Spitfire - Eric Coulter

Chapter XII

I eat something, after being applauded by my friends and almost squished to death by Christina.

"You were awesome! Thank you so much!"

I only nod. "How is Tris?"

"Not awake yet, we'll try later tonight."

"Okay. Tell her sorry from me", I say sadly. I couldn't go in there, see her and then say goodbye. I was bad at goodbyes.

She nods with a small smile and returns to Will's side.

Marlene and Uriah take me to get another tattoo. I see a design of the solar system, which would probably take up the entire length of my spine, so I decide against it, but a small snake with its tail winding around my wrist is small and delicate enough that I choose it to be done today.

They also drag me to a small cafe at the very top of the pit and introduce me to cinnamon rolls. Which I am very grateful for. Sammy joins us there. With a big ass bruise on his temple.

"Sorry about that...", I say as a greeting.

"No worries, you were really good. That move at the end...respect."

"If it is any consolation, my stomach is all blue too."

"You should see what your knee did", Sammy chuckles.

"What was your rank last? Sixth right?", Marlene asks and I nod.

"Well, you should move up thanks to that. Maybe fourth. You'll get a very good job."

I smile. "I hope so. Fence duty sounds rather boring."

"I might want to be a nurse", Marlene announces.

After a thorough discussion of jobs, a climb up and down the pit's walls and another shopping trip for boots, it is already time for dinner. And it is burger day.

Upon entering, I get that all too familiar tingling on my spine and scan the room for the icy blue-grey eyes, which I promptly find. And he smiles at me. Smiles. And Sammy sees it.

"Did he just do what I think he did?"

"What?"

"Eric smiled at you."

"Was probably mocking me. He hanged me over the chasm today, so."

"Sure."

"Sammy..."

He rolls his eyes. "Okay, I'll shut up about it."

"Good."

We eat together and then they invite me into their dorm. Which has way better mattresses than ours. Together we sit on Uriah's bed and play a card game called poker, betting with Marlene's hairpins. I lose in the beginning, many times.

"We really should have played strip poker instead", Uriah mutters.

"What?"

"When you lose, you have to take off a piece of clothing", Marlene explains.

"Hell no."

"Oh I bet you are so much fun when you are drunk", Sammy muses and I shrug.

"Can we play something else?", I pout, after losing. Again.

And Marlene pulls out a game called Cards against Humanity. It is completely hilarious and we spend hours with it, then collectively decide to just sleep in a pile right there.

When there is metal banging on metal we take time to untangle. Eric's face, when he sees me half on top of Uriah and underneath Marlene, with my one arm across Sammy's face, is one I'd pay to see again.

"Transfers aren't allowed here", he states as I pass him.

"Well, you sent away my only transfer friend so...yeah."

"Tris?"

"Yup", I say and hurry after my friends, grabbing one of the jackets and freezing my ass off waiting for the train. My brother doesn't look at me.

"What are we even doing here?", I question.

Uriah smirks. "War games. My brother said it was the most fun part of initiation."

"If it means I get to shoot you in the butt, then I am sure it is."

"Ouch", he chuckles.

And then the train arrives, of course not stopping. I hurl myself into the cart and Uriah stops me from falling flat on my face.

And then an unexpected face shows up, my brother helping her into the train.

Tris.

"And who let you out?", Eric asks her, his whole intimidation look back on again.

"I did", Tris states confidently.

"You did?", he scoffs. I clear my throat and his eyes flicker to mine.

"Alright."

A grin spreads on Tris's face and a grateful smile on mine. Eric sends me a nod.

"Alright, the game is simple", Tobias announces, "basically capture the flag."

"Weapon of choice", Eric says and opens the bag he'd been carrying, revealing a gun that looked like it had been washed too hot. But it's Eric. And he would never let us use baby-weapons, so I don't voice my thought. But Molly does. And he shoots her in the leg, without even looking. Something looking like a dart buries itself in her thigh and she collapses onto the floor with a yell. I exchange a look with Uriah.

"I'd appreciate you not shooting me into my very nice ass", he comments and I chuckle.

"It really is nice. I might spare it."

"How gracious of you."

Eric explains: "These are neuro stim darts. Hurt as much as a real gunshot wound, only for a few minutes though. I'd advise against shooting someone in the butt", he comments, looking at me. I blush, the others chuckle.

"Two teams", he announces, and gosh, have I never realized that his voice is incredibly sexy. "Four and I are Captains."

"You pick first", my brother offers.

"Edward."

"I'll take the stiff", Tobias says and I start to make my way over.

"No, the other one", he says, with almost distaste in his voice.

And so it goes on. And my name is not called, even though I am a good shot.

"The other Stiff then too", my brother says in the end and I roll my eyes.

Uriah sends me a questioning look from his place beside Edward.

"Four doesn't like you very much, does he?", Marlene asks from beside me.

"Don't know, couldn't care less", I huff, even though my chest aches. My brother and I stuck together through the worst things that could happen to siblings and now he'd toss that away, simply because I kissed a guy.

"Well, I still like the butt idea", Lynn comments with a wink and Uriah elbows her side. Sammy laughs.