The Fear She Couldn't Face

Chapter 3

“Ok! Now listen up. We’re going to play capture the flag. And we’ll divide into two teams. Me and Ana with our selected members, against Four and his.” Eric announces in the train.

Four rolls his eyes, with his arms crossed. “You pick first.” Eric tells him.

“Tris.”

“No surprise there.” I whisper to Eric.

“Peter.” Eric says.

“Al.”

“Edward.” I say.

“Christina.”

“Drew.” Eric selects.

“Will.”

“Molly.”

It continues till each of us have an equal amount of people, except Four’s alone, and Eric has me. So that leaves Four slightly outnumbered.

Each of us picks up a gun and loads it. “These are bullet simulation darts that feel like you’ve been shot, but you haven’t.” I tell them, showing them one of the darts.

Everyone slings their gun over their shoulder and waits for instruction. “Since Four chose first, we get to leave and hide our flag first. Sound fair?” Eric says, his eyes drifting over to Four then back to the initiates.

I make eye contact with Eric before jumping off the train and onto the grass, everyone following behind me.

“Where are we hiding it this year?” I ask, as we run.

“Bell tower, seems like a good place. They can’t see it from where they are.”

“Got it.”

I hear shouts coming from behind us, the other initiates. “Guys! Would you shut up? We’re going to lose if you keep this up.” Eric says, though it is dark, the light shines on his piercings, making him look intimidating.

They all nod and mutter ‘Okays’ and we continue to walk towards the tower.

“Do you really think we should have sent the initiates out to get the flag all by themselves? One of us should have gone with them to make sure they don’t screw up.” I tell Eric, keeping a vigilant eye for Four and his initiates.

“They’ll be fine Ana, stop worrying about them. We have the best out of all of them. We are going to win. Don’t fret about it.”

I nod and looking around our surroundings.

”I’m going to go out and find them, I just feel uneasy about them being out there.” I tell him, walking forward a few steps.

”What are the Stiffs and rejects going to do to the best initiates there are?”

I chew on the inside of my lip, deciding what would be best thing to do.

But after a few moments, I start walking forward, keeping an eye out for anyone that could be out there.

I almost make it to the woods when I hear a shot. It sounds close so I run back to the bell tower to see Eric on the ground, sitting against the wall, clutching his leg. I turn to my right to see Four running into the tower door. I chase after him and shoot his good arm right as he gets to the second set of stairs, causing him to drop his gun. And then at one of his legs, so he can’t run.

I stand close to where he’s lying on the ground, to make sure he doesn’t try to make a run for it.

Hearing the door open once more, I aim my gun and shoot. Hitting whomever it was in the arm. A girl screams, and it is a familiar one. Tris.

Peter shoves past Tris, running up to me. “We got the flag. We win!” He shouts.

”Boo-yah!” I shout, throwing my fist in the air. I make eye contact with Four before I walk down the stairs and out of the tower with Peter.

Eric was up, but was still leaning against the wall, his lips pursed to try and forget the pain in his leg.

”Where’s Four? What happened in there?” Eric asks.

”I shot him in the arm, and the leg. And then as you saw, Tris ran in and I shot her arm.”

”We’ll have to send the nurse down here to get him, since he probably can’t walk.” He says.

”Drew, go get the nurse for the Stiff.” I tell Drew.

He nods and then runs off towards Dauntless HQ.

All the winning initiates sit at a larger table in the cafeteria, eating cake, laughing, and the occasional victory shout.

But myself, and Eric sit at a few tables away, where we usually sit, but this time without Four.

I look up as Four, Tris and the other initiates walk in and sit at a table on the other side, clearly avoiding us. Four walks behind them, and our eyes meet. He walks with a slight limp and a bandage was on his arm. As did Tris and a few others.

He turns his head, breaking our eye contact.

I take the last bite of my cake and wipe the crumbs off my lips. “There will never be anything better than Dauntless cake.” I tell Eric, leaning against the back of my chair.

He takes another bite and nods. “Oh yeah.” He says, his mouth stuffed with cake.

”Don’t talk with your mouth full dude. I know you’re Dauntless, but that doesn’t give you a reason to be a slob.” I laugh.

He waves me off with his hand, taking another bite.

I get up to put my plate in the kitchen for the cook to wash, and I bump into someone, knocking the plate out of my hand, hitting the ground with a shatter.

”Watch where you’re going initiate.” I snap, picking up the pieces.

”Sorry Ana.” Four says, crouching beside me, helping me pick up the shards.

”Why do I keep running into you?” My brows furrowed.

”Why do you keep this grudge against me? You’re determined to never like me, just because of what I did to you during your initiation.”

”Something like that, I can’t forget. Why do you keep trying to mend a friendship that was never there?” My voice pitched.

”I’ve told you I was sorry millions of times. Why won’t you forgive me?”

”You gave me a concussion Four! I had amnesia for weeks and I almost didn’t pass initiation because I couldn’t remember how to fight!” I yell. My voice much louder than it probably should have been.

He doesn’t say another word, but continues to pick up the pieces. I throw away what pieces I had in my hands and walk out.

Eric meets me as I walk towards my apartment. “What happened in the kitchen? I heard you yelling at someone.”

”It was just a normal trainer to trainer fight, nothing for you to go snooping into.”

He looks at me for a few seconds and then looks away, but continues to follow me down the hall.

”If you need me to stay the night with you, I can. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

”Why do you care all of a sudden?”

”You’re my friend, and…and I want to be there if the nightmares start again. So I can wake you up.”

”No,” I breathe deeply. “I’ll be fine. You can go back to your apartment. If I need you, I’ll come to you. All right?”

”You sure?”

”Yes!” I exclaim, but immediately lower my voice. “Yes, Eric. I’m sure. Go on back to the initiates and be the Dauntless trainer I’ve come to know that doesn’t care about anyone.”

”Ana…”

I ignore him and walk on without him, opening my door and locking it behind me.