We had been on the train for what felt like hours, but it had only been 20 mins according to my watch, with no idea where we were going. I was having issues keeping my balance as the train speed through the city, so I sat down next to Aaron.
"You sure you're okay?" He asked for what felt like the millionth time.
"Yes Aaron I'm fine." I say, starting to get a little annoyed.
Out of the corner of my eyes, I spot Derek standing by the open door with some of his friends. His dark chestnut hair, which he had let grow just past his ears, wiping in the wind. My heart jumps slightly for some reason.
"Why did he save me? Why didn't he just let me fall?" I kept asking myself over and over.
Just than a girl from Erudite takes the empty spot to my left. She had long blond hair that was tied up into high pony.
"So where do you think they're taking us?" She asked, pushing her blue glasses farther up her small nose.
I look out the open door and watch the buildings start to thin out. "I'm guessing the Dauntless compound."
"That would be the most logical answer. My name is Hillary by the way." She introduced extending her hand out to me.
I reach out and take it, "I'm Sally and this is Aaron."
"Very nice to meet you Hillary!" Aaron says with a big smile, taking her hand when she extended it.
"You too Aaron." She smiles as well. "In perpetration for the choosing ceremony I read a book about previous ceremonies and what the likely hood of transfers to each faction. And I came across this interesting fact about Amity."
"Really and what would that be?" Aaron asks, almost sounding interested.
"That it's very rare for someone from Amity to transfer to Dauntless, let alone two at once. And in the way you two interact with each other, would I be correct in saying you guys are involved?" Hillary asked, looking at us over the top of her glasses.
I feel my cheeks start to burn. "Ah yes we are."
"Awww how sweet! The hippies are in love." The Erudite girl from before mocked, making kissy faces at us. Her two friends giggling beside her.
"Ignore Francine and her minions. She has a horrible habit of making fun of people and her two best friends, Bertha and Danielle, are no better." Hillary says, her voice full of distain.
"I'm guessing you've had your own run in with them." Aaron asked.
"On more than one occasion. I was hoping to be rid of them by joining Dauntless but that didn't happen." She sighs in defeat.
But before Aaron and I could say anything to comfort her, a few of the Dauntless Born start to cheer.
"Home Sweet Home!" Derek says as he leans out the open door.
We all stand up and head towards the doors. And to our shock we see the other Dauntless members, in the cars ahead of us, are jumping out the doors of the train onto roof tops a good ten feet away from the train. I look down and see we are at least 7 stories up.
"First they want us to jump on a moving train and now they want us to jump off of it! You've got to be kidding me!" I hear one of Francine's minions squeak, fear plastered all over her face.
"Suck it up Bertha! Don't be such a wimp!" Francine snaps at her.
I felt sorry for Bertha. Even I was scared to jump off a moving train, 7 stories up. But I also knew I didn't want to become Factionless. So I take my spot in line with the other Transfers.
"Francine I can't! I don't want to die!" Bertha sobbed her back up against the far side of the train.
"Whatever. Go and be Factionless than! Wimp!" Francine yells at her so called friend.
Bertha slumps to the floor, tears streaming down her face. Francine rolls her eyes before pushing herself to the front of the line. She turns and mouths something that looked like 'Cry Baby' before jumping out of the train. I was the last one in line of transfers. Aaron was in front of me with Hillary in front of him. Pretty soon it was Hillary's turn and she wasn't moving.
Aaron puts a hand on her shoulder. "Want me to jump with you?" He asks softly.
Hillary nods her head, unable to speak. Aaron wraps his hand in hers and walks her to the open door.
"On three okay. One . . . Two . . . THREE!" He cries jumping out the door, pulling Hillary with him.
I hear a muffled scream come from Hillary as they jump. Now it was my turn. I look and see I only had a little roof left. My hand finds the gold charm around my neck.
"Better hurry. Or you'll be joining Bertha." A deep voice whispers in my ear.
My hand quickly drops from my neck. I turn and see Derek looking down at me. Why wasn't he with the other Dauntless-borns?
"I know, I just want to get a running start." I say, trying to steady my voice.
Derek quirks an eyebrow with curiosity. A ring he had pierced there glitters in the sun. I walk to the other side of the train, than turn to face the open door. I take a deep breath and break into a run. My legs bend and I'm air born.
The wind whips through my hair. The whole world seems to freeze as I fly through the air, just like a sparrow. My feet hit solid ground, causing my knees to give out. I wrap my arms around my face as I hit the ground. I felt myself roll a couple times before coming to a stop. I shift to my back and uncover my face. My hands move across the roof and I start to laugh.
"Either you're okay and happy your alive, or you've lost your mind." Derek smirks down at me.
"I just can't believe I made it." I laugh pushing myself into a siting position.
I feel a stinging sensation on my knees. There are a couple holes in my green skirt just below my knees. I grab a hold of one of the rips and pull.
"Sally? Are you okay?" Aaron asked as he makes his way over to me. "And what are you doing?"
"I'm making my skirt shorter." I explain.
I continue to pull at the rip, making my skirt shorter. Once the rip went from one side to the other, I give one quick pull and it comes loose. I slide the extra material off, revealing my tanned legs. As well as two gashes on my knees, little pieces of gravel stuck in them.
Derek reaches his hand out to me. I smile and let him help me up. Once I'm on my feet I brush my knees off, getting rid of most of the gravel.
Aaron walks over and pulls me into a bone crushing hug. If we were back in Amity, I would have melted into his arms. But as I catch a glimpse Derek looking at us, I feel heat rise in my cheeks. I place my hands on his chest and push him away.
"I'm fine Aaron. How's Hillary?" I try to change the subject, ignoring the hurt look on his face.
"A little shook up but okay. Her glasses took the brunt of the fall. I don't think she's all that fond of heights." He says, looking over at Hillary.
She was standing as far away from the edge of the roof as she could. What I noticed right away was how her blue eyes seemed to pop now that she was no longer wearing her glasses. My father use to say how most Erudite's have perfect eye sight but they would wear glasses in the hopes of looking smarter. I wonder if this is the same with Hillary.
Every one starts to gather on one end of the roof, where a tall man with dark skin and short black hair was standing on the ledge.
"Welcome to Dauntless headquarters, initiates! My name is Max and I am one of the leaders here at Dauntless." He calls out to us.
Back at Amity, we didn't have leaders. Cause we're were the faction that always wanted peace, any decisions were made as a group. But even than we always had someone who was in trusted to listen and help with the final out come. They usually where older in age cause they had a lot more wisdom. But Max looked no older than twenty.
"Here at Dauntless, we believe that one of the bravest thing a person can do is to jump into the unknown. So for your first test to see if your brave enough to call yourself Dauntless, each of you will have to climb up here and jump off the roof." Max informs us.
I hear Hillary let out a squeak from beside me. I reach over and wrap an arm around her. "It's going to be fine. They wouldn't let us all jump off if there was nothing to catch us." I tell her, hoping to calm her.
"Now whose first?" Max asks moving over on the roofs edge.
Everyone was quiet, even the Dauntless borns are looking every where but Max. I feel Hillary's shoulders start to shake and I know if I don't show her that everything's okay, she end up like Bertha, Factionless.
"I am!" I hear myself say, my voice sounding strong.
"Sally, no . . ." Aaron starts to say, but I ignore him.
I let go of Hillary, who gives me a look of terror. "I'll be fine. See you at the bottom." I reassure her, or try to anyway.
I make my way through the crowd and up to the ledge. I place my hands on the ledge and look over. There was giant hole in the roof, casting a black shadow over whatever is at the bottom.
"Looks like the hippie wants to fly." Francine mocks, with a roll of her eye.
I try to ignore her as I climb up. It was pretty easy, now that my skirt was shorter. I kept my balance as I stood up, my legs shaking slightly.
"You can do it Sally!" Aaron calls.
I turn and smile at him, than turn to Max. He gestures for me to hurry up. The wind blows through my hair as I take a deep breath.
I take a step forward, my feet leaving the ledge. I hold back a scream as I fall through the air. My arms wave out like the wings of a bird. A smile crosses my face as I start to feel free for the first time since the test, like the birds back at the Amity farms.
A scream gets caught in my throat as I rush through the hole between the buildings. Just as I think that maybe there was nothing to catch me, I land on something hard. I expect to stop but I keep going as it gives way under me. I let out a soft scream as what I feel now is a net wrap around me before springing back tossing me back into the air. This time my legs peddle widely, my hands flaying trying to grab on to anything.
The net catches and flings me a couple more times before wrapping around me and keeping me in place. I gasp for air, the winding having been knocked out of me. A laugh escapes my lips as I tangle my fingers in the holes of the net. Suddenly the net shifts under me and I roll to the edge.
"Well this is a first," a young man laughs, he looked around 19, "never had a hippy jump first before."
I move so I'm kneeling on the net, my skirt tucked under them. He reached his hand out and helps me onto solid ground.
"Welcome to Dauntless. What's your name Hippy? You can change it if you wish but make it good. You won't be able to change it back," he informs me.
My heart jumps in my chest. I really can start over here. Sally is definitely not a name for some one in Dauntless. But I did want to stay as close as I can to the name my parents gave me.
The man who helped me off the net rolls his eyes, "We don't have all day hippy."
"Sal," I hear myself say, "My name is Sal."
He raises a pierced eyebrow then smiles. "Sal! First jumper!"