FEARLESS

SOLDIERS NOT REBELS

Emery woke up the next morning feeling the most rested she had felt since her transfer. Perhaps it was the promise of knowing Peter wasn't watching her as she slept that allowed her to doze off peacefully.

Even so, she was a little flustered as she woke, confused about her surroundings. Big king-size bed, huge spatial living area and joining bedroom through an open archway, a balcony? This definitely was not the dorm room, the dorm room that smelt like unwashed armpits and sweaty socks thanks to the boy's lack of washing. This smelt like cologne and fresh air with a hint of liquor.

Then she remembered.

Eric's apartments.

The thought instantly made her stomach do flips with nerves. Remembering the little fight they had last night, Emery made a decision she did not want to speak to Eric; deciding it would be best if she got up and out before he saw her.

Emery could see he was already up, in the shower, as she heard faint trickles from inside the bathroom. That was another thing, a private bathroom, not the dorm ones in which she had gotten glimpses of Will having a piss.

Emery jumped off the couch, grabbed a comb to quickly soften some of the knots in her hair, and ran straight out the door.

Once she got into the main corridor outside Eric's apartment, she suddenly felt herself shiver.

Shit.

She didn't want anyone else to see her, she only just then noticed she was still wearing last night's clothes and wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. People had begun to take notice of Eric's stares toward Emery, it worried her that they might think she was getting through Dauntless that way.

However, she only got a couple of steps out the door until Four came out of his apartment. "Emery?" He asked, Four had a talent to not show what he was thinking on his face, but a flash of a small smile came on his face, as if he were happy to see Emery. Then his eyes moved down to her clothes, they looked like the clothes he had seen her wearing last night.

His eyebrow slightly tugged upwards in slight shock; trying to stop it.

"Um hi," Emery replied, noticing his stare. "It's not what it looks like", she said laughing a little, trying to stop herself from cringing horribly. She felt her face heat up like a kettle. Four just nodded.

"I wasn't thinking anything" He stated shrugging, but she could tell he was slightly curious. The door of Eric's apartment shut behind her with a small slam, announcing the embarrassment of the situation once again. She squeezed her eyes shut.

For the love of God.

Emery began to scurry away quickly as she heard the water had stopped by from inside, he would be out any second. Emery cleared her throat as she passed Four with a forced smile. "Hungry?"

***

"I heard Al's back," Four said, breaking the silence between the two of them. Emery just nodded her head, picking at the food in front of her.

Sausages, beans, toast and mushrooms.

The last time she had eaten a Dauntless sausage it had done a number on her.

"Yeah, he is", Emery replied.

Four wasn't known for his talkative nature, the most she had ever really gotten out of him was in training where he was paid to talk to the Initiates, or that one time he had had a few whiskeys and caught her near the pit.

She couldn't tell Four was staring at her, watching her as she moved the food from the front of her plate to the back, and to the left and right. And observing her as she bit her nails so hard she winced when some fresh blood came squeezing out from them at the sides.