His Broken-Hearted Past

1 Danielle's P.O.V.

Today is my best friends choosing ceremony. Eric Coulter. He has been there to protect me in school. He is eighteen and I have four more years. I'm sitting on the roof of my house when Eric climbs up. I smile and he sits next to me.

"Remember your promise, Eric. I love you and I don't want to see us end in heartbreak," I say. 

Yes, I know it's weird for a eighteen-year-old to be with a fourteen-year-old but I can't help who I love. We have been seceretly dating for two years. Eric is the only one I will ever love and if he leaves today, I'll forever be done with him.

"I know babe, calm down. Remember when we used to sit out here at night? Watch the stars and cuddle," he asks.

"Yes, I do Eric. Nights like that I'm always going to cherish."

We're both are quiet for a while till my mother calls us down for breakfast. We sit at the table and eat. I hold his hand under the table. After I clean the dishes, I quickly change into my blue fitted dress. I walk out of me room. I put me heels on and we get into my mother's car. It is a quick ride to the ceremony. Eric and I walk over to his family. I sit with them because My mother is doing the introductions and calling names. They go in alphabetical order and then comes the time I was worrying about.

"Eric Coulter."

He stands up and hugs me.

"Remember me please Dani," he says.

What? Why do I need to remember him. I hear them call Dauntless. I look at him in shock. He's leaving me. After he promised me he wouldn't. He looks at me and I turn away. After the ceremony, I sigh and get into my mother's car again. I stay quiet and my mother looks at me in the rearview mirror.

"You okay Danielle," she asks.

I nod and she smiles. We get home and I run to my room. I sit on the bed. He's really gone. Dauntless, of all the faction he could have went to or stayed at, he went to Dauntless. I'm over him. I have to be now. I get my lock box and put everything but a neckalace that Eric gave me into it. I cant make myself take it off. I put the pictures into it as well. I lock the box and put into my closet. I have school tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be hard but I am cleaning out my locker of things he gave me. This is what I need. Closure. Time for a new me. I put my headphones in and play a motivating song. Doing this will help me forget. Forget the dates, the time, the gifts, and him. every cell in my body will forget him. Always put myself above anyone now. Me, myself, and I. Eventually, mom calls me for down for dinner. I walk down and see his family. This is going to be harder than I thought. We sit down and start eating. I miss Eric's sister. She was killed because she was a divergent. I don't see what the big deal is about divergents. Mom says they jepordize our way of life. After I finish eating, I put my dishes into the dishwasher.

"This is so hard on her. She loved him," his mom says.

"They have family day in a couple weeks. You should bring Danielle when you go to visit him," mom says.

"No, I dont ever want to see or hear his name again," I say and run into my room.

I slam my door and lay on my bed. I hold the cross neckalace as a tear goes down my cheek. After a half a hour later, my mom tells me to get ready for bed. I change and lay in bed. I set my alarm and sigh. Time for a new start.

*THE NEXT DAY*

My alarm goes off at 6:45am. I get dressed and grab my bag. I walk out and instantly my neighbor gives me a sympathetic smile. I shake my head and get onto the bus. I look out the window. I get off and go to my locker. I clear all the pictures from my locker. I get my books. Time for History. My teacher, Mrs. Jones, smiles at me and stops me at the door.

"If you wanna talk about it, I'm here," she says.

I shake my head no and walk in. I really dont want to talk about him. The bell rings singling class has started. The lesson is about the aptitude test. The choices we make during it matters the most. I might go and see Eric on family day. I text his mom that I wanna go see him when we can. she quickly responds and I take my notes.

After class is over, I go to the bookstore in school. I buy a bunch of romance books knowing that they are mine and Erics favorites. Maybe I'll give him a few. I wonder if he will even have time to read them. I wonder what he's doing right now. I go to what was mine and his area of the cafeteria and starts writing a letter to him. I write that after family day, I never will visit him again. I will move on with my life and hope he finds someone who will love him better than I could. He's there forever so why waste my time waiting for him. I see Ian, a guy that's a year older than me. He sits next to me and smiles.

"You know, now that the guy that was always around isn't anymore, maybe we could hang out sometime," he says.

"I'd like that," I say smiling back at him.

"You know the formal is coming up soon right," he says.

"So what are you hinting at Ian," I ask.

"Would you like to be my date? And if you don't hate it afterwards, my girlfriend," he asks.

"Really? You honnestly want me as your girlfriend," I ask.

"Yes, really. So Danielle, yes or no," he asks waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I'd love to Ian," I say not thinking about Eric.

The bell rings. It's time for science. Ian walks me to class and kisses my cheek. I sit in my seat and the teacher says its going to be a study period. I put in the note to Eric that I will be moving on and I don't want him to contact me anymore. After the remaining hours of school, I go home. I pick out a beautiful blue and white dress. I tell mom about what happened. She tells me that family day is in two weeks. I put everything into a bag that I'm going to give Eric. The formal is in two weeks too. Stage one: get over Eric is a go. I do whats left of my homework and take off my makeup. I go down stairs and get my dinner. I see Eric's mother sitting on the couch.

"Mrs. Coulter, I wanna appologize for my outburst yesterday," I say.

"It's okay sweetie, I completely understand. So Eric told us not to come. But If you still wanna go, then we will," she says.

"Yeah, I wanna go," I say and she nods.

She nods and I go back to my room. I read for a little while then go to bed.