My eyes have bags under them from the nightmares of the war, but we are routinely outperforming everyone in the physical stage and I narrowly avoided being beaten by Christina last fight. I give a start as I recognise the day. If this was the normal timeline, Christina would be hanging by the chasm in a few hours. This time, I won't hesitate to pull her up and maybe even give Eric a little nudge if it comes to it. The parents in the other timeline probably wouldn't approve, but part of Abnegation is making sacrifices. If I pushed Eric off the Chasm, I'd be being selfless.
While I am rationalising this, Tobias comes into the training room. He mouths something at me: 'Chasm, at six.' I nod and he writes the fights on the board, smirking when he slates Christina with Molly. I think I know why – we both know Christina could beat Molly with her hands tied. Probably with her feet tied as well.
Christina walks up to the ring, looking determined. Tobias signals the start, where Christina uses Molly's speed against her, weaving in, landing punches on her lower body – she guards too high – and darting out again. By a minute in you could see Molly tiring from swinging at nothing and the sheen of sweat on Christina's brow tells me it will be over soon. With a well-balanced punch to Molly's temple – she started to guard too low- Molly is out. Tobias circles Christina's name and I rush to embrace her.
I am up against Will. After careful moves, we rush into the fight and we are in a blur of punches and kicks until I manage to get a kick in to send him toppling. After a minute he comes to again and I help him up, where we walk off together to watch the other fights.
I go to meet Tobias where we finally have a chance to talk once again without it being in view of anyone else. We talk about training and the war for a while before we share a small kiss. It isn't anything big, but the gesture sets my insides on fire. He pulls one more thing out of his pocket. "It's a walkie-talkie, Caleb said. He'll give us updates on his spying." I nod and kiss him once more before making my way up the stone stairs.
The next morning, I wake up to find that I can't get my legs into my pants, as thick bulges of muscle stop them. Oh, no. I'd anticipated this, but I'd figured I'd have a few days before that point. I guessed wrong.
I had been training as soon as I got to Dauntless to build my muscles, my accuracy, my skill. And now it's paid off.
Bunching my towel around me tightly, I run into the dorms. Molly, Peter and Drew wait for me there. It is just my luck that this happened on the only other day they were around when no one else was in the dorm. They jeered at me for being a Stiff that day, but it was their usual taunting; I could handle it.
'Hey! There's the Stiff! I think we could see whether she's hiding something!'
His goons dash towards me, but I have the advantage, until Peter rushes at me from the opposite end. I feel air on me as I go bright red.
'Look! The stiff's gone red! I thought you'd go gray!'
'Get some insulting insults.' I growl, still red-faced.
'Why, when I'm having so much fun?'
I pull on a dress as I glare, while his goons laugh.
I've started to keep a chapter in reserve so I won't have 3 months without posting.
