The Damaged

Chapter Twenty Six

For a moment, I forget where I am. The room doesn't look familiar and the beeping noise isn't coming from anything I own. Slowly as my eyes adjust, I realize I'm still in Four's room; laying in his bed, under his covers. But he's not here.

After quickly making the bed to Abnegation standards, I go to the bathroom to wash up before leaving. It's then when I see small pieces to an electric razor on the bottom of his shower; as if he threw it with anger. I don't blame him- last night was too much for him. I would've needed to break something too.

Right when I turn the knob of the door, I notice the garbage can overflowing with grey material and a watch placed on top. His Abnegation clothes. Suddenly I feel a rush of guilt; he was clearly going through something, and I was too busy sleeping to notice. I could've helped him, try to get him to not break anything he couldn't replace. Now I can't help but be mad at myself for doing something so useless.

Angrily, I shut his door and walk back towards my apartment. I only have a short time before work and there's a few things I have to get done first.

"Hello, Amalia" Eric appears from the corner I'm about to turn. My body hits his arms, I just take a step back.

"Eric," I try not to show too much emotion. We haven't talked since the day he exploited my past, "What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing. Just on a little walk," he smirks, "wondering where that boyfriend of yours is."

I feel my face twitch. "Not here. I'll tell him you were looking for him" I'm about to walk around him but he sets his arm out to stop me.

"I wanted to talk to you, actually. We're friends, right?" His dark eyes narrow, a matching smile appears across his face. The piercings make him look more intimidating.

"Far from it," I mumble, "I have to get ready for work if you don't mind."

"Wait, wait, wait. I just wanted to know what you know about me. All the stories you must've heard, they can't be good for my reputation" he takes a step toward me, I go further back.

"I've heard nothing that I didn't already know" my voice is as even as I can make it.

"You sure? Four must have told you more valuable information. You two do spend a lot of time together, you did spend the night at his apartment" he tilts his head.

My face begins to burn with fury. "You've been watching us?"

"There's not much else to do around here," his hand raises and pushes one of my curls back. My body shivers.

"Don't touch me" I raise my voice, pushing him back by the chest. He stumbles enough to hit the wall.

"Hey," he holds his hands up, "I'm just trying to be nice. You might want to change that attitude of yours if you don't want me to make your future here a living hell when I become one of the leaders."

I furrow my eyebrows. "You're not going to become a leader, they'd be idiots to let you have any power."

His smirk appears again. "Don't be so naive, Stiff. You'll see," he steps back towards the dark hallway he came from, "if I see Four first, I'll make sure you said hi."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The day passes by quickly because I do nothing but sit and pick something to stare at. All I can think about is my encounter with Eric this morning.

You'll see.

He clearly knows something the rest of us don't, but it syncs in with what we know about Dauntless allying with Erudite. What does he know about what's going to happen? Why does he care so much what Four thinks?