Chapter 6: Rude Awakenings and Welcome to Dauntless

Violet stirs from her sleep as Alexandra beckons her to reality. "Violet." She whispers. In one swift movement the girl shoots up and holds a gun ahead, finger on trigger. "What happened?" She asks immediately alert.

"Nothing," Alexandra laughs lightly. Violet groans in realization. "It's my shift isn't it?" She smirks in amusement before getting up, from her kneeled position. "Yep, but unlike you I want to sleep in a bed." She gestures to an empty room with her head. "You going to be alright?" Violet nods. "Why are you panting?"

"I was bored, just finished exercising."

"Who exercises at 4am?" Alexandra gives her a tight hug, before walking to their adjoined bedroom. "Don't lie I now you do. Wake me to help you with breakfast." The door closes. Like you'll get up. Violet thinks bemused. She rubs the sleep from her eyes, before moving across the hallway to sit in Alexandra's place.

The hours pass by agonizingly slow. Loud snoring, toilets flushing, and the occasional person sneaking out to get a drink or food. Violet being hypocritical spent her time exercising and reading through the basket of notepads from the Reading room. The only mildly interesting thing that happened was ordering and replacing furniture. Finally, the hallway was brighter and a few minutes after her shift was over, she went to wake Alexandra. The brunette pushed her away multiple times, groaning and moaning for 5 more hours of sleep. It took her several tries and a cup of water over the head but she soon managed to half carry, half drag the girl to the bathroom.

She needs like 3 hours of sleep per night. "You're being dramatic." She said leaving her in the bathroom to get ready. When the war of getting Alexandra out of bed ended, Violet refused to go get pre- made food and the two cooked a moderately healthy meal for everyone.

Violet's legs are propped up on the kitchen counter and she flips through Susan's notepad. "Did you read the notes?"

Alexandra pauses from scrubbing the stove and nods. "They started out nice, but as the chapters went by they got really impressive, at least it shows their taking it seriously. They're outlooks are fresh and they write things I haven't considered"

"Pretty sure, they only started taking it seriously because of you." She throws her head back lolling then groans. "Your speeches are endless I know you can't help it though." She pauses looking back at the pad before fling in on the polished table. "Like Susan can't help admiring us, at least 3 pages have compliments."

"She's sweet." The other states.

Finally, after some coaxing Violet gets up to help the other clean, they spend the next hour discussing the group while tending to dishes, and cleaning up pizza boxes, and lasagne plates. They decided there was no way in narrowing down the best note takers because the majority had put an abundance of information, and varying opinions with the same amount of effort. Even with Cara and Caleb's' somewhat advance synopsis and pages filled Tris and others seem to be at the same level. The majority having already filled over a baker's dozen pages.

Most of the group awake after the girls just finished with the Reading room so it doesn't take long to assemble everyone. The tension was unavoidable. Between the Priors, between Peter, Eric and Tris even a little between Four and Alexandra. The situation, the secrets, the seriousness of this whole book was sinking in. It seemed the only escape was to read. Alexandra picks up the book off the table, flopping onto an empty chair with an audible oomph.

Chapter six

"Hey, hey, hey!" Uriah interrupts Alexandra, waving a fork in the air at her in warning. "We're eating." He opens his mouth wide. "See food."

"Haha, seafood get it." Uriah groans. "Explaining it ruins it, Zeke." He nudges Lynn alongside him. "Beginners, am I right?" She shakes her head smirking.

"Can't you eat while I read?" Alexandra asks blankly.

"We have weeks right? What's the rush?" Uriah waves her off.

Violet nods in agreement taking a forkful of scrambled eggs. "I kind of agree, plus we're ahead of time, a little break won't kill anyone." She glances at Tris. "...Maybe her." Said girl pauses mid bite.

"That's re-assuring."

Alexandra places the book down. "Take one for the team, buddy." That said everyone soon separates into small groups; some go off to the kitchen, others curl up on the floor. Caleb, Tris and their parents have yet another family talk; it was becoming a chapterly thing. Four watches Tris wondering if they're really ready to tell everyone about their relationship. She notices his gaze and they lock eyes, he offers a reassuring smile before escaping to the kitchen.

"Jug, jug, jug." Lynn, Marlene and Christina chant as Uriah downs a carton of milk. His eyes land on Four in the door way and he spews out a huge mouthful. "Eew!" They screech in laughter and disgust, as milk drips off them onto the floor. Uriah wipes his lips smirking.

Four shakes his head and turns back to the Reading room, suddenly not wanting to escape here anymore. He sits back down trying to get distracted, his eyes land on Alexandra. She sat talking to Peter an apologetic look on her face, he pointedly ignores her.

He tries pushing the thoughts away but, it edges into his head. Alexa… that was her name back in Dauntless. He remembers.

He allows himself a flashback if only to distract himself from everyone else. "Hey, you're Tobias, right?" A pretty girl, with dark green eyes and short dark hair smiles brightly at him. He hesitates at first still protective over using his real name then nods.

"I'm Alexandra…" When he doesn't say anything she continues. "Most people call me Alexa, but I'll make an exception for you. I'm an Abnegation transfer too you probably didn't notice me." He remembers how they became inseparable after that. She protected him, helped him. She was one of the primary people that helped mould him into the man he is today.

Then things started to go wrong; people started noticing she'd constantly leave at night, Eric attempted to kill her, her closeness with the leaders led to numerous rumours. She only told him one thing before her sudden "suicide."

'I'll see you soon.'

And she did, months later. It was awkward, and horrible, and she didn't explain things properly but it was just to show him she was alive and things weren't as it seemed. He didn't forgive her, but said he understood.

His train of thought was lost when something shifted the weight of the large couch. "Hey."

"Hello," He greets awkwardly. "What's up with Peter?" He asks after a few seconds of silence.

"I KO'd him yesterday."

"KO'd...?"

"I knocked him out, when he tried to sneak into Tris' group's room last night." Four's hands clench into tight fists. "You know I wouldn't let anyone hurt someone you care about." Four relaxes. "I know."

"Hey can I- I mean do you mind if- can I sit with you today?"

"Sure… Alexa."

Eric was officially over being patient. He needed Alexandra and Violet out of his way, so he could kill Tris and Four. Though with the rest of the room also on her side, there was no way he would be able to get to her until this is all over. He chewed angrily on a muffin; him and Peter were officially banned from being anywhere near Tris, unless there was some type of restraints involved.

"You know I like it here," Zeke says finishing off his plate. "Comfy beds and couches, no exercise, really good food and not bad company." He points a finger at Eric. "That goes for you too." Eric sneers at him from his corner seat next to Violet, who laughs.

"How long we staying anyway? A few months?" He asks. "Actually at the rate we're going a few weeks." Alexandra answers.

Cara pouts leaning against Will on the floor. "I like it here too. Got my sister back." He hugs her tightly. Christina exits the kitchen followed by the rest of the group. "We're done eating." Christina announces.

"Everyone in here's done too." When they finish collecting the plates and leaving everything in the kitchen, everyone sits down hardly anyone siting where they were last time.

"Ok then." Violet smirks before taking a remote out of her pocket and pressing a green button. Eric and Peter are caught off guard when their armchairs suddenly spring out restraints. They wrap around their wrists hard, stainless, steel metal.

"Hey! Seriously?" Peter yelps. "Ordered it yesterday," Violet explains. "It's just till you guys are less you know… crazy."

Violet snatches the book from Alexandra. "Nope. You already read." She pouts.

"I'm so excited!" Christina squeals. "The adventure is really beginning now."

Marlene agrees. "This book is really good, and I've read my fair share of books. All it's missing is a love interest." Christina claps loudly laughing. "Tris! I'd love it!" Before anything else can be said Violet opens the book and begins reading.

Chapter six

I TRAIN MY eyes on the floor and stand behind the Dauntless-born initiates who chose to return to their own faction. They are all taller than I am, so even when I lift my head, I see only black-clothed shoulders.

"Speaking of black, I am loving these clothes you gave us. Their so comfortable." Christina wraps her arms round herself rubbing her new black sweater arms up and down clad in her matching jeans. Most of the room nod in agreement.

"I for one like the pyjamas. Never felt anything so soft and warm." Zeke says. "Honestly, I'm thinking of leaving dauntless and going to wherever it is you two live."

Uriah chuckles next to his brother. "Agreed. The land of soft pillows, air conditioners and chocolate freaking chip pancakes."

"And fruit!"

Alexandra and Violet had put multiple types of clothing in everyone's room. They tried hard not to factionise the clothing. The Abnegation still managed to somehow look dull and covered in their long coloured clothing and the others all the same in colours and clothes kept similar to their factions.

When the last girl makes her choice—Amity—it's time to leave. The Dauntless exit first. I walk past the grey-clothed men and women who were my faction, staring determinedly at the back of someone's head. But I have to see my parents one more time.

Natalie sighs... she felt as if the book was constantly pushing that day in her face down her throat, taunting her. Though she understood her children's choice it still felt like her heart was being crushed bit by bit every day.

I look over my shoulder at the last second before I pass them, and immediately wish I hadn't. My father's eyes burn into mine with a look of accusation.

"It wasn't accusation." Andrew exclaims voice tinged with shame. "Betrayal." Violet offers.

"Hate." Uriah says chipping in. "No, no." Will laughs. "I think it was more of an 'I shall come for you look.'" Andrew ignores them sighing in despondent.

At first, when I feel the heat behind my eyes, I think he's found a way to set me on fire, to punish me for what I've done, but no—I'm about to cry.

It wasn't that intense, Andrew thinks to himself.

"Gosh Tris." Uriah says from his spot on the floor. "I seriously doubt, you're dad wants to set you on fire."

"My brain might of over- reacted a bit."

Beside him, my mother is smiling.

"Your mother is either really understanding, or really happy you left." Uriah comments. "I'd like to think a little bit of both." Alexandra says when Mrs Prior nods bringing on a round of laughter begins.

"Not for the reasons they think." She explains seeing her daughter's expression.

The people behind me press me forward, away from my family, who will be the last ones to leave. They may even stay to stack the chairs and clean the bowls.

They did, but got sent home because of their loss.

I twist my head around to find Caleb in the crowd of Erudite behind me. He stands among the other initiates, shaking hands with a faction transfer, a boy who was Candor. The easy smile he wears is an act of betrayal.

Both Tris and her father are fighting off an accusing glare at said Prior. Caleb sighs exasperated, he wondered how Tris felt that day. He had thought she understood.

My stomach wrenches and I turn away. If it's so easy for him, maybe it should be easy for me, too. I glance at the boy to my left, who was Erudite and now looks as pale and nervous as I should feel.

Will face lights up instantly. "Is that me?!"

Christina laughs. "I sure hope not, or else my boyfriend is a pale, nervous wreck." He wraps an arm around her and chuckles. "So not me." He says in a low, deep voice.

I spent all my time worrying about which faction I would choose and never considered what would happen if I chose Dauntless.

Alexandra smirks. "Hey that's the point, right? Very Dauntless Tris."

"And Amity, as in stupid." Peter laughs at his own joke earning what seems to be Edward's first ever glare.

What waits for me at Dauntless headquarters?

The crowd of Dauntless leading us go to the stairs instead of the elevators. I thought only the Abnegation used the stairs. Then everyone starts running.

I hear whoops and shouts and laughter all around me, and dozens of thundering feet moving at different rhythms. It is not a selfless act for the Dauntless to take the stairs; it is a wild act.

"I don't know how running down stairs, screaming like animals is a wild act." Marcus mumbles. "But to each their own."

"What the hell is going on?" the boy next to me shouts. I just shake my head and keep running. I am breathless when we reach the first floor, and the Dauntless burst through the exit.

"Come on Tris," Uriah claps cheeringly as if cheering her on in a marathon. "You can't be that unfit keep up, keep up."

Outside, the air is crisp and cold and the sky is orange from the setting sun. It reflects off the black glass of the Hub. The Dauntless sprawl across the street, blocking the path of a bus, and I sprint to catch up to the back of the crowd. My confusion dissipates as I run.

"Dissipates?" Alexandra muses. A moment of silence passes and as Alexandra's about to continue Caleb exclaims loudly. "Oh, you mean the Erudite quick-fire game."

"Actually-"

"You probably know it," Caleb continues. "With all the research you most probably did on our factions for the rest that don't know all you have to do is keep the flow going with the word. Go!" He doesn't seem to care for the silence.

"I'll go first; dissipates; it can mean to cause to separate and go in different directions"

Cara snaps her thumb and middle finger together. "It could also mean to move away from each other."

"Live a life of pleasure."

"To spend frivolously and unwisely."

Cara pauses suddenly noticing everyone's eyes on them, "It's probably the first one." She says trailing off. Alexandra gives them a weird look opens her mouth to say something, then shakes her head. "That wasn't my question but, okay then."

I have not run anywhere in a long time. Abnegation discourages anything done strictly for my own enjoyment,

Uriah and Alexandra suddenly both laugh.

"We don't even want to know." Lynn says when Uriah begins explaining. Everyone nods in agreement. "It's a perfectly legitimate question." Alexandra argues.

"Then you both can perfectly legitimately, keep it too yourselves." Christina says still hooked on the two interrupting her constantly on her turn. Alexandra and Uriah stop talking simultaneously in a phony furious silence that convinces no one.

"Are you guys telepathic or something?" Marlene questions amused. "It's a sick- minded thing." Alexandra says seriously, before her and Uriah start laughing again.

and that is what this is: my lungs burning, my muscles aching, the fierce pleasure of a flat-out sprint.

"Will you two stop laughing already?!" Violet snaps. The two stop and Zeke starts. "I just got the joke." He clutches his stomach hunching over in his seat.

"You remember when I asked you this." Alexandra asks laughing again. "Just tell us already." Will says. "Nope. This stays with the five of us." Alexandra smirks. "Five?"

"Violet and Four know too." Violet begins reading before anyone can ask her anything about it. Sex jokes.

I follow the Dauntless down the street and around the corner and hear a familiar sound: the train horn.

"Now that was crazy! Seriously?" Will exclaims. "I wish someone would have told us. Hey you're initiation starts here. Now see, that train yeah, it's not going to stop so you better jump warning; you might just die or become factionless. But hey good luck." He makes a funny face then gives everyone a thumbs up.

"You've got problems." This time Peter isn't the only one laughing.

"Oh no," mumbles the Erudite boy. "Are we supposed to hop on that thing?"

"Yes," I say, breathless.

"This is so Will." Zeke says before turning to him. "What's up with you in the book?" Zeke continues. "You keep asking stupid questions." Everyone stares at Will. "It's not me!" He whines.

When everyone snickers he crosses his arms and pouts. "You like obsessed with her." Zeke adds fuel to the fire.

"Am not!"

It is good that I spent so much time watching the Dauntless arrive at school. The crowd spreads out in a long line. The train glides toward us on steel rails, its light flashing, its horn blaring.

The door of each car is open, waiting for the Dauntless to pile in, and they do, group by group, until only the new initiates are left. The Dauntless-born initiates are used to doing this by now, so in a second it's just faction transfers left. I step forward with a few others and start jogging.

This is insane, they can't expect people that literally just joined to be able to jump onto a moving train. Cara inwardly sighs. Poor Will.

We run with the car for a few steps and then throw ourselves sideways. I'm not as tall or as strong as some of them, so I can't pull myself into the car. I cling to a handle next to the doorway, my shoulder slamming into the car. My arms shake, and finally a Candor girl grabs me and pulls me in. Gasping, I thank her.

"It's me!" Christina squeals. "Wait I need a minute." She begins breathing in and out. "I'm like a main character in this right?"

"I guess so..." Tris shrugs.

"Who's more important than the best friend?"

"Uh, the love interest."

"Tris doesn't have a love interest, Will."

This is it, I should say something, Tris thinks to herself. I'm dating Four. Plain and simple. Her mind shifts from that to everyone's reactions. I can't do this. "Tris?" Alexandra calls pulling her out of her thoughts. She looks up to find everyone staring at her.

"What?"

"Do you have a love interest?" Alexandra laughs seemingly joking but it's an obvious bone thrown her way, will she bite? "Um..." She peeps up at Four from the corner of her eye he nods. "Well... me an-"

"Of course she doesn't." Christina waves her off. "If she did she would have told us. We asked her if she has anymore secrets. Plus, we'd have noticed."

"Yeah but..." Four opens his mouth to help her but Christina's way ahead of him. "Now read this is wasting description time." Tris lets out a dejected sigh.

I hear a shout and look over my shoulder. A short Erudite boy with red hair pumps his arms as he tries to catch up to the train. An Erudite girl by the door reaches out to grab the boy's hand, straining, but he is too far behind. He falls to his knees next to the tracks as we sail away, and puts his head in his hands.

"That was far too quick, already a factionless, that poor young man." Natalie clutches her husband's hand sadly. Cara scoffs. "Like you care."

"Cara, please don't start." Will begs. He won't be able to stop Tris from punching her if she continues. The Abnegation all stay silent waiting for her to finish. "I'm just trying to say that-"

"I know what you're trying to say. I just want you to keep in mind that if you continue nothing and no one will stop me from breaking your nose." Tris snaps at her.

"That's what you said last time. Why don't actually come here and give it a try?" Cara blurts defensively not completely sure of her. "Prove, Abnegation gone bad."

"Ooh cat fight." Uriah whoops. "Meow, rah!"

Violet rolls her eyes. "Shut up… all of you."

I feel uneasy. He just failed Dauntless initiation. He is factionless now. It could happen at any moment.

"You totally saved me there." Christina smiles. "I couldn't let my future best friend not come to Dauntless."

"You all right?" the Candor girl who helped me asks briskly.

"Look how nice I am." Christina says. "I helped you into a train, and asked how you are." Tris rolls her eyes playfully, "My hero."

She is tall, with dark brown skin and short hair.

"That's it, hmm." Christina nods pursing her lips in a disappointed manner. "I suddenly know how Susan feels." She mumbles. "You didn't even describe my appearance." She adds louder.

Peter looks at her mockingly. "Not much to describe."

"How about I describe how I'm gonna kick your as-" Christina starts. "Language." Mrs Prior cuts her off.

"Ok how would you have wanted me to say it..? She's a tall, dark caramel beauty, with raven hair that hung just above her shoulders." Tris says just off the top of her head.

Christina gives her a 'duh' look. "Uh, that was amazing. Where was this spunk that day?"

"Probably left the minute I step foot on the stairs and all breathe left my lungs, and all coherent thought flew out the window."

Pretty.

Christina gives her a genuine smile. "Aaw, thanks Tris."

"If it helps you're beautiful." Will whispers in her ear. She smiles pecking him on the lips. "You're not so bad yourself even pale and nervous that the book you is."

I nod. "I'm Christina," she says, offering me her hand. I haven't shaken a hand in a long time either. The Abnegation greeted and one another by bowing heads, a sign of respect. I take her hand, uncertainly, and shake it twice, hoping I didn't squeeze too hard or not hard enough.

"Actually it felt like a nervous spasm." Christina laughs. "I thought you were just scared or nervous. The rest of us were."

"Beatrice," I say.

"So when did all this Tris, business start?"

"Half an hour later." Tris answers her dad.

"Do you know where we're going?" She has to shout over the wind, which blows harder through the open doors by the second. The train is picking up speed. I sit down. It will be easier to keep my balance if I'm low to the ground. She raises an eyebrow at me.

"A fast train means wind," I say. "Wind means falling out. Get down." Christina sits next to me, inching back to lean against the wall.

"I guess we're going to Dauntless headquarters," I say, "but I don't know where that is."

"Does anyone?" She shakes her head, grinning. "It's like they just popped out of a hole in the ground or something."

"Well you weren't completely wrong." Lynn states.

The people that don't know that Dauntless practically live in a large variety, of underground caves, look at her confused. "You'll find out soon."

Then the wind rushes through the car, and the other faction transfers, hit with bursts of air, fall on top of one another. I watch Christina laugh without hearing her and manage a smile.

"Creepy stalker." Christina says to Tris. "Watching other people laugh and then smiling."

Over my left shoulder, orange light from the setting sun reflects off the glass buildings, and I can faintly see the rows of gray houses that used to be my home. It's Caleb's turn to make dinner tonight. Who will take his place—my mother or my father?

And when they clear out his room, what will they discover? I imagine books jammed between the dresser and the wall, books under his mattress. The Erudite thirst for knowledge filling all the hidden places in his room.'

"Oh Beatrice."

"Oh mother." She copies her tone.

"You worry too much."

"What happened after we left?" Tris asks all humour gone from her voice. Their parents exchange a look both not wanting to talk about it. Susan speaks up for them. "They didn't have time for any of that." She starts.

"We hardly had time to grief. We were invited to almost every house in Abnegation, and everyone gave their condolences. Meal after meal." Andrew chuckles. "Most of them the same thing."

"Though someone gave us a cake." Natalie added laughing. "Managed to even make it grey. It was good." Natalie explained how they were so busy with work and all the dinners that they only got a few minutes every week, to talk about their situation. Until finally they started declining invitations. "We only actually entered your rooms' weeks later."

"Must have been very emotional." Alexandra states. "We were… ok." Natalie's voice brakes at the end.

Did he always know that he would choose Erudite?

"Well, at some point I did want to stay in Abnegation." He admits. His parents look at him in shock. "But that was when I was 10 years old, coincidentally it was also when you first took me to a library."

Violet snorts. "Shame your problem their."

And if he did, how did I not notice?

Tris thinks back to Robert's words. She was too self-absorbed.

What a good actor he was. The thought makes me sick to my stomach, because even though I left them too, at least I was no good at pretending.

The accusing looks, the constant guilt in his stomach it was too much. "But you were still pretending." Caleb says. "Does it really matter if I was good or not?"

"Yes, at least everyone knew I wasn't selfless." Tris defends.

"That's ridiculous, so I was good at fitting in. Some people could act like the perfect Dauntless and still be miserable. Look I didn't betray anyone and I'm tired of people looking at me as if I have." He shoots back using his fingers for air quotes.

"Betrayal." She says stunned for a minute. "You didn't betray anyone? You joined Erudite! The faction that's trying to take down Abnegation. How could you?"

"Oh please, Tris." He says coldly." You changed your name just so you didn't have to be reminded about your past."

"That's not why I changed it! And you know that!" "As a matter of fact no I don't. I don't know you at all anymore."

"Well at least you used to know me. Turns out my brother is a completely different person to who I thought."

"All I did was trust the test and follow my gut."

"I know, Caleb." Tris cries. "I'm sorry. I was upset, okay. This book is just bringing up a lot of old, bad memories that I thought I moved on from." He sighs, "I know what you mean." then apologises as well.

This is book is going to tear her apart before I do. Eric thinks to himself ...Perfect.

At least they all knew that I wasn't selfless. I close my eyes and picture my mother and father sitting at the dinner table in silence. Is it a lingering hint of selflessness that makes my throat tighten at the thought of them, or is it selfishness, because I know I will never be their daughter again?

"Oh Beatrice," Her mother sighs. "You and Caleb will always be our kids. No matter what.

"Just because you left doesn't mean we'll ever stop loving you." Andrew adds. He knows he shouldn't be having this type of conversation in front of people. It was very un- Abnegation but, then again the whole situation was un- Abnegation so, what the heck.

"That was a completely different person." Tris says in defence. Caleb smiles at his parents, glad to know they still see him as their son.

"They're jumping off!"

"Again no warning." Will huffs. "You are such a baby," Christina coos pinching his cheeks. "Admit it that was fun."

"A little."

"You landed on your feet didn't you?" He smirks mockingly. "Maybe."

I lift my head. My neck aches. I have been curled up with my back against the wall for at least a half hour, listening to the roaring wind and watching the city smear past us. I sit forward. The train has slowed down in the past few minutes, and I see that the boy who shouted is right: The Dauntless in the cars ahead of us are jumping out as the train passes a rooftop. The tracks are seven stories up.

"What?" Everyone not in Dauntless exclaim simultaneously. "Oh my god! What type of faction is this?" Cara asks. "That is quite extreme." Susan adds.

"Extreme more like crazy." Caleb interrupts. "The statistics of all of them making it is..."

"Quite possible, but…" Cara says calculating in her head same as Caleb. "Would they all jump, is the question." He continues for her.

"Either someone will die or…"

"Someone won't jump."

"Wanna bet?"

"Will, you can't bet if you know the outcome." Tris says.

The idea of leaping out of a moving train onto a rooftop, knowing there is a gap between the edge of the roof and the edge of the track, makes me want to throw up.

I push myself up and stumble to the opposite side of the car, where the other faction transfers stand in a line. "We have to jump off too, then," a Candor girl says. She has a large nose and crooked teeth.

Christina snickers an answer that sounds a lot like. "Peter as a girl." Theirs a burst of laughter and Christina loos at him mockingly feigning hiding her laugh with her hand.

"Great," a Candor boy replies, "because that makes perfect sense, Molly. Leap off a train onto a roof."

"Now that's Peter." Tris says. "You can tell by the way he's already complaining." Christina adds.

"Shut up." He hisses.

"This is kind of what we signed up for, Peter," the girl points out. "Well, I'm not doing it," says an Amity boy behind me. He has olive skin and wears a brown shirt— he is the only transfer from Amity. His cheeks shine with tears.

"One non- jumper." Cara notes.

Caleb shakes his head. "He'll jump. Honestly it takes a lot of courage just to choose Dauntless whether I wanted to or not, after all that; I would jump."

"You've got to," Christina says, "or you fail. Come on, it'll be all right."

"No, it won't! I'd rather be factionless than dead!" The Amity boy shakes his head. He sounds panicky. He keeps shaking his head and staring at the rooftop, which is getting closer by the second. I don't agree with him. I would rather be dead than empty, like the factionless.

"Hey!" Alexandra exclaims kind of insulted.

"You can't force him," I say, glancing at Christina. Her brown eyes are wide, and she presses her lips together so hard they change colour.

"I couldn't take it." She admits. "How could he just give up like that? We just started and he was throwing it all away."

Tris nods. "I understand, but it was his choice."

"Stupid choice." Four comments.

"He decided that, that was his path."

"Horrible path."

"Maybe he's better off."

"He's probably really not."

Tris glares at him before laughing. Which earns her a few stares from just about everyone. Four tries hard to hide his smile. Zeke who sits next to Alexandra leans over her towards Four. "Are we missing something here?"

"I'm not sure, maybe…" Four shrugs letting the smile show.

She offers me her hand. "Here," she says. I raise an eyebrow at her hand, about to say that I don't need help, but she adds, "I just…can't do it unless someone drags me."

"Thinking back on that, asking a random stranger to drag me out of a moving train probably wasn't the best idea."

I take her hand and we stand at the edge of the car. As it passes the roof, I count,

"Beatrice- I mean Tris, you're not seriously going to jump are you?!" Susan asks worriedly.

"One…

"Oh my god. You're going to do it." Cara says jaw dropping.

two…

"This is a horrible idea." Caleb says.

three!"

"Yoh, Stiff's got game." Uriah says.

On three we launch off the train car. A weightless moment, and then my feet slam into solid ground and pain prickles through my shins. The jarring landing sends me sprawling on the rooftop, gravel under my cheek.

"I can't believe it." Andrew and Caleb say simultaneously; neither knowing Tris' capabilities.

"That sounds fun. I wanna go out and jump on a train." Uriah says. Some of the Dauntless nod in agreement.

"I'm afraid these people are far from hellions." Andrew whispers in his wife's ear.

I release Christina's hand. She's laughing. "That was fun," she says. Christina will fit in with Dauntless thrill seekers.

"Word." Christina says pride fully. "But you got me beat Tris."

Uriah claps is hands loudly, laughing. "She's got us all whipped."

I brush grains of rock from my cheek. All the initiates except the Amity boy made it onto the roof, with varying levels of success. The Candor girl with crooked teeth, Molly, holds her ankle, wincing, and Peter, the Candor boy with shiny hair, grins proudly—he must have landed on his feet.

Peter smirks. "Got that right. I guess I was just born a pro at everything."

"Yup," Marlene says popping the p. "That's why Tris whipped you too."

Violet laughs. "Someone just got owned."

Then I hear a wail.

Natalie shakes her head knowing the outcome to this. As if knowing the outcome the room grows tense.

I turn my head, searching for the source of the sound. A Dauntless girl stands at the edge of the roof, staring at the ground below, screaming. Behind her a Dauntless boy holds her at the waist to keep her from falling off.

"Oh God." Christina breathes everyone on that rooftop got a glimpse of that, including her. It was horrible. The way the girl's dead body awkwardly rested, her eyes open staring but unseeing.

Uriah gulps not able to come up with anything to lighten the heavy mood. He glances at Alexandra who clutches Four's arm, tightly.

No joke can lighten death. He thinks to himself.

"Rita," he says. "Rita, calm down. Rita—"

I stand and look over the edge. There is a body on the pavement below us; a girl, her arms and legs bent at awkward angles, her hair spread in a fan around her head.

Susan bites her lip, trying to block out the images entering her head.

My stomach sinks and I stare at the railroad tracks. Not everyone made it. And even the Dauntless aren't safe. Rita sinks to her knees, sobbing.

A few tears trickle down Susan's face. Robert wraps his arms around her whispering calming words.

I turn away. The longer I watch her, the more likely I am to cry, and I can't cry in front of these people.

"Not cool Tris." Will frowns. "People in Dauntless cry all the time. At least try feeling sorry for her."

Tris ducks her head, she felt bad. Not for, not crying on that day or not feeling bad but, for feeling right for not doing it. "I did feel sorry for her and her friends. It was just a moment of selfishness."

I tell myself, as sternly as possible, that is how things work here. We do dangerous things and people die. People die, and we move on to the next dangerous thing. The sooner that lesson sinks in, the better chance I have at surviving initiation. I'm no longer sure that I will survive initiation.

"Guess you proved to yourself, and the rest of us." Christina gives her an apologetic look, she only ever doubted once that Tris wouldn't make it. "I didn't know you doubted yourself so much." She whispered.

"I guess I just always imagined myself as Dauntless. I forgot about the road towards it."

I tell myself I will count to three, and when I'm done, I will move on. One. I picture the girl's body on the pavement, and a shudder goes through me.

Tris sees her parents do a silent prayer. Is it for me or Rita? She does not know.

Two. I hear Rita's sobs and the murmured reassurance of the boy behind her.

Some people give Tris weird looks.

Three.

Four releases a deep breath.

My lips pursed, I walk away from Rita and the roof's edge. My elbow stings. I pull my sleeve up to examine it, my hand shaking.

"Why are your hands shaking?"

"It was my 2nd injury ever, I thought I was bleeding out."

"Just to say," Cara says. "Not that I don't care that someone just died and all, but my probability was totally right." Caleb makes a type of humph sound. "Like it wasn't the exact same probability as mine." He mumbles under his breath.

Some of the skin is peeling off, but it isn't bleeding. "Ooh. Scandalous! A Stiff's flashing some skin!"

A few people laugh and instead of flushing like she used to, Tris rolls her yes.

I lift my head. "Stiff" is slang for Abnegation, and I'm the only one here. Peter points at me, smirking. I hear laughter. My cheeks heat up, and I let my sleeve fall. "Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" shouts a man at the other end of the roof. He is older than the others, with deep creases in his dark skin and gray hair at his temples, and he stands on the ledge like it's a sidewalk. Like someone didn't just fall to her death from it.

Alexandra chuckles a bit. "What the way she said it is funny." She says to Four who gives her a weird look.

"Several stories below us is the members' entrance

Eric suddenly stiffens and sits up. "Stop reading."

"What?"

"You can't just give away all our factions secrets." He talks to the other factions now. "You've all probably guessed that that's our entrance by now but, that's all you should know. Skip this part."

Alexandra shakes her head. "We can't. You heard some of the Abnegation information, you didn't see them complaining."

"They never complain."

"You should take note of that." Violet says ready to begin reading again.

Eric grunts an answers. "Listen here, I'm a leader of Dauntless and I'm not going to let you continue spilling secrets about our faction. Skip this part, I'm not even involved so it has nothing to do with Tris' death."

"Everything is to do with Tris' death," Violet spits. "If someone was to so much as blink the wrong way could be detrimental." Violet stands and hands the book to Alexandra, before opening said girls' bag and searching through it.

"I-" Eric starts ready to argue his case once again.

"Ssh." She says pulling out a roll of duct tape. "It's my job, to make sure we read every word of this book," She rips out two strips of the grey, sticky paper. "And you mister are not going to risk my bonus cheque at the end of this" She smacks the strips onto Eric's lips before he can say anything creating an overlapping diagonal cross.

She turns to Peter, waddling the tape in her hand. "Am I going to have a problem with you?" He shakes his head aggressively. "Good."

to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."

"Hey!" Alexandra shrieks as the book is grabbed out of her hands, in its place is the roll of tape. "Still my turn." Violet states.

"They want you to jump off a ledge?" Caleb asks rattled.

"You want us to jump off a ledge?" asks an Erudite girl.

"Erudite'." Uriah voiced. "You can't live with them. Their all the same."

She is a few inches taller than I am, with mousy brown hair and big lips. Her mouth hangs open.

"Big lips." Alexandra laughs. "Like fish lips."

"Wasn't she pretty." Uriah adds snorting. "She was kinda cute." Christina defends.

I don't know why it shocks her.

"Its shocks me too." Marcus intrudes. "Jumping onto a train, jumping off trains onto a roofs, now jumping off a ledge. This is too much for a bunch of 16 year olds."

"I agree completely." Andrew nods. "Two factionless boys, and a dead girl already. I think Dauntless may be becoming too dangerous."

"Yes. Yet another issue for us to bring up at the next meeting." Cara snorts. "If the Erudite don't get elected." Cara says. "Miss Matthews probably already has a solution for that."

"Well," Marcus continues unfazed. "Whether she does or doesn't is completely off the topic. I just wanted to express my believe and concern that jumping off trains and doing risky things – that are only fun until somebody gets hurt- is in no way, helping in protecting our city. Which is what the Dauntless are supposed to do."

Though Tris can't help but agree with him, she still speaks. "Pretty big mouthful for an Abnegation."

"I think it's important to voice out, what is a un- noted problem." Alexandra places a reassuring hand on Four's knee knowing what he's thinking. You noted it.

Suddenly, she remembers. Back initiation during outside challenges her and Tobias had a weird means of communicating through looks, sounds, certain faces and stares. It transcended into general day to day behaviour and

When he turns to her she raises her eyebrows and purses her lips to the side. You are not your dad.

I know. He nods.

Then stop looking so defeated.

Whatever. Alexandra smiles and is pleased when he returns it, maybe he did forgive her. "You two better not be doing what I think." Zeke tells them. "What?" Alexandra asks innocently.

"That thing you used to do and never let me try with you guys." "We weren't even that close at the time." Four waves him off. "Yeah we were, jerk."

"Hey!" Violet yells at them. "Stop yapping you're missing the story." They've heard the bits and pieces of what Violet was reading but, they missed:

"Yes," Max says. He looks amused. "Is there water at the bottom or something?"

"Who knows?" He raises his eyebrows. The crowd in front of the initiates splits in half, making a wide path for us. I look around. No one looks eager to leap off the building—their eyes are everywhere but on Max. Some of them nurse minor wounds or brush gravel from their clothes.

I glance at Peter. He is picking at one of his cuticles. Trying to act casual.

Violet is now reading;

I am proud. It will get me into trouble someday,

"It gets you in trouble every day." Four muses.

but today it makes me brave. I walk toward the ledge and hear snickers behind me.

"Can't believe you did that." Christina grips her arm, squealing a bit.

"Oh yeah that was awesome." Uriah claps his hands. "I certainly don't know if I was that brave at the time."

"She's doing what?" Andrew asks. "She won't jump." He adds confidently theirs a chorus of snickers.

Max steps aside, leaving my way clear. I walk up to the edge and look down. Wind whips through my clothes, making the fabric snap.

"That makes it sound like your clothes ripped off." Alexandra laughs. "What a sight that would have been." Uriah adds laughing as well.

"Not much of a sig-" Peter starts but trails off at Violet's piercing glare.

The building I'm on forms one side of a square with three other buildings. In the center of the square is a huge hole in the concrete. I can't see what's at the bottom of it.

This is a scare tactic. I will land safely at the bottom.

"That didn't cross my mind." Christina says. "I was thinking; their killing one of us then letting the rest of us live."

"Tris." Caleb says. "I've noted something about you. You don't seem scared, or protective at all during any of these situations. It's as if-" Caleb's cut off by Four. "As if fear doesn't shut her down."

"Exactly." Caleb stunned at first nods. "Fear elites something in you. It's quite fascinating." Tris smiles at this. "Maybe it's not so bad having an Erudite brother." And a Dauntless boyfriend. She adds in her head.

The Dauntless doesn't note how some in the room begin scribbling.

That knowledge is the only thing that helps me step onto the ledge. My teeth chatter. I can't back down now. Not with all the people betting I'll fail behind me. My hands fumble along the collar of my shirt and find the button that secures it shut.

"Ooh! We got a stripper!" Uriah whoops out. "Let's see those sexy Stiff arms."

After a few tries, I undo the hooks from collar to hem, and pull it off my shoulders. Beneath it, I wear a grey T-shirt. It is tighter than any other clothes I own, and no one has ever seen me in it before. I ball up my outer shirt and look over my shoulder, at Peter. I throw the ball of fabric at him as hard as I can, my jaw clenched.

"Hit him girl." Christina cheers.

t hits him in the chest. He stares at me. I hear catcalls and shouts behind me. I look at the hole again. Goose bumps rise on my pale arms, and my stomach lurches. If I don't do it now, I won't be able to do it at all. I swallow hard.

Andrew stares hypnotized by the book. "Sweetheart are you seriously going to do this." His eyes stay on the book.

"Yeah." She shrugs as if it's nothing. "I didn't know I had it in me."

I don't think. I just bend my knees and jump.

There's an intake of breath from the non- Dauntless. Tori shakes her head in awe, Tris did belong with them. No matter how dangerous it is, she wouldn't be able to fit in properly anywhere else. Tris has proofed herself, in so many ways.

The air howls in my ears as the ground surges toward me, growing and expanding, or I surge toward the ground, my heart pounding so fast it hurts, every muscle in my body tensing as the falling sensation drags at my stomach. The hole surrounds me and I drop into darkness.

I hit something hard. It gives way beneath me and cradles my body. The impact knocks the wind out of me and I wheeze, struggling to breathe again. My arms and legs sting.

"This is getting my adrenaline pumping guys." Will exclaims. "Let's go for a jog or something after this. I feel too lazy."

"Where the hell are we, anyway?" Peter asks scanning the room.

"Chicago." Violet states. "We're still in the city walls." Eyes widen in shock. "What did you think you were between space and time?"

"Uh, yeah kind of." Uriah says as if it was obvious.

"We'll have a talk about all this later." Alexandra says. "Some people have things to say," Her hint is only obvious to Four and Tris. "and I'm sure you all have a million and one questions." Nods in agreement go through the room.

A net. There is a net at the bottom of the hole.

"Oh thank godness." Robert breathes.

"Imagine if it was water." Cara says. "A few would have definitely died."

Christina raises her eyebrows at her. "You're sister sure is a party person." She whispers to Will. He chortles. "I know right."

I look up at the building and laugh, half relieved and half hysterical. My body shakes and I cover my face with my hands. I just jumped off a roof. I have to stand on solid ground again. I see a few hands stretching out to me at the edge of the net, so I grab the first one I can reach and pull myself across. I roll off, and I would have fallen face-first onto a wood floor if he had not caught me.

"He" is the young man attached to the hand I grabbed.

"You're somehow making some random guy sound oddly attractive." Marlene comments. Uriah gives her a look. "What, just saying."

He has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip. His eyes are so deep-set that his eyelashes touch the skin under his eyebrows, and they are dark blue, a dreaming, sleeping, waiting colour.

Tris ducks her head slightly trying to hide her face nonchalantly with the sweater of her sleeve. Four raises his eyebrows in question, much more detailed initial description than he expected. Alexandra notices the slight upturn of his lips.

"3 things." Christina says. "I know one is about the description." Tris says. She never realised she paid so much attention to Four since the start. "Longest description yet." Christina announces ignoring her.

"Knew it."

"Number two, why you so focused on the eyes?" Tris shrugs. "Really pretty eyes, I guess..?"

"Number three, who's this guy?" Marlene wiggles her shoulders. "Tell us about this smexy beast."

Christina nods. "He does sound pretty cute… and wait smexy?! Tell me all." She continues turning to her friend. "It means smackably sexy. Got it from Alexandra she uses it on Peter."

Peter gives the brunette a weird look before turning to Alexandra questionably. "I do not." Said girl whines, slowly sinking behind Four's shoulder.

His hands grip my arms, but he releases me a moment after I stand upright again.

"Did you want him to hold on?" Her father asks outraged at the physical contact. The look he gives her makes her feel like an eleven year old. "No, I mean- it's just. It's my brain. I can't control it, it's using me." She blurts out causing a chorus of laughter.

"Thank you," I say.

We stand on a platform ten feet above the ground. Around us is an open cavern. "Can't believe it," a voice says from behind him. It belongs to a dark-haired girl with three silver rings through her right eyebrow. She smirks at me. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of."

"There's a reason why she left them, Lauren," he says. His voice is deep, and it rumbles.

"What?!" Tris asks when she sees everyone laughing. "Who says rumbles?"

"How do you talk rumbly?"

"Rumble." Whenever it seemed to be dying out someone repeats the word and it increases tenfold. "I'm reading over you." Violet announces eventually.

"What's your name?"

"Um…" I don't know why I hesitate. But "Beatrice" just doesn't sound right anymore. "Think about it," he says, a faint smile curling his lips. "You don't get to pick again." A new place, a new name. I can be remade here. "Tris," I say firmly.

"See that was the reason." Tris says vindictively.

"Tris," Lauren repeats, grinning. "Make the announcement, Four."

"Aah!" Marlene and Christina do a double take. "I called Four smexy."

"I called him cute." She acts as if it was the worst swear word in the world. "Why didn't you stop me?!" She smacks Will. "Was I suppose too? I read telling your girlfriend what to do. Kills relationships."

"Stop reading, babe." He laughs. Marlene gives Christina a look as if to say you-do-know-that-Four-is-cute. Christina nods but still feels icky for admitting it out loud.

The boy—Four—looks over his shoulder and shouts, "First jumper—Tris!"

A crowd materializes from the darkness as my eyes adjust. They cheer and pump their fists, and then another person drops into the net. Her screams follow her down. Christina. Everyone laughs, but they follow their laughter with more cheering.

"I did it to make sure, you were alive." Christina says.

Four sets his hand on my back and says, "Welcome to Dauntless."

"Welcome To Dauntless." Violet repeats. "Chapter and chapter name complete."

"So question time?" Caleb asks eager to know more about what was going on. Violet nods she stands by Eric now looking overly eager at the duct tape on his mouth.

"Hey this would be a great time for someone to say something important." Alexandra says bluntly staring at Tris. "Does anyone want to say anything really important?" Both Tris and Tobias/ Four stay silent. Everyone immensely confused turns to Tris their eyes flickering between the two girls.

"You know when you want to say something important but, then can't becaus-"

"Ok I get it, Alex." Tris says in defeat, she takes a deep breathe. "I'm..." She starts then glances at her parents and Eric uneasily. I really don't want to admit this in front of them. "Just rip it off like a bandage." Alexandra urges.

"I'm dating Four."

Theirs a moment of silence, then the sharp Riiiip of the duct tape reaches everyones ears. "Son of-"