So Crazy In Love (Divergent Eric)

Chapter 8: The Struggle is Real

"You call to me, and I fall at your feet

How could anyone ask for more?

And our time apart, like knives in my heart

How could anyone ask for more?"

I needed to run. Waking up early I tried to knock out as many miles as I could before the sun rose in the sky. That's how they controlled me in Amity. They wore me out when I got aggressive. I smirked to myself remembering a fight I had with my step parents. Or should I say adoptive family. I refused to go to a banquet. I had no reason to go, hardly any friends. I shouted at them and locked myself in my room. I eventually came out for dinner, girls got to eat. They put some of their happy serum in my drink to calm me down. I ended up going and being the life of the party. I hated them every time they used the serum on me. One reason I didn't trust the water handed to me by Johanna. I understood their need to keep the peace in the faction but forcing it upon people without their knowledge through the food source was too much. If people chose to be happy, good for them. If they chose to be angry, they probably had a reason too. I returned to my apartment soaked in sweat. I felt good. Tossing my clothes in the hamper I showered. Week two started today, I was excited to say the least. Tossing my hair back and dressing in my normal garb I left to the training area. I met with Four and Eric. Today was going to be harder. The plan was to do the same this week as they did last week, only more of it. We would incorporate weapons and knife throwing. Making their days longer would wear them down.

"Take them for a five mile run." Eric told me, which sounded more like an order. I groaned. I had just ran the same if not more than that an hour ago. I sighed outwardly. "Is there a problem?" Did I mention Eric had mood swings? I knew what I was getting into when I first taunted him and when I accepted to go the banquet with him. I knew it would lead to days where I would question why I was with him. Wait, was I? I made a mental note to ask him that later.

"No." I said simply, rolling my eyes in the direction of the initiates. I was going to be sore tonight.

"Good." His voice was serious. I called it his leadership voice. He sounded different when it was just him and me. Acted different in formal situations. Like the banquet. However he remained the same outside of closed quarters. A jerk. "We will go straight into hand to hand combat when you return."

"You're not coming?" I glared back at him. I would be the same as I was the night we fought toward him. I would treat him with the same arrogance he treated me. He inclined his head, returning the glare. Four looked between us, I knew he could feel the tension rising. "Figures." I said and walked past him.

"What was that?" His voice called after me and my mind slapped me. I had to be careful. I was still a leader in training regardless of what Eric and I had for each other. He could demote me in a second if I did not possess the traits a leader is required. I turned back to him while walking away.

"Nothing." I was over stepping my bounds and I knew it. I approached the initiates, you eyed me cautiously. I had never openly questioned Eric. I didn't say much before leading them on the run. My legs burned after mile two. I knew that initiate training was just as much of a training aspect for me as it was them. At least if I became the sole person in charge it would keep me in shape. I took little more than an hour to complete five miles. That was slow. Not even coming close to a ten minuet mile. I shook my head at the group as we stopped in front of the ranking board. Eric and Four were standing there waiting. I glanced at Eric. He was observing his watch in disappointment. "You better perform well today or we do the circuit again after the last evolution." I turned to Four who nodded. He took over from there. He went straight into hand to hand combat not giving them a chance to truly catch their breaths. I sat down on a bench. I was tired. Breathing heavy I let my head fall and watched to ground for a moment. I could feel pain in my knees. Boots appeared in my vision and I looked up. A water bottle was presented in front of my face.