Rat (A Divergent Prequel and Eric Love Story)

Chapter 15- Silver Flash of Metal

Eric had decided to walk me back to the dorms before returning to the hell known as Erudite. Today was only a half day, where we would return to the Fear Simulation room to receive our final simulation and then be ranked.

I looked to my side at the tall, muscular man beside me, his messy black hair covering those beautiful blue-green eyes. He noticed me staring and flashed that pearly white smile.

"If only I had known why you stared at me so much, I probably wouldn't have to go buy a new set of dishes today," he leaned in to whisper in my ear.

We stopped in front of the initiates' dormitory. He looked around to see if anyone was near before lightly brushing his lips against mine. "I'll be back in an hours, tops. Or at least before rankings start."

I nodded and then turned to enter the room in which I had hardly even been in for the last week. Kait sat on my small bed, patting the space beside her as if she wanted me to sit down.

"I knew it." She smiled.

"Knew what?" I asked, worry of what she might have seen.

"That's how you've been doing so well in ranks. You're sleeping with Eric to get ahead."

"I am most certainly not!" I screamed. "I don't know what has gotten into you!"

"I saw you kiss, liar!" she screamed so loud that I was sure all of Dauntless heard.

I began to tear up.

"You don't know all you think you know, initiate." A deep voice called from behind me, causing Kait's eyes to widen. "Maybe you should keep your overly large nose out of other people's business unless you would like me to assign hard labor as a fitting punishment."

I turned around to see Eric standing tall and intimidating in the doorway. He looked insanely calm, unlike Kait.

"It's... it's not f-fair." She stuttered.

"I hardly see how it's not. After all, Four handles the ratings. I only supervise." Eric explained. "Wait, why am I explaining myself to you? An initiate that's almost last? You're barely important."

And with that, Eric spun around and exited the room. Kait was shaking and for once, her trademarked smile was nowhere to be seen.

"Get out. I never want to see your desperate self again." She ordered through clenched teeth.

"Desperate?" I inquired.

"Yes, desperate. You just always have to be better than everyone else. You... you, rat." She seemed rather surprised that those words had come from her mouth, but still, she remained hostile and never took back her words.

Hot tears pricked at my eyes, and I ran out of the room before she could see them. There was only one place I could go. The chasm. Its rushing waters and roaring waves have calmed me from worse grievances.

I took my usual spot against the wall of rock at the edge of the bridge. It was such a wonder that this chasm can offer me such comfort, yet such fear. To think, mere days ago, I had almost lost my life because of this chasm and so many Dauntless had fallen to their deaths throughout the years. I recalled Four telling, during our first tour, of how an initiate falls to their death every year. Was I that initiate this year?

"I heard screaming. Are you and Eric fighting already?" Four sat down beside me.

I laughed a hearty, almost needful laugh. "No. I guess... I just... I don't really have trustworthy friends."

"You have me." He said, making me smile. "And Zeke. And Shauna. And that Amity transfer."

"Actually, you mean just you, Zeke, and Shauna." I corrected.