Chapter Twenty-Eight

AND FINALLY, A BREAK FROM MUSH FOR SOME CALEB. Mm, some sweet Caleb page time. (I implore forgiveness for the rest of my blog posts, they're after the 2 AM mark, and my filter is gone). Needing to go her own way for a bit, Tris leaves the compound despite the rules and hops on a train to the Erudite compound.  She storms into the main library like she owns the place and demands to see a Caleb Prior, but luckily he finds her before she causes too much of a scene. He hurries her away and she's still stunned by the presence of glasses on his face.

They speak underneath the bean, which, having seen it with a bunch of fun art students last year is weird to think about covered in rust and deserted. Of course, upkeeping art wouldn't be the Erudite's first priority, but my little artistic heart aches to think about what would have happened to all of the pieces of priceless art in Chicago. Like, really, ouch. I'm sure any history buffs would feel the same to think how little seems to be left of the world long before theirs and ours alike.

They begin to quarrel as Caleb tries to defend his decision but Tris has bigotry burned into her mind from their father's speeches. All she knows is that the Erudite are seen as the worst of all and the enemies of the Abnegation faction she misses and that he brother is a traitor. She can't cope with the difference so she lashes out and Caleb, calm as an Erudite should be, tells her to leave.

She gets picked up by some officials and brought straight to the queen bee--Jeanine Matthews--herself.  She lies through her teeth when the woman asks questions that are clearly aimed at outing her divergence  and is brought back to a less-than-enthused Eric. Four jumps in and makes up a story about how she tried to kiss him and was rejected getting a rather loud and long--and soooo very fake--laugh from the other instructor. He leaves them and they have something to the effect to a makeup and exchange some soft words. He tells her that she is strong and she thinks to herself

"At home it was Caleb who was strong, because he could forget himself, because all the characteristics my parents came naturally to him. No one has ever been so convinced of my strength."

E x c e p t  f o r   P e t e r.

But you know, of course she doesn't pick up on that. 

They make it facebook official minus the facebook and at the same time Christina and Will become an item. Tris only congratulates her, and doesn't disclose her own relationship status just yet. It's too much, just then. We find out about Christina's adorable moth fear and then Tobias and Tris take a train ride to talk about something top secret: A war. Erudite vs. Abnegation until one or the other falls to ruin.

And, thus the beginnings of the emotional roller coaster came to climb.