Revenge is Near

Chapter 8

We were all looking at him after he hung up. Then he looked to us and said, "That was Max". 

"And?!" everyone chorused. 

Then Eric leant into the table, bringing us all close and he whispered, "Your looking at your new leader". 

"Anyway, I better go. Max asked me to see him in his office" Eric affirmed. He got up from the table and began to walk away. But then he stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Eliza. Are you coming?" he asked, seeming confused. 

The girls let out a chorus of 'aww's'. I looked back at them, confusedly. I then looked back to Eric, still standing there, waiting for an answer. 

"No, don't worry. You go ahead. I'm going to stay back here with everyone else" I replied. 

"Ok," Eric said as he walked towards me. "I'll see you soon" he finished as he kissed me on the top of the head. 

"Wow, I am so surprised Eric actually did that. He never shows affection in public" Jack stated in surprise. 

All of the other guys agreed. 

After a while of sitting around and chatting, I decided to take a walk to clear my mind. I was still worrying. 

"Hey guys, I'm... um... I'm just going to take a little walk. I'll catch you all later" I said, as kindly as possible.

They all said 'bye' and I left. 

I just ended up walking around aimlessly. Simply thinking. 

Should I take the leadership job?

Do I need to be with Eric?

Does Eric just care about being leader?

What will happen if he finds out I'm divergent? 

"Hey Lize. What you doing?" someone abruptly questioned. I looked up and found Zane, looking at me with care. 

"Huh" I started. "Oh, nothing. Just thinking" I said as I leant against a near by wall. 

Zane walked closer and leant against the wall as well. "Are you alright?" he sympathetically asked. 

"Oh, no, no, no! I mean, why wouldn't I be alright. I'm great!" I said in a rush. But I could tell Zane didn't believe a word I had said. I was a bad liar, a lot of the time. 

"Seriously Lize, what's wrong? You've helped me so much and I would love to return the favour" he proclaimed. 

I just sighed wistfully in return. "Was I that obvious today at breakfast?" I cringed. 

"Yeah" he replied with big emphasis. "But don't worry about that. Tell me what's on your mind?". 

I thought about whether I should tell Zane about how I felt and in the end I decided I would. 

"Does Eric really care for me, or does he just care about being leader?" I questioned honestly. 

"What!? Who would ever put such a crazy thing in your mind!? Of course Eric cares for you" Zane announced enthusiastically. 

But I wasn't sold. I always tended to worry about things too much. And I always expected the worst. 

"Eliza, he never stops talking about you!" Zane confirmed honestly. 

"Really?" I responded in hope. 

"Yeah of course!" Zane shouted. "What, you weren't thinking of breaking it off with him?" he then questioned dramatically. "Were you?".

He didn't give me any chance to reply. He just continued on with...

"Because if you left him that would break his heart".

"Pfft. I am sorry Zane, but I don't think anyone could break his heart" I commented. 

"Pfft, well I am sorry Eliza. But I have known him almost all of my life and I know he really likes you because I have never seen him with anyone else, the way he is with you" Zane passionately responded. He paused for a bit then continued... "You've changed him, you know that?".

"What?" I questioned, completely in surprise. 

"Well you haven't changed him fully. I mean he will always be the way he is, but... I don't know. Something inside of him has changed. And that happened when he met you. He got a little less cruel and he just became a lot happier. And with all the other girls, that never happened. So you obviously mean something to him" Zane answered. 

I smiled to myself. The thought that I made Eric happier was amazing. He had been through a lot, what with his sister dying and all, and I had managed to make him happier. 

"Thanks Zane. I feel a lot better" I said to Zane, as I hugged him. 

"No problem girl" he replied.