CHAPTER 1: Business Abroad

I opened my eyes. I was actually in some sort of machine, the machine that can make me experience what it would be like if I lived in another world. Dr Tori, was inventing this machine for pleasure. She decided to let me do the honour of going first. I looked at the clock as I stepped out of the machine. 3 o'clock. I was in there for exactly 5 hours, but I lived through 16 years in life in there. I thanked Tori for letting me use it and went on with my everyday life. Gosh, that guy Four is so hot!

I wonder if anyone would ever love me as much as the Four in there. I went to my penthouse, and missed being in it, even though it was barely a day. I haven't felt like this every day after work. That simulation changed me, or maybe it just triggered something in me. I feel like there's a string pulling me. It's a weird sensation I must admit. The elevators to my floor opened and I rushed to my door and opened it.

I admired my sense of taste, a pure white couch with fluffy pillows pull me towards it. I reluctantly sat down and admired my mahogany coffee table, the tv, everything in the room. I stood up and walked to the kitchen. After a quick snack I slowly walked to my room, making it more dramatic.

Opening the door to my bedroom, everything was as I left it before I left the house. Perfectly neat with my super comfy pillows neatly at the head of the bed, my pink bed sheet straightened, the files and papers neatly stacked on my desk, and my wardrobe of clothes is as awesome as ever! Everything is neat and tidy if I say so myself.

I sank onto the bed and closed my eyes. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, my phone rang. I groaned and sat up, deciding whether I should pick it up or not. I answered the phone. "Hello? Beatrice Prior? Emergency call from work, this is Lauren Hayes. I'm afraid our journalist, Mrs Mellory is sick. You have to go in her place. She's supposed to be going to France for our weekly travel section. I've taken care of everything, you just have to go to the airport in less than 5 hours, thank you," and Lauren hung up.

Yes, I work for a magazine under the name 'Divergent'. I don't even know why they picked out the name but I'm not the important ones, so I can't question everything. I just do as I'm told. I shrugged and hurried to the store to take out my pink baggage. It is quite big but I'm sure I'm going to be at France for about a week.

I opened the door to my closet and picked out some dresses, shoes, sweater, jeans, everything that I'll ever need to survive there. I didn't forget my precious gadgets of course. After I finished packing, I still have about 4 hours.

I'm used to packing and all these years practice trained me to pack neatly and quickly. Now I can kill time but there's really nothing more to do here. I just called the taxi and went to the airport. The trip to the airport was an hour. I live in the city and luckily, there's no traffic. The trip to the airport went smoothly. As soon as I stepped out of the cab, I saw him. My dad. I was about to ask what he's doing here but then I remembered that he's a pilot. He works under Gation Airlines. (Having 'Abnegation' as the name of an airline is weird, don't you think?)

I ran and hugged him. He was smiling. "I just got back from Switzerland," he said and ruffled my perfectly curled blonde hair. I tied them with a ribbon but now it's loose. I sighed and let my hair hang loose. My dad laughed and said 'sorry'. Captain Prior was with his friends, one of which I recognized immediately as Captain Rory. We shook hands. I still have 3 hours so there's no harm in talking with them, right? I was just talking nonsense when I saw that bitch, Jeanine Matthews.

She's a flight attendant for the Gation Airlines and she's been hitting on my dad for years. I hate her for doing that and why on earth is she even here? I narrowed my eyes at her and apparently she noticed coz she started to hold my dad's hand but my dad swatted her hand away. I smirked and she just smiled. I hate her, totally hate her. I excused myself and walked away with my luggage.

I manoeuvred through the halls easily and found myself at the ticket counter asking for my ticket to France at 9 o' clock. The lady was nice and told me which gate I should go to. After I checked in, I checked my watch. Considering I have less than 2 hours, I started towards gate A36. I got there a little early and bought a sandwich. I forgot to eat dinner before I left the house.

2 hours passed and the gate has been opened. I rushed in and found my seat at the first-class section. I breathed in the smell. It was always the same smell whenever I boarded an airplane and it smells good. I sat down and buckled my seatbelt. I was served guava juice and prepared for take-off. It would take 12 hours, to be exact to reach France. I turned on the tv but I've watched all of the movies and the games aren't that awesome. I caught on with my sleep. I woke up to a man staring at me. He was, in fact a steward. "I'm sorry," he smiled. "I'm Alfred. Call me Al," he offered his hand. I shook it. "You're Beatrice, right? Nice name, well of course I know coz we keep this list of passengers," he said. I nodded unenthusiastically. "How long was I out?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.7 hours. We're landing in 5 hours top. Breakfast is in an hour, you could go back to sleep if you want, you look pretty tired."

I smiled, "No thanks, I've slept long enough." "If you need me, I'll be at the back," he winked and walked back to his station. Boy, that was weird. If I didn't know better, he was hitting on me. I do remember a certain Al in my simulation but I shook the thought away and proceeded to put on my headphones. I was listening to the song 'I wish' by Cher Lloyd. I was frustrated. There was this certain line where she said the girl's 5 foot 10 and the part where she wished she woke up with a butt and a rack. I am not tall, does that mean I'm not perfect or anything? And worse, my cousin Peter keeps telling me I'm build up like a 12-year old despite the fact that I'm 22 now.

Breakfast was good, I had cheese omelette since I'm not really that hungry. We landed at precisely 0900 hours. The first thing I thought when I unbuckled the seatbelt is; jet lag, jet lag, jet lag. It was terrible. Al was there, watching me. I gave him the thumbs up and forced a smile.

I forced my legs to walk out. I took my handbag and walked to the exit door. I was walking not thinking straight and I accidentally bumped into someone. A captain, in fact, for the airline I flew in, Dauntless Airlines. I fell down but he was undisturbed. I put my hand on my head and saw a hand stretched out. "Are you alright?" he asked. I took the hand and looked up at him. Those blue eyes, so familiar as I've always seen them in the simulation, made me fall in love. I blinked twice, looking at him.

The hooked nose, everything. But this is real life, not a simulation. He smiled. "You look familiar. Have we met?" he asked in his beautiful voice I've always dreamed of in the simulation. "N..No, we haven't," I stuttered. His laugh, shockingly beautiful. "I'm Tobias Eaton. And you are?" he held out his strong hands. I took his and shook gently, "Tris. I mean, Beatrice Prior," I said.

"Well, Tris. We'd better start walking, people are filing out," he said. I looked at him and we walked out together.

So, what do you think? ~Shadeau4