Part One
I can hear the shouts of the new initiates returning. I smirk as I listen to their anxious questions about the hole. There is a bit of a scuffle and suddenly someone is falling down. I walk towards the net but stiffen as I recognize the plain grey clothes. An Abnegation transfer. Lauren slaps my back as she passes
"Scared of the initiates are we four?" She whispers into my ear. I glare at her and follow, offering my hand to the tiny, stiff girl who jumped first. She grabs it gratefully and I pull her up.
"Thank you" she says but I am too busy analyzing her face. I don't recognize her, average looking, tiny. The Abnegation are not to be memorable.
"Can't believe it" a voice behind me says "A stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of." Lauren smirks at the girl.
"There's are reason why she left them, Lauren" I say, feeling a strange need to protect this girl. "What's your name?" I ask her and she hesitates "Think about it" I smile "you don't get to pick again." She looks up and smiles back.
"Tris" she says finally.
"Tris" Lauren repeats. "Make the announcement Four" I look behind me and yell
"First jumper –Tris." Everyone cheers and another initiate drops into the net, screaming as she falls. I put my hand on Tris's back "Welcome to Dauntless" I tell her.
When all the initiates have jumped, Lauren and I lead them through the Dauntless headquarters, my home. Eventually we divide into Dauntless born and transfers. I am left with nine transfers. I wait for their attention then address them,
"Most of the time I work in the control room, but for the next few week I will be your instructor. My name is Four."
"Four ?" A Candor transfer girl asks "like the number?"
"Yes" I tell her, "Is there a problem?"
"No" she backs down and I notice Tris watching me intently. I turn back to the group, avoiding her gaze.
"Good, we're about to enter the pit which you will someday learn to love."
"The pit?" The Candor girl snickers, "clever name." I walk up to her and lean in close to her face. Narrowing my eyes, I stare at her then ask quietly,
"What is your name?"
"Christina" she squeaks.
"Well, Christina, if I had wanted to put up with Candor smart-mouths I would have joined their faction" I hiss, "the first lesson you will learn from me is to keep your mouth shut. Got that?" She nods and I turn around and lead the transfers down the tunnel. I hear Christina whisper to Tris
"What a jerk" she says and I listen for Tris's reply.
"I guess he just doesn't like to be laughed at" her voice is soft but steady, I grin, typical Abnegation, making a simple comment that will offend neither side.
I turn around as we enter the pit and smirk in satisfaction as Christina's jaw drops. I lead them through, past the chasm and into the cafeteria. We look for empty seats and I end up at a table with Tris and Christina. Tris stares at the hamburgers in the middle of the table and pinches one, unsure what to make of it. I grin, thinking about when I first came to Dauntless. I nudge her,
"Its beef" I say and hand her the ketchup "put this on it." Christina stares at Tris.
"You've never had a hamburger before?" She asks, her eyes wide.
"No," Tris wrinkles her nose "Is that what it's called?"
"Stiffs eat plain food" I tell Christina and she frowns
"Why?" she asks bluntly and Tris shrugs
"Extravagance is considered self-indulgent and unnecessary" she says, quoting the typical stiff answer to everything.
"No wonder you left" Christina smirks. Tris grins
"Yeah" she rolls her eyes "It was just because of the food." I try not to laugh but feel the corner of my mouth twitch. A stiff cracking jokes? As Lauren would say; unheard of. But there was something different about this girl, I could tell already. And I wanted to know more. Hope stirred within me; was she like me? I looked at her, still absorbed in her hamburger. 'Do you get it?' I wanted to ask, 'are you Divergent?'