TRIS

When I was younger, my uncle Nate would tell stories passed down from his father about how the world used to be before everything changed after the apocalypse. He said that cities were as wide as the eye could see, roads would go on for miles, people would live by the sea, in the mountains, and in deserts. Most importantly, they had choices. He always made the old-world sound so beautiful and unlike what we are brought up to believe. Things weren't limited as they are now and everyone was free to express themselves and be as liberal as they wished. It made life in our city seem so confined like we were lab rats with no purpose but to follow the same routine. I hated it and while growing up, I was always mad that I had been so unlucky to be living this life.

My name is Beatrice Prior, and I'm sixteen years old. I live with my parents and brother Caleb in the last human city on the Earth. Everyone here belongs to a faction, a group with one primary characteristic, and mine is Abnegation. This camp system was designed long ago as the solution to keep a profound balance between all remaining human survivors after the world war broke out. It's meant to ensure that humanity will never have to face another world war, and everyone will continue to be safe.

There are five factions, Dauntless, which represents those who are brave, Erudite, for those who seek intelligence, Candor, for the ones who value honest, Amity, for the peaceful, and Abnegation, for selflessness. Each faction has their set of uniform, rules, and position within the city. For example, since Abnegation is selfless, they are the governing body led by men such as my dad, Andrew Prior. Dauntless are the protectors of our city, and it's the faction where my mom and her two siblings originated. She, however, left Dauntless during the choosing ceremony with my dad, who belonged to Erudite at the time, and they both settled in Abnegation which is why that is the faction I am in. Lastly, there are the Factionless, which are the equivalent of homeless people. Most keep to themselves while some have proven to be dangerous. One of our jobs as Abnegation is to help them as best as we can since they have little to nothing for themselves.

Though one is born into a faction, it doesn't necessarily mean that they fit into that category. I don't see myself as selfless. I'm braver than anything and even though I hate the system we live by, the faction I've always longed to be in is Dauntless. That is why we have the choosing ceremony. When a person is 16, they take an aptitude test, one that shows them which faction fits them the best. That is how one can decide which faction to join. However, you have the choice to pick a different faction even if it doesn't match your test if you feel you're better suited for that group. Once you've chosen your faction, you are bound to them forever even if it means you are separate from your family. It's a systematic motto, faction before blood.

The choosing ceremony is something I've been waiting for ever since I first learned of it as a young girl. I always believed without a doubt that I was Dauntless. Life in Abnegation wasn't for me, unlike my brother Caleb, who was always the ideal Abnegation civilian. Ever since we were little, he has been completely selfless, which is why I believed there wasn't any way he could be anything but Abnegation. However, I'm now seeing that things are not always as they seem.

When I woke up to the morning of my aptitude test, I thought I knew just how everything would play out. I thought I would discover that I belong in Dauntless. I also thought that Caleb would choose to stay in Abnegation. Instead, everything turned out different. Caleb didn't remain in Abnegation like all of us believed he would. He chose Erudite. As for me, I wasn't Dauntless. I was...I am... Divergent.

All I knew about a Divergent was that they were said to be a threat to the system because they weren't categorizable. Unfortunately for me, it seemed to be a bigger deal than I anticipated considering how my test instructor, a lovely but firm Dauntless woman, had reacted. It was the first time I had ever seen a person from Dauntless show fear, and when she told me I couldn't tell anyone and better stay in Abnegation, my pulse began to race, and I wanted to scream out in fear and rage. I hardly slept at all that night, and it was incredible that I wasn't exhausted when my mom woke me up in the morning even though I only had about two hours of sleep.

Now here in the present moment, all eyes are still on me even after I've taken my seat among my new faction, the people who now hold my allegiance. My decision has seemed to cause a thick negative air among Abnegation and curious looks from Erudite, more notably from Jeanine Matthews, one of the head representatives of that faction. However, I don't see the big deal. After all, my mom was from Dauntless and my dad from Erudite. No one can honestly say it's probable cause for suspicion. There's no doubt in my mind that Caleb's result was Abnegation, but one could argue that I only decided to follow my mom and Caleb after our dad because we wanted a new lifestyle. So why is everyone from Abnegation stealing glances at me with hate in their eyes as if I've committed an unspeakable crime? Why isn't my dad happy for us, or at least Caleb for choosing his old faction? How can an ex-Erudite not be happy his son is interested in intellect? At least he isn't Divergent, but my parents must know that I am. How could they not, I'm their daughter! It would also explain why they seem angrier that I left than Caleb. I wonder if it also means that one of them is Divergent as well, or perhaps both. That would make sense too because I can still see the ways of their old factions within them. They are great at being selfless, but it's not truly who they are. Mom is very dauntless, and dad loves to play the know it all. What if they joined Abnegation because it was safe?

I use to hear rumors and whispers about Abnegation helping those who were Divergent. We are the only faction in talks of doing so and since we are selfless and don't turn our backs on others it would make sense. At the time, I didn't think much of it since I didn't know it was bad to be divergent. It's not as if they taught us in school that you'd be an outcast if they found out you were one. No one ever said anything. That Dauntless woman was the first to acknowledge how bad being divergent can be and by her reaction, I don't think she was overreacting. Knowing this, it probably would have made sense for me to have stayed with my parents where I'm safe. But, how could I? For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to be selfish which is what I've always wanted. No matter what, I can't be happy being in Abnegation because it's not who I am. I'm more brave than selfless. I can't just hide it and live life safe like my parents did because that's not what I choose to do. Divergent or not, I must be myself. I must be Dauntless.

ERIC

The only other person from Abnegation that had ever joined Dauntless was a male. His name was Tobias, and he had such anger in his face and determination in his eyes when everyone first laid eyes on him. No one had any doubt that he would make it through initiation. This time it's a female from Abnegation, but this girl looks like she can barely throw a punch, much less survive in Dauntless. However, she's no stranger to me. Everyone knows Beatrice Prior because of her parents, but I know her because we went to school together and she was close with my younger brother Rob. The story everyone else follows all starts with her parents. Her mother, Natalie, was Dauntless-born and fell in love with Andrew Prior, a top class Erudite. He hated his faction, so the two settled into Abnegation because he wanted to be a part of the governing system. There had never been a Dauntless-born in Abnegation, but Tris's mom was already completely selfless when it came to her husband. That, however, didn't settle well with her two twin siblings, Natasha and Nate, who decided to stay in Dauntless. Rumor had it Natasha hated Andrew and thought he brainwashed Natalie into leaving. She and Nate have their story, but that's going off-topic. The point is, everyone knows Beatrice and her family. There were people in our faction taking bets about whether the siblings would stay in their current faction or join their parents old one. But all bets were wrong, at least about Beatrice. Some thought her brother would remain in Abnegation while others thought he was a sure Erudite. In the case of Beatrice, everyone agreed that she would stay put. Despite the crowd roaring with applause when her blood landed in the bowl of hot coals, there was still evident shock from Dauntless. The surprise waved throughout the whole building since no one expected her choice to be anything other than Abnegation. Jeanine showed an apparent interest in the turn of events, but Tris's father sat paralyzed with anger and shock. He apparently didn't approve of his daughter's choice.

Seeing Mr. Prior takes me back to my old days as an Erudite. Rob and I grew up with our father after my mother's death, and he and Mr. Prior were close friends. I never formally met Beatrice because back then I tended to avoid everyone. However, I did watch her when I noticed how she would gaze at the Dauntless kids with admiration and try to run with them through the streets. People would stare at her, and Rob would occasionally scold her like an angry father, but she didn't care one bit. That's when I first felt envious and thought about what it would be like being in Dauntless, where you had freedom and it was not about grades and facts but instead, instincts and hands-on experiences. Beatrice Prior showed me that. She opened the door to my true path, and now she is here, under my leadership, wanting to walk that same route.

"Let's go," I hear someone shout.

The ceremony has just ended and now everyone is headed out to the train. As expected, the Dauntless-born are all in the lead while the others are trailing behind. I wonder just how many will even make it once we jump off the train? Last year we had three that hadn't made the leap. Hopefully, this year's group is more impressive.

I'm the first to jump on the train while the others take longer, but no one has fallen over so far. The ride is short, but I don't announce that it's almost time to jump off to the roof overlooking the compound entrance. Hopefully, these initiates quickly learn that Dauntless isn't about talking but about action. Whoever isn't going to follow my lead and jump can stay behind. Lauren and some of the other Dauntless are already on the rooftop waiting for us to make our entrance. I don't see Four among them so he must be down below. Without hesitating, I leap into the air and land right on my feet delivering a perfect jump. Others begin to follow, and I take my position on top of the ledge near the dark hole that all must go down to begin their journey to being dauntless.

Once everyone has jumped, the transfers and Dauntless-born all cheer as if they've made a significant accomplishment. I stand at attention with the other leaders waiting for the fuss to die down. Beatrice and a Candor girl make their way into the crowd, but Tris doesn't notice me. The other leaders see her as well and whisper in surprise. Every one of them except Lauren seems to be impressed that she could make it this far. However, this is only the beginning.

"Alright listen up. I'm Eric, and I'm one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in," I say signaling behind me. The transfers look at one another nervously while the Dauntless-born try to look a little less anxious. I wonder if they'll be anyone to back out. "Everybody jumps, but if you don't have the guts then you don't belong in Dauntless,"

"Is there water at the bottom or something?" asks an Erudite boy.

"I guess you'll find out. Who's first?" I reply. The crowd is silent with all eyes looking away in fear. The Dauntless-born don't even raise their hands. It's a disappointment but not much different from my year as an initiate. I can see fear in all their faces, but as I look towards Beatrice, she has a different expression set. She looks at the other initiates then steps forward while the Candor girl watches her in surprise.

"Me," she says loud and clear.

Everyone turns and eyes widen as Beatrice steps forward. Our eyes connect for the first time, and I jump down from the ledge to give her room. She looks away from me to glance down, and for a second I think she's about to back out. However, she takes a deep breath and slips off her gray jacket.

"Yea stiff take it off...or don't," says another Erudite boy.

I glance back at him, and he has a grin on his face as he glares at Beatrice like a leech. She ignores his comment and lifts her oversized dress so she can step on the ledge. Somehow at that moment, I find myself holding out my hand to help support her. She looks at it briefly, and slowly her small hand grasps my large one. I instantly feel a strange surge go through me. My pulse quickens and just as she looks back at me I wonder if she's experienced the same effect. I feel reluctant to open my hand and release hers, but I try to shake it off and regain focus on the task at hand. Quickly, I release her hand before she can tighten her hold and for a split second, she loses her balance on the ledge. The Erudite boy lets out a small laugh, but we both ignore him as Beatrice takes a deep breath and regains her composure. She looks down at what's to come, and although she tries to hold a brave face, I can see she is still nervous. I know if she doesn't jump now her hesitation will elevate her fear and she'll end up backing down. "Today initiate," I say. She glances back at me once more, and I stare at her hard, trying to tell her with my eyes to just do it before I push her. There's no way I'm letting her back down and succumb to fear. Although one less initiate makes my job a lot easier, I don't want Beatrice to back down. I want her to jump.

After one final glance in my direction, she jumps. None of us hear a sound, and the initiates murmur among themselves. They must have been expecting her to scream. "Finally, now who's next," I say. Once again there are no immediate volunteers. Not even the little Erudite who also called Beatrice a stiff is stepping up. Everyone looks around at each other, each nudging the other to volunteer first. Lauren lets out a yawn then Joe, another trainer, steps up. He's clearly irritated and growing impatient with the lack of response from our new recruits.

"You think this is a game?" he roars angrily. When no one speaks, he continues. "You're all pathetic. A little girl from Abnegation can jump off a building but the rest of you can't,"

"It's sad enough that she volunteered before you Dauntless-born. How do you think that makes you look?" says Lauren. Still, no one makes a move to step forward.

"Alright then, I see you all need a little motivation. Lauren, finish up with this. Whoever hasn't jumped within the next 2 minutes gets to stay up here until they're collected tomorrow morning," I say. Let's see if they're more willing to move now.

TRIS

Another body hits the net, but instead of an initiate, it ends up being Eric. My nerves shoot up instantly, and I try not to be obvious as I stare at him. The last time I saw Eric was two years ago when we were still in school. I liked him from the moment I first saw him, but I never had the courage to engage him in conversation. He was reserved, and I was only able to get close to him through Rob, even though he would constantly tell me I had no chance with his brother.

The guy who helped me down questions Eric about the others. He gives a quick reply and scans the area as if looking for someone. Then his eyes rest on me. He walks my way just as I notice another person about to hit the net. My eyes never break away from his but by the sound of the voice I can tell the jumper is the Erudite boy who called me stiff. Eric stops right in front of me and looks me over as if measuring me up. I feel myself blushing as I think back to our earlier moment when I held his hand. I felt the strangest sensation when we touched, and though it only lasted a few seconds, it was an intense feeling, one I can't seem to describe in words. Now here he is, standing in front of me and giving me his undivided attention for the first time. Unfortunately, I can't even form words to speak.

"I wouldn't have thought a girl from Abnegation would be the first jumper... not bad initiate," he finally says.

A compliment! That's quite unexpected coming from Eric, and I'm sure he rarely gives them. "Thanks...I'm Tris,"

"Did I ask?" he says in a rude tone of voice.

"No... but I never asked your name either. You just announced it," I say back. He's amused by my words but folds his arms and changes his expression to appear sterner. Silently I let out a breath of relief that my comment didn't make him blow up in anger.

"That's unlike what Abnegation would say,"

"Well I'm not Abnegation anymore," I reply.

"No, you're not...welcome to Dauntless,"

He walks away and at that moment I just want to collapse. I never thought speaking to Eric would make me feel this intense, especially over such a short conversation. However, that wasn't just any conversation. That was our first, and to top it off he complimented me and smiled, in a way. To be honest, I would have never thought that would happen on my first day as Dauntless. I also wasn't expecting Eric to be one of the leaders. He joined Dauntless just two years ago. Nevertheless, it excites me that I'll get to see him often. I'm starting to feel like I'm on cloud nine as all my old emotions from before are coming back at top speed. It's insane how a guy can have such a strong effect on a girl. Hopefully, I don't end up making a fool out of myself.

As my mind comes back to reality, I notice Cristina has just jumped off the net. She comes to stand by my side, and we smile at each other, glad we both made it this far. The other guy who now introduces himself as Four begins to speak while Eric stands off to the side in silence. Although I try not to focus on him, I lose the battle against my mind and steal several glances his way. Physically, he's completely different than I remember but still the same Eric as before. Although we didn't socialize, I still felt I knew him, mainly because of his brother. At school, Rob and I had the same classes, and he would even tutor me sometimes since he was the smartest kid in our grade. He was the only one that knew about my feelings for Eric, and he told me everything about him, the good, the bad, and the gray areas. Besides fearing telling Eric my feelings, I was also afraid of all thoughts regarding intimacy. The fact that Eric was this hard and intimidating Erudite worsened my nerves. Rob said there was no way he would have taken me as his girlfriend because everyone saw me as an immature little girl.

When Eric had transferred to Dauntless, I was excited and sad. Now that he had graduated school and moved, I wouldn't get to see him anymore. At the same time, I also knew that I always planned to go to Dauntless when my time came. Now here I am, and there he is. He most likely doesn't even remember me. I don't expect him to but -

"Hey, come on everyone's moving," Cristina says pulling my arm. Together we walk side by side down the halls of Dauntless. Unfortunately, Eric leaves during the tour of our new sleeping quarters. Meanwhile, Four continues lecturing us as he throws us all some new clothes.

"Hurry up and get changed," he then says. Everyone is quick to move, and though I try to be as well, my nerves shoot up as I notice the boy from earlier staring at me with a grin on his face. Four seems to see my discomfort and stands in between us with his back to me and his arms crossed. "You're not here to stare at other people initiate, get dressed and get out," he tells the boy. I'm unable to see the Erudite's expression since Four's tall, muscular frame is blocking our view of one another. I'm instantly grateful he's here, there's no way I can undress when someone is staring at me as if they want to devour me.

I finish dressing and hurry outside where the others are in line. Cristina pulls me in front of her, and it's now that I notice there are fewer people than before. "Hey what happened to everyone else?" I ask her.

She laughs. "If you hadn't been daydreaming earlier you would have heard Four say that we sleep separately from the Dauntless-born,"

"Oh," I say, while Four comes out with the remaining transfers behind him. He leads us down a corridor, and we come to a room with a bright red glow. The line stops, and Four turns around to speak.

"In this room, you'll burn away the clothes of your old factions. You are Dauntless initiates now, so from this point on your past lives don't matter," he says. Eric once again appears and stands next to Four as he continues speaking. Then the line begins to move as one by one each person casts the uniform of their old lives into the burning flames. Cristina is whispering to me, but between her smart remarks and Four's continuing lecture, all I can think about is Eric. Was it simply being in Dauntless that had him become a harder shell? Am I going to become the same way? I hope not. As I throw my clothes into the fire, I find myself looking back to watch the flames destroy the fabric that I grew so accustomed to for the past 15 years. Seeing my clothes burn is fascinating but at the same time, sad. I want to stand in this spot longer and just gaze at the fire, but I'm unable to since the line must keep moving. Cristina grabs my hand after tossing in her clothes carelessly, and I let her lead me, unsure of what it is I'm supposed to do next.

Before I realize it, we're in the cafeteria where everyone is sitting down and devouring food. Cristina picks a spot for us in the middle of the center table where the other transfers are. She hastily fills her plate while I watch, examining the food. What in the world is this stuff? Someone sits down just a few feet from me and when I glance over I see Four, who's completely concentrated on his plate. Then out of the corner of my eye, I notice Eric sitting alone at a table and the woman who did my aptitude test is not too far from him. However, the most surprising thing is Eric's eyes because they are focused on me.

ERIC

I eat alone, and I've always eaten alone ever since I transferred two years ago. I never made any friends my initiate year, and that still hasn't changed. The only person that is close to being considered a friend is Max, but for the most part, I have no friends. Four also has no friends. He never talks unless he needs to and always eats alone. He and I would be a power team if I didn't dislike him so much. He was my biggest competition during our initiate year. He was taller than me, but I was stronger and smarter. Somehow he was the one to rank first in our class. Although I'm now a leader and ranked higher, something inside me feels as if he's still number one while I'm second best. Now of all places he could be sitting he chose to sit next to her, Tris.

I was surprised when she announced that as her name, but I'll admit, Tris is more of a dauntless name than Beatrice could ever be. It's robust and confident which is what I saw in her eyes when we first spoke. I've always been used to others being afraid of me and nervous to approach me, but Tris never broke my gaze. She seemed fearless when I addressed her. What I saw instead was something I haven't seen since my mother was alive. I saw longing as if this hadn't been our first meeting and instead we were old acquaintances. But that can't be possible because I know I was invisible to Tris back then. I was invisible to everyone because I was in Rob's shadow. Rob was the smartest kid in school, on the school council, president of the academic decathlon, Tris's classmate, tutor, friend, and I was just Rob's older brother. It also didn't help that Rob was my father's favorite. That was another reason why I left Erudite. Never once did I ever feel appreciated or necessary with my dad and Rob around. However, in Dauntless things were different. I am a leader, and I mean something. People may fear me, but they also respect me and follow my commandments. Not one soul looks down on me like before. Here, I have a purpose. Here, I am important. Everyone knows it and now, Tris will as well.