Ordinary Acts of Bravery [A Divergent Fanfic]

Chapter 17 - The lost star

When Gabriel retracted from me, I felt the small snap of a chain when he pulled the necklace with him. Gabriel had reclaimed because I had been to stunned to act. The kiss he had given me had been tender, almost sweet, had I not known it was him, I could have enjoyed it, but he still stole my first kiss.

Anger boiled up in me, making me act before Gabriel could understand what I was doing. I swung my hand at him, tightly clenched into a ball at him, hitting him square across the cheek. It forced him backwards before he retaliated and returned the favor. His hit only much harder.

The retaliation hit me hard. He hadn't punched me, no, he had slapped me. I tasted iron a moment after, well knowing the force had probably split my lip. I slowly turned back to Gabriel just as Zeke came running. "What the fuck is going on between you two!" Zeke practically screamed at us. I lowered my head so not to let him see the angry tears swelling in my eyes.

Gabriel was still smiling when he held the necklace up for Zeke to see. He held it by its chain, letting Zeke see it. "Georgiana." Zeke muttered looking to me. I had taken the moment to lift my head again. I also took a step forth ready to make a try for the necklace again, but Zeke held a hand out to stop me. I glared at him but a warning glance was sent back my way. Why would he take Gabriel's side?

Of course, Zeke knew, he was Gabriel's best friend. "Go tell Eric." Gabriel repeated with a dangerously sweet smirk. I bit into my already damaged lip before dashing forwards. My fingers brushed against the necklace before Gabriel could pull it out of my reach. I hadn't been able to do more because Zeke held an arm out, forcing me to stop.

"Gabe, enough!" Zeke yelled at Gabriel while holding me back. "Octavia, don't. You have no idea what this will start if you go to Eric." Zeke looked pleadingly at me, but I only returned his look with clear defiance. Gabriel had already started it. An evil smile emerged on my lips, eyes slowly shifting back to Zeke who had turned to me.

"He already started it." I accused and with those words I took a step back, feeling my entire body tremble. My eyes shifted between the two again. "Maybe I will—Maybe I will go tell Eric, at least he's kind to me." I spoke quietly, so that it was only the two of them hearing me.

"Octavia please—" Zeke pleaded, reaching a hand towards me but I recoiled from his touch, moving just beyond his reach. "This will solve nothing! It will only make it worse." Zeke continued just as Gabriel began laughing.

"Go get your scary boyfriend. Maybe he can fix it for you, like he fixed your ranking." Gabriel called out to me, loud enough for everyone to hear. With those words, and Zeke's endless calls of my name, I turned from them, sprinting out the room faster than they could stop me. I was ready to break down right there and then but refused to show them that weakness. My entire body was trembling with anger and hurt.

I ran through random hallways, taking random turns until I reached the pit, which wasn't empty tonight. It was full of life, people fighting, walking from shop to shop, some were even just seated on the large rocks, others were climbing the massive climbing wall in one end of the pit, and others were just passing through.

My body was still trembling when I moved through the crowd, gently pushing my way through but when I passed one of the small fighting rings, I couldn't help but to notice Eric and the guy named Val, or Valentine as I had learnt later on, was fighting again. I halted my forward motion enough to stop for a second and look at them.

The sparring was unlike anything Four had ever taught us. It was much quicker, like a dance of arms and legs being tossed at the other. When Valentine suddenly overpowered Eric, forcing him to his knees right in front of me, he had an arm securely wrapped around Eric's neck. I noticed the sheer horror on Eric's face when our eyes met. They traveled, taking in the disarray of my clothes and properly the already showing bruise on my cheek before settling on my split lip.