Besties: The Tale of Eric and Four

Chapter Two

Eric's POV:

I open my door to see Four dressed in the pink pajamas I sent to his house. I smirk smugly, surprised he actually agreed to wear them. I suppose he really had no choice, but it still amuses me. My pajamas are the same as his but in black rather than pink. Dauntless don't normally do sleepover parties, but I hear this is the way you do them. If I want Four to open up to me about his secrets, this is the best option I have. I open the door as wide as it can go, then gesture for him to come inside. I have the room set up with two twin beds and a table in between filled with all kinds of treats. The only thing missing is the popcorn in Four's hand. 

"So, who's your C.O.W.?" I ask in a sing-song voice, as I take the popcorn he hands me. I heard some tween girls talking about this next to the Dauntless drinking fountains, earlier. Some new slang I'm trying to get the hang of. I watch as he takes off his shoes. Four locks the door quickly and shuts the blinds, so that we are now completely alone, with no chance of unwanted interruptions. This couldn't be going more according to plan. 

"What the heck is a C.O.W.?" He finally says, walking into the room towards the snacks. His voice indicates that he couldn't be less interested in the conversation, but it has to start somewhere. Building trust isn't something you can do overnight.

"I believe it stands for crush of the week," I say in a matter of fact kind of voice, letting my Erudite roots show. It might not have been the best idea, but I love correcting people. Especially Four. The Dauntless protégé leaves little room for me to show off my skills. Knowing something he doesn't is a small victory, but a victory none the less. I place the popcorn down on the table with a little too much force. I hope he can't tell just how in my head I am about this whole thing; how I calculate every move that I take and every word that I say.

"You have a new crush every week?" He asks. I'm shocked by this question. I never really thought too hard about the lingo, just that it was some Dauntless thing and not to question it too much. I see the way dating works here. Four's friend, Zeke, is a good example, finding a new girl to make out with every other day. But Four is, no matter how Dauntless he seems, a Stiff. I doubt he's even had his first kiss.

"You're telling me no one has caught your eye?" I ask, yawning. I probably should act like I care more but I just can't bring myself too. Four really is as boring as a rock. Nothing of excitement ever happens in his life. Just work, spying on me and Max, and then punching bags in his free time.  

"Nope, not really," Four says, almost too quickly, like he's not giving it any real thought. I try to think back to the people I saw Four eating with, but I didn't really pay any attention. Most of them won't make it to Initiation, so why bother learning anything about them? Until I remember the Stiff. Tris, I think her name was. 

"Well... I kind of like Tris," I lie, trying to start a conversation and hoping it'll progress to the deeper things I really want to know about Four. But if I start with the harder questions, he'll get more suspicious than I suspect he already is. If I knew he'd be this big of a thorn in my side, I would have tried to be nicer to him during Initiation. 

I notice Four as his muscles going tense and his fists clench at his sides. I think I hit a nerve, but what did I say that got this kind of reaction out of him? He still wears the same bored expression he did five minutes ago, but in a way that makes it seem synthetic.

"Really?" he says like he's disgusted by the thought completely, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly do you like about her?" 

"Well... Let's see..." I start with a huff. I barely noticed her so it's a bit hard to think of a list of things that attract me to her. "She was wearing gray clothes on her first day here. You said she was the first jumper? That takes guts, especially from a Stiff." I pause for a moment, struggling to keep the list going. "And I can't resist a girl who seems serious all the time. Her voice is deep and genuine. Almost a little intimidating." My words slow as I try to sound genuine. 

"Well, I heard that Tris likes a guy with no piercings. And she also likes manly men, not men who throw slumber parties and dress up," Four spits, trying to insult me more than listen to the words I'm saying. Maybe there is too much bad blood between us to try and repair it. I think for a brief moment that all my efforts are in vain, but I can't think like that. I have a mission I will complete, one way or another.

I look at Four blankly. "Oh well, I guess I'll just get over her." I try to keep a straight face, but I can't help but smirk before announcing, "Done!"

"Good. Now let's never speak of this again," he says quickly.

"I agree, it's pretty embarrassing to like Tris after all," I puff out. "I mean with her split ends, and constant need to comment on everything. The way she feels entitled to jump first like it's her right, or like she wants to be dead. She's just so weak and pathetic and small and ugly. The only kind of guy that would be attracted to her is someone with serious daddy issues who feels intimidated being next to someone even a little on the same level," I say, only half joking.