But Then I Met Her | ✓

Chapter 30

Visiting Day is tomorrow. It doesn't effect me- I'm an instructor, and my father didn't bother visiting me two years ago when I chose Dauntless, anyway. 

The initiates enter the training room. Today is the last day of fighting. Thank God. I haven't written down an opponent for Tris yet- I haven't even gotten to her name on the list that Eric gave me yet- but I'm sure that whoever her opponent is, I won't like it.

I write down Molly's name next to Tris's. My stomach and my chest tighten. Is she still mad at me for yesterday? I move away from the board, allowing the initiates to see their partners. Tris's is the last one on the list. There are three other pairs that will fight before her.

Will and Myra are the first pair up. It's obvious who will win this fight. For a second they both shuffle back and forth, throwing out a punch and then pulling it back, kicking and only hitting air. I lean against the wall and yawn. Zeke woke me up at two this morning to run out by the train tracks before I had to train initiates.

The next pair after Will and Myra is Christina and Al. After his fight with Will, he's been taking a few hits and then collapsing, which is exactly what happens here. Eric shakes his head in almost dissappointment.

Edward and Peter take at least 20 minutes, and Edward wipes that smirk right off of Peter's face. Zeke would say that he got his ass handed to him. I say he got the crap beat out of him. I remember hearing that Edward has been studying hand-to-hand combat for about six years. It shows.

Tris walks into the arena, eyes blazing with anger and focusing on the center of the room. Molly stands across from her. Tris's hands clench into fists, and I know that this fight will not end well for Molly. Whatever she, Peter, and Drew did to Tris, she's going to pay for it.

"Was that a birthmark I saw on your left butt cheek?" She taunts, smirking. "God, you're pale, Stiff." Tris waits for Molly to make the first move, eyes filled with more hatred than I thought possible. I never pinned Tris as the type to hate someone, to resort to violence to get rid of her hatred.

Molly starts toward Tris and throws her weight into a punch. Big mistake. Tris ducks and drives her fist into the girl's stomach. Tris slips past her before she can be grabbed, putting her hands up. Molly isn't smirking anymore. She runs at Tris like she's going to tackle her or something, and Tris darks out of the way.

Molly punches again, but Tris is fast, and blocks the punch with her forearm.  Molly lets out an animal sounding groan and tries a sloppy kick at Tris's side, but Tris dodges it and while her balance is off, strikes her in the face with her elbow. She's fast. I think. And strong. Molly pulls back at just the right second, though, and Tris's strike just grazes her chin.

Tris takes a hit to the ribs, but then stumbles to the side, catching her breath and analyzing Molly for a weakness. The position of her hands. I think. Tris seems to notice this. She meets Molly's eyes for a second, and then Tris aims an uppercut low on her stomach. Molly gasps, and Tris sweeps her legs out from under her. 

Dust flies up when Molly hits the ground. I wince when Tris pulls her foot back and kicks her in the ribs. Tris kicks her again in the stomach, then again in the face. Blood flows from Molly's nose and runs over her face. Another kick to her chest. I never thought of Tris as cruel, but this is a completely different side of her that everyone in the room sees.

I run over and grab her arm before she can kick Molly again. I pin her arms behind her back, hating that I have to do it, and pull her backwards. She doesn't resist, just breathes through gritted teeth. Molly groans, blood gurgling in her throat. 

"You won," I mutter when I've got her far enough away from Molly. "Stop."

She wipes the sweat from her forehead. My eyes are widened in alarm. I stare at her. Her eyes aren't clouded- this wasn't a move made in the heat of the moment.

"I think you should leave," I say, "Take a walk."

"I'm fine," she assures me. "I'm fine now." that was more for herself than for me, I think.

I can tell that she doesn't feel guilty for what she did. Whatever Molly did, Tris feels that what she did was justified.