Eric

The Friend

"Eric Seiglan." My name was called by the representative.

I walked confidently up to the bowls though I could hear my heart beat ringing in my ears. I guess I am nervous because it is expected of me to be.

I take the knife and grip it tightly, turning around to sneer at an abnegation giving me a disproving look.

I inhale and hold my breath as I slice my skin. I'm not one to be associated with pain regularly. But I will learn to. I exhale and can no longer feel the ringing of my heart beat, I just feel the stinging of my hand. I don't wait to gather up the blood into my hand, I just bring my hand over to the top of the dauntless coals and look around behind me and my gaze meets to Jeanine Matthews. Before anything can happen I hear the sizzle onto the coals and gasp quietly. It is done. I will be brave, but in a controlled way.

Usually at times like this, people would tune everything out to think about their actions. But not me. I breath in the cheers of the dauntless initiates, and the grateful smile of my mother. I see my brother point me out to my friends, and as soon as he meets my gaze, he turns away presenting he didn't. Well he's an idiot, but he's my brother. This is the closest we will ever get to love, in a sarcastic way.

I embrace the warm welcome one of the leaders, Max, does by griping my hand with both his, and shaking it, not too hard, nor too soft.

Soon enough we all run, climbing the rusted metal that leads up to the train tracks. With each time I reach my hand up to grab on higher I feel my stomachs twist. I am not afraid of heights but the excitement is almost to much to handle. I feel like I'm falling off a cliff and drinking a strawberrie fizzy drink at the same time.

Once we all are on top of the tracks we start running on the sides. The train comes, and somebody bumped into me and it scared the crap out of me.

"Watch it!" I yelled, more like screamed.

I heard the boy laugh to himself.

"Why are you the scared one? I seen you ride these trains all the time. Kinda hard to blend in at night when you are wearing neon baby blue pajamas." He laughed to himself again.

"Ha-ha." I said, glaring at him, and as I did, I jumped up and entered the train slamming my fist into the automatic opener. I was the only one who wasn't catching my breath. The boy was right, I've had lots of practice.

"You guys need a drink?" I asked, faking sympathy.

"Seems like something you would do." Came a voice from a Dauntless girl, half her bangs covering one eye. "Considering you've got an abundance of fizzy drinks."

"Are you accidentally going to get pushed out of the train soon?" I asked, high pitched. "Seems like something you would do." Mocking her again.

The girl got up and approaches me, taking each step carefully then once she is in front of me, she looks up at me. I'm 6ft 1 so I wouldn't blame her. She's about 5ft 5 but I don't seem to intimidate her.

"Your a little tall for your age," She states. "No shit -" "- I wonder, would you be able to touch the bottom?" I furrow my eyebrows at her, confused.

Suddenly with an unknown force of power, she hits both palms against my chest and I yell an unintelligible word, probably and mix of a majority of Dauntless stereotypes and cuss words I know, and she grabs my hands and pins them down to the edge of the doorway, my legs dangling off the side. "What's your name?" She asks, looking down at me and smiling.

"Give me two reasons why I should tell you that?" I asked, smiling back.

"Ugh well I only have one," she says pretending to be frustrated. "Your life, is litarly in my hands."