I stand at my post by the net. Today is the day, the day initiation begins.
"Hey Four!" I turn behind me to glance at Lauren, the other Dauntless assigned to meet the initiates. "Last chance to place bets on first jumper! Zeke is positive his brother will be, I've placed my bets on Shauna's sister Lynn."
"You know," I start, quietly, "a transfer could always be the first."
Lauren laughs, "Right, some truth loving candor or knowledge crazed Erudite is totally going to beat one of our own."
"Whatever," I stare into her eyes, "I bet you'll all be wrong."
"Suit yourself." She says, in a tone that suggests I'm crazy.
Silence falls upon the net-room as everybody lets anticipation creep into their minds.
I am not certain how long I sand here waiting. Every year is different, and there is no way to predict an exact time for this. Even after the new initiates choose dauntless and board the train, if they do, they still have half an hour's ride, followed by a jump and a speech. Even with my knowledge of the train schedule I can't accurately predict when the first jumper will take the plunge. Because that's the problem after the speech ends, someone still has to get the courage.
I am sucked into a memory of when I choose Dauntless. It took five minutes for even the first jumper to decide. I cans still hear his screams. I tense, as I unwillingly remember my own jump.
A sudden flash of movement saves me from my reverie; the first jumper. Everyone is shocked into motion. Everyone stumbles around; we were all expecting a scream of warning at least.
The body of the first jumper hits the net with a gasp. She, for the jumper is a girl, laughs nervously. A shy, uncertain sound, as if laughing is foreign to her. I study her quickly, trying to get a glimpse into her life. Her hands cover her face as she brushes back some flyaway locks of hair. The wind must have torn them from her long blonde braid. She looks up and automatically we all reach for her. She grabs a hold of my hand, and I guide her to the edge of the net.
She rolls off but her angle is off. I catch her before she hits face first, and steady her on her feet. She looks into my eyes, and we study each other. The thought is gone as soon as it arrives as I stare into her round blue eyes. She has a thin nose. She is small. Her chin barely even reaches my shoulder. But all that is not what startles me. She is wearing a gray t-shirt and grey slacks. This girl is from Abnegation. I'm no longer alone. The thought is broken before it can form by a voice behind me.
"I can't believe it," Lauren begins, "a Stiff, the firs to jump? Unheard of."
Anger floods my mind. Nobody ever understands abnegation. "There's a reason why she left them, Lauren." I look at the girl as she study's Lauren. I'm not surprised she's studying her the way she is, Dauntless looks can be intimidating.
"What's your name?" I ask her softly. Both because everyone needs to know, and because I'm dying to know myself.
"Um…" She hesitates in that same quiet way she laughed. I understand her hesitation.
"Think about it," I say, smiling, me, smiling, "You don't get to pick again."
"Tris," She says firmly, in complete contrast to her previous timidity. She is strong, I am suddenly sure of this fact.
"Tris," Lauren says with a smile. "Make the announcement four." I almost forget that is my name, standing by this abnegation girl I am suddenly craving my old name and identity.
"First jumper- Tris!"
The crowd of Dauntless members behind me cheers.
All noise is cut off by a blood curdling scream as a girl with dark skin falls to the net. Tris laughs as she looks at the net, but nervousness lurks around her eyes.
I touch her back reassuringly, before I can even think about the action, and look into her eyes. "Welcome to Dauntless." The words slip from my lips and as they do I realize I mean them. I want to welcome this skinny, plain, girl who already seems to have captured me with her mysterious, and yet known, past.
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