Danger is Near

Chapter 26

We were awoken to a stern voice. 

It was Max.

"Initiates, wake up!" 

He waited for a little, eventually we all sat up in our beds, rubbing our eyes and looking up at him. 

I was so confused. I looked around at everyone else, trying to piece together what was happening. No one else seemed to understand either. 

"Peter, Molly, Drew, outside immediately!" he announced loudly. Each of them raised from their beds and sleepily shuffled to the stairs. They looked as if they were hungover, holding their stomachs and heads. It was then I realised how much my head hurt. It was throbbing. 

Max walked out of the door behind the three of them, shutting it powerfully. 

No one knew what was going on from the looks of it. Some people didn't even care. They just went back to sleep. I didn't though. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to, due to my splitting headache. 

Five minutes later Max walked back in, with Drew, Molly and Peter in tow. As the three of them walked back down the stairs, their heads hanging low, Max stayed at the top of the stairs. 

"It is against Dauntless rule for an initiate to drink substances containing alcohol" he harshly announced. "If any of you are caught taking part in any forbidden acts from now on you will be trialled in front of a panel of leaders. Depending on how detestable these acts are, you will be punished. You may even be thrown out..." he said, pausing to glare at a few people in the room. "Let this be a strict warning for each and every one of you!" 

He then left the room in silence. Most people went back to sleep. But me? I couldn't help but wander why Eric didn't report me to Max... I was drinking last night as well... Hell! He even saw me swallow a whole mouthful of alcohol. And yet he didn't tell anyone about it. In fact, he saved me. 

That's why he threw the bottle away! To hide any evidence. And that's probably why he sent me straight to the dorm. So no one else would notice and dob me in to Max. 

I was so amazed. I couldn't believe that Eric did that for me. I would've expected him to report me and have me punished, like he probably did for the others. But he didn't... Strange...

I got up to drink some water, hoping it would help my aching headache. But it didn't. So I just went back to sleep. That's what everyone else had done. 

When I woke up I noticed everyone else waking up and getting changed. I was a little worried at first, thinking we had training. But we didn't. Training didn't start for another day. Everyone was just hungry and getting changed to go down to the Hall for breakfast. It was probably best I ate some food too, for I was beginning to feel sick in the stomach. 

As I was getting changed I saw someone kneeling down in front of the toilet. It was Peter and he was vomiting. 

I went over to help him out. If I could. 

"Hey Peter. Do you need me to do anything? Want me to get you some breakfast and bring it back here?" I asked soothingly. Trying to stay calm so he would. 

He looked up from the toilet, wiping his hand across his mouth. He looked miserable and very pale. 

"Yes please" he painfully moaned. 

"Ok, I'll come back as soon as I can" I told him, as I set off for the Hall. 

I lined up and started stacking food onto the tray. I grabbed some bacon and eggs and I got two pieces of toast for him. Then I grabbed a bottle of water. I began to head back to the dorm, but then I noticed someone holding a cup of coffee. I approached them and asked where I could get some. 

"You just gotta make it yourself" the man said as he pointed to an area where there was a heap of people lined up. As I got closer to that area I noticed the giant coffee machine standing their magnificently on a table. I realised it would be too much to carry, so I headed to the dorm instead. I planned to go back down to get some coffee for him though. I heard coffee was a really good hangover cure. 

I arrived back in the dorm, just as many people were walking out, heading for the food. 

Peter was slumped over a basin, cleaning his face. 

"Here you go Peter. I'll put it on your bed" I told him as I walked past him. 

"Also, do you want some coffee?" I asked. 

"Thanks Lize. And don't worry about the coffee, I'll get it myself later" he said, sounding a little better. 

"Ok then. Are you alright?" I sympathetically asked. 

"Yeah. I guess. Just got a major hangover" he groaned. 

"I can tell" I said while smiling down at him. 

He sat down on the bed and began to eat. I noticed Molly and Drew still in bed and just as I was about to offer to get them breakfast Peter spoke up, "Don't worry about them Lize. You go get yourself breakfast". 

As soon as he said this I realised how hungry I was. 

"Thanks" I said as I walked out of the dorm. 

I arrived in the Hall and it was packed. Great.

I searched for my friends and saw them lining up for food. I ended up squeezing into the line alongside them. Earning a few glares from the people behind in the process. 

We got our food and sat down at our usual table. We ate in silence. Everyone was pretty tired and some of us felt a little sick. But none of us were as sick as Drew, Molly and Peter. 

After I finished my breakfast I spotted Eric sitting at a table. I thought I would be nice and let him know how grateful I was he didn't report me for drinking. 

I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around quickly. 

"Hey. Can I quickly talk with you?" I questioned. And surprisingly he got up out of his seat and followed me. I didn't take us far, just down to the end of the Hall. 

"I just wanted to thank you for not reporting me. For drinking that is" I acknowledged. 

He looked at me blankly. I looked at him, confused.

"That's it?" he quizzed. 

"Well.. yeah. I just thought you would appreciate a 'thank you' from me" I smiled. 

And with that he strolled away. Leaving me extremely confused.