Divergent UNIVERSITY ✅

chapter 50

Sitting in the interrogation room at FBI head quarters Brian waits for Eric to be brought to him. Eric has been sitting in a cell for days now waiting, but Brian purposely decided to make him wait. He hopes that his lack of speaking to anyone will make him talk."Eric, good to see you. Have a seat.""I was wondering when you were going to come get me.""Eric, you were advised of your rights when you were arrested, weren't you?""Um, yeah. I was.""Very good. So Eric, what were you doing on campus on Saturday night?""I wanted to see Tris and apologize. I know I scared her when I helped Al kidnap her, but I didn't mean to.""Eric, do you understand that she has a restraining order against you? You aren't supposed to be within five hundred yards of her or her place of residence.""I know, but I needed to talk to her. I swear I just wanted to talk. I didn't want to hurt her.""Did you hurt her, Eric? Did you help that girl hurt Tris?""What? No… No way. I had nothing to do with that. That girl could have killed Tris. I don't want her dead, I want her to be my girlfriend. I would never want to hurt her like that.""But you did hurt her Eric, when you kidnapped her. You had her tied up. You ripped her clothes off of her.""No. I didn't do that, Al did that. I just watched her. And I was just going to show her how much I love her by making love to her."Brian scowls at Eric but he has to maintain his calm right now."Back to the girl, Eric. Do you know that girl?""I've seen her before. She was on the softball team. I spent a lot of time around the softball team. I used to go to all of the games. I liked to be around Tris…""What about the girl, Eric. What position did she play?""She really didn't play. She wasn't very good. I used to hear her talk to herself about hating Tris and some of the other girls. How could she hate Tris? Everyone loves Tris.""So Eric, the night at the fraternity party, did you see that girl before she hit Tris?""Yeah, she was hiding near where I was hiding. I was watching Tris. I always watch Tris.""What was she doing?""She seemed like she was watching Tris too. She was talking to herself a lot. She was mumbling about things I couldn't understand. I think she might have been crazy."Brian smirks to himself."Okay Eric. While you were in the kitchen talking to Tris. Did you actually see this girl come up behind Tris?""Yes, yes, yes… She came up behind Tris and I tried to warn Tris. I tried to tell her to turn around but Tris was so scared when she saw me. She started to back away and tell me to get away from her.""Then what happened Eric?""Then the girl hit her in the leg with a bat. It wasn't a very good swing, it's no wonder she never plays. After she hit her in the leg then she swung and hit her in the head, and then Tris fell. The girl ran out of the house.""Keep going Eric. Tell me what happened next.""The hit to the head knocked Tris out and she fell into my arms. I was going to take care of her. I was going to comfort her, but Four walked in and took her from me. He took her and he wouldn't give her back. Then Zeke grabbed me and pushed me against the wall. I could have fought him but I didn't want to.""Do you know that girl's name? You said you were around the softball team all of the time.""Nope, she didn't play I didn't know her name. I knew that Kenzie played first, Jen played second, Tris played short, Shauna played third…""Okay, Eric. I get it. Could you identify the girl from a picture if I showed you a bunch of pictures?""Oh yes, I saw her quite well.""Very good Eric. You did very well. We are going to take you back to your cell at the federal prison.""Can I ask a question?"Brian notices that Eric seems to have calmed significantly. He seems more relaxed now than he did just a few moments ago. Brian nods to him to go ahead."Is Tris okay? Did that girl hurt her?""Tris is fine Eric. She is still in a hospital, but she is just fine.""Is she mad at me for trying to talk to her?""Honestly Eric, since you and Al kidnapped her, she's scared of you.""Al killed himself. He jumped off of a bridge. She doesn't have to be afraid of me.""Well Eric, she is. If you want her to forgive you, you are going to have to stay away. Only time will tell if she will be able to forgive you."Eric nods at Brian's words. He says no more, he just stands when the officers come in to take him back to the prison.~oOo~Tris walks into her room at Kappa house and she looks around. Something about this room and this place doesn't feel right anymore. She doesn't feel safe. Four comes in behind her with her bag that she brought home from the hospital. He sees the look of trepidation on her face, the look worries him."Tris, are you okay?""I don't know, Tobias. I don't know if I can do this. It doesn't feel right being here right now."Next Natalie and Bud enter the room. They stand in the door way while Tris and Four talk."Tris we told you that you don't have to stay here. You can go home with your parents or you can stay with me at my apartment. You don't have to stay here right now if you don't want to.""I feel like there is something else that happened that I should remember and I don't, I just don't. It is so frustrating. There is this period of time that is just gone, and I can't have it back, not now… not ever.""I told you I would tell you everything that I know.""It's not the same. You weren't with me when it happened. But I feel like there was someone there."Four looks over at Natalie and Bud standing there. They both nod."Tris you need to sit down. Come here." He takes her hand and leads her over to the bed. He pulls her into his lap. Although the doctor wasn't sure if telling her about her kidnapper being there is a good idea, Four and her parents thought it was important for her to know.Natalie and Bud walk into the room and sit on the bed next to Tris."Tris there is a specific reason you're not sure if you feel safe. And there is a reason that you feel like there is more for you to know. You weren't in the kitchen alone.""I knew it. Who was with me. I need to talk to them."Bud places his hand on Tris' shoulder. "Tris Eric was out on bail.""What, the man that kidnapped me was let out on bail? Was he the one that did this to me?""He was in the kitchen with you when you were hit. He caught you before you hit the ground," Four explains. "Tris, the person that did this to you was Sam."Tris just sits there for a moment, "She did threaten me. She said I would regret that I made her loose her position," she pauses for a few moments. "Are you sure it was her? Are you sure it wasn't Eric and he's trying to blame it on someone else?""Lynn caught Sam outside running away with the bat. They are running DNA testing on the bat now, but that takes time. The thing is, I saw a girl run out of the house with a bat and Eric had no chance to hide one from the time I heard you scream to when I entered the kitchen. You had just slumped into his arms."Tris sits and thinks for a while. She looks around this room and suddenly she feels so out of place here."I don't want to be here. I want to go home.""You can come home with us," Natalie says immediately. "But what about school?""I need to see if I can switch my classes to online classes or something. But I can't do this here, not right now.""Well, it's early in the day. Why don't we go see the dean and see what we can do," Bud says.

~oOo~

Marlene mopes around Kappa house. It's been a week since Tris moved back home to her parents' house and she's miserable. She and Tris became close over the past four years of playing ball together and like sisters since they lived together for the past year. She sits in her bedroom and starts to work on some homework. Christina and Lynn walk in to see their miserable friend."Mar, you can't mope around like this forever," Christina says."Sure I can, watch me.""Mar, she'll be back next semester," Lynn says trying to sound convincing."What if she doesn't and who can blame her? She was assaulted here at this school. She can't possibly feel safe here.""She's going to come back for softball. She's never going to agree to missing two seasons of playing ball. It's got to be driving her crazy to be stuck in that leg brace and not being able to do anything," Christina says."Have you talked to her since she left?" Lynn asks."No, I didn't want to bother her.""I think it's time for a road trip," Christina says. "I'm going to grab Uri and Will and we're going.""I have practice in about a half hour," Marlene says."Then we'll leave after your practice," Lynn says.Marlene agrees and starts to get ready for practice.She walks out of the house to the ball field alone. She hasn't made this walk alone since her first day, before she knew anyone. She looks around and notices all of the changes to campus since she was a freshman. It is amazing how things grow and change over four years.She gets to practice and sees Four there. He's still the team doctor even if Tris isn't here."Four, we were going to see Tris tonight. What are you and Zeke up to?""Well, Zeke and Zia are already there. Zia goes almost every day either before or after work since she lives so close. Zeke met Zia there after he was done at the academy and I'm heading out just after this practice. Did you guys call Natalie and Bud to warn them that they are going to be invaded by college students?"Marlene smirks, "Didn't even think about that. I guess I better call her and make sure it's okay.""I'll call, you go practice. You guys are going to need it this for this team, they are undefeated so far."Marlene nods as she finishes putting on her gear. She walks out onto the field as Four picks up his phone and calls Bud."Hey Bud, Marlene just informed me that they wanted to come visit Tris tonight. I told her I'd check to see if that was okay with you and Natalie.""It's fine Four. But we better get the air mattresses out for down in the Man Cave.""Yeah, are Zeke and Zia already there?""Zia was off today, so she's been here all day while Nat and I were at the parlor. Zeke got here about a half hour ago I guess. Zeke carried Tris out onto the patio, so they've been out there for about a half hour or so.""Tris let him carry her?" Four asks shocked."He didn't give her a choice. He picked her up kicking and screaming," Bud says with a giggle in the words."I figured. Well, I guess we'll all be there after this practice then.""See you later then."