Candor or Dauntless: Truth or Dare (Watty Awards 2013)

Part 34: Meoww!

We walk, hand in hand, to Lynn's room. It's a lot farther than I thought. He squeezes my palm as we turn a corner into a dead end. I realize, it doesn't end with a wall, but with an elevator.

Uriah presses a button and the doors open. Inside is not the box that rises and falls, no, it's an apartment. Lynn is sprawled out on her bed, clothes thrown everywhere. Uriah tightens his grip on my palm. I step forward and shake Lynn's shoulder. She darts upward, disturbing a large, golden cat at her feet. The cat hisses and runs away.

Uriah flinches in surprise, "That's Iratze. He can be...quite the attack cat. He must not hate you." I find myself smiling, the cat must hate Uriah and he doesn't hate me?

Lynn shrieks, "God, guys! You can't just show up whenever you want! You scared me half to death and just look at Iratze! He's practically cowering in fear!" The cat, pleased to hear his name from his master, stalks back over to us. He purrs softly and rubs his head against my ankle. I bend down and rub his head.

Lynn makes a coughing sound, "How does he like you? He's supposed to hate everyone but me." She says accusingly.

I shake my head, "I walked in and this happened." I say, still petting Iratze. Iratze stands on his hind legs and pushes on my shoulders. I gather him into my arms and stand.

"How are you doing that? He won't even let me hold him!" Lynn exclaims.

I shake my head, "Don't know." I say, barely a whisper.

Uriah speaks up, "You're like the cat whisperer." I smile. The cat's purrs grow louder as I remember why we're here.

"Where's Marlene?" I ask.

Lynn shrugs, "Don't know. Said something about seeing a faction leader somewhere. Don't know which one, though."

I pressure her, "Is that all she said? Anything suspicious about her?" The cat sits upright and licks my cheek with his sandpaper tongue. I grimace and pet his head.

Lynn bites her cheek, "Well, she was wearing blue pants. I thought it was strange, but she said she was trying something new." Erudite. Marlene was Dauntless Born. What use is Jeanine to her? Where'd she get the blue pants? Uriah must not have known as much about her as he thought, because his mouth hangs open.

Iratze pushes up on my hand with his head. I gently place Iratze on the bed and step back to Uriah. He slides his fingers into mine and squeezes tightly. Lynn looks amused.

"Well? Are you going to get out?" Lynn questions. I smile and turn to leave. Uriah presses a button on the wall, and the doors open wide. We walk down crowded halls and to his room where he pulls me inside. His eyes don't leave me as he walks backwards and sits on the bed, pulling me with him. He pulls me down right next to him---and I mean right next to him. His knee is right against mine. I raise one eyebrow and look at his face. I light scar crosses through his left eyebrow. I see a snake tattoo curing around his ear. I brush my fingers over the scar, tracing it lightly.

"Tris." He says calmly. I don't answer. I just continue to trace patterns on his face. A swirl here, a twist here, eventually, he says my name again and grabs my face, forcing me to look at him. I look, not into his eyes, but above them, lingering on the scar. I know if I look into his eyes, I'll fall into them.

"Tris." He says again softly. I close my eyes tightly, not wanting to look. His grip on my face tightens, "Tris." His soft finger tips brush over my cheeks, his palms warm against my jaw. I finally open my eyes to see his chocolate brown eyes, inches from mine. Before I can react, he's crushing all the space between us. My hands tangle in his hair, and his arms wrap around me. Eventually, he drops his arms, but keeps one hand pressed under my chin. His other hand falls until it rests in his lap. He leans back, pulling me with him, onto his bed.

A.N.

DO NOT ASK ABOUT THE CAT.

MEOW🐱🐈🐾

(Iratze because I had just started TMI and well, Iratze was a name in it)

PRONUNCIATION LESSON WITH YOUR HOST, JESSICA!

Host: "Today we learn how to say 'Iratze'

Lets begin. IH-RAWT-ZEE."

Audience: "IRATZE"

Host: "GREAT! YOU GUYS DID AMAZEBALLS!