Her is the first chapter of Five Bands, One Week. All rights go to Veronica Roth. Thanks, Asher.
Chapter 1
Four's Point of View
10 years ago
I come home from school and walk through the doors hoping to see my father drunk on the floor. Or maybe in one of his rare nice, happy moods. But no, he's at the kitchen counter on a stool mesmerized in his beer on the table. I try to sneak up the stairs but it creaks every time.
"Tobias!" He says.
"Yes?" I ask not sure what's going to happen.
"Get over here now!" He demands. I walk over to him. "Where's your homework?"
"It's Friday, I don't have any." I say timidly. It's true I never get homework on Fridays.
"Are you lying to me?"
"No, I have no homework."
"Turn around and take off your shirt." He grabs his belt and starts to untangle it pulling it loop after loop. I obey his orders. "This is for your own good." He says.
I clench my teeth waiting for the impact. I hear him bring down his belt onto my back and feel pain.
One
And again
Two
And he repeats his motions slowly as I count the number of whips to my back.
Seventeen
I feel a fall behind me and turn around to see him huddled on the floor past out. I crawl up the stairs after falling from the 8th time I was hit. I push my door open slowly and grab a towel I wipe off my back and get in bed without the covers over top me. I'm lying on my back so it doesn't hurt as much. My eyes begin to droop so I let sleep over take me.
-Page Break-
I wake up the next day sore and tired. I walk down stairs and see him still past out. He is no longer my father. He gave up that title when he began to beat me. I grab a granola bar and run outside and walk down the sidewalk to the Pedrad's house. I knock on the door and Mrs. Pedrad answers.
"Hi Four, how are you?" She asks letting me in. They call me Four ever since Zeke and I met in preschool. We were on our way home from school and I beat him home four times faster than him. His father laughed at that and started calling me Four. Then it just stuck. There father died two years later. We were all devastated, except Marcus. He didn't care.
"I'm good and you?" I ask. If it's one thing Marcus has done well, that's teach me manners.
"I'm good, thank you. Zeke is in the basement playing video games with Uriah."
"Ok, thank you." I reply walking towards the basement.
When I get down to the last step I look behind the wall and see Zeke on top of Uriah fighting over the game.
"You cheated I so would've beat you if you hadn't cheated." Yells Zeke
"I did not your just mad because your younger brother finally beat you." Uriah says in a factly tone.
"Well you wouldn't have won if you hadn't- oh hi Four what's up?" Zeke says rolling off of Uriah.
"Nothing just wanted to come over."
"Cool, perfect timing I wanted to show you something."
"What?" I say following him to the other section of the basement.
"This." He says picking up a guitar and handing it me as he picks up then other one.
"I got the drums!" Uriah squeals picking up his sticks and running over to the drums
"Wow cool." I say strumming the strings to get a sound.
"Yeah I was thinking that we should start a band. We just have to learn to play first." Zeke says happily.
"What should be our name." Uriah says.
"How about Dauntless." I say.