The Devil Wears Yellow

15

Eden woke up in the morning to the sun on her face. Something she hadn't woken up to in a long time. She smiled and rubbed her eyes, but immediately felt the pounding headache and grimaced. She patted her hands against the bed and rubbed her fingers across the soft, fur throw. She enjoyed the feeling of a soft bed. Something she had never felt before. She sat up and sat cross legged.

"Morning," Eric said from the kitchen and she looked over. She looked back down while remembering last nights events. She didn't get black out drunk so she remembered everything. She remembered the conversation with Eric and held her face in her hands while shaking her head. Eric chuckled and walked over to her with a mug of coffee and a couple pills. "Here, take these," he said while sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Thank you and I'm sorry about last night. I hope I wasn't too much of a burden," she said while swallowing the pills.

"Not at all. I don't mind," he said and she gave him a small smile while sipping from the mug. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a bit of a headache but I'm fine, thank you," she said and he nodded. "Am I going to get in trouble for the fight last night?"

"No. We don't punish people for fights like that unless someone ends up dead," he said. "I've never heard you swear that much."

"I wasn't going to do anything until she brought up Brian," Eden said while hugging her arms around herself. She looked down and bit her bottom lip. Eric reached out and put a hand on her knee.

"She shouldn't have brought that up," he said and Eden nodded.

"How opposed would you be to a hug?" she asked while looking up at him. Her eyes had gotten brighter from being bloodshot and she had a small pout. He found it difficult to resist the look she was giving him.

"Come here," he said opening his arms. She leaned over and rested her head against his chest. He put a hand on the back of her head and rubbed her back with the other. "You doing okay?"

"I'm sad," she said against his chest. "And my back hurts."

"You got slammed into the bar pretty hard," he said and rested his chin on top of her head. He heard a soft whimper and pulled her back a bit.

"I'm sorry," she said and wiped away her tears.

"Don't apologize. It's fine," he said putting his hands on her cheeks. He wiped away her tears with her thumbs. "What are you sad about?"

"The situation with Brian, I miss my parents, and it's just a bit overwhelming. It's all so different and I've changed so much. I don't know who I am anymore," she said while holding her face in her hands.

"I think you know exactly who you are and you just aren't used to it. You've always been this way but being in Amity held you back. Why do you think you're one of our best fighters, best shots, best at knife throwing," he told her and she looked up at him. "You're still a smiley, kind, little softie but you're so strong," he said and she laughed a bit while wiping her tears. He smiled and looked at her.

"You have the dimples," she said while looking at him and his smile dropped when he got a thought.

"Eden, you have to keep being strong. If you aren't, the mental stage while tear you apart and you will be cut. They put you in a simulation where you have to face your worst fears. You have to find a way out or slow your heart rate. You're graded based on your time," he told her and she nodded.

"I don't think I have many," Eden responded shaking her head.

"Yea, I thought the same thing."