JAX [1]

•Chapter 11: Training Day 6•

Jax's POV

(Time Skip)

"My whole body was covered in these little insects." Chris explained. "They were in my ears and my throat...I couldn't breathe."

"Yeah, I heard about this guy, like two years ago...So panicked he had a heart attack in his chair, and he almost died." Al said.

"What?" Chris said.

"Yeah, so we've got that to look forward to, right?" Will said. They all chuckled, I didn't though.

"You didn't seem to have any problems at all." Chris said, looking at me.

"I did." I said. "Trust me. It was like being trapped in some horror nightmare. Like the ones where you get stabbed by someone you don't know. Only worse."

"Oh, come on." Al said. "No one even came close to your time. You were amazing."

"Yeah, what's amazing is that she's gonna knock you right out of Dauntless." Peter said as he walked over to us.

"She's not gonna knock me out of Dauntless." Al said.

"Look, she's gone from being the worst to one of the best." Peter said. "Somebody's gotta take her place at the bottom. Who's it gonna be? You."

"Do you ever stop talking?" Chris asked.

"I just want to know how she does it." Peter said and looked down at me. "What's your trick?"

"There is no 'trick.'" I said, making air quotes with my fingers.

"Nobody's gets through it that fast." Peter said. "Why don't you tell us how you do it?"

"Why don't you shut the hell up before I make you shut the hell up?" I suggested. He raised his hands in surrender.

"At least tell your friends." He said and walked away.

"What's he talking about?" Al asked me. "Is there some way to make it easier?"

"Not really." I said. "I just...It's hard to remember this but, you gotta know that it's all in your head."

"That's it?" Will asked.

"Yeah." I said. "It's all in your head. It's not real." I got up and walked away, feeling Molly's creepy eyes on me.

(Time Skip)

I ran down the hallway and saw everyone in the pit.

"Hey, guys!" I said as I ran over to them.

"Why are you here?" Chris asked, shocking me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"No one asked you to be here." She said as the others surrounded me.

"Chris—"

"Don't Chris me." She said. "You can't even tell us how you did it."

"Did what?" I asked as she walked over to me.

"What kind of friend are you?" She asked.

"A sucky one I bet." Peter said, causing her to laugh.

"What?" I asked, offended.

"How did you do it?" She asked, as she pushed me. I didn't answer.

"How did you do it?!" Will asked as she pushed me again.

"What do you mean?!" I asked. She pushed me again.

"How did you do it!" Al asked as she pushed me again.

"I don't know!" I shouted.

"HOW DID YOU DO IT!" They all shouted as she pushed me.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!" I screamed.

"How did you do it?" I heard from behind me. I turned around and saw Mateo standing there.

"Ma—" Suddenly, I couldn't talk...or breathe.

"You were so worried about yourself that you couldn't even tell your own brother?" He asked as I fell to my knees, holding my throat. "So selfish." That hurt. It felt like my world was coming apart until I remembered something. It isn't real. It's all in my head. Suddenly, I could breathe again. As my brother started to turn away, I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

I opened my eyes, gasping for air. I sighed when I remembered where I was. I rubbed my face with my hands as I calmed down.

"How'd you do that?" I heard Four ask. I looked at him.

"Do what?" I asked, playing dumb.

"How'd you stop yourself from choking?" He asked.

"Um...I don't know." I said. "I just...did."

"You just did?" He asked.

"Mmhmm." I said, nodding, trying to be as convincing as I can be. He turned to the computer, with a confused look on his face and turned the computer off. He turned to me and sat in the chair next to me.

"What were your test results?" He asked, taking me off guard. "Your aptitude test."

"Amity." I half lied.

"I don't think so." He said, shaking his head. Crap, he's seeing right through my lies.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I think you're lying to me." He said. No shit, sherlock.

"Why would I need to lie to you?" I asked. He leaned forward in his chair, trying to get closer to me so I could take him seriously.

"I'm gonna ask you one more time." He asked. "What were your test results?"

"Amity." I repeated. He looked disappointed as he got up from his chair, turning away from me.

"Time for you to go." He said. I got up and started walking away. "Jax." I stopped and turned to him. "Just so you know, Dauntless don't just suddenly start breathing again like that." I looked down at my hands.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I lied as I glanced at him. I turned back to the door and opened it. I walked out, closing the door behind me.

(Time Skip)

I met up with Tori to talk to her about what I should do.

"Our brother was like you." Tori said to me. "During the second stage, he got good really fast. Last day of the simulations, one of the Dauntless leaders came to watch him. Then the next morning, we found his body at the bottom of the chasm."

"I'm so sorry, Tori." I said. She nodded.

"They got rid of him." She said.

"Who did?" I asked.

"Dauntless leadership." She said. "You can't let them find out about you."

"What if they already know?" I asked, fearful of the answer I was gonna receive.

"Then you're already dead." She said. Shit.