Chasing Amy (Complete)

1

"Amy Santiago did not return in time for her Dauntless leader test, and she still hasn't arrived at the compound. She left a note, though, saying she was leaving. I don't know what to do," Eric, my son, says over the phone.
"I can't believe she'd do this. She really wanted to be a leader!" I say. And it's true. It was Amy's dream to be the youngest head leader of Dauntless one day, but she wouldn't be able to do so if she didn't complete the training and final test. I massage the bridge of my nose, sighing in frustration.
"What should I do?" Eric asks.
"Our factions should create a small search party. She can't have gone far, and with the soldiers guarding the wall she can't have escaped," I answer and hang up without notice. I'm not in the mood to discuss this, and I already have a plan in mind.
Later that night, I set out to find Amy. I made a list of all the places she could be in, and even brought a phone in case she calls. I throw it all in a backpack, and impulsively decide to bring a water bottle too. I don't know when I'll be returning.
The receptionist of my apartment building stares at me weirdly. I'm not wearing my usual professional attire, but a navy t-shirt, dark blue leggings, and a light blue sweatshirt tied around my waist. My hair is probably tousled and messy, I didn't bother looking in the mirror before leaving.
"You going somewhere, Jeanine?" She asks. I give her a death glare, and she returns to whatever she was doing. I can see the reflection of her computer screen in her glasses, though, she's watching pornography. I make a mental note to fire her when and if I return.
I'm about to cross the train tracks when I suddenly feel the rumble of a train in the distance. I stand and wait as it passes by, but it's not empty. It's filled with factionless. They're all ignoring me, feasting on some chicken they stole from the Amity. In the last car, though, I see a familiar figure. Brown, curly hair, slim body, pale skin, a hooked nose, grey eyes. The woman stares at me from her position by the doorway, and I can see her mouth something.
"Evelyn," I say out loud, and she hops out of the train.
"Look who's trying to run away! Jeanine fucking Matthews, smart-ass, Erudite leader. Don't you have a faction you should be killing off?" She snarls, grinning.
"I'm not running away, I'm looking for someone!" I say, trying to not sound as hostile as I feel.
"You never called," Evelyn suddenly says, clearly hurt.
"You disappeared! I tried to reach out to you, and Marcus answered the phone. I had to pretend I wanted to talk to him about something! It was humiliating!" I say.
"Well, I guess we're just not meant to be, then," Evelyn says, looking down. I touch her soft cheek with my hand.
"It's never to late to try again," I say. Evelyn shakes her head.
"With Marcus still alive, I'm still legally married to him. I won't be released from those ties until one of us is dead!" Evelyn exclaims. I didn't think about that. The Abnegation think divorce is selfish, so they don't indulge in that.
Evelyn tucks her hair behind her ear, tears forming in her eyes. She's clearly struggling to find words.
"I'll help you kill Marcus so that we can be together," I suggest.
"I don't know, Jeanine. Maybe it's just not meant to be."
Evelyn's words feel like a shotgun shot to the heart. I stand still as she walks away, through the forest. It's really depressing, so I redirect my thoughts back to Amy.
By the time morning comes, my eyes are burning with fatigue. I've spent all night sneaking around the Dauntless compound, trying not to be recognized. One person did, though. Beatrice Prior.
"But did you get any new calls?" She asks. Beatrice, or Tris as she goes by now, has insisted on helping me find Amy, which is a very Abnegation move on her side. I start to wonder if she could be divergent, but that's not my current priority.
I check my phone. No new notifications. I shake my head.
"Try calling her. Maybe she'll pick up now," Tris says.
"Fine," I say, dialing Amy's number. It goes straight to voicemail. I show the screen to Tris before putting it back in my pocket. Tris looks worried, and I don't blame her. She knew Amy well, having been in the same faction, and appears heartbroken by her disappearance. We've searched every place on my list, and suddenly a new idea pops up in my mind.
"What if Amy doesn't want to be found?"