Chapter 2 - Tris's POV
6:28 AM
Well shoot. Two minutes left until the alarm goes off, so I might as well get up now.
I switch the alarm off so that it doesn't ring at 6:30. The only reason I was up earlier is because I couldn't get any sleep last night. My mind was busy working out what I was going to see at Dauntless and Friends and what I was going to say to people. I rehearsed scenes in Mean Girls in my mind because their school is scary; mine would be just as scary right? Preferably a little less scary.
I swing my leg over my bed and shuffle my way to the bathroom. In the mirror, I see a monster. Whoops, that's me. My goodness, the new mirror in the bathroom keeps on giving me surprises because I didn't have a mirror at the old house. I quickly slither out of my PJs and step into the shower. I twist the knob to the hot water and feel a burst of cold. But soon the water begins to prickle my skin so I twist the knob just in the right place.
If only going to Dauntless will be like that. Begin to heat up after coming out of the cold. Just warm enough that I can survive the year.
But that don't happen to a freshman starting school in the middle of the year when everyone else is already settled in.
~30 minutes later~
I stare at the scared girl in the mirror. Her combed, dirty blonde hair barely passing her shoulders. The grey, oversized sweatshirt covers the girl's frail arms and okay-shaped torso. Her pale skin has the sweet scent of coco butter.
I pick up my bag and leave my room as I notice Caleb's room across from me has been abnormally quiet this morning. I give three gentle knocks and get no response.
"Caleb?" I turn the doorknob and take a peak in. His room seems untouched by any human being. I close the door and head my way downstairs.
My mother is taking oatmeal out of the microwave and says, "You just missed Caleb, he went shooting out the door. He wanted to see Erudite's libraries before class started."
"Oh okay," I say as I sit down and look at the bowl of oatmeal set in front of me. "Hey mom, is it okay if I just take a bagel in the car with me?"
"That's perfectly fine."
I take a half of a plain bagel and start spreading butter. I prefer the saltiness of butter than the sourness of cream cheese.
"Beatrice."
I turn to look at my mom who stares her warm eyes into mine.
"Dad is outside in his car," she pauses before speaking again, "In your enrollment form, I changed your name to Tris."
"Mom, I don't understand why I'd need my name to be changed."
She hesitated before speaking again, "It – it will make you feel more comfortable at school."
"Um, thanks I guess," I say as I stand up.
My mother grins then turns around to the sink to clean dirty dishes. I walk and open the front door and walk my way over to my dad's silver car. He appears to be texting someone, probably from his workplace.
"Hey dad," I say after I open the passenger's seat.
"Hello, Beatrice," he says putting his phone in the cup holder. I guess mom hasn't told dad yet.
He starts the engine and begins to back out of the driveway. For the entire ride, we remain silent.
We finally reach Dauntless and Friends. The exterior of the school is incredible. The school has a sharp look to it. The four sides of the school are made of polished, black marble. Even if the school was two stories high, it towers over students walking by.
"Thanks, dad," I say as I climb out of the car. "I'll just walk home today."
"You sure Beatrice?" he asks. I just nod. "I'll see you at home then," my dad says.
I shut the door and watch his car drive away. My entire body trembles and my nerves scream. Take me with you!
Tris Prior will go through the front doors, attend her classes, and go back home unharmed. That's what I think for two seconds after I pass the threshold.
A senior's shoulder bumps into my head, "Watch it."
"Sorry," I mutter, keeping my head low.
A group of girls obsess over something on their phones by the water fountain. Their gazes reach mine and send a shock of cold through me.
I almost run into a guy flipping his pocket knife around in his hands. Bad idea to be stabbed on the first day of school!
My eyes look around for anything that gives me a hint of the administration's office. I finally find a sign above a door saying in army print "Administration." How convenient.
There is a lady sitting in the front of the room at a desk. She wears heavy black eyeliner and bright red lipstick. She does not seem to be much older that a senior. I walk over to her and say, "Hi. I'm Beatrice –," wait, that's not my name anymore, "I mean, I am Tris Prior and I believe today is the first day of school for me here."
"Mr. Prior, you can't believe it's your first day. You gotta know it's your first day," the lady says without even glancing away from whatever she was doing behind the desk. She opens a draw to her left and takes out a folder. "This is all the information you need to last year. Have fun."
I take the folder from her hands and thank any emotion she has.
I open up the folder and find a few papers showing a map of the school, my locker and combination, and a schedule. Locker 246 is located on the second floor. My first class is the history of factions, also on the second floor.
I start walking towards the staircase.
It makes me feel dizzy seeing so many people in a school.
People wearing black clothes all stare at a girl in a grey sweatshirt. Why did I wear grey?
Just as I reach the final step at the second floor, three guys walk in the opposite direction to the first floor. Other students make room for them as they pass by. The three guys notice me looking at them and I quickly turn my head around hoping I'm just another average face in the school.
"Hey," one of the guys calls. I turn to face him. He has many piercings and has a smirk on his face, "How you doing?" he says as he inches his way over to me. He appears to be an entire head taller than me. And bigger like most people.
I adjust my backpack strap and flip away a piece of hair that fell in front of my face.
"I apologize, I should introduce myself. My name is Eric," he takes a big step coming a little too close in my comfort zone. Wait, the barrier was broken the moment I set foot on campus, "and your name?"
By this time, a lot of people have their eyes on me.
"Tris."
"Well, Tris, I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing more of me," Eric says, still smirking, "Let me introduce you to my boys. This fellow over here is Peter. And this gentleman is Four."
Four and Eric seem to be about the same height. Eric's stronger build-up is more intense than Four, but the stern face Four has makes him frightening anyway. Peter almost doesn't below around those two because of how much skinner he is than the other two. But his slick back hair gives him an edge. The grin he has on his face makes me want to do something. Punching him sounds like a good and bad idea.
I take a peek at my phone to check the time. 7:43, only two minutes left before class starts.
"I really think I should find my first class," I tell Eric and begin to turn around.
Before I take another step, Eric grabs my arm. He has a firm grip on it so I can't break free.
"Oh, let me escort you. Four, Peter, follow!" Eric snaps.
Four and Peter begin to trail on either side of Eric while I am practically being dragged along. I cannot decide if I should feel violated or extremely welcomed by this presence. Since I've never been exposed to civilization like this before, I wouldn't know.
Making friends, sort of, is now off my checklist.
"I have faction's history first in room 232 if you, um, want to know where you're supposed to take me."
Peter whispers something to Four as we are walking towards the classroom.
"What was that Peter?" Eric asks.
"Judging by how incredibly frail she is, I was just saying she's probably a Stiff," Peter explains.
Stiff is a slang word used for people in Abnegation.
"I prefer you just saying Abnegation but yeah it's true," I correct him, "and I am not frail!"
Peter lets out a laugh.
We finally make it to the class room and I am released. I can feel my blood circulating again.
"I'll see you around Tristiff," Eric says as he releases me. Ha. Tristiff. I get it.
While the three turn around and walk back, Peter gives Eric a high five and they both laugh. Four joins in on the laughter. I watch them turn into the staircase disappearing to what I hope will be forever.
Forever would be nice.
I bet a loooot of people are yelling at me right now xD
Don't worry! It's for a good cause, I'm going somewhere with this! Fourtris forevah 3
