The Distance Between Us | Eric Coulter

twenty-two

Things between Eric and I were far from back to normal. Neither of us are willing to greet the other when we pass each other in the hallways, but I guess one good thing that came out of this is that Eric has returned my mattress to me.

When I returned to the dorms after my talk with Eric, I found everyone gathered around my bed, whispering. Honestly, I was prepared to find a dead rat or something on there with the reaction that it's garnered, but instead, all I found was that my metal bed frame now spotted a mattress.

I almost wept in joy when I first laid down and my back is still grateful to have it back (not to Eric though, he can suck it).

I'm sleeping like a fucking baby, enjoying my mattress when the lights flicker on and the loud banging sound I normally associate with mornings sound through the room.

"Everyone up!" Four's voice sounds through the room.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I groaned, pulling my blanket over my head.

I hear footsteps approaching me amongst the sound of the other initiates scrambling to get out of bed moments before my blanket is yanked off of me.

I glare up at Eric's looming form and his face falls as he curses under his breath. I don't miss the way he shifts his body to shield me from everyone else's view as I shove myself out of bed.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" He demands as I straighten up in front of him, "You look like you're going to a fucking sex club."

Looking down at my night gown that I love and I have to admit that they're a little more lacy than I prefer, but they're the most comfortable thing ever. "What? Have you never seen pyjamas before? What the fuck are you wearing? You look like a dipshit." I shot back.

Eric grits his teeth and tosses my blanket in my face, "Get fucking dressed."

I smile at him sarcastically and on my mission to piss him off even more, reached down to the hem of my dress, ready to pull my nightgown off when his voice bellows, "In the fucking bathroom!"

I scoff at the bathroom that offered no privacy, "Like it makes a fucking difference."

Waving my fingers at Eric mockingly, I turn my back to the crowd to gain some semblance of privacy like I normally do and start changing, making sure to slowly shimmy into my pants since I knew Eric was watching.

When I'm done, I spin back around to find that Eric hasn't moved from his spot behind me, acting as my personal human curtain and grinned at him as I put on my belt.

"Enjoyed the show?"

"Oh, fuck off," He grumbles before stomping out of the room. "I want everyone to be at the tracks in two minutes!"

His shitty mood happens to just put me in an amazing one as I skip past Four who chuckles when I chirped out a cheery, "Good morning," As I go.

I made my way to the tracks like we were ordered to do so, easily finding Eric's broody self standing by the tracks and wondered aloud, "Hm, I wonder what it would feel like to push you over."

Eric looks at me unimpressed, "You don't have it in you to do it."

"Really?" I raise a brow at him, "Care to test the theory?"

Instead of entertaining my question, he simply rolls his eyes and turns to face the tracks just as the rest of the initiates start to file in and a horn blares, signalling the train's soon arrival.

"You know, you're a lot less fun than I remember you to be." All I get in response to that is silence and I wrinkle my nose at him, "Fine, be like that."