"Forget what or who hurt you but never forget what it taught you."
I had been told to rest but it was already late, and dinner had started not long ago. Even though my entire body ached from the attack, I still longed to be around the people I loved. Pulling the sleeves of Eric's sweatshirt down over my elbows, I scooted off the bed and turned to the door where I slipped out unnoticed. I wouldn't have the nurse telling me to remain where I was.
The hallway was blissfully empty, the only sound accompanying me was my own footsteps against the concrete flooring. The closer I got to the dining hall, the tighter my chest felt. My heart had already begun racing, both in fear, but also in anticipation of what would happen when I stepped into the dining hall.
What would happen when I came face to face with Isaac?
The familiar chaos of the dining hall was more than welcomed to occupy my mind. The thoughts, and memories, of what had happened was completely drowned out. The tears that had swelled in my eyes when they landed on Roxy all but disappeared when noticing Isaac at another table. Sophia and Aiden was also at the same table. They were both unusually quiet.
Isaac sat at the table he always sat at, eating as if he had no care in the world or guilt as to what he had just done to me. There were no blood left, but I could see his nose were still crooked. It was definitely broken. My jaw clenched, a muscle feathering and my hands tightened into fists. Had it not been for the closeness of Eric and the other leaders, I would not have hesitated to retaliate, to get revenge right there and then.
How I wanted to punch Isaac again, the one punch I had managed to land had done a bit of damage to his face, his nose now a little crocked on the otherwise perfect face. With a satisfied smirk of my work, I turned to Roxy and the others at the table we usually sat at. Tadeo and the twins often joined us, just as they had done today.
When I slipped into the empty seat next to Roxy, it wasn't entirely unnoticed. Her eyes went wide before she silenced the gasp that swelled in her throat, and coughed once to mask it. Then she grabbed both my hands, forcing me to turn to her so she could assess the damage.
I hadn't considered how bruised my face properly would be after the beating. Roxy allowed a hand to travel to my cheek, gently cupping my face but it made me wince in pain because she had touched a tender spot. The pain only reminded me of how real it was. Isaac had really tried to kill me in the end. Sophia and Aiden had backed out the moment he changed.
"O, what has happened to you?" Roxy whispered, trying to make me look at her but I was unable to for a while because Isaac and his friends choose to become unbearably loud at that moment. Cupping the hand resting on my cheek, I removed it, only to wrap my own hand around hers. It was first then I raised my eyes to hers, they had gone wide with worry and disbelief as she took in every injuries on my face.
"It's nothing." I whispered, scooting closer to her. My arms then wrapped around her frame, embracing her. Roxy didn't hesitate to give me what I sought. Her arms wrapped tightly around me as well, pulling me into a tight embrace. Tears swelled in my eyes and I was unable to keep it down as I only tightened the embrace, really needing it. Roxy does the same and I wince because she accidentally hit my already bent rib, but I didn't let go of her at all.
Roxy exhaled deeply and complied with my need, letting me hold onto her for as long as I need. "O, this is clearly not nothing." Roxy tried, carefully retracting her arms to grab my shoulders, guiding me away from her. Our eyes meet and I quickly dried the tears away, it made Roxy tense and she helped me. Her small hands gently cupping my cheeks again, drying away the tears that was escaping.
"Who did this to you?" Roxy whispered and at that point I became aware that everyone around the table was watching us. Tadeo who sat behind me, placed a hand on my thigh and squeezed gently before removing the hand again. A gesture that allowed me to know, he was there if I needed him.
Unfortunately, or luckily, whichever fits better, Isaac decided to speak up about his belief that the only reason I've become this good is because I've been sleeping with one of our instructors. Roxy's entire body go rigid, but she is not the only one who stalls and I'm forced to grab her hands, once again removing them from my cheeks.
"Did he do this?" Tadeo then asked before the question could leave Roxy, they had all guessed the truth. I barely had to nod, letting them know the answer to the question before Tadeo's hand returned to my thigh, squeezing just a bit tighter and remaining where it was this time. "I can't believe he would—" Tadeo said through gritted teeth, but I didn't allow him to finish that sentence.
Tadeo trailed off the moment my hand found his. I grab it tightly and return a gentle squeeze before turning towards Isaac and the others beside the table we were seated at. "It was them, Isaac, Sophia and Aiden." I whispered, still tightly holding onto Tadeo's hand. He didn't hesitate to tighten the hold as well when I spoke.
"Aiden and Sophia fled when Isaac tried to push me into the chasm, saying it wasn't a part of the deal, then—" I trailed off, almost having told them that Eric came to save me, luckily at that moment, Roxy hadn't been able to keep her anger contained any longer.
"The chasm!" Roxy exclaimed while still holding my other hand with both of hers. Then she suddenly flew to her feet, ready to go to Isaac. Luckily, Luke who had been on the other side of her, forced her back down before she could do anything stupid. "Let me have that coward!" She hissed, eyes fixated on Isaac.
Roxy's sudden movements had made me notice the figure approach from behind her. "Octavia, can I—can I speak with you?" It was Aiden. He looked broken, clearly regretting the choice he had made but right now I couldn't use his apology at all, he could go to hell like Isaac. He was a coward. The worst kind of coward.
"No!" I snapped at him while raising to my feet, releasing both Roxy and Tadeo's hands. "I will not listen to whatever shit apology you can come up with!" I screamed at Aiden, silencing most of the dining room. "You made your choice, now you must lie in the bed you made—You're a coward." Tears swelled in my eyes once again when I yelled at him. Aiden cowered for every word that left me, leaving him even more broken to look at.
A hand then grasped at mine, carefully wrapping around my fingers. "Don't speak to me again." I sneered at Aiden who carried an extremely painful expression before he turned away again. Completely unknowing of the full story some of the dauntless cheered me on. They properly thought we had dated or something, or that he had disrespected me, it could be anything.
I couldn't help but to look around, my eyes soon landing on the leader table where Eric had risen to his feet, halfway turned to us. He stood with one hand resting on the table and one leg swung over the stool, ready to act at a moments notice if anything transpired between us.
The small tugs on my arm, made me look away and to Roxy at my side. Her expression had softened as she urged me to sit back down with yet another gentle tug on my hand. The chaos of the dining hall soon resumed, the noise seeming so much louder in that moment as I leaned my head against Roxy's shoulder.
"Well, did anyone else hear that? She actually has claws." Isaac's voice traveled clearly through the crowd, reaching my ears clearer than it normally would. My body tensed and I straightened up into a sitting position. Very slowly, I twisted around to look at him. "Didn't think you had it in you." Isaac chuckled before crossing his arms over his chest.
"Shut up Isaac." Roxy sneered at him, trying to get me to turn away again but Isaac was not ready to give up just yet. He had noticed the scowl I was sending him, not particularly deterred he continued, ignorant of the closeness of the leaders. Eric was still standing, though speaking with Abby now.
"What? Is that supposed to scare me?" Isaac pointed at me before he mimicked my scowl. "I'm still so confused how you could get Eric to be interested in you when you're so ugly that even the blind kids cry." He laughed and everyone around him began to laugh as well. The insult was not even very clever and I rolled my eyes at him.
Turning from Isaac, already having had enough of him, I couldn't help but mutter. "I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and shit out a smarter statement than that." The counter was only meant for the ears of the people around me. Everyone, especially Roxy, laughed at my comment. It made it worth it and I almost regretted not saying it louder.
But it only fueled the hate Isaac had already portrayed against me when I turned my back to him again. Roxy smiled at me before she went ahead and pushed some of the food towards me. "He's not worth it." She sighed and rested her head against my shoulder. I allowed my own head to rest against hers for just as second before returning to the food in front of me.
The rest of the dinner went somewhat peacefully until something hit the back of my head. My hand jerked to the place, catching a small round object in the folds of Eric's sweatshirt. When I retracted my hand, I could see it was a pea. My eyes widen and I twist around to glare at Isaac. It had to be him, who else would do such an immature move.
Isaac doesn't even hide the fact that it was him. It fueled my own hate even more, making me bite into my lower lip, tasting iron as I tried to calm myself. Having gained what he wanted, Isaac stood up, carrying his tray in both hands as he took the long way around the table, so he would pass by me.
The moment he passed me, he did some strange movement and his cup tipped. Having been full of water, it splashed over me, running down my back and soaking everything from the back of my head to my waist. I had been ready for just something like this, and grabbed the edge of the table, throwing myself back towards Isaac.
My back slammed against his side. The impact painful but forced him to drop the tray because he stumbled. When the tray chatter to the floor, I was already on my feet again, ignoring the pain from my rib cage as I uncomfortably twist to reach Isaac. "Coward." I sneer the moment I throw myself at him, starting the fight this time. But Isaac had been ready for me when my arms wrapped around him.
I heard the soft groan that left him when I thrusted my shoulder into his chest. Isaac then released a loud laugher just as I managed to make him trip, causing us both to fall to the ground. It surprised Isaac enough to let me gain the upper hand by crawling over him, straddling his hips so I could reach his face. Without any hesitation, I swing my clenched fist at him, one time, two times, not hesitating at all, well knowing I would soon be stopped.
When strong arms wrapped around my midsection, I was hoisted off of Isaac, even off the floor before being placed back down at a distance. I screamed angrily, struggling against my captor but to no avail because I soon found out it was Eric, and the iron grasp he held on me did not falter at all, not even when he placed me down. I screamed angrily at him and buckled against his hold, nails even digging into his forearms in a futile try to make him release me.
"Octavia, enough!" Eric snaps at me. The seriousness in his tone is enough to make me stop my struggle, allowing Eric to shift his hold on me. He tried to gain my attention, but my eyes were glued upon Isaac who had been pulled to his feet by the leader named Val. "Octavia!" Eric try again and gained my attention simultaneously with Val pushing Isaac away towards the entrance to the dining hall.
My eyes snap up and they narrow defiantly at him. It surprises Eric enough to stall, or long enough for me to look away from him again. "Get her out of here!" Eric then ordered to no one in particular and shoved me away from him. Roxy quickly complies and jump into action, placing both her arms around me, pulling me with her as she left the dining hall.
It took Roxy, Luke and Tadeo to pull me back to the accommodation, I had more than once tried to escape them because I had seen Isaac. I was fuming with anger, a strong felling of hate I had never known, I could carry for any one person. I was ready to snap at Tadeo when he gestured for me to continue but held it in when he sighed deeply.
I could have broken down right there and then. My friends had seen a side of me I had not known I had. Tadeo noticed before he suddenly bent down and grabbed a hold onto my legs before swinging me up over his shoulder in the process. I screamed in surprise and grabbed onto his shirt as he began carrying me. "Tadeo! Put me down!" I ordered but he bluntly refused. The pain from my bend rib was excruciating but I would not let it show.
"I'm sorry, an order is an order." Tadeo said, carrying a playful undertone while he carried me towards the accommodation. This considerably lightened the mood as we all entered the transfer initiate accommodations. I was sat back down inside the room, and swung a fist at Tadeo, hitting him, not nearly hard enough to bruise but hard enough to show my annoyance with him.
Rubbing the place I had hit him like it was sore, Tadeo sidestepped me before helping Luke and Elijah to push their beds closer together, and closer to Roxy and mine. I threw myself down onto my bed, folding my legs beneath me as Roxy sat down beside me. Tadeo remained standing as the twins sat down on Luke's bed and Luke joined Elijah on his.
I raised an eyebrow at Tadeo and padded the empty spot beside me. Not needing much convincing, he sat down on the spot I had padded with my hand. "O, you really need to tell us what's going on." Roxy began afterwards, and Tadeo wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling both Roxy and me closer to him.
This gesture made Ly sit up and throw herself down on Tadeo's other side, he wrapped his other arm around her as we all sat closely together. Myra then claimed Luke's entire bed, lying down on her back and gathered her arms behind her head, like she had no care in the world.
It wasn't uncommon for us to sit this close to each other, we had spent many hours like this whenever we didn't have anything to do, talking and just getting to know each other. We had done it here but also in the dauntless born accommodation. "Okay, I will tell you." I sighed and shifted to get comfortable.
It was a long tale, and I left very little out, even telling them how Eric had rescued me from Isaac without going into too much detail. Ly had stirred when I mentioned Eric, her face hardening before it faded again as she lent heavier against Tadeo. Barely had I finished, when we all heard the rapidly approaching steps of someone running, quickly approaching the accommodation.
We only managed to look confused at each other for a second before the door was opened, revealing Abby as her eyes scanned the room before settling on me. "Oh god, thank you." She exclaimed before she hurried to my side. I lent forth, feeing myself from Tadeo's hold before Abby wrapped me in her arms, pulling me into a tight embrace.
"Abby what is wrong." I asked, urging her to release me but also because I had seen the surprised faces of the dauntless born. They clearly all knew who Abby was whereas the transfers didn't.
"They found a body at the bottom of the chasm. I feared that coward had returned to finish what he started—I'm so sorry to frighten you like this, I just had to make sure you were alright." Abby's voice sounded frightened as she cupped my face with her hands, forcing me to look at her just as the door was opened again.
"Who is it then?" Luke spoke up and we all turned to him but before Abby could reply, another voice interrupted the silence of the room. My eyes snap to the figure in the door, already knowing who it was before even looking. The voice painfully familiar.
"It's Aiden." Eric sighed, entering the light enough for everyone to see him. Everyone was looking at him, but the twins had become rather strange as they always did around him. Myra had jerked upright, swinging her legs out over the edge of the bed, ready to get up at a moments notice. They weren't really allowed in the initiate accommodations and I feared Eric would scold them.
"Four has reviewed the security tapes and apparently he jumped voluntarily, no one else had any implications with the jump. Max has already ruled it a suicide." Eric explained before he crossed his arms against his chest. Suicide? Aiden had chosen to end his life. Was it because of what I said, or was it because of what he had done.
Tears swelled in my eyes again and Roxy started sobbing beside me. My eyes had gone wide because I was unable to fully process the words Eric had said. My hand moved to cover my mouth as Tadeo wrapped his arm around me again. I couldn't help but notice the angered expression on Eric's face afterwards. He had tensed completely, a small barely perceivable twitch coursing through him. The only sign of the anger boiling within him.
"Octavia, stop your crying. He doesn't deserve your tears." Eric then snapped at me. "Not after what they did to you, their crime was not properly recorded because Gabriel was doing maintenance or something on that section. The proof of their crimes is gone, its only word against word and after the stunt you just pulled at dinner, Max has ruled to discipline none of you because of the uncertainty of who began it." Eric's words were harsh, but they were the truth.
Abby groaned, sending a glare his way that explicitly told him to shut up, but Eric ignored her. "They will not get away with anything else. I will keep my eyes on them from now on." Eric's words weren't reassuring at all. They had already gotten away with this, what else could they get away with.
This time Abby sighed instead and held a hand to her head before she turned back to me. "I'm sorry, he's such a moron when it comes to something like this. It's very tragic and will be dealt with in the proper ways." Abby gave us all a careful smile before she straitened up again. She grabbed Eric by the arm and pulled him out of the accommodation with her.
It left us all to the silence as we processed what had happened. I blinked before sinking back against Tadeo and pulled Roxy with me. I leaned against his chest as she leaned against mine. Roxy was still sobbing, and soon Luke stood up and somehow found a spot beside Roxy, on the already cramped bed, and let her cry against his chest instead.