Hi, Dauntless Muffins. Destination and I are overwhelmed by your reviews and private messages, the followers and favourites, and the ridiculous number of readers! Thank you so much for liking our girls Darcy and Melanie. Keep reviewing (don't be shy - even a simple Hi is enough to make our day) and keep enjoying the story.

PS: I did say that I would post chapters on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I'm changing that into Mondays and Thursdays since that works better for me.

xoxoxox

Darcy

It's been a couple days since my encounter with Four. I've successfully avoided everyone but Melanie: I have given up trying to escape her. I like her anyways.

I'm sitting in the cafeteria and I look at the other Dauntless eating, I'm not allowed to sit with them. One of Max's rules. But Melanie is sitting with me no matter what anyone says and for that stubbornness of hers, I am grateful. Everyone seems so energetic and friendly. I feel pure boredom. I want to blow something up or at least light a candle. I haven't set a fire in so long my fingers feel cold.

Just then there's a loud boom in the kitchen and we all turn to see smoke coming out from under the door.

"Darcy!" Max shouts from above. "My office now!"

"What?! I didn't!" I drop my burger as I stand up. I look up to the leaders table, "I was here the whole time!" Max points to the door. Melanie starts laughing. I groan. "Fuck."

Everyone is watching me as I walk down the aisle. "You gotta a staring problem?" I snap. I look up to Riley, he knows I didn't do it. I see him rise from the table and walk down the steps to meet me at the door.

"It's just precautionary steps." He says.

"I don't give a shit. I'm hungry." I mumble. "If I was going to blow something up I wouldn't do it on an empty stomach."

He takes me to the office. He sits down in his chair with a look of discomfort that I'm sure no one else would notice because it only shows in the tightness of his lips and small glare.

"What's wrong with you?" I mumble as I pull myself up onto his desk.

"Hm? Nothin', just a muscle in my back." He mumbles and looks at me, his eyes move leisurely up my legs and I feel incredibly self-conscious.

"Which one?" I ask, lowering myself off the desk and walking behind him. He leans forward and I can see how muscular his back is through his shirt. "No wait, let me guess. Is it this one?" I poke his back.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I mumble as I close my fingers and work my knuckles into the muscle.

"Try me."

"The way you're sitting. Indicates a discomfort in your back.." I put it short.

"Hmm."

"I was going to go to Erudite, ya know. But I messed that up." I say, "I know every muscle and bone in the body, every pressure point…" My voice fades. I don't know why I'm telling him this. He's quiet. He probably doesn't believe me or care. That's fine. No one ever does. "One of my older brothers has a similar issue, but what else do you expect for someone who sits around with a stick up his ass all day…" I mutter. Riley laughs and the sound of it sends a shock-wave through me. I have said something funny apparently.

"That feels amazing." He whispers. The door to the office opens and Max looks at me.

"Nuh-uh, no, get your hands off him." Max shakes a finger at me.

"Sorry.." I step away from Riley and he stands up and goes.

"Sit down." Max orders me and I walk over to one of the chairs by the door. Max turns around and looks right at me. "Your court date is set for two days from now. I want you on your best behavior."

"Yes, sir."

"No pranks. No firecrackers. And for the record," He points at Riley's chair. "Off limits." He points to Eric's chair, "Off limits. You don't fraternize with leaders, you'll be an initiate. Faction rules. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get out." He says and I stand up. I walk out the door. Okay, so I'm not allowed to touch Riley and the only way I'd ever touch Eric is if he was dying and I had to stop him from bleeding out. Fine. I go back to the cafeteria for lunch and sit down with Melanie again. Someone else has joined us. One of her friends.

"Hi, I'm Uriah."

"Darcy." I extend my hand and he slaps it then bumps his fist against my fingers. I'm not familiar with this handshake.

"Don't worry, you'll get it." He smiles. He's adorable.

"Did Max really think you had something to do with that?" Melanie asks.

"I don't think so. I think he was just trying to scare me again. And it worked." I pick at my food and ask my question carefully, "Did Riley hurt his back some how?" Melanie's eyes meet mine with that knowing gleam and I can't help the heat that rises into my face.

"Not that I know of." She smiles. "Why?"

I take a bite of my burger, "He just said that he had a tight muscle…" I mumble, I don't want them to know I'm secretly a total geek.

"I bet he does." Melanie smirks at me. "When it comes to you."

I almost choke on my food as the two of them start laughing. I wipe at my mouth and throw a fry at her, "That's not funny."

"Melanie." I feel my entire back tighten as Eric's voice sounds behind me. He's so fucking quiet it's not natural. "First aid."

Her eyes come to me. I turn and see Eric walking away. "Fuck. He's going to make me do that epi-pen shit again. I don't have enough muffins for that man!"

"What's so hard about an epi-pen? You just stick it in the outer thigh." I say with a mouth full of food.

"What?" Melanie snaps. "Eric never told me that. I stabbed that poor dummy in the eye."

"You stabbed Eric in the eye?" Uriah laughs.

"No, dumbass." Melanie shoves his shoulder. "The first aid dummy."

"Well stab it in the leg next." I take a bite, "Or better yet stab Eric in the leg with it and see what he thinks about that." I say as she gets up from the table. "And, hey! Tell him you want muffins from him!" I shout as she walks to the door, Uriah and I laugh at her obscene gesture back at me. "That poor dummy." I shake my head. "I hope I'm never on the receiving end of Melanie's medical care." I look at Uriah and he nods.

"Me too."

As I look around the cafeteria and nothing is on fire, I feel like I need to be stabbed with an epi-pen.

"You wanna get out of here?" Uriah says and I look up at him. "A few of us were going to go play a game."

"I'm not supposed to." I shake my head glancing up out of nervousness, but Max isn't there. I clear my throat. "Thank you, though."

I'm walking down a hallway to kill some time when I see a few Dauntless-born girls coming toward me. I keep my eyes down as I pass but I hear one of them say, "She's gonna burn this whole place down."

"Excuse me?" I say, making eye contact with a redhead. She wears a smirk I could easily slap off.

"That's what you do, isn't it?" She steps away from her two friends and I look at the piercings in her eyebrows. "You burn everything."

"No." I say, raising an eyebrow, "I like to blow things up usually."

"Right, you're some kind of pyro freak. I heard Riley and Eric talking about it. What was it Eric said…'she's a timebomb'" She smiles at her friends and I launch my fist right into her mouth, knocking her off her feet.

"Well, I guess he's right then." I look down at her. Her friends look at me and that's about the time I wish Melanie was here.

The blonde one tries to hit me but I grab her shirt and give it a good pull. She trips over my foot and her other friend wraps her arm around my neck. I kick blondie in the face and hear beeping. SHIT. Oh fuck it. I'm not going to let these little snobs take me down. Not without a proper fight.

The brunette is hauled off me suddenly and a loud booming voice makes me freeze, "Enough!" Riley shouts. Oh thank fuck, it's not Eric. "You three," He points to them and they all fumble to get to their feet. "Go see Eric and let him know what you've done–and don't lie about it because he already knows. Ganging up on one person? You should be ashamed? Get out of my sight."

Riley quickly pulls me up and I close my eyes, "I hit first." I say clearly. "I hit the redhead first." I have to get it out before I look him in the eyes. "I started it, Riley." He lets me go and I look at him. "I'm sorry."

"She started it. She obviously said something."

"I shouldn't have hit her even so." I suck in a breath, "Wait, how do you know?"

"I just do." He says.

"Max is going to kill me…" I truly feel like crying but Riley shakes his head.

"He doesn't have to know. If he asks about the alert I'll clear it up."

Melanie and I enter into the cafeteria for dinner and I look up to the leader table and don't see Max, thank god, but I avert my eyes when I see Eric. He's staring at Melanie strangely. She hasn't noticed. I sit down at the table with her and eat a little bit, but I'm still nervous Max will want to put me through the shredder for getting into a fight.

"I thought I was going to start crying." A jittery giggle escapes my lips because Melanie laughs.

"Let me get this straight. You blow things up and get in fights, but Riley takes one look at you and you turn into a fucking pansy."

"I do not." I snap quietly, "I just–I thought he was going to drag me to the office."

"You like him." Melanie smiles like she's just discovered a buried treasure.

"No, I don't. I mean yeah–I like him, but not like–" Oh god, I'm blushing. I giggle nervously, "That's preposterous, he is–I barely know him… I respect him. That's all."

"Mmhm, Here. Have a brownie, I made these special for you." She smiles and pushes a plate toward me. I pick one up and lick some frosting off my finger. She has exceptional baking skills. My eyes wander to Riley up at the leader's table. He's talking with Eric about something. This frosting is good.

"I think he likes you." Melanie says as she picks at the corner of her own brownie.

"Who?"

"Who do you think?" She bumps my arm with hers and nods up to the leaders. I laugh.

"Yeah, right." I shake my head and take a bite of the chocolatey goodness. "That's… He's way out of my league. I'd have better luck setting Four on fire again and getting a date from him than… than you know.."

Twenty minutes later I don't know what's happened but the fucking table is so smooth. I need to lay my face on it and touch it. "Mel, this table is so…soft." I whisper. "Touch it, Mel, touch it. This is the table, I'm telling you."

"Whats wrong with her?" I hear Eric ask. I look up and smile at him.

"Hi, Eric want a brownie?" I grab the plate and somehow I stand up on my seat because I feel like I need to be level with him.

"No." he says flatly.

"You have exceptional bone structure, has anyone ever told you that?" I'm leaning forward slightly. I lift the plate up in front of him. "They're really good. The brownies, not your bones. Your bones are good too. This place is amazing." I smile as I take another brownie and hand the plate to Melanie as I step up on the table. "You're all doing fantastic," I smile down at Eric, Riley and Melanie. "You all deserve letters, I'm going to write you letters." Riley's beard. I gasp. "Riley, your beard is so beautiful. Can I touch it? Do you like fireworks?" By this time I'm standing on the edge of the table and he's for some reason got his hands out like I'm going to fall. But I feel light as a feather.

"Melanie, did you make these brownies?" Eric asks.

"Where's Four?" I chirp, turning around looking for him. "He needs a brownie. Everyone needs one."

"Darcy," I turn back to Riley, "Come on, let's get you down from there."

"Why?"

"Because they're trying to clear the trays and bins." He beckons me with his hands and I go to him like some fucking pet.

"She's high isn't she?" Eric asks.

"As a kite." Melanie confirms.

"I've never flown a kite." I say more to Riley than anyone else. "Do you want a brownie, Riley?" I smile as he pulls me to his chest and lets me slide down his body again. I enjoy that.

"I'm not in the mood for a brownie right now." he shakes his head with a look in his eyes I can't pinpoint.

"Why not? Chocolate is good for any mood." I could fall over looking into those eyes, "Even if you're angry. Which reminds me. I want to smear this on Four's stupid face."

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Riley says as he gently takes the brownie from my hand and gives it to Melanie.

"But it would make me feel better." We're still staring at each other. It's like everything else is just a blur.

"How about we go for a walk?" He asks.

"Okay." I feel Melanie set a brownie in my hands behind my back before Riley leads me away. We walk into the hallway and I take a bite of the brownie. I've taken three bites before he notices.

"The fuck?" Riley grumbles and reaches for it.

"No way, grumpy bear, get your own." I giggle turning from him and holding it away. I'm giggling out of control as I keep stepping away from him, he wraps one arm around me. He gets suddenly still and peeks around the corner then back at me. He pulls me roughly and I drop the brownie, "Oh man." I frown down at it as he drags me into a utility closet.

"What the fuck is there a brownie on my floor for?!" I hear Max shout in the hallway and I can't contain the hysterical laughter, but Riley covers my mouth with his hand.

"Shh."

Riley listens to Max yelling about the brownie until some poor soul comes to clean it up. I am not listening though. I am more focused on his hand covering my mouth. It's rough and large. Warm. I'm stupidly touching his jaw, the soft yet coarse hair on it. He didn't say I could do this. I'm not sure what comes over me but I feel like I'm gonna scream. When his hand slides off my lips that's not what happens. In the split second that I even think about it I do it. The poor man doesn't even see it coming. I tackle him, kissing him roughly as we fall, I come down on top of him. His arm has knocked something off a shelf, I don't know I'm too busy with fistfuls of his hair and sucking on his tongue. I bite his lip and he groans underneath me. I slowly pull away from him and my senses come back to me. Shit.
"I'm sorry." I gasp covering my mouth.

"I–I'm not." He breathes heavily. I stand up off of him and hurry to the door. What have I done? I bolt out into the hallway ignoring Riley calling my name. I'm so stupid.

In my panic I've wandered into the garages' storage room and I'm flipping through supplies like nobody's business. Tears are filling my eyes just thinking about what Max will do when he finds out that I got high and then kissed Riley

I didn't mean to. I grab a magnet and a copper wire. The ankle tracker starts to beep and I know Riley has just activated it trying to find me. I can barely see through my tears as I take the magnet and press it to the device then secure it with the copper wire. The beeping stops and the little light turns off.

"Fucking idiot." I hiss as I beat the heels of my hands against my head, "So stupid, stupid, stupid!" I clench my jaw and start to cry. I never want a brownie again. How embarrassing. Why did I do that? I'm just a fucking idiot. A blonde airhead. The pain in my chest hurts as I realize Riley would never like someone like me.

I never do anything right.