The choices you made | Eric Coulter (Under Reconstruction)

x4. Hunger games

"Christina!", she yanked her friend's hand forcefully and broke her out of her thoughts.

"What?", Christina asked, little taken back by her strong yank.

"It's Tris!", she spoke loudly, which wasn't a good idea since it caught both Eric and Fours' compassion and they started looking out for her.

"C'mon, Tris, c'mon!", meanwhile, Will snatched her hand and pulled her in.

Beatris was rapidly breathing, looking good and fresh, like after a good sleep. No matter what Eric said, Ellie was delighted she was here. She deserved to be here tonight, just like everybody else.

"Hi.", Tris widely glowed, but the moment of happiness was soon long gone, because Eric, as always, intruded on it. Wherever he stepped in, the darkness was left behind his footsteps.

"What are you doing here?", Eric was impolite.

"I just figured that I had to make it.", she said.

"Who let you out?", he asked boldly and stood next to Ellie.

"I did.", she said. Ellie looked stunned.

"You did? Okay.", he sounded insensitive again and glanced at Ellie.

Her stomach began swiveling for unknown reasons, not feeling so indifferent as him right now.

Here it goes again, she thought to herself and looked at Christina for consolation.
Judging by the look in her eyes, she saw what Eric did. It was embarrassing again because Christina probably wasn't the only one.

She tried not to look at her colleagues and thereafter decided that there is no need to know if the others caught a glimpse of Eric's behavior No one could change stating the obvious. It wasn't her fault.
She never did anything to encourage that kind of behavior from him, heck, they haven't even talked that much!

"The game's simple. It's like Capture the Flag.", Eric announced suddenly, now placed behind her, picking up the gun. So lost in the disturbance, she hasn't noticed that the Leader went to pick up some weapons.

"Weapon of Choice.", he announced.

"You call that a gun?", Molly laughed.

The sudden bullet flew across the train cabin on the horror of everybody present.
Ellie was weirded out, but she wasn't scared. She was confused, her body was supposed to react differently. She was supposed to be intimidated. Why she wasn't? But she was sure that wasn't evident. Molly groaned and fell to the ground, in pain, holding her leg.

"Neuro-stim dart.", Eric pulled the dart out of her leg and demonstrated it to everybody.

"Simulates the pain of a real gunshot wound. Only lasts a couple of minutes.", he explained. "Two teams. Four and I are captains."

"You pick first.", Four told him.

"Okay. Ellie.", he said in one breath, looking at her and she stiffened.

Another wave of distress slashed Eleanor because everybody else looked at both of them.
Christina looked at her in concern though, as she could hear her heavy, anxious breathing.

"The pigs, I told you.", she whispered to Chris under her chin.

Eric looked at her again, trying to figure out what she just said to her friend. He was way too interested and she didn't like it at all.

"I'll take the stiff.", Four said, looking competitive.

"Oh. Picking the weak ones so you've got someone to blame when you lose.", Eric grinned widely.