, what would that have to do with anything?

My eyes widen as I realize what he means as Tamino charges at me, "Stop!! No! Tammi! Not funny!" I belt out a laugh or a wheeze, I'm not too sure as Tammi carries me down the hall. Before I know it, I'm fighting against him. Tammi tickles my sides and I'm too weak with laughter to fight back.

He backs away once I'm secure between the wall and outer wall. "Okay, now get me out," I say, I'm not mad, not yet at least. I know what'll happen if he walks away... I don't wanna be mad at him right now, tensions are already high. "Tamino, seriously, get me out."

"Hmmm, don't think I will."

"Amir-"

"Rose-" He mocks my tone.

"Tamino Amir I swear to Allah, I will kick your ass!" My brother only cackles at my attempts to pull myself out of the wall. How did he even manage to force me in this space? The last time I went in here willingly to hide was during a game of hide and seek. "I will count to five and if you aren't back with baba or David I will scream."

"You're stuck in the wall and threatening me? How's that going to help you, Ritty?"

I drop my angry expression and force a pleading one, "Please get me out. I think there's a spider crawling toward me. Tammi, seriously! I'm not joking, now get me out!"