Girls POV
"We have to jump of a building?" The Candor next to me cried out. I didn't say anything but, I though it has been pretty obvious from what the woman stood in front of us had said.
"That or be factionless" The woman called out. I stepped forward. I'd jump off a building if this woman asked me to. She was perfect. Pretty, not to tall, feminine, strong. She looked like nothing could ever hurt her. If jumping off a building would make me like her. Hell, I'd do it.
I heard the quiet murmur, as I stepped forward. Used to being invisible, it was amazing how much people were prepared to notice you if you were volunteering to throw your self of a building infront of them.
I looked at the woman, "I just jump?" I said climbing onto the wall.
"Just jump" she confirmed. Smiling, as if there was some joke I didn't understand.
"Just jump." I recited to myself. Stepping forward and feeling the rush of weightlessness again, flying through the air.
This time there was no thud from impact, rather an embrace, enveloping me, cushioning me. A net. I focused on the blue above me as my heart rate slowed. And was interrupted as hands started to pull me from the net. Raised voices and laughter. Excitement.
"A stiff" the word they call Abnigation "You have to be kidding me, another Stiff is our first jumper?" More laughter, welcoming face. Well all but one.
A man with tattoos and piercings, the type my mother would've told me not to look at when I was small, was the one who had spoken. Frowning at me, a look that should've made me quake if I hadn't seen worse from Marcus. His gaze was broken when the man next to him punched him on the arm and laughed, "Get used to it Eric." The man said.
My breath caught. Those eyes. Piercing. Blue. His. I stared at the laughing man, white teeth in a full wide smile, tall, well built. Those eyes.
I took a step back, away. "What's your name Stiff." A voice called. I stopped looking at the laughing man.
Girl. Her. Stiff. I don't think I had been called anything else since my mother died. I paused, possibly for too long. They had already turned away to look at the next jumper and I did what I did best, faded into the background.
Eric's POV
Four had obviously decided to be my friend. Him and Tris had been 'making and effort' recently. And it was making me more irritable that normal.
"Bet's for first jumper?" wonderboy's voice cut through my thoughts.
"Zeke's sister" I replied. Mental little trollope. "She'd throw herself into the chasm if she thought it would make you notice her." I reply. Four laughs, thinking I've made a joke.
Our eyes are dragged up by the grey bird fluttering down. I recognise the shape. Abnigation loose clothing makes that silhouette. Another bloody stiff as a first jumper. What the hell is wrong with our Dauntless kids?
Four laughs next to me, patting me on the back and I think if he touches me again I will rip his arm off. The thought makes me smile.
She rolls out of the net and looks towards us. I realise I have spoken out loud and it has drawn her attention, but not for long. She looks to Four and I see her breath catch, her eyes go wide. Great, another member of the fanclub. She takes a step back and I laugh to myself, she wont be here long, but she might be amusing, Four always feels a sense of respnsibility to the ones that fancy him. They make him feel guilty and he wants to protect them, but there's nothing he can do to stop them becoming factionless.
Four's POV
We've done the tour, it's pretty old hat to me now. The shock when they see the dorms, the horror at the bathroom, the consternation at the early starts and finally the lowering of the guard in the mess hall.
For the first day the initiates sit with us. They need to know they can speak to us at anytime, about anything. Initiation is a dangerous time, and we can't afford the barriers. Plus, the more time we spend with them the quicker we can instill discipline.
A mixed group, quite small, the conversation pretty standard. Talking about there previous factions. I need to put a stop to that. "Dauntless is your faction now." Tris cuts in, saving me the job.
I look at the Abnigation girl, a true stiff if ever there was one. She hasn't eaten and is just playing with her food.
"What's the matter with it?" The Eruidite boy interrupts her. "Not used to meat?" An honest question, possibly, but enough of the boys catch the innuendo to start sniggering. Still, I am surprised when another one of the boys glosses over it and explains the Abnigation prefer plain food, saving the girl the embarrassment of a direct answer.
"Enough about other factions." Eric losing patience now cuts across them, and silence reigns.
