"Do you know where his corridor is?" Lucas asked as we wandered through several hallways.
"Maybe it's the one right here that said 'Four' on the door," I suggested, pointing to the door in view.
"Smart ass."
I smiled, knocking on the door lightly. While waiting for Four to allow us in, I quickly straightened out my black, long-sleeved blouse, and pulled up my black, leather leggings I just bought.
"Jeez, you're acting like you're going on a date," Lucas joked.
I gave him a sideways glare before Four slowly opened the door, looking outside only to see the "famous duo". He stayed in the same attire as before, except I could tell he showered because of the strong scent of his body wash that filled my nose. Plus, his hair was wet.
"Hey," he said, pressing his body on the wall to allow us in.
Four had a neat little apartment, even though the condition of the building took it down a notch. In the far right corner, Four had a metal box frame and a simple bed set, along with a little dining area within the same vicinity. And in the far left, there was a living room area with only a couple chairs and a futon-looking thing.
Overall, it was a cozy area with a sketchy, abandoned feeling.
"Cozy place," I said, looking around the area.
"Thanks," he said while motioning to the living room.
Lucas and I sat on the futon-looking thing that had a brown cover. In contrast to its looks, it was extremely squishy and comfortable.
"Would you guys like anything to drink? I have Corona, water, and apple juice," Four asked, his head peeking out from his fridge.
"We'll both have Coronas," Lucas said, already knowing my love for the beer. Quite frankly, it is the only beer I will drink.
Four came in with two open Coronas in one hand. He set them down on the little coffee table in front of us.
"Here, I'll go get the food," Four said, rushing back to the kitchen to bring out the Dauntless favorite: the hamburger.
"Thank you si-. Four," I said, correcting myself only to receive a little smile from him.
We enjoyed our meal in silence until Lucas cleared his throat.
"So, Four," Lucas said after a little while, "tell us about yourself."
Four eyed Lucas, "What do you want to know?"
"Anything."
Four half-smiled, "I'm 24 years of age. When I am not training, I'm in the control room."
I nodded, "Where does your nickname come from?"
Four smiled, "That's a secret."
After that, we just became silent. During that time, we all finished eating. Four took away our plates after we finished eating and quickly came back, looking somewhat eager to speak.
"So, Adelaide, I'm guessing you heard about the new regulations?" He asked unsurely.
I shook my head, "No. What new regulations?"
Four sighed, "The rankings are now set up based on a point system. The initiates can earn these points through fights, practicing on their own, and training as a whole. At the end of the training phase, if you are below the red line, then you become Factionless."
I sat there in shock. Why in the hell would they do that? Aren't we supposed to prevent that?
"Couldn't they showcase their skills within the political level of Dauntless instead of being Factionless?" I asked, deeply concerned for some of the initiates.
Four shook his head, "My guess is that this year they are more strict about who comes into Dauntless."
I sighed, "It's not fair."
"It isn't. But, it's the orders they have to follow," Four said indifferently.
An awkward silence spread throughout the room. I was guessing that when he said 'they', he meant the newfound leaders of Dauntless.
"So," Four started, "how long have you guys been partners?"
"Three years," Lucas said, patting my back.
"Wow, that's a long time. Is it weird being separated for training?"
Lucas shrugged, "In a way, yes. Adelaide has always been with me since day one. She's amazing, so I don't worry about her."
I smiled, "Shush."
Four smiled, "I can tell that your making an impact on some of the initiates Albert, like Albert."
"You think so?" I asked.
"I know so. When Eric took them to run, he seemed more focus than he has ever been. That 's what I saw though. So far, he has been kind of the clumsy one."
"Speaking of which, how is training the Dauntless-borns?" I asked Lucas out of curiosity.
"It's alright," Lucas started, "it's mainly tiring. Some of them like to be rebellious."
"Oh no. Can't handle them?" I asked in a teasing voice.
He pouted, "Yes I can!"
I laughed, "I'm sure you can. Got an eye out for a lady?"
He shrugged, "I have my eye on one. Any men?"
"Not at the moment. What about your Four? You seem to be close to Tris."
Four grunted, "She has a lot of potential. I think that if she focuses on her training, she will be promising."
We continued to talk about random subjects, such as: Lucas and I's partnership, Four's experience, and what there is to come in the future. While time went by I noticed it started to get late, and I still had to meet with Eric.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"It is," Four said as he looked at his alarm clock, "7:45. Meeting with Eric?"
I nodded, "We have to discuss the terms behind station day. I won't be there for long."
"Just be careful," Four said slightly worried.
"Why?"
"He has a reputation of being somewhat malevolent. Just watch out."
I nodded as I started for the door, "I'm in Special Ops, I'll kick his ass if he tries anything. I'll see you tomorrow, Four, and I will see you in the apartment, Lucas. Bye!"
"Don't be too late!" Lucas yelled.
I smiled, closing the apartment door and walking down to Eric's. Is he really as cruel as he is made out to be? I honestly think he puts on the cruel act just for intimidation purposes.
Looking around, I finally noticed his name in bolded letters on a white door. I knocked twice, only to hear heavy footsteps on the other side.
The door opened for me to see Eric in a tight, black shirt and jogging pants. His hair was slicked back, showing off his delicate, yet sharp facial features. God, what a beautiful man.
"You're early," he said, his deep voice ringing through my ears.
"Are you complaining?"
He grinned, "Not at all. Please, come in."
Walking away, I followed behind him, making sure to close the door. His apartment was definitely better looking than Fours. It was very organized, and his apartment was in better condition. The only thing different was that his furniture was black and had a bed frame for his bed.
"Want a drink?"
"No, thank you. I just had a beer."
Eric came in silently with a beer of his own in one hand.
"Please, sit."
Eric and I sat down, on the black futon-looking thing on opposite ends. It oddly felt the same the one in Four's apartment.
He turned his body to face me, "So, station day."
I nodded, "Yes, what do I need to know and do? It sounds like a stellar idea."
Eric took a swig of beer, "The usual terms apply: no favorites, sneaking around with inmates, etc... However, you cannot stick with teaching them one skill. It must be a mixture, such as doing knife throwing, hand to hand combat, and gunplay in one session."
I nodded, "Sounds reasonable. Now, how is this going to work?"
"It will be sometime in the next week, just because the end of the physical part of training will be coming before we know it. The Dauntless born and transfer initiates will be mixed and separated into three groups, so eleven per leader. Since training is 8-6, with lunch in between, we will switch initiates every three hours. If you could, could you get a list of the initiates and separate them into three groups for me?"
I nodded, "I'll make sure to get that done, sir."
Eric slightly smiled.
"You should wear that more often. You look good with it," I said truthfully.
"Are you trying to flirt with me?" He asked, one eyebrow raised.
"No, just stating fact."
I smiled at his dumbfounded expression, "So, tell me about yourself."
"And why would I do that?"
"We are going to be associates for the rest of initiation, so I might as well know you," I stated blankly.
Eric sighed, setting his beer down on the floor next to his foot.
"I transferred from Erudite, ranked second in my class, and became a leader after that at age seventeen."
I nodded, "You have created a high-standing position for yourself."
"Well, that's what happens when you have a passion for this kind of thing."
I hesitated to speak, "There was no option to join the Special Ops?"
Eric looked at me with a shocked expression, "Not that I was aware of."
"Interesting," I said while getting up.
Eric kept his his shocked expression. What? Is he upset now that he didn't have the option.
"I have to go. Even though it is a free day tomorrow, I want to get some sleep."
I started for his door, ready to leave.
"Hey, Adelaide?"
I turned around, "Yes, sir?"
"Do you want to meet tomorrow? Like after dinner in the training room?" Eric asked in a quiet voice.
Wasn't he supposed to be the hard ass?
"Is the tough and grueling Eric Coulter asking to meet me?" I said in disbelief.
"Don't push it," he said, wearing a half smile on his face.
I smiled, "Sure, and I'll have the list ready by then. Goodnight!"
With that I exited his apartment and shut the door, making sure I got to the right area I came from once again. For some reason, I could feel a sense of want when I was around Eric. It was like he was a mystery, and I wanted to know more about him. Why did people think of him as some malevolent being? All I knew is that if I wanted to find out, I was going to need to get some much needed rest.
*At Four's Apartment*
After Adelaide left, Lucas and Four decided that after such an eventful and stressful day, they wanted to unwind a little but. And they certainly did after a couple beers flowed through their bodily systems.
"So... you and Adelaide?" Four asked.
Lucas shrugged, "She is a beauuutiful woman. She's smart, kind, but has the right amount of smartass and savvy attitude within her."
"So... why don't ya date her?"
"She..um," Lucas said in a light tone, "she hasn't had the best run in with love. And she made it clear that she doesn't want to date any of her future partners."
"Well, she may have a point," Four said, taking a swig.
Lucas sighed, "We'll see if that rule lasts.