Empty With You

Late. Shit, I'm late.

I rushed around my room trying to gather things to get to Marcus Eaton's house. I had already missed most of classes today since I had a late night. I spent a while just talking with Eric in his bed and right now my body hurt me. It ached from using so much force to take Jen down and stay on top of her. Not to mention, I had bruises on my arms from where her fingers dug into my arms.

"Fuck," I mumbled as I hit my leg on my dressar corner as I pulled my shirt on over my tattooed shoulder. "I've only been up 10 minutes and I already hate today."

I quickly pulled my hair into a ponytail, sure it was only 10 am now, but I had to be at Marcus Eaton's house by noon. Yes, that's two hours but I was supposed to be in class over 3 hours ago and if I by chance even showed up to class, I'd be stuck there getting lectures until god knows how long. Although, if I was lucky, maybe Gwen covered for me and they think I'm there.

Still, whatever time I had to come back home after class, I no longer have in order to make it to my lovely attitude check time.

I finished putting on some light eyeliner to at least look professional then grabbed my heels and stuffed my boots into my bag as I ran downstairs.

The house seemed quiet, so hopefully I could make it out of the hosue before my parents seen me. My feet ran down the stairs, rushing quickly and I was about to open the door when I heard the voice of my father behind me.

"Ariana, we need to talk," He spoke.

"I'm running late," I didn't turn to look at him. "Can't it wait til tonight?"

"Ariana Jade," His voice grew stern. "Now."

"God fucking damn it," I mumbled as I turned around to see my parents and Jack Kang standing in the living room. "Shit."

"Ariana, we need to talk to you about an incident last night," Jack Kang spoke in a very professional manner.

"About what?" I swallowed hard through gritted teeth.

"A few Candor seen you leave last night and they witnessed you fighting an Erudite," Jack looked at me.

"You had me followed?" I questioned as I looked between the three of them.

"Is it true?" Jack nodded.

"No," I looked away from him. "I did sneak out last night, but it wasn't to get in a fight."

"So you do admit to leaving the house after curfew was in place?" He questioned.

"Look, it's none of your business-" I started as he stopped me quickly.

"We have rules and if you constantly continue breaking them, there will be consequences," He folded his arms behind his back.

"Another round of truth serum?" I sighed. "Fine."

"Don't mock him!" My father snapped.

"You act like I'm not supposed to stand up for anything I believe in, or anyone," I pointed out.

"We have a justice system," My mother pointed out.

"Which is screwed up all to hell. You can't even trust anyone so you have to have a truth serum to hear the truth," i scouffed. "Yeah, so perfect."

"Ariana!" My mother seemed shocked by this answer as I rolled my eyes.

"Why is it that Tyler never gets lectured like this?" I questioned. "He's done some pretty horrible things too."

"Like what?" My father crossed his arms, daring me to out my brother.

"God, are you people that blind?" I rolled my eyes again. "He's the one who goes out to party with all those other Candor boys, drinking and god knows what else. And I'm the bad one."

"He doesn't defy us," My father snapped back.

"I'm done," I shook my head not wanting to hear anymore. "Ask Tyler about that Amity girl he got pregnant. She won't admit that he wants nothing to do with him because well Amity just love to forgive, don't they?"

"Don't drag your brother down," My father glared at me.

"He'll do that all on his own," I glared at him. "I'm leaving. If and when I come back tonight, don't bother speaking another word to me, unless it's to tell me that I was right and I'm not that bad of a kid."

"Ariana," My mother started as I didn't listen.

I was already out the door and walking down the street as she tried to talk to me. I was going to scream, punch something, maybe both. I was just so frustrated and hurt. I didn't even care if I was late to anything now.

I just couldn't believe that my parents would believe anything my brother would say when he's the one who got a girl pregnant. And all I'm doing is dating an Erudite who better not get my pregnant or I might castrate him. Although, having his baby wouldn't be that bad of a thing...

Shaking my head to clear those thoughts, I kept walking. Walking towards the Abnegation Faction but not walking into it.

The thought hit me, if Jack Kang knew about last night, did that mean Marcus did too? I already seen what he was capable of and knew he had a short temper. I knew that's what Tobias hid from me, but this time, I actually froze in fear before walking to the house.

My hands shook with fear and anger of today. That's all I would need is for him to be angry at me too. I'm not sure what would happen.

I quietly opened the door to see him sitting at a desk as I sat my bag down and straightened my clothes.

"You're late," Marcus didn't look up from his files as I slowly approached him.

"No, you said noon and it's only 11 now," I started.

"You're supposed to come here right after classes and you were not in classes today," His eyes looked up at mine.

"I've had a bad day already," I started as he glared at me.

"You're having a bad day, Tobias isn't feeling well," He rambled. "You two think it's all about you."

"Marcus, please," I barely looked at him.

"You think you can address me by my full name now?" His anger rose as I shook my head.

"Sir,no," I whispered.

"You come in here, complaining you had a bad day, after you spend the night starting fights with innocent Erudites!" He yelled as my anger snapped.

"She was far from innocent," I glared at him. "She-"

Before I could even defend myself, I felt a blow again, this time it was more of a fist to my lower ribs which caused me to double over in pain. I tried not to let out a cry of pain or frustrating as I caught my breath.

"I better not see any tears," He threatened. "Now, I believe Tobias has the assignments from today if you'll go up there and help him and get yours done."

"Yes sir," I barely whispered as I grabbed my bag and practically ran up the stairs.

I knocked quickly on Tobias' door which he opened with a drained look on his face. I was still holding my side as he let me in and I collasped into the door, slowly letting the tears fall from my eyes but careful not to make too much sound.

Tobias walked over to my crouched down body and lightly touched my cheek to wipe a tear off. I don't know what it was about him, but I reached up to him and wrapped my arms around him quickly and just kept repeating "I'm sorry" over and over again to him quietly.

I now knew.

Knew what he had been going through. Why he always hated when I left and why he didn't want to be around his dad.

Tobias calmed me down as he sat me on his bed and gave me a sip of water.

"I'm sorry," I whispered as I looked at him.

"You didn't know," He took the glass as he looked at my face to see the mark from last night. "Did he do that?"

"No," I lifted up my shirt a bit to see him blush from the corner of my eye. "He did that."

"Does it hurt?" Tobias questioned.

"Like hell," I mumbled as he walked over and went to touch my ribs on the left side and I winced. "I'm a fighter, I fight back. Stand up for what I believe in but this, this hurts when I breathe."

Tobias hugged me quickly as I caught my breath, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" I questioned as he broke away.

"For him doing that, "He pointed out.

"Yeah," I drew out but looked at him. "So I hear you're not feeling well?"

"I feel fine for the most part," He shrugged.

"Where?" I questioned knowing it was Marcus who got to him.

Tobias lifted his shirt as I winced at the huge bruises on his lower back. "He tries to make sure they're in a spot people won't see."

My anger boiled as I looked at him. He needed to defend himself, needed to fight back. If he could fight back then maybe I could.

"Have you ever fought before?" I questoned as I looked at him and his eyes went wide. "Oh I forgot Abnegation."

"It's not that, it's just-" He stammered which was cute.

"Tomorrow night," I smirked at him. "We'll start small, I'm thinking maybe knife throwing?"

"Wait," Tobias looked at me as I smirked.

"You need something and if hand to hand combat makes you sick or scared or whatever, then knife throwing," I pointed out.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," He looked at me.

"You won't," I flashed him a quick smile. "It'll help get out any frustrations you have too."

"Tomorrow night?" Tobias questioned as I nodded.

"Yeah," I smiled a bit. "But I guess we should work on whatever we missed at class huh?"

"I guess so," He shrugged.

The two of us worked on the assignments for a while before I headed in the direction of home that I didn't want to go to. As I was walking, keeping to my own world, someone walked up next to me as I jumped 10 feet in the air.

"You're cute when you're scared," Eric laughed as I punched him in the shoulder. "Ow!"

"Such a jerk," I rolled my eyes as him as he laughed and wrapped his arms around me. "Ouch."

"Ouch?" He questioned. "Sore from that fight?"

"A bit," I shrugged.

"Are you ok?" He questioned as I tried to put the brave face on but it wasn't working.

"I've just had a horrible day," I leant into him.

"Ariana, what's wrong?" Eric whispered and rubbed his fingers on my arm as we walked.

"I just don't want to go home," I sniffled a bit.

"You can stay the night with me," Eric kissed the top of my head.

"I just," I shrugged. "I don't want to be anywhere near any Factions tonight."

"You worry me," Eric watched me as I stopped.

"I'm sorry, it's just," I shrugged again. "Nothing. It's fine."

"Ariana Jade Simms, I swear, you think you can lie to me but I know you too damn well," He glared at me.

"I'm just scared," I admitted as I hugged myself tightly.

"You? Scared?" Eric raised an eyebrow. "My fearless Candor? Scared of what?"

"The future," I picked at my seam of my sleeve. "Of not knowing where I'll be tomorrow or by Choosing Day, or admitting to how I feel right now."

"And how do you feel right now?" Eric got closer to me as I swallowed hard.

"That everything is changing," I shifted. "You're changing. You honestly a bit more of a jerk sometimes."

"Wow, way to be blunt about it," Eric rolled his eyes.

"More so, I'm scared of how my heart won't stop beating a million miles an hour when you're around," I completely ignored his last comment, "Or how everytime I see you, it makes the hell I live in, more liveable. That maybe I-"

"You what?" Eric half glared at me like I was about to say something bad to him.

"That maybe I might love you and I'm scared that if I said it, you wouldn't feel the same way and it'd be all for nothing," I let out in one breath.

"You have changed me," Eric moved closer to me as he rubbed his hands on my arms. "You made me that boy who will stand up for you, no matter what. Even if I do have a bit of an attitude sometimes, you know it draws you in."

"Stop," I smirked trying not to laugh.

"But most importantly," He looked down at me. "You made me realize that you're the most important person in my life. I'm scared and terrified and never in a million years would I think this about any girl, but I'm pretty sure I love you too."

"So mushy, it almost made me want to throw up," I smirked up at him.

"And there she is," Eric mumbled under his breath as I pulled him down to me.

"Shut up," I kissed him quickly.

After a few minutes of kissing in the middle of the street, I broke away with a smirk on my face.

"You said you want to stand up for me all the time right?" I questioned as he gave me a look.

"What are you getting at?" Eric eyed me as I smirked.

"Come on, you need some hand to hand combat training," I smirked and took his hand.

"Only girl who says she loves you and then wants to beat the living hell out of you," Eric grumbled.

"Come on," I laughed and drug him to the old abadoned building where we practiced most the time.