Holding On||Peter Hayes (Divergent)

Chapter 24

The next morning I wake up in time to find out from Uriah that Tris and Four had arrived at the compound and were immediately arrested. They were then put under the truth serum in front of the Candor and Dauntless. Four admitted he is Marcus Eaton's son and Tris admitted she killed Will, her friend and Christina's boyfriend, who was attacking her while under the sim. "She didn't mention you, don't worry." Uriah assured me. I get up and have a quick shower before changing into a crop top and leggings.

I walk around Candor with my jacket tied around my waist, trying to find Tris or Tobias. I  search all floors, walking down them twice before scaling the stairs again. Soon, my injured leg begins to ache so I use the elevator instead. I press a random button and let the elevator carry me to the eighteenth floor. As I stride out I hear a faint scream. I run into the direction of it, into a room shaped like an amphitheatre with benches rising high from the ground. The room is dimly light, the light making the white marble glisten. The Candor symbol stands out in black marble tiles upon the floor. The Candor do like their marble. It shows how classy that can be, with their smart clothes and opinionated personalities.

I run across the levelled benches until I reach the top one. An arch rises above me, with a figure standing in the middle. I recognise her short, blonde hair and petite frame. "Tris," I sigh. The girl shoots around and looks at me for a second. She grins and kneels upon the ledge, offering to help me up. I shake it away and jump up to reach the ledge, my arms shaking slightly as I lift my hips against the stone. I swing one leg into the ledge and then the other, landing on my hands and knees. I rise up, lean against the arch and stare out at the city buildings.

"You made it here yesterday, I heard." Tris says. I nod, folding my arms.

"I'm hoping you weren't going to jump." I gaze at Tris, seeing that she's got her eyes trained at the pavement below. "It's not worth it, you have people that love you."

"I killed Will, my friend," Tris sniffled. "My parents died for me too. I deserve to die."

"No, Tris," I walked up to her and faced the way she was staring, down to the pavement. "It wouldn't be fair on Four, or Christina, Uriah, Marlene, Lynn, AJ or me. We're here for you. Suicide won't help you when things are tough."

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Tris mumbles.

"I am." I reply. "My mum jumped the chasm when I was twelve. My dad abused her and that one day he wouldn't stop hitting her, so she ran out with me and AJ following her and she jumped. I was so close I could have pulled her back, but it was too late. I watched her fall. Her body was never recovered. From then my dad began hitting me and AJ."

"I'm sorry," Tris whispers.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." I assure her. "I grew up thinking I could have stopped her, that it was my fault. I was afraid that I was responsible for the death of my mother. But I wasn't. Tris, you can't blame yourself. You may have been at the other end of the gun but you did what you had to do. And your parents, they died for you. You were so lucky to have parents who loved you and your brother. Parents who would do anything for you. Dying for no reason would mean your parents sacrifice was worthless."

I glance at Tris to see tears rolling down her face. I put a hand on her shoulder and pull her into a hug. She hugs me back tightly. I'm only two inches taller than Tris, and we both have similar frames. Tris pulls back and wipes her eyes dry. "Thank you, Piper." She grins. I beam back, and together we jump back down into the amphitheater.

***

Not long after I find Four walking out of the room the Dauntless are staying in. "Glad to see you've made it here," I call out just as he's about to turn down a hallway. Four spins around and greets me with a small smile. Together we walk down the hallway at a slow pace.