OVERTHROW - Eric Coulter

Chapter 12

"My face hurts." I pouted as I complained from the couch.

Raphael remained in his wooden chair, in his small study where he rested his elbows on the metal table while drawing on his iPad. He looked up, seeing me lying on the sofa, smiled, and shook his head. "Derek is a good nurse, but he doesn't work miracles. I'll give you an hour for your cheek to turn completely purple." He passed the plastic stylus over his lower lip, smiling. "In fact, it's already starting to show." He raised an eyebrow.

I huffed, rolling my eyes. "My first fight and it was a failure." I grimaced.

"You don't have to worry, you'll end up in seventh or eighth place." he shrugged. "I started in that position."

"What grade did you finish with?" I asked as I sat up.

"I was the third. They offered me the leadership position in intelligence, but I declined. I prefer to do tattoos and be a mere mortal creating this technology," he extended the tattooing plate that had failed and planned to fix it once he finished his design.

"And who got that position?" I raised an eyebrow, my only intact eyebrow.

"No one, I think it's still vacant. Max doesn't give up, ever since we went through initiation, he insists that Four should be the leader." he bit his lip as he traced on his iPad. I raised my eyebrows.

"Wait, hold on." I stopped, raising my hands, grabbing his attention. "Firstly, Four and you started in the same year? Secondly, Max wants Four to be the leader? And thirdly, why did Four refuse leadership?" I raised an eyebrow, not understanding.

Raphael sighed with a smile as he shook his head. "Yes, we were transferred in the same year," he raised his index finger. "Yes, Four ranked first on the leaderboard, possessing all the qualities of a leader, yet still refused," he raised another finger. "Not everything in life is about leadership, Grace." he raised a third finger and lowered them to continue drawing.

"It's a lot to process, Raphael. I didn't think Four would be in the first place." I bit my thumb as I watched him with infinite curiosity. "Wait, Four was transferred? I thought he was born in Dauntless. And you? What faction are you from?"

He rubbed his palm on his face. "I was born in Candor."

"And Four?"

"No." he lowered his hand. "If you want to know about Four, go and ask him." he pointed to the exit hallway.

I rolled my eyes. "We're friends, but I can't go around telling his life story."

"Fine," I dragged out the word.

I stopped talking and leaned back on the couch, pondering what he had told me. I felt like a stranger, an uncomfortable sensation invaded my chest. I wanted to be a leader, to be first on the leaderboard. I wanted Max and Freya to offer me the leadership position, to be strong, respected, and feared. Apparently, Four and Raphael didn't understand that; they didn't seek that kind of power, and I felt like an outcast. But not with Eric, he understood the power of leadership. He enjoyed it, and maybe that's why he caught my attention, that greed, something I didn't see in Four or Raphael.

"Was Eric strict when you and Four were in the first stage?" I turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. The dark-haired man raised an eyebrow, tilting his chin, tapping the stylus on his lower lip.

"Eric, Four, and I started in the same year." he said.

My chin dropped completely, and I stood there with my mouth open in surprise, unable to utter a word.

Eric explained to me how they choose a candidate at the end of the two stages. They take the top two from the leaderboard, and the best one is offered the leadership position. Four was first, and he declined the position, so... Eric was second on the leaderboard.