Hey y'all!
Hope you like this chapter. You get a little insight into Gregory now and a bit more into Piper as well. I will update the rest of my stories as soon as I can but my school is starting on Tuesday so I have to start reading the plethora of books assigned and start my online classes, etc.
I have a lot planned for this story and I really hope you guys are as excited about it as I am.
Peace and Love.
-Kat
Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent Characters. I just own my OCs.
GREGORYS POV
I was ecstatic. I had finally kissed the girl of my dreams. I have been head over heels for Piper for about 2 years. I've always loved her as a friend but something happened that made me realize that I had much stronger feelings for her than just that. That thing was when she got her first boyfriend.
His name was Ozzy Hayes. He looked exactly like his father, Peter. He was the cliché boyfriend, always bringing her flowers and taking her romantic places. He didn't expect anything from her in return but to be with her. Eventually about a year ago she got board of him and broke up with him. She didn't know how happy that made me. The only bad part about the break up is that Piper thought that all boyfriends would act like Ozzy so she wouldn't consider having another boyfriend for a year. But now that we kissed it seems like I might finally have a chance with Piper.
Once we got to the room where the choosing ceremony was to be held, I looked around for Piper. I found her in the dauntless section. I smiled her way and she smiles back. I get in my place in line as I stand between a dauntless girl and an abnegation boy. It's dauntless's turn to host this year and Byron's dad takes to the podium. He talks about the factions and how they work together to create a perfect community and how one faction couldn't survive without the help of the other factions. Blah, blah, blah. I already knew all of that from faction history. Soon the interesting part starts, the choosing. Out of all my friends I would be the first to be called.
A few names are called and only one transfers before I am called up. "Gregory Saunders." I go up to the bowls confidently. If I want to be with Piper I know where I must go. It was my aptitude test result as well so it's really a no brainer. I cut my hand with the provided knife and make my way to the bowl with the hot coals in it. I drop my blood into the bowl and hear it sizzle. "Dauntless."
PIPERS POV
"Dauntless." Gregory chose dauntless. We cheer long and loud. Gregory walks towards me to wait on the rest of the names to be called. He bends down and kisses me on the cheek. Oh, shit. Does he really think that we are a couple now? I did not intend for him to think that. As much as I'm worrying about the consequences of my previous actions, I can't help feeling a slight warmth spread from that exact point where he kissed me. I try to ignore it as I wait for the next one of my friends to come up.
"Byron Pedrad." He saunters up to the bowls and without hesitation cuts his hand, smiles at his dad and thrusts his hand over the dauntless bowl. The coals sizzle again. I smile. My good friend is going to stay with me. We cheer for Byron and he comes over to us and stands next to Naiomi. We chat for a while and wait for our last friend to get called.
"Quinn Atkins." She looks a bit nervous. She has never liked crowds. She walks up to the knife and hesitates for a moment before cutting herself. She doesn't like sharp objects either. The choosing ceremony has been a recurring nightmare for her for a while now. Quinn goes over to the lit coals. I can tell by the look on her face that she is eager to get this over with. She lets her blood drop into the bowl and it sizzles for another time today. I have a smile a mile wide by now. All my friends are staying with me. I couldn't be happier if I tried. We cheer for Quinn and then there is one person left after her, an abnegation boy who decided to stay in abnegation.
We run down the stairs to the hub and sprint to the train tracks. I ride with the transfer initiates back to the compound. Gregory and I sit against the wall of the train car and talk about anything and everything. His arm is draped around my shoulders the whole ride. It's a normal thing for us but somehow this time it feels different. It somehow feels more intimate. Suddenly a transfer yells that my faction is jumping off the train. I don't know why the transfers were so surprised, it's not like they haven't seen us jumping off moving trains every school day for their entire life.
I look to Gregory. "You up for a little danger?"
He looks deep into my eyes and takes his arm off of my shoulder. I feel the loss of his warmth right away. "With you, anytime." He stands up and grabs my hand to help me up. I feel a pulse of electricity go through my entire arm as I stand up. I pull my hand back immediately.
"Ok. On the count of three." He nods. "One… Two… Three…" We get a running start and jump onto the roof with no problems. Gregory has been on the train with me and our friends plenty of times before so jumping off isn't exactly a problem for him anymore. Once we land he puts his hand around my waist and leads me over to where Uncle Uriah stands. He's never done that before.
I know what happens next. I've been there at the net with my parents every year of my life. Gregory and I go stand by Naiomi and wait for Uncle Uriah to start his speech. He looks over everyone in the crowd and his eyes stop when he sees Gregory's hand firmly planted on my waist. I just start to chew on the inside of my cheek. It's a nervous habit. I slide out of Gregory's hold and he looks hurt. Uncle Uriah motions for Naiomi and I to come forward. We are the only two people on the roof that are under 16 so I have a feeling that it has something to do with that. He motions for us to stand beside him then addresses the initiates. "I'm Uriah, a Dauntless Leader. You have made it this far in initiation but you have one more step before you become full initiates. Piper, would you like to demonstrate." I have never seen Uncle Uriah this serious before. It's very intimidating. I nod and as I step up to the ledge he grabs my arm and whispers a warning into my ear. "Watch out for your dad and brother. If they find out, there's no telling what will happen." I totally forgot about them. Gregory is in serious trouble if he really thinks that we are a couple and then acts on it.
Oh man, what have I done.
GREGORYS POV
Piper starts walking up to the ledge and Uriah stops her, thank god! I was worried she was going to do something crazy. Uriah whispers something in her ear and she looks worried. Another second later she takes a step onto the ledge of the building. No, Piper, don't do what I think you're about to do. Please, don't.
She jumps. "NOOOOOOOO!" I run to the edge of the building and look down. Piper is nowhere to be seen. She must have gone through the giant whole in the roof. I fall to my knees. The earth stands still. I've lost her. I've lost the one person that I truly care about in this world.
Uriah looks at me and smiles. I could kill him. Why'd he make Piper jump? Doesn't he know that I love her? Yes, I love Piper more than anything. Uriah nods to Naiomi and she goes over to the ledge and jumps also. This must be a joke. First Piper, then Naiomi. Uriah asks for volunteers to jump next and before he can even get the sentence out, I am on my way to the ledge. I just want to die.
PIPERS POV
I'm falling through the air when I get stopped by the net. This is what it's going to feel like next year. I take the first hands I see to help me down and they just so happen to belong to my dad. He doesn't look surprised that Uncle Uriah made me jump first. He tells me to wait with the rest of the dauntless.
I see another flash of black and then a giggle. That must be Naiomi. No surprise that Uncle Uriah made her jump after me. She grabs my dad's hands also and runs over to me.
"PIPER! You won't believe it! Gregory nearly had a meltdown when you jumped. He ran over to the side of the building and screamed 'Nooooooooo' and then fell to his knees. He's got it bad. Damn, what did you do to him?" Oh, Crap. This is not going to end well. I can feel it.
I see a flash of black and white and hear an "Oomph." It's Gregory. He takes my dad's hands. I guess my dad is going to get the majority of the initiates this year. He asks Gregory his name and he says his name is Greg. I have to admit that the name suits him a lot better than Gregory. And the name Greg is kind of cute. My dad yells to the entirety of dauntless, "FIRST JUMPER, GREG!"
Greg sees me and runs over before dad could tell him to go somewhere else. He comes up to me and looks me straight in the eyes as if to check to see if I was alive and then pulls me into a passionate kiss. Against my better judgment I melt into the kiss. I get this weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know what it is. He pulls away before I can figure it out and I'm kind of disappointed. I haven't been wanted like that since Ozzy. But do I like Greg like that? I mean he's always been there for me and he's really attractive and UGH! Maybe I do kind of like him. Just a little.
"God Piper! Never scare me like that again! I thought I lost you and you have no idea how horrible that made me feel." He holds my hands and looks me dead in the eyes. We stay like that for god knows how long until I hear someone clearing their throat. I look past Greg and see the two people that I don't want to see. My dad and Marie. Oh shit.
