Chapter 3

The walk is surprisingly quiet, despite the fact that we're once again friends. When I finally get to my apartment, Al gives an awkward salute and heads off down the hallway. Once safely inside my home, I have no intention of staying awake for much longer; the past two days have been way too crazy. As soon as I flop onto my bed, I'm asleep.

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I'm woken up by a knock on my door. Annoyed by the disruption of my sleep, I ignore the constant pounding. Unless it's Flora, the visitor will remain outside. My door unlocks. Just my luck. "What?" I groan once I hear the door open. She sits on the edge of my bed.

"Get up, get up, sleepyhead!" She begins to bounce up and down until I'm fully awake, or what seems like it anyway. I toss a pillow at her head, and a full Dauntless-style pillow fight ensues. When we're too tired to continue, we agree to meet up at the cafeteria for breakfast. I get ready for the day and head down to meet her.

"Where were you for game day?" she questions, wide awake and sipping some orange juice. "You weren't in my group, so I'd assumed you had ditched or something."

I put my fork down after swallowing my bite of chocolate cake. "You really think of me as a coward?" I didn't mean for it to come out as rough, but that's how it must have sounded. The table quiets, their attention focused on me. If I take back what I said, I'll just look like more of a coward. I skewer some more cake. "I was at capture the flag," I finally reply blankly.

"Wow, someone's grouchy today!" She says it in the same excited tone she says everything with. Sometimes I wish our old Candor habits died. I mean, if they did, I woudn't be feeling so mad at Flora. I decide not to reply and finish my food quickly, grabbing an apple to eat up in my apartment. On my way out, I bump into my parents.

"Hello." It's the best greeting I can manage. I'm sleep-deprived and grumpy, but I try to seem awake and alert.

"Hi, Willow!" I smile at the way their eyes light up when they see me. Maybe this wouldn't be the worst day ever. "They better still be serving chocolate cake after eight years," mutters my dad, crossing his arms jokingly.

"They do!" I lead them away to the food tables, and they eat while we talk some more. I enjoy my time with them.

"So, have you been talking to uncle Caleb?" My mother asks me. I nod, telling her that I've been talking to him almost every day.

"He really understands me," I tell them. "I got my Erudite aptitude from him." I pause, realising I haven't told them about my test results. "About that... I kind of got Erudite on my test." Their reaction isn't quite what I expected.

"Wow, honest, smart, then brave," Dad says. "You're our true divergent." My mother flinches a little aat the mention of the word, and she must have noticed my looking.

"Back in our day, divergents were hunted," she explains. "But times have changed." I nod, remembering the stories. We continue talking, spending hours at the cafe. When we're finished, they say they're taking a tour around the compound to see what has changed. We say we'll see each other later, then part ways. I decide to take a walk myself. Before I know it, I'm lost in the streets of Chicago.

It's a relaxing lost, really peaceful as the sun climbs higher in the sky. I can see the Ferris wheel's faint outline in the distance, so I decide to make my way back using it as a reference point.

When I'm almost there, I hear an unsettling groan from the shadows buildings are scattering on the ground. Scared, my head whips around. What if it's a zombie murderer, out for my brains? No, can't be. I've been reading too many books lately.

I reach in my pockets for a weapon, but all I can find is the apple I'd saved for later. I pull it out anyway, I could always throw it at my attacker's head. A figure begins to escape the darkness, and I hold my apple above my head. Hardcore Dauntless girl, with the solitary weapon of a fruit.

The now visible figure is in dirty, tattered clothes. She is extremely skinny, with her eyes locked on my apple. Factionless. Without a second thought, I roll the fruit to her like a bowling ball. Surprised, she picks it up. "Thank you," she croaks quietly, before sulking back into the darkness.

"Wow," I hear from behind me. I turn around to see who it is.

"Do you, like, follow me or something?" I ask Albert.

"That was really selfless," he says, evading the question. "You sure you aren't cut out for Abnegation?" I shrug. I am selfish. I am brave, I think absently. Best not to bring that up, I would probably get a reputation for quoting my mother. Nothing against her, it's just that I want to be known as my own person. "Well?" Al snaps me out of my daydream.

"Oh! Sorry, what did you say?"

"Isn't it nice, finally seeing our parents?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," I stuff my hands in my pockets.

A/N Sorry for the kind of pointless filler chapter, I just wanted to update the fact that Willow is just like her father, in trying to be selfless, honest, smart, brave, and peaceful. Wait, when will she be peaceful? Maybe the next chapter. Maybe. ;) Any comments, requests, complaints, or coupons you can share with me, you know! I won't bite! Most of the time...