Frozen Heart*Eric/Divergent*

39. Gray Eyes

"I don't want things between us to be different" was the first thing Dana said to me when we saw each other the next morning

"I don't either. Look, Dana... I care about you, I really do. And if it wasn't for Eric..."

She chuckled "You don't have to explain yourself,"

"So, friends?" I asked

She raised an eyebrow "Sometimes I forget that you were Amity and get surprised by your weirdly kind actions"

I laughed and crossed my arms in front of my chest "So?"

"Yeah, friends. Wouldn't have it any other way" she said with a smile

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I was about to knock on Max's office door, but the door opened before I could and Eric stepped out

"Hey, I thought you were with Four, training the dauntless borns" I said, furrowing my eyebrows

"Yeah, Max wanted to talk to me, so I skipped. I'll go now and train the transfers with him"

He leaned in, gave me a peck on the lips and walked past me

"Eric?" I asked, making him turn around

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

He didn't answer right away

"Yeah. Yeah, awesome. I'll see you in the gym, alright?"

"Yeah," I said and he turned back around, walking away

Strange

I turned my attention to the front to see Max already looking at me

"Saraphine, just the person I wanted to see. Come on in"

I walked in, closing the door behind me

"Drink?" he turned his back at me, pouring something into a glass

"No thank you," I quickly said, looking around

I didn't know why he had called me there, but I knew that when it came to Max, it was nothing good

To my left, was a blonde woman sitting on a chair

"Hello there" she greeted me with a blank expression in her gray eyes

"Do I know you from somewhere?" I asked

"This is Jeanine Matthews," Max sat down on one of the chairs, taking a sip from his glass "The faction leader of-"

"Erudite, right." I said and earned a nod from the woman

"You must be the newest addition to the group of leaders here, Saraphine, isn't it?"

I nodded "Nice to meet you"

"Take a sit, Saraphine. Jeanine was just telling me about the new inventions of her faction and to be truthful they are... remarkable"

"I bet," I said, giving Jeanine a fake smile

Truth to be told, I never like Erudites

Snobby know-it-all brats knew how to get on my bad side, even back at school

"Yes, it is actually remarkable how many great minds come to us every year. Many young people possess the power to-"

"Excuse my manners but, what is the Erudite representative doing in Dauntless?" I cut her off

Max was surprised and even a glimpse of nervousness flash in his eyes as he looked from me to Jeanine

Jeanine herself looked surprised but regained control of herself rather quickly and forced a smile on her lips

"Our factions may not have been the bestest of friends through the years but we do share a mutual interest and goal. The goal to keep our city and society safe and in the right hands" she calmly said

"I thought that Abnegation were doing a fine job, running the government," I raised an eyebrow

"You don't really believe that. What the people in power need to be is strong, intelligent... How do I put it- intellectual but still able to do what needs to be done"

I didn't stop the dry laugh that escaped my mouth at the sound of her words

"So, you want Erudite to overthrow Abnegation and seek power over the government with the help of Dauntless, right?"

Jeanine looked at Max "Smart...Was she an Erudite?"

Max chuckled and shook his head

"I would've known her if she was. But yes. I do believe that the Abnegation shouldn't stay in power. They are not as selfless as they pretend to be."

"At least they are pretending" I waited for a reaction but never got one

"So, what are you proposing? We become your personal army and march on the palace of the people in gray?" I joked trying to lighten up the mood but did not succeed in doing so

"I'm just asking for assistance for when the time is right"

"And you'll have it" Max said

I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow "She will?"

"Yes, she will" Max said in a threatening tone

"I guess she will" I said and forced a smile onto my lips, turning to look at Jeanine

"It was a pleasure meeting you, miss Matthews" I stood up

"Pleasure was all mine" she said, extending her hand for me to shake

Once I did, she stood up too, not letting go

"I'm hoping you and I share the same goal, Saraphine. I need all of the Dauntless leaders to see the world the way it is, and the way it should be"

"Of course,"

"United we thrive" she quoted one of the most known lines of the history of Erudite to me

"We sure do" I gave her hand another shake and turned to Max

"I told Eric I would join him and Four at the gym. If that's all, may I go?"

"You are friends with Eric?" I turned to look at Jeanine that had a surprised look on her face

"We uh, yeah. " I muttered and put a strand of hair behind my ear

"So you two are close?"

"I'm sorry, do you know him?" I rolled my eyes and shook my head "Of course you do, he was in your faction"

She gave me a nod "But you didn't answer my question"

"Yeah, I guess we are" I tried to make it seem like not such a big deal

"Hm" she didn't say anything else so I decided to say my goodbyes and get out the door