Shooting, punching, and running become our daily routine here. By the end of my first week, I am thoroughly exhausted. I can't wait to indulge in a slice of cake at dinner, Christina better have saved me a seat. It's become a routine for me to shower right after training. I find I like the solitude it brings. If there's anything that's been hard to adjust to, it's the constant socializing. All I want is a weekend in bed, but I'm not foolish enough to think that'll happen this weekend.

As I enter the Pit, my eyes scan the place for Christina, Will, and Al, but I find Four instead. He's actually sitting with people today, a first for this week, at least that I've seen. I recognize Lauren, the other instructor, sitting with him along with a few other people I don't know. Before I realize I've been staring, Four's eyes look up and meet mine. I look away and I'm sure I'm blushing. Oh, there are my friends! Friends? Have I already made friends? I think about this as I make my way over to the table I spotted my fellow transfer initiates at. Friends. That would be nice.

"Hey Tris! We are going shopping tonight - no getting out of it this time! I've seen your closet. You need me," Christina states rather factually. Fine. I guess I could maybe use some help in the style department, so I agree.

"Yay! We'll find you the perfect thing to wear to the party -"

"Party?" I interrupt.

"Yes, party. I mentioned it a few days ago. You're totally coming. You see Lynn over there, the girl sitting with the other initiates? No, that's Marlene - her! Short hair, tan skin near the end of the table - yeah, that's Lynn. Anyway, her sister works here and she's throwing a party at her apartment tonight."

"A member is throwing a party? I'm not sure that's a good idea, Chris," I say with reservation, already knowing my concerns are not shared.

"Come on, Tris. It'll be fun. We can actually meet people who work here and find out what it is exactly they do. Well, you can do that, I'll be busy finding free liquor and available lips to kiss," she says, throwing a wink toward Will. Will? When did that happen? I make a mental note to ask her about that later.

"Alright, I'll come," I agree.

"Awesome! Let's hurry up and eat then because we need all the time we can get to shop. Something tells me you're going to be picky."

I let that comment slide, trying to enjoy my slice of cake before being whisked away to the shops just outside the Pit.

Just a few minutes later, Christina and I leave our group to go to the shops. The first place we go has mannequins on display wearing all sorts of clothes with one commonality: they're all black. I could get used to black. Chris leads me straight to a rack of clothes and immediately starts scouring the racks as if she already has something in mind.

"What exactly are you looking for?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"I'm trying to find a high-neck long sleeve lace shirt. You can wear high-waisted black jeans and a cute little bralette. Cute, contemporary, and conservative enough for you to feel comfortable. What do you think?" she asks, anxious to hear what I have to say.

"How about I promise to try it on and then we'll see?"

"Deal."

As it turns out, a see-through shirt was not my favorite. We settled on the high-waisted black jeans and a black short sleeved crop top with what's called a mock neck, I learned. I was shocked to see that I liked how I looked in this outfit. Not normally one for crop tops, I was nervous when Christina handed it to me. But putting it on, oh my, I looked good. The little strip of skin showing on my stomach turned my straight frame into something that almost looked like an hourglass. I felt like a woman. Christina was pretty happy I actually agreed to wear it. She found an outfit too, a short dress with cutouts I would never dream of wearing. She looked good in it. Confident. I need to remember that for the party tonight, even if I can just feign confidence, it'll help.

"Ah! Tris! We're gonna be late, we have to go!" Christina shrieks.

"What are you talking about?"

"Hair and makeup, Tris. Hair and makeup!"

Of course. When we reach our room, I quickly dress into my new outfit, as does Christina. I already refused full hair and makeup from her, so I use my time to try and do something with my hair. My usual bun looks too severe for this revealing outfit, but I don't know what else to do with it. I sigh, and just unravel my bun to let my hair fall. It's wavy from being tied up all day, and I think it might be pretty. That, or it looks like I just woke up. Hm.

"Christina -"

"Oh my gosh, Tris, your hair is so cute like that! You should do that more! How'd you style it so quick?" she asks with a hint of an accusatory tone. Well, I guess my internal hair debate is settled.

I watch Christina get ready, applying her eyeshadow and lipstick. She really does look beautiful. She sees me watching and offers some mascara, which I accept.

"Wow. You look..." Christina trails off.

"Don't tell me I look pretty. I do not look pretty."

"Striking. You look striking." she says with determination.

Striking... I do look striking. The harsh black against my soft grey eyes and blonde hair sets off my features. I may not be pretty, but Christina's right. I look striking.

Luckily, it's time for us to head over to Lynn's sister's place. What's her name again? "Who's apartment are we going to?" I ask.

"Shauna's. Lynn's sister is Shauna," Will chimes in. When did he join up with us? I don't get a chance to ask, Will and Christina are already talking about something else.

I can hear the music as we approach the door to Shauna's place. I've never really been one for parties, even in college. I don't really get the appeal of gathering in a house to get drunk with a bunch of strangers. Before we go in, Christina leans over to whisper in my ear, "Text me when you leave, alright? And I'll text you when I go. Gotta be safe." I smile and nod, then open the door.

Straightaway, I'm appalled by the sheer number of people that are in this apartment. The second thing I notice is that I only recognize a couple people. My little group of three heads over to go meet Lynn. I recognize the people she's with as initiates, but I don't recall their names. As Lynn and Christina talk, the boy with tan skin and short, black hair introduces himself as Uriah.

"Hey! Cool you could come. I'm Uriah, I'm an initiate too. Shauna's my brother Zeke's girlfriend, they're a few years older than us," he tells me with a smile. "This is Marlene and that's Lynn, Shauna's little sister."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tris."

"Tris, huh? You're one of Four's initiates aren't you?" asks the person I can only assume to be Zeke, giving Uriah a noogie. Wow they look alike.

"Yep, I'm a transfer. Nice to meet you too, Zeke," I reply. He seems content with bothering Uriah for the time being and walk away from us to mingle with his friends. I watch him leave, and to my surprise, he walks right over to Four. If I had to guess, I wouldn't have pegged Four as the party type, but he's here with a drink in hand.

Not really sure what to do, I weave my way through people over toward the wall of the apartment. I like to observe, it's interesting what you can learn just by watching people. I see Will and Christina dancing, I see Uriah pulling out all his party tricks, I even see Four laugh at something Zeke says. My line of vision is broken by a woman who takes up residence against the wall with me, offering me a bottle.

"Hi there. Want one?" she asks. She has a kind face.

"Sure, thank you," I reply as I take the bottle from her. Taking a sip, I remember why I don't drink beer. It's gross. Who wants to drink literal wheat? Give me a vodka cranberry any day over a beer.

"What do you think?" the woman asks me, gesturing with her bottle to the crowd before taking a swig.

"It's, uh, lively," I tell her. Lively. What kind of adjective is that for a CIA party? The woman laughs. "I'm Tris," I say, leaning in so she can hear me.

"Shauna," she offers. "Are you new here? I don't think we've met."

"Yeah, I'm an initiate. Lynn invited a few of us tonight, I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! We need to get that new blood introduced to our dauntless ways," she declares. "Come on, I'll introduce you to some people."

I follow Shauna through the crowd, not really seeing another option. To my surprise, we end up back at Zeke again, who's talking with a few people. One of whom has a tattoo peeking out the collar of his shirt...

"Hey guys! This is Tris. She's an initiate," Shauna says by way of introduction to the group.

"Oh yeah, hey Tris!" Zeke smiles in acknowledgment. "We met earlier, my kid brother was talking to her. I figured I needed to save her." When I see Zeke's arm slide around Shauna's waist, I look away. Physical contact has always felt so intimate to me, something that should be reserved for private situations, not the middle of a party surrounded by friends.

"Zeke, if she didn't want to talk with Uriah, she would have told him. Very direct, this one," the smooth, stern voice says with a twinge of amusement. I recognize the voice without even needing to turn. Four. Something about this man just draws me to him. "How are you doing, Tris?"

"So now I'm allowed to talk to you?" I snap, remembering my first attempt at conversation with him just days before. Shauna and Zeke seem to find this funny, which earns them each a glare from Four. I'm feeling left out of the joke. The glare must have been their cue to move on, and they leave me with Four.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Four tells me, "For you, I'll make an exception." Those deep blue eyes meet mine again and it's like the world stops for a moment. "How are you liking the party? Not scaring you off the CIA life, is it?"

"Not at all. I think it's nice how close everyone is."

"Yeah, very close," he mumbles, gesturing toward the crowd of people. It takes me a moment, but I see Christina and Will joined at the mouth. That must be what Four's talking about. I groan.

"What, not a fan of smarty pants over there?" he asks. There's something in his face that gives away the fact he's joking with me.

"No, no, I like Will. It's just..." I trail off with a sigh. "Just what?"

"I don't want to listen to that tonight," the words rushing out of my mouth in an attempt to stem the inevitable blush. Glancing up at Four, I see he's blushing now too. Good.

"Ah," he says, rubbing his neck again.

Almost as if on cue, I get a text from Christina telling me she's leaving the party and having an adult sleepover at our place. Great. I just got ditched by my only friends, I'm hanging out with my instructor at a party, and I have nowhere to go. I decide I need another drink.

"Where would I get another?" I ask Four, gesturing with my now-empty bottle. "Follow me."

He leads me to the kitchen where a selection of beers, liquor, and mixers are set out on the counter. Grabbing himself another beer, he tells me to help myself. I think back to that vodka cranberry I had thought of earlier and mix myself one. We fall into a comfortable silence with each other and our drinks. I like his presence. It's calming. We aren't alone long before Uriah comes running to find Four, eager to show him one of his party tricks.

"Uriah, I don't score you. Show Lauren," he states plainly.

"Ouch, Four. Can't I have a little favoritism here? You're Zeke's best friend," Uriah jokes. He must get the message, because he leaves.

The silence between me and Four feels forced now, so I mix another drink and tell him I'm heading out afterward.

"Where exactly are you planning on going? Didn't peg you for a voyeur," he says with a smirk.

I can't even hope to control the blush that spreads over my face and neck at that comment. I try and say something, but all I can do is stutter.

"Come on. I'm ready to go too," he tells me. My eyes go wide and my mouth gapes at the implication of what he just said. Four quickly backtracks. "No! No. You can, um, stay at my place if you want. I have a couch. I think your friends have already gone."

He's right. My friends have left, and I don't even want to think about trying to sleep in our common area tonight. Who knows what'll be happening in there. I agree to go with him and we leave Shauna's together.

"Thank you, Four," I say as I follow him through the compound.

"You're welcome. Something similar happened to me during my initiation," he says with a sly grin. "Zeke and Shauna have been Zeke and Shauna for a while now."

"Oh. Oh my."

"Yeah. My instructor, Amar, let me stay over at his place when that would happen."

"That's very kind of him." After a moment, I ask, "Have I met Amar?"

"No. He'll be at the initiation ceremony though."

We fall back into our comfortable silence as we make our way through the halls to Four's apartment. As we walk, I can't help but notice the way I can see new slivers of his tattoo as he walks, his shirt shifting slightly as he walks. I wonder what it is.

Four opens his door, guiding me in to his apartment. He quickly shows me the kitchen and bathroom. He grabs a pillow off his bed and a spare blanket from the closet and lays them on the bed. I'm caught off guard though when he sits on the couch.

"You can take the bed," he offers.

"No, really, the couch is fine,"

"Tris. I'm not playing the 'who is most stubborn' game with you. Take the bed. You need the rest." Well, unfortunately for me, that's a sound argument. Conceding, I thank him again and head to the bedroom.

"Goodnight, Tris," he whispers. Those eyes are killing me.

"Goodnight, Four," I say in a small voice, and I close his bedroom door.