I'll Be Good

12

I wake up and look on the bedside table what time it is. It's one o clock in the night. I am cold and I don't seem to get warm. I wrap the blanket around my shoulders and get out of bed. I open the door and enter the living room. On the couch there is a figure laying. It is dark, but I can still see his sharp features. I walk towards him and stand still next to him. I stare just for a couple seconds. Then a hand reaches out for me and I let my hand slide into his. He softly pulls me closer. Suddenly I am on top of him, with my head on his chest and his arms around me.

'Eric?' I whisper as if someone else might be able to hear me.

'Sssh,' he says and I say no more. I don't have to and now I don't have the chance to fuck this up. I fall asleep.

-

I wake up. I am pressed between Eric and the back of the couch. My nose is in his neck.

'Good morning,' he says.

'Hi,' I say back in a squeaky voice. I wrap my arm around him and we stay like this for a while.

'I need to get up and do some work,' he says.

'Wait, I have to get to training. I'll be late,' I say. My heart is pounding from the sudden stress.

'You are not going anywhere.'

'But my ranking?'

'Don't worry. I have seen the time you had for your first time. You'll be fine.'

My head goes immediatly to the thought of him knowing I am divergent. He won't kill me, right? He hands me a plate with some toast.

'Eat,' he says. 'I'll be working from home today, so you won't be alone.'

I nod. I stare at him while he eats.

'Eat,' he says without looking up from his plate. I do as he says so.

-

I am on the couch with blankets wrapped around me. The day passes by quickly and I have mostly slept through it. Now I am just staring at Eric who sits next to me on the couch with his laptop in front of him.

My eyes drift away from his face and I see on a small table next to the couch with an empty glass on it, a piece of paper. On that piece of paper are names scribbled down and I see mine.

'Eric, what is that?' I ask pointing at it. He carelessly looks up. When he sees what I am pointing at he puts his laptop on the coffee table.

'Nothing,' he says.

'My name is on there.'

'You really think that you are the only Ellis?'

I ignore him and move forward. I reach out for the piece of paper over Eric. Right before I can grab it, he takes it, folds it and throws it aside. I am still hanging above him.

'Why was my name on there?' I ask softly. Our faces are close together. He doesn't answer. We stare at each other for just a couple of seconds, then he pressed his hand on my chest and pushes me back.

Eric doesn't answer me and I let it go for now.

'How are the scabs from the rope?' He asks. He grabs my foot, pulls the socks down and looks at my ankle. 'They are healing nicely.' I nod slowly.

-

I wake up and there is a hand in my hair. My head is on Eric's lap and with one hand he is typing away on his laptop that is on the arm-rest of the couch, with the other hand he plays with my hair. My stomach is making backflips again. When he looks at me I quickly close my eyes. He takes his hand away. My stomach drops.