Delirium (A Divergent Fanfiction)

Chapter Eleven: Crushed and Crushes

The bed closest to the door was where Peter slept. I glared at him as he took deep breaths. It would be so easy to just smother him with a pillow. But then I'd be no better than him. I passed by my bunk, tossing my leather jacket like the one each initiate had been given onto my bed. I opened one of two drawers under the bed and dug out a black t-shirt and matching leggings. I closed the door of the bathroom behind me and stood in front of the mirror, examining the damage to my face.

It wasn't too battered. My cheek was swollen and around my eye was darkening into a deep mix of black, purple, and blue. I slipped off my tank top, exposing the bruising on my ribs from when Peter had kicked me in the side. The bruise that stretched along my side matched the color of the skin around my eye. I pulled on the t-shirt and leggings and left the bathroom, finding my bed and falling into it. I laid in bed, unable to fall asleep. I rolled over to face Al, partially hoping it will be a night he's crying again, then he'd be awake and I'd have someone to talk to.

His arm was hanging off the side of his bed. I squinted and the little light in the room allowed me to see the tattoo on his wrist that I had picked out. Around it was marks from where my nails had dug into his arm when Kate was hanging off the bridge in the chasm. I hadn't realized how tight I was gripping his arm. If he was awake I would apologize. Instead, he slept soundly. He rolled over and I caught a whiff of his recognizable scent of sage and lemongrass. Usually, I didn't like the scents, but somehow, they were comforting. I forced my eyes shut and eventually I no longer had to make an effort when I fell asleep.

The next morning, my name was written next to Peter's on the chalkboard. I swallowed hard as I stepped into the training room. I was the first one awake as always, but not the first one in the room. Four was there and he stopped me as I was walking in, examining the bruising on my face. It was a darker color than last night. He ran his thumb over my cheek where it was a dark purple color.

"How do you feel?" He asked, lowering his hand.

"Like I got hit by a train." I answered. I was in more pain than I had been the night before. It hurt to breath. I began wondering if Peter had cracked one of my ribs when he kicked them. However, most of the swelling around my eye had gone down and my blurred vision had gone away.

"Remember what I told you last night." He said and I nodded. He passed me and left the room and I was alone.

"Four, huh?" I heard Hazel's voice behind me. I turned around happily and she smiled uncontrollably, pulling me into a hug. "I haven't seen you in so long, Max!"

"Hazel, I love you, but, ow." I said, wincing as she squeezed my body, feeling the repercussions in my side.

"Right. Sorry." she said and let go of me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her. "Not that I'm not happy to see you or anything because it is awesome to see someone who's not trying to kill me."

"I heard about the fight with Peter last night. Sounded pretty brutal." Hazel said, giving me an apologetic look. "I hope you got at least a few punched in. If he doesn't have a least a little bit of a bruise, I'm gonna be very disappointed in you, Amity."

"I got him a few times." I told her. "Did you hear I have to fight him again today?"

"Yeah." she answered. "Are you ready?"

"Not really." I answered, standing behind a punching bag and raising my arms in defense. "But I have to be." I winced in pain as I went to hit the punching bag with my elbow like Four had shown me. I had doubled over and Hazel put her arm around my waist and raised me back up to a standing position. "I can't forfeit or Eric's gonna kick me out of initiation. He's mad enough at me as it is."