♘ Be Brave ♘

XXVI

I buy a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of orange juice, which I'd never tasted before, and sit down at a table in the corner of the cafeteria. I focus on eating my food, and keep my head down, the Abnegation part of me refusing to disappear. "Hey."

I look up, and see that Cassandra is smiling at me. I like the way she smiles. And how her eyes... I shake my head. I can't think about her that way. "She's off limits." Eric's warning echoes in my head and I hear it so clearly I'm afraid Eric's right behind me, daring me to steal his girlfriend.

"Um. Hi." Cassandra sits beside me. "Is this seat taken?" She pours milk on her cereal. "It is now..." I mutter, but she hears me anyway. "Very true." She grins, and starts eating. "So. Looking forward to today's date?"

I sip my orange juice, hoping she'll take the hint and stop talking. She doesn't. I swallow and say, "Oh, yeah." I can tell she knows I'm being sarcastic. "Listen, I know you're not outgoing, but at least do this for Zeke and Lauren. They're just looking for an excuse to go on a date. They like each other. We don't even have to hold hands or anything."

I sigh. "Fine. Just this once but-" Zeke sits across from me, and I shut up before I say anything stupid. "Hurry up, pansycakes. We have to be at the gym in ten minutes, so-" Lauren appears behind him and covers his eyes. "Guess who?" Zeke grins and pretends to think about it.

"Umm... Jeanine Matthews?" Lauren smacks him on the back of the head. Zeke laughs and pulls her down beside him. Then he leans towards her and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek. I blush and look away.

"Matthew, you ready for training?" I glance at him. "As ready as I'll ever be." Zeke talks around a mouthful of waffles. "You'll be fine. And anyway, if anything happens to you, Cassandra'll come to your rescue."

He and Lauren laugh, but Cassandra throws her apple at him. Zeke holds up a hand. "Fine. Truce! Truce!" Laughing, we head over to the training room.