Chapter one: Tris

Here I am again. Not that I'll complain; Dad actually got a job with some sort of permanence, but it is kind of annoying starting over again. I've lived in so many places I've lost count; what with my father's military background. But he just returned from his final tour of duty, and is back with my mother, my brother Caleb, and our younger cousin, who also lives with us, Shae.

The reason Shae lives with us is because her mother, Allison, is a Weed addict, and her father, Michael, is a heroin addict, and my parents didn't want Shae growing up in that kind of household.

I pad down the hall to Shae's door, and tiptoe inside. She's sleeping with a blue stuffed dog clutched to her chest, probably to lessen her anxiety. I sit next

to her on the bed, running my fingers through her silky brown hair.

"Morning." she says, opening her big, chocolate brown eyes.

"Morning, sweet girl. Ready for your first day of kindergarten?"

Shae nods eagerly, and jumps out of bed, all traces of anxiety gone. I smile at her; I always seem to know what to say to her.

"Okay, well get ready, and I'll drive you." I say, already heading for the stairs.

Caleb looks like he stuck his finger in an electrical socket. I giggle and point at his hair.

"You cannot be thinking about going to your first day of senior year like that. You'll embarrass yourself."

Caleb runs his hand through his hair, then gives me a look, as if to say "what's wrong with it?" I roll my eyes before heading over to the sink so I can do a finger-prick. My BG comes back, 202, just slightly out of my normal range, 80-180. I fix a bowl of cereal, do a bolus on my PDM, and sit across can Caleb at the kitchen table.

Caleb's breakfast is considerably healthier than mine, but I guess is kind of ironic, since I'm the diabetic, not him. When I point this out, however, he just says that he doesn't want diabetes, and to just let him do his thing. I've given up trying to reason with him.

"Today's your diabetes management meeting, isn't it?" Caleb asks, looking up with interest from the papers scattered across the table. Caleb is such a brain.

"Yeah. Mom and I pretty much decided that all my diabetes care is to be done in the classroom. I do know how to do boluses and stuff for myself, after all."

I take my asthma pills and head up the stairs, hoping to beat out Caleb to the bathroom. I take a quick shower, brush out my hair, and slip into my clothes, a Twenty One Pilots hoodie, jeans, and combat boots. I change my OmniPod, moving the new pod to my left arm. After I'm done with all that, i grab my diabetes kit, and head out to the car, in order to wait for Shae, who emerges in all her kindergartner glory.

I check my BG again before pulling out onto the dark streets. I'm halfway to school when I realize that I forgot my inhaler and my swim bag, which results in me racing back home to grab them.

When I finally get to school, I head into the office to find Johanna, the secretary, whom I'd met last week when I got the tour and decided a faction, shuffling through some papers. When she sees me, she gestures for me to go into a conference room, where my parents, doctors, the nurse, and all my teachers, plus a member of the lunchroom staff await my arrival.

"Sorry." I say, falling into an empty seat. "I had to drop Shae off, and it's kind of a drive from the elementary school to here."

"That's okay." the principal, Mr. Lovelace says, folding his hands. "Okay, well, I can start. I'm Principal Lovelace, the Dauntless principal, which is the faction Beatrice chose."

"Right. What are factions again?" Mom asks.

"Factions are the learning groups here." Mr. Lovelace explains. "Each student chooses a faction, and that determines the classes they will take here."

"So Dauntless is the..."

"Dauntless is the brave faction. Erudite, the faction Caleb Prior chose, is the smart faction. Candor are the honest, Abnegation the selfless, and Amity the peaceful."

"Why didn't my daughter choose Erudite?" Dad asks, turning slightly red in the face. "She's a genius."

"Because, Dad," I say with a sigh, "I'm not smart enough. I never have been. Besides, I chose the brave, because I kind of have to be, don't I?"

"Anyways, this is Sarah, the nurse here. This is Joan Russel, head of the cafeteria. And these are Beatrice's teachers. We are gathered here to discuss Beatrice's diabetes care and management. As far as I'm aware, Beatrice also has asthma, but that can be dealt with accordingly."

And so, the meeting began. It was a boring affair, and I've never been so relieved as when the first bell rings, ending the meeting, and sending me to class. For those of you who are curious, my schedule looks like this:

Block 1: English III, James Kurkland, room 357

Block 2: Medical Terminology, Alexis Butler, Room 208

Block 3: Spanish II, Daniel Ebstein, Room 602

Lunch 3

Block 4: Calculus, Hannah Arnette, room 704

Locker number: 646, combination 13-32-33.

a/n: The locker combination is from another book. Shout-outs if you can guess from where.

I head off in search of my locker so that I can make it to Mr. Kurkland's class on time. Nothing says I don't give a damn more than being late on your very first day.

As soon as I step into the room, it falls deadly quiet. Students turn to stare at me as I head across the room to Mr. Kurkland's desk, handing him my pass.

"So, Beatrice, is there a nickname you want us to call you by?"

"UM..." I trail off, because Beatrice just doesn't seem right anymore. "Tris." I say, grinning.

"Well, Tris, take a seat next to Christina Richardson. The name's Daniel, though I'm sure you already know that."

"All the Dauntless teachers have given up on us!" calls a boy from the back, "They know we won't call them by their last names. We're too badass for that!"

I join in the laughter as the boy settles back into his seat. Daniel just shrugs, as if to say, yep, he's got a point.

I take my seat, and Daniel turns to the board. He starts in on some lecture about Gone with the Wind, which makes me want to bust through the window and go running off down the street, screaming.

Christina slides a note towards me, which is kind of embarrass. What, are we in second grade? I unfold the note anyways, because I need some friends.

Tris:

Hey! My name's Christina! Welcome to Chicago High!

I grin and write back:

Thanks! Tris.

A/n: bold is Christina, italics is Tris.

Cool! Where'd you move from?

Atlanta.

Awesome!

Yeah. I miss it.

Yeah. I bet. I've lived in Chicago my whole life. I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Well, I've lived in so many different places. My father's military.

Ah. You got any siblings?

Ya. A brother, Caleb. My second cousin lives with us too. She's a kindergartner.

Cool! I have a sister, Rose. She's in kindergarten, too! What's you Snapchat?

I don't have one. My parents won't let me.

Have you asked?

No. There's no point.

Phone number?

847-219-3596.

297-591-7357

Okay. I'll add you when we bust this joint.

K.

I grin, pocketing Christina's note, getting up right as the bell rings. Christina turns to me, smiling.

"What's your second block?"

"Medical science. With Alexis Butler."

"Ah. Alexis is awesome. I have her next, too! Come on! Oh, and what lunch do you have?" Christina is like a verbal frate-train.

"I have third lunch." I say, gathering my diabetes kit.

"Awesome!" Christina says again. Then, "Hey, cool bag!"

"Thanks."

I try to divert attention from my kit and stride out of the classroom into the crowded hallways, Christina at my side.

"Do you want to sit with me and my friends at lunch?"

"Yeah, sure." I say, heading down to my locker, allowing a small grin to take over my face. Maybe I actually have a chance at this new school.

a/n: Okay, so I'm back again, this time with a new story. I have extreme writer's block on all my others, so yeah. Sorry. I hope you enjoy this, though. Okay, so Question Of The Day: favorite color?

Answer of the Day: black. (Review your answer.)

Audios amigos!

Bianca.