After Dusk • Peter Hayes 2

Keep Quiet

Please note: the wording the characters use in the scenes written in this chapter will not be the same as the movie but the scene itself will be similar!

Caleb and Piper hadn't followed Johanna, Tris, Peter and Four. The pair stayed just outside the compound they had all been taken to.

It was nothing to do with either of them and so they weren't exactly invited to follow.

It had been awkward in a way.

Piper had this odd feeling about Caleb, of course she'd never tell Tris that considering it's her brother and the only family member she had left, but there was something off about him.

She didn't trust him. 

Although on the other hand she felt for him, he was around a group of Dauntless run aways.

Surely he couldn't feel safe himself, although she was afraid he'd act on it. If Jeanine were to find them she was certain he'd be the first to give them all up.

She had been staring at him, knowingly, trying to psych him out, it had started working when she noticed him take a glance at her from his peripheral, then a second glance and a third. Then he started to shift uncomfortably.

Clearing his throat to make his awkward feeling obvious.

She pushed up from the wooden wall and walked around to stand in front of him, taking him in entirely, she hadn't had a moment to quiz him as of yet.

Tris liked to stick close by him.

"So" she started watching him lift a hand to scratch the back of his neck, "what's your game Prior?"

He finally made eye contact with her, unsure how to answer, not even entirely sure what she'd meant by that.

"I uh" he cleared his throat once more, "I'm not sure what you mean" he didn't.

Although the fear in his voice made her think otherwise, what would he have to fear if he had no game plan?

She took a step closer still leaving a metre or so between them, she watched as he twiddled his thumbs awkwardly, unsure what else to say and sensing from what he had already said, he had messed up in a way he didn't know.

"I want you to know something Caleb" she plastered a smile on her face, making another stride so she could place her hand on his shoulder, feeling him relax by the change in her tone and facial expression she continued, "I love Tris, dearly, as I'm sure you do" she stopped, looking at him when he hadn't responded.

"Yes. Yea of course"

She nodded, "she's never hurt you, but you know that" he nodded this time, "even if you betrayed her, she cares too much to hurt you"

She removed her hand from him and turned to lean back into the wooden wall again.

Caleb let out a small laugh to diffuse any tension.

"But I would" she added while looking out into the open space.

"Hm? I'm sorry?"

Still not meeting his eye, "if you betrayed her, she wouldn't hurt you" she paused, mostly for dramatic effect as a dauntless would do, "but I would".

She could practically hear the harsh shallow he had in response.

So she faced him once more, "although, you shouldn't have to worry about that, right?" Caleb nodded instantly, "good, I'm glad we are on the same page now Caleb"

The awkward silence filled the air after she'd spoken.

The pair just looked out at the grassy land, although the peace she started to feel didn't last very long, the sound of what she believed to be an engine had her brows crease. Pushing herself up yet again she squinted her eyes to look through the large trees.