Emergent

CH15-'Your smile is pretty'

"So they just sent you home? Just like that?" My mother questions.

I look around to see an empty room with a few cooking utensils out. No sign of Caleb.

"Just like that" I reply.

"I can't believe someone actually...died" she sighs.

"I'm still trying to make sense of it myself" I reply.

"Who was it?" She asks.

"I don't know. They didn't tell us" I reply as I begin to get tired of the questioning.

"Where's Caleb?" She asks.

"I don't know, hasn't he come home?" I ask.

"No. Does he seem a little...off, to you? She asks.

"I thought that but it's Caleb isn't it? It's probably just one of his funny turns" I reassure her kindly.

She nods and smiles at me.

"I'm going to get some fresh air" I smile at her.

"Are you sure you will be allowed? With all the dauntless police and the Erudite leaders scattered around everywhere?" She asks alarmingly.

"Mum, I'll be fine" I say as calmly as possible.

"Okay, just be careful. I love you" she smiles.

"I love you too" I say and give her a hug before exiting our house.

I step down the steep step and begin to walk in the direction Caleb used to walk home from school.

Yes, I lied. I'm not getting fresh air, I'm looking for Caleb.

I cross the road which is currently empty, as I expected. I arrive at the side road that Caleb usually cuts through. No sign.

I head towards the row of grocery stores that he walks past but never dares to enter. No sign.

I begin to feel defeated. I am tired and I just want to go home.

That's until I hear a laugh from the alleyway besides me. I creep up slowly and poke my head slightly around the corner.

At the end is Caleb laughing with a girl. I smile with relief that he isn't planning to destroy the world or planning an attack on earth with aliens, etc. He is happy. That's why he wanted to leave so early in the morning and didn't want me to come to school with him.

The girl moves a little and I am shocked at what I see. She's not just a normal girl. She's a dauntless-born according to her dauntless uniform. They share a kiss and I frown for some reason.

After all that grief he gave me for hanging around dauntless-borns and for hanging with Four. All this time he was seeing a girl who was dauntless.

I can't see her face but I recognise her voice. It's a high pitched, girly toned voice. She turns to face me and Caleb has his back to me. She doesn't see me but I can now see her face.

It's Ellen. The girl is Ellen. A grin breaks across my face and I move out of the way of the alleyway. I place my back against the wall and look up at the clouds.

After a few minutes, I decide to hear back home. Caleb and Ellen are still down the alleyway so I try to make as less noise as possible.

I begin to wonder why Caleb didn't tell me that he had been seeing Ellen. Or is it just an extremely recent thing? How long has it been going on?

Why is he hiding it? Is he embarrassed? Is he being careful? Is he scared to show people that an abnegation and a dauntless can be together? Or is it Ellen who wants to keep it a secret? I shake all the questions out of my head fiercely.

I hear my feet crunch on the cobbles beneath me. Someone places their hand on my shoulder and I jump in shock.

"Hey" Fours says softly.

"You scared me" I pant as my heart races.

"I know who died" He says.

"Who?" I gulp.

"You don't know them. His name was Euan Jones and he was a daredevil. He thought he was invincible and I guess he payed the price" Four says sternly.

"Oh" I sigh.

"Anyway, I'm not here about that" He smiles.

"What are you here for them?" I laugh.

"You" He smirks.

"Me?" I say confusingly.

"Did you parents ever tell you about the restaurant in the middle of Candor and Amity?" He asks.

"They mentioned that it was extremely expensive and that we couldn't afford to go there" I reply.

"Let me take you" He smiles.

"What, now?" I ask.

"Yes" He smirks.

"It's way too expensive!" I laugh.

"I've already got it sorted, will you come?" He asks.

I stand and think for a little.

"Okay but I'll have to run home quickly and tell my mum" I smile.

"Okay, I'll wait here" he says and walks to the wall so he can lean on it.

I smile and walk quickly towards my house which is just around the corner.

I unlock the door with my keys and I look for my mum.

"Mum!" I shout.

"In here" She shouts from the bedroom.

I walk into there where she is putting some of dads clothes away in the drawers.

"I'm going out and I probably won't be back until late, okay?" I smile.

"With who?" She asks concerningly.

"Four" I reply and I feel my cheeks light on fire.

"Okay sweetie, see you later" she says and kisses my forehead.

I quickly run into my bedroom and take my hair down. I put my fingers through it to untangle any knots as I don't have enough time to find my brush.

It looks decent enough so I walk out the door and speed up as I turn the corner.

Four is standing against the wall looking in my direction. I see his hazel brown eyes shine in reflection to the sunlight.

He looks so sexy. Wait, what?

"You took your time" He smirks cheekily.

I smile sarcastically at him and he chuckles silently.

"Come on" He laughs and walks in the direction of Candor.

We talk about different subjects and I don't think I have laughed and smiled so much in my entire life.

"Your smile is pretty" He compliments and I immediately blush.

"Thanks" I smile. I can't help but smile at him.

I get some sort of adrenaline rush in his company. He just makes me smile and laugh.

As we walk I begin to grin as Four cautiously puts his arm around my waist.