Divergent: An Untold Love Story

Chapter 13: The Proposal

*Third person*

All Eric could think was, "She's worth my time, but she's killing me." Sierra was attempting to swim towards him, but failing epically.

Eric finally gave up and pulled her to him. She was so beautiful. Green eyes that made Eric want to kiss those perfect lips of hers... But of course, he couldn't get involved with Sierra, or Jeanine would ruin him. She was a test subject, and Eric knew that in the end, he would have to give her up. But deep in these walls, in the middle of the river, no one could see them. So Eric could touch her all he wanted to. BUT, along with intimacy came danger. Jeanine had spies and trackers everywhere, so basically no where was safe. Eric pushed Sierra away, and it killed him to see a look of hurt and rejection on Sierra's face. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her all over, but not with the risk of Sierra being murdered in the next test.

Sierra couldn't understand. Since she'd almost drowned, which was about four days ago, Eric had pushed her away. Ever since they shared and intimate moment, Sierra realized that she did indeed, have... feelings for him. Yes, he had tried to kill her, but Sierra finally seen something more to him than just a black-hearted monster. No, his personality ran deeper than that. But he had pushed her away every time she tried to come to his aid. Eric told her the morning after her almost death, "I'm gonna teach you how to swim." And that's what her days had been like, after Initiation observing. Eric and Sierra came down to the river past the chasm at exactly 9:30 every day since. But teaching Sierra was hard, considering her size. She wasn't heavy at all for Eric, but all the techniques he had to show her were difficult. "He doesn't feel the same way about me," Sierra thought, lowering her head in defeat.

"She probably has someone else," Eric thought. Sierra and Eric were pushing away for all different reasons, and they literally had no idea that the differences between then would actually pull them together.

<•>

"Keep taking long strokes with your arms, and keep kicking your feet," Eric told me, slight annoyance in his voice. I did as he said, and I actually made it farther than before. A whole foot! "Before you know it, you'll be able to swim the whole length of the river with me."

I blushed slightly at that, and Eric seen. He rolled his eyes, and it made my heart hurt. I only recently admitted to myself that I liked Eric, and being rejected this early hurt like a son of a gun. Maybe he likes me too, but he's playing hard to get...

I took off without his say-so. I leaped for a small rock that stuck to the side of the cavern wall, and pulled myself up to it. Above me, I could see small indentations in the rocks. Hm, I could climb them. I ignored Eric's calls, and began to climb. My hands stuck into the rocks, and my toes dug in with them. This wall was like a skyscraper, tall and completely dangerous to climb. But I kept pushing myself upward, focusing on getting away.

*third person*

Eric climbed after Sierra. He tried calling to her, "Sierra, it's too risky," but she kept going up. Even Eric knew that the smallest mistake you made would mean suicide. You would fall to the bottom of the rushing river and die.

"Sierra, stop! If you fall you're dead," Eric screamed at her.

"I'm already dead, Eric!" She called back, not once stopping. "What did she mean by that?" Eric wondered, now over ten feet above the river. If he even looked down, Eric was sure to fall. So he kept his heart rate up and continued to climb. But when he took his eyes off of Sierra, the more nervous he became. "This will be hard to explain," he let his mind think. Oh, if Jeanine found out...

"Sierra! Quit messing around!" Eric tried once more, struggling to find a place to put his foot.

"No! I'm so close!" She informed. Eric looked back up at her. The black hair, her body shivering.

Eric watched Sierra slip. "Sierra!" But she was already back to climbing.

"I'm fine, Eric, thanks for your lack of faith," Sierra said sarcastically. Eric knew she was brave, but this was too much. Everyone who tried to climb this wall never made it to the ledge. Eric pushed the thought away and kept on going up. If even a wound was found on Sierra in the next test, Jeanine would surely kill Eric. He remembered her cold voice as her SuperComputer erased Sierra's memory: "If she comes back with even a minor wound, I'll do everything in my power to discredit you and your brother." Just those icy words made Eric flinch, even as he wedged his hands and feet into the wall of the chasm.

He looked up, and Eric breathed a sigh of relief. Sierra had made it to the ledge. But he hoped that she didn't have a scratch. . .

"I'm fine, seriously," I told Eric as he made his way to the ledge. I wished he hadn't followed me, because he didn't want anything to do with me, anyway.

"Are you hurt in any way? A punctured vessel, or a scratch on your stomach?" He asked me quickly. I shook my head as I looked around myself. Not one little scratch.

<•>

My mind stated blank all night. My thoughts were mostly of the near-death experience I had, and Eric. I can't bring myself to understand exactly why I climbed the chasm wall, but it was either to prove a point or I was running away from my problem. Which was the leader, the enemy, the blue-eyes thief who stole my heart. And I don't even know when. Maybe my feelings had always been there, and I just now realized they were there.

*third person*

"Meeting with Jeanine in ten," Eric told Sierra through her door. She had slept in, and Eric wanted her as far away from the Initiates as possible, because then Tris would tell her. Eric was going to have to try and convince Tris not to tell Sierra, because if he didn't, Sierra's life would be at risk.

"What does she want now?" Sierra asked, avoiding Eric's paralyzing eyes.

"She said she simply wanted to talk about the Divergent issue again. You know as well as I do that she wants to attack Abnegation in two months," Eric recalled, flinching as Sierra put her hands on his shoulders to move him aside. For the first time in his life, Eric was content. Of course, his little brother, Edward, kept him content, but he was in the Camp. Eric didn't want to recall the Camp. A horrible place that Jeanine felt in her heart was doing Edward some good. But, along with testing on Sierra, the Camp was anything but good.

"Oh, Sierra, please sit," Jeanine pleaded, guiding Sierra toward the blue sofa.

"What did you need us for, Jeanine?" Sierra asked, sitting across from Eric. She noticed wine glasses sitting in front of her, and cringed. She had never drank in all her life.

"I have called you in today to address a situation that recently came to my mind," Jeanine began. "You see, Sierra, I've been thinking. You've recovered so quickly from you're, uh, demise, that I have decided to promote you."

"To what?" Sierra blurted out, stunned at her outburst.

Jeanine sighed, then said, "I want to ask you to join the Higher Ranks of Dauntless leadership. I've been monitoring your progress, and you've shown the capabilities of a natural-born leader. The only thing you have to do at this point is whether or not to approve my proposition."

Sierra considered this. Was she ready to take on the responsibilities of the ENTIRE Dauntless faction? The question stuck in her mind, and Sierra sat there, eyes on her as she contemplated Jeanine's sudden proposal.

"Here, have some wine," Jeanine offered, handing the glass that was now full of dark, red liquid. Sierra took the glass, and sniffed it eagerly. The smell was strong and acidic, but sweet at the same time. Not wanting to look like a fool, Sierra took a sip of the dark liquid.