Daunting Fires (Completed)

18- Questions

Alex walks in the doorway before I get to question Eric.

"Alrighty, I have the stitches kit. And, uh..." Me and Eric break eye contact. "And let's get started! Woohoo!" He says the last part sarcastically. I'm still too confused to laugh. How does Eric "remember" me?

"Have you ever fainted before? Are you squeamish?" Alex asks. I shake my hand sideways. 50-50. "Ok, tell me if you feel like you're going to faint." I nod.

Alex gives me a pill that's supposedly going to take away all my pain. I doubt that it'll work. The pain I feel has me dizzy. I swallow the large pill down with some water and Alex gets on his gloves.

"What's your name?" He asks me.

"Dalia," I say.

I don't understand how but the pill works. As Alex cleans my shoulder of blood and bacteria, I feel nothing. When he starts sewing my shoulder up, I feel nothing. My whole arm feels completely numb. I wonder if maybe that's not supposed to happen?

"You're doing really well for the first time, Dalia," Alex says. "You know, a girl came in here yesterday with a gaping cut on her leg and I handed her two pills. I guess the whole thought of stitches is what made her faint." I smile.

"Of course, she wasn't as beautiful and badass as you." Whoa... Ok... I blush profusely, unsure of what to say. I look at Eric, not sure where else to look and he looks furious. I think it's funny how Eric hates cockiness when he himself is cocky. I'm guessing he must have a bad history with Alex. Wouldn't be uncommon for Eric to have those.

Eric clears his throat. "Alrighty, just two more stitches and you'll be done," Alex uses a delicate tone that makes me get goosebumps. I look at my shoulder and am completely grossed out. Since the cut was so close to the bone, it looks like the stitches are on my bone. Surely, once the pill wears off, I'll faint of pain.

"Ok. You're done!" I look at Alex and he smiles.

"Thanks," I smile appreciatively. "Is it going to hurt later? Can I get anything for that or-?"

"Yeah, I can get you maximum two pills that both last 24 hours, but that's all," he says. I nod. "Be right back... Again." He sounds apologetic and it reassures the fact that he's a former amity.

When Alex gets out, I face Eric. "What were you talking about?" I shake my head, as if it'll pop up memories.

"When I was 7..." Alex walks in the room almost instantly and I know he doesn't mean wrong but it's frustrating me. I want to know how Eric knows me. Know-ception.

"Alrighty here are your two pills. And you are ready to go." Alex smirks and his right dimple is showing. "Hey, I was actually wondering if you wanted to go get drinks later? Like much later?" He has a hopeful look on his face. It's not that I don't want to accept, but he's taking away time I could be using to find out what Eric means.

"Umm..." I look past him to the clock. It's 8:15 A.M. "Yeah, sure. What time?"

He flashes his bright teeth. "Great! How bout 9 o'clock tonight at the bar?" I nod. "Ok, well I'll see you later." He winks as he leaves the room. I can't help but get butterflies I'm my stomach.

Eric scoffs and paces out the door. I step into focus and catch up. "Hey, wait! So what now?" I ask.

"I came to see what was up with your arm. That's all. Now leave me alone."

I reach for his tattooed arm. He doesn't stop walking. He shrugs me off. What's his problem? "But what were you talking about? How do you know me from erudite?"

"Doesn't matter." He turns a corner and I have to back up a bit and catch up again. He's so infuriating. I'm just curious. Jeez.

I guess my erudite is shining through. I sigh. One part of who I am.

"I just want to know! Is that really a problem?" At this, he stops and faces me.

"Listen, initiate. I don't have time for this and I don't have time for you. I don't have time to talk to you. So, if you want to chat with someone," he raises his arms, mockingly shaking his head. "Go do it with Amity boy."

I feel like Eric slapped me across the face. He might've just shoved me and I'd feel better than now. "Ok, do I go train then?"

He inhales deeply. "I don't know. Go rest in the dormitory but if you get kicked out of Dauntless, don't blame me." I scoff.

I walk past him. "As if it's not already your fault," I say without turning back. It feels good to talk rudely to someone who's talking smack to you.

He doesn't respond so I keep walking. If you get kicked out of dauntless, don't blame me. He has a point. I'm an average fighter and missing out on training will make other initiates better than me. I can't afford that.

That still doesn't mean he has to be a jackass.

A hot jackass.

I'm trying to find my way to the training room but I honestly have no idea where I'm at. I look at an intersection of gray stone hallways.

I close my eyes. I sigh and turn around. Eric is standing a couple of feet away, I'd say 15. He has his usual smirk on his face. My face flushes with embarrassment as I roll my eyes. I walk past him back towards the infirmary and turn the corner. I know where to go from here.
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I tried hitting the punching bag for a couple of minutes but my shoulder was starting to hurt again. Four said I should try something else so the stitches don't become undone.

Cece told me that she wouldn't judge if I wanted to tear Eric's face off. She said she had stitches on her cheek once. When I asked her how, she said she fell down some stairs. It sounded fishy to me and I know she's hiding something. I don't excessively question her though because I know she's troubled about what happened to her brother. She doesn't need more than she currently has going on.

I take another cold knife in my palm, wondering when I might actually throw knives outside of the training room.

"Dalia?"

"Hmm?"

"Four said we're leaving now. To go get our fear landscape test." I feel a sudden pang of panic. They said fear testing was tomorrow.

Will they know I'm divergent? If they find out will they turn me in? I've heard a joke that Eric's hobby is exterminating Divergents. If he knew I was divergent...

Where did Eric go?

I try to calm down and think of something else.

It's unsettling that I don't know what I'm afraid of more, getting caught for divergence or my deep, dark fears.
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Kisses,
DL1