UPDATE: My writing is this chapter is not my best work. While it may be choppy here, I think that the writing in the future chapters is much more enjoyable. I hope you give this a chance. Thanks.


Chapter 1

BEATRICE - 8 YEARS OLD

Today, I was walking through the streets after school. My brother, Caleb, is barely a year older than me, but he is walking with Susan, a girl he has a crush on. So I'm all alone. Or so I thought, because I suddenly bump into another boy.

"Oops!" the boy says. He has the brightest, bluest eyes I've ever seen. "Sorry, let me help you" he says, extending a hand.

"Thanks," I reply quietly, being the shy girl that I am. I begin to scurry past him when he stops me, asking, "What's your name?"

"I'm Beatrice Prior. I'm eight years old" I say.

"I'm Tobias Eaton, and I'm nine years old." he states, proudly.

"Nice to meet you," I say politely.

"Likewise. Well, I'll see you around, Bea," he says, smirking.

"Bea?" I question. I'm beginning to like this guy.

"Yeah, Bea," he says.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later, Toby," I say, smirking. Then I walk away.

BEATRICE - THE NEXT DAY

One of the older kids at school stole my lunch. Again. I don't understand why they do it. Maybe it's because I'm such an easy target.

I sit at a lonely table, when I hear a familiar voice. "Hey, Bea!" Only one person calls me that: Tobias. "Where's your lunch?" he asks.

"Hi Toby. Someone stole my lunch," I say, hanging my head low in shame.

"It's okay," he says. "You can have some of mine," he offers.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be of inconvenience..." I start.

"Just eat it," he says, in a commanding but friendly way.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, he says, "You know what, Bea? I think we'll be great friends."

BEATRICE - 12 YEARS OLD

It's been four years since I met Tobias. Four wonderful and fun-filled years. We've grown very close as friends; we're practically inseparable.

I'm currently sitting at secret spot behind the park today, where Toby told me he would meet me. We only go there when we have something bothering us that we need to say. It's the place where Tobias told me about how his father, Marcus, beats him. It gives me the shivers just thinking about him.

"Hey, Bea," Toby says from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, Toby. Come sit," I say, patting the spot next to me. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't know how to say this," he says, rubbing his neck like he does when he's nervous.

"Hey," I say softly, "you know you can tell me anything, right?"

He nods, then takes a deep breath before saying, "I'm moving,"

What? MOVING? You can't leave me, Toby! My mind screams, but I contain these thoughts, needing to stay strong for Tobias. "When?" I whisper.

"Tomorrow," he says. "Sorry, Bea, I would have told you sooner, but I didn't know how," he confesses.

"It's okay, Toby," I say, tears threatening to spill.

"I got you something," he says. He takes out a box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a shiny necklace, with the letter "T" on it. "Here. I have the bracelet one, see?" he says, pointing to his wrist. "This way, we'll never forget each other, no matter where we are."

"Thank you, Tobias." I say, tears already cascading down my face. "Toby, I'll miss you so much"

"I'll miss you too, Bea" he says, wiping my tears.

We sit there in each others arms for a few hours. But when he gets up to leave and say a final goodbye, I can't help but think that I'll never see him again.

TRIS - 16 YEARS OLD

It's been another four years. Four years without Tobias. And so much has happened since then.

When Tobias was with me, he introduced me to some of his friends. But a few months after he left, they started ignoring me. Then a year later the bullying started, and not just by them, but by many of the other kids, too. They pushed me onto lockers and continued to steal my lunch. I guess the only reason I was friends with these people was because of Tobias.

Two years after Tobias left, I still was having a hard time coping with school and him leaving me. But then the unthinkable happened. I still remember how the day went...

"Dad?" I asked after I had gotten home from school. I saw his car in the garage, which was strange since Dad never comes home until dinner time.

I walked into the living room, and there he was: crying with a blotchy face. He was watching the news. "What's going on, Dad?" I questioned.

"Beatrice," he began, "It's your mom... she...she's dead," he said before bursting into tears again.

My mom had gone on one of her few business trips. Turns out her plane crashed.

A few more months passed, and we were all trying to cope with the death in our own ways. Then one night, my dad came home, drunk.

"Beatrice!" he yelled. I ran down the stairs, scared. I had never seen my dad in this state before.

"Yes, dad?" I asked.

"Turn around!" he said, and began taking off his belt. I knew what he was going to do; Tobias said that Marcus did this to him too.

And then the first lash came down. I lost count after fifty. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, he said, "Not a word about this to your brother. Now GO!" he yelled and passed out.

So I never told Caleb what was going on. And the bullying never stopped, too. But now my dad got a business offer in Chicago, which means that I have to go to a new school. And I plan on bringing a new identity with me.

I am no longer Beatrice, who believes that anything could happen. My name is Tris, the girl who blends in the background but remains brave. Tris, the one who never lets her guard down. Because if there's one thing I've learned in this world, it's that anything could happen. And you never know who you can trust.

TOBIAS

The day I left Bea, I was devastated. I didn't know how I was going to live without her. But at least the move would give me a new identity. One that isn't directly related with my father. I go to Divergent University in Chicago. I am no longer Tobias; my name is Four, based on my jersey number from football. I am just your typical jock. I made some new friends, including Peter and Eric, and they are the best. We tend to bully other kids a lot, but I mainly do it because I don't want others to know about Marcus. Plus, I don't want anyone to know of Bea. My one and only weakness. And I promised myself that I would leave the past behind. Along with that, many girls are interested in me, but I don't really care about them, again for the same reasons.

So, all in all, life is great.

But in other news, I heard that there is a new girl coming to school tomorrow.

And I can't wait to crush her.

TRIS

I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring. I groan. It's the first day of school today. I get up and wear a black sweatshirt on top of a black tank top, with black ripped jeans and my black Vans. Black is my new favorite color. I climb down the stairs, hoping to avoid Andrew. I no longer call him dad. He doesn't deserve that name anymore. Unfortunately, there he is, at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, Beatrice," he says, "I expect you to set high expectations at school today, or you will /emreceive an extra beating,"

"Yes, sir," I mumble, grabbing an apple for breakfast and quickly exiting the house.

*PAGE BREAK*

After receiving my schedule from the main office, I try to find my locker. In my haste I bump into a girl with tan skin and a pearly white smile.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she says, then extending a hand, says, "I'm Christina. You must be the new girl!"

"Umm... Yeah. My name is Tris," I say, shaking her hand.

"Cool. Let me see your schedule!" she says, snatching the paper out of my hand. "Wow! We have almost all clases together! And our lockers are near each other!" she exclaims. "Come on! I'll introduce you to the gang," She grabs my arm and drags me past swarms of people. When we finally stop, she points to a bunch of people, saying, "This is the gang. They're all super nice," she says.

"Hey guys!" Christina says. They all turn so that they are facing us. "This is Tris," she says, pointing to me. "Tris, this is Will, Zeke, Shauna, Marlene, and Uriah," she says. I give them a curt nod.

"So Tris," the tall and tan boy, who I think Christina said is Uriah, "what classes do you have?" I hand him my schedule. "SWEET!" he yells, causing the people in the hallway to turn in his direction. "We all have the same classes! Well, except for biology" he says. "Come on, let's go to English," And with that, we walk to our next class.

It is now biology, the one class that I don't have with any of my new friends. I take a seat in the back corner of the classroom. Shortly after being seated, three guys walk up to my desk. One of them has a sick smile on his face, the other has tattoos on his arm, and the last one...

The last one has eyes like my Toby.

"Well, well, well," one of them says. "Look at the stiff!" he says. "I'm Peter, and this is Eric," he says, pointing to the tattooed guy, "and Four" he says, gesturing to the boy who reminds me of Toby. Then he snatches my backpack and looks inside. "Oh, where's your lunch? Oh wait, it's good that you don't have any... you're too fat for food!" he says, and cackles along with his friends. Peter is right though; I'm too fat and ugly to eat lunch. Then he throws my backpack to the floor and whispers, "This isn't the last that you've seen of me," and walks away.

I came to this school to be brave. To forget the bullies. And these bullies will not be able to break the walls that I set up before coming here.

FOUR

I have biology now. I see a girl sitting in the back corner of the classroom. She must be the new girl. She has stormy grey-blue eyes... she reminds me of Bea. But there's no way she could be Bea. I promised myself I wouldn't try remembering her again.

"Well, well, well," Peter says. "Look at the stiff!" he says. "I'm Peter, and this is Eric and Four" he says. Then he snatches the girl's backpack and looks inside. "Oh, where's your lunch? Oh wait, it's good that you don't have any... you're too fat for food!" he says, and cackles. But I notice her actual features, and she's actually the opposite of what Peter said. She's pretty pale, and actually quite skinny, but I laugh along anyways. Something in me wants me to stop them, but I quickly refrain myself. Then Peter throws her backpack to the floor and whispers something in her ear. I can't resist the sudden urge to comfort her, but I push this thought aside as the class begins.


A/N: Please let me know what you think of this story and whether or not I should continue it. Thanks!