PART TWO: TACTIC
"Next," the woman says curtly.
I step up to the table.
"Name?" She says in a tone that shows she's way past her breaking point with agitation.
"Bree Boggess," I say in the sweetest tone.
She eyes me. "Amity transfers," she mutters under her breath. "What will it be?" She slides a list of careers toward me.
I look over them quickly. "Leader?" I ask, surprised that Kieran didn't take that job.
"Leader," she says. "I'll put your name down."
"No—" I start.
"Next!" She cuts me off and I have to move out of the way. It can't be that bad, can it?
*TWO WEEKS LATER*
I twist the key inside the lock and push the door open. "Here it is," I say, twirling around with my arms out. Reza sets the cardboard box of my stuff down on the desk on the other side of the room.
He walks over to me and takes my hands in his own, pulling us close together and nuzzling noses.
"Well, it feels pretty special to be dating the newest Dauntless leader," he says with a giant smile. "But how does it feel to be one?"
"Wonderful!" I breathe, breaking away from him and jumping onto the black couch. My office is much like Isaac's, only with more decorations for a feminine touch. That is, as feminine as Dauntless gets; black vines painted on the walls and a few pieces of minimalist artwork. Reza collapses on the couch beside me, looking into my eyes.
"I never thought this day would come, or, that is, get here soon enough," he says. He kisses me in the most passionate way he has since I started initiation.
"What's that?" I ask.
"The day," he says, pushing our foreheads together, "when I could be with you with no secrets and no hiding. When I could brag about you to all of my friends; not for your body, but because I finally found the girl I knew I wanted to marry from the start." He kisses me again, and then the intercom on my desk phone rings.
"Crap," I say. "Gimme a second." I walk over and press the 'talk' button. "Yeah?" I ask.
"Miss Boggess, there's someone here to see you," the voice of Shea, the secretary for my office sector, comes over.
"Who?" I ask, exchanging confused glances with Reza.
"He wants it to be a surprise," she says.
"Alright," I give in. "I'll be down in a few minutes."
I turn the intercom's microphone off and walk to the couch. "I'll be back in a few," I say to Reza as I grab my leather jacket from the chair.
"But-" he starts. "We-"
"I know," I say as I stand in the doorway. "I promise I'll make it up to you, alright? Duty calls."
I walk down the quiet halls; it's always silent in this part of the building. Only the Dauntless leaders, their guests, and the occasional guard walk through these halls. I arrive at Shea's desk, where I see a man in a Candor suit with his back turned to me. Must have some sort of business, but what would he want with someone who's only one day on the job?
"Shea?" I ask.
The man turns around to face me. He's got light hair, a bit of scruff on his face, and hazel/green eyes that shine even in these dark halls.
"Finnic Falconer," I say in disbelief and as if I was out of breath.
"Breanna Boggess," he says back. Before I know what's happening, I'm in his arms, holding him tight.
"Finn," I say again, as tears of joy roll down my cheeks. "I never thought I'd see you again."
He pats me on the back. "Well, after I signed up to be a Candor leader, I checked the records to see what you had made. I never forgot you during initiation, and I had to find out. When I found out you had become a leader, I knew I had to come see you."
I look up into his eyes, his bright, gorgeous smile, and plant a firm kiss on his scruffy cheek. "Let me show you my office," I say, and we walk back with arms around each other's' waists. I open the door and we walk in. Reza is gone, he must've gone back to the apartment.
Finn sits down on the couch.
"Can I get you anything?" I ask. "Water?"
"No," he smiles. "But you can come here and talk to me!"
I don't hesitate to sit down close beside him.
"I thought about you every day," he says as he brushes a piece of hair out of my face. "When they gave me truth serum, I let out the fact that I was still in love with a girl training to become a Dauntless member."
He seems so comfortable telling me he's in love with me. I realize it's the Candor showing in him, but I can't tell if I like it or not.
"How was...training?" I ask.
"It was good. I came out first, even on top of the Candor-born initiates. How was Dauntless training? I hear they're brutal."
"It was hard," I say, choosing my words carefully, because suddenly I feel I shouldn't share the secrets of initiation with him. "I came second, under my friend, Kieran. He didn't want the position, so I wasn't going to let it slip by."
"And Sydney?" He asks, I had forgotten the two even knew each other, let alone were friends.
"She came in around sixth overall. She works at the tattoo parlor."
"Could..." He pauses. "Could I ask you to dinner?" He asks. "I don't know if there's any rule about non-Dauntless members being in the dining hall, but it not..."
"Of course," I smile. "I've got some pull around here, you know. Just let me make one phone call, alright?"
"Okay," he smiles. "I'll give you a moment," he says, stepping out of the office.
I hurry over to my phone and dial in Reza's apartment number, and when he answers I explain the invite.
"Okay," he sighs. "But I don't want you trying anything with Finn."
"For the last time, Reza..." But I can't hold back my smile. "I'll be back by 9:30, okay?"
After dinner, Finn and I decide to go back to my apartment and talk for a little while. He settles onto the couch and slips off his suit jacket. I look over at him.
"Sorry," he says. "Am I making myself too comfortable?"
"No," I smile. "No. Please, what's mine is yours."
"Thanks," he loosens his tie and throws it on the couch beside him, undoing the first few buttons on his dress shirt.
I go over and sit by him, and suddenly it's like we're both back in Amity. So close, so comfortable, and it seems like the four weeks have sped by. "Finn," I say in a voice that was way too seductive for my intentions. "Do you…do you still…love me?"
He looks at me with a shocked expression. "I…" he stutters. "Alright, we're in private, I can cut the Candor act. Yeah, I still love you, but it's a lot harder to admit than you think. Especially when Reza could burst in at any moment."
Surprising even myself, I place my hand on his cheek. "No," I smile playfully. "He doesn't have the key." I slowly move my lips to his.
BREANNA BOGGESS WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! Every bit of common sense tells me to stop, to tell Finn it's been great to see him but that I can never return his love and send him on his way, but for once something overpowers common sense.
He speeds up the pace and our lips crash together, and I inhale a sharp breath as his tongue darts across my lips. I open them to welcome him in, but still, Bree is fighting Breanna on this one. Breanna wants Finn back, she wants to go back to Amity and live with him forever, but Bree loves Reza and everything about him. Breanna is Amity, Bree is Dauntless, and together they; I am Divergent. Our tongues intertwine, and his hand rests on my waist. I reach up and entangle my fingers in his hair, messing it up and playing with it. He lets out a small moan. He pulls away from me.
"Breanna," he says, as he is out of breath. "I love you. There's gotta be some way things can work out. No one has to know, but we can be together."
"Finn," I say instead of answering his question. I press my lips back to his and straddle him, his hands on my hips. "Stay the night," I say.
He immediately pulls away, quickly regaining his composure. "Breanna, I can't do that. No. It's not what I believe in and if you want that…you're not the girl I know."
"No!" I say. "I don't want that, I just want to be with you. I just want for you to stay."
He kisses me again, gentler this time. "Alright," he says against my lips. "As long as no one finds out."
He carries me to bed, and I curl up in his arms.
"I love you," he whispers into my hair, and then I fall asleep.
That morning, somehow, I get Finn up and out by seven o'clock, so no one sees us. Reza comes knocking on my door at eight.
"Bree?" He asked, somewhat concerned.
"Coming!" I call, slipping on my shoes. I open my door and there he stands; bags under his eyes, and obviously sleep deprived. "What happened?" I ask. "You look awfully tired."
"I couldn't sleep last night, not without you there," he says, stepping in the door.
It then dawns on me Reza and I have been living together for two weeks and I never stay at my place unless I'm mad.
"I—I'm sorry," I stutter. "Last night, after dinner, Syd caught up with me and insisted we go shopping for some stuff for her to wear to her date with Max today. I was so tired I somehow forgot and ended up here, I'm so sorry."
He collapses into my arms like a tired little puppy. "Please," he says. "I need sleep."
I take him over and lay him on my couch. "Just rest," I say. "I've got to go to work. There's an important meeting today. I'll try and be home as soon as I can, alright?"
He nods and is out like a bulb. I turn off the lights and head for my office.
When I walk into the conference room, several of the Dauntless leaders are milling around and snacking on various finger foods. Isaac immediately spots me and walks over, his hair slicked back and a confident smirk stretched across his scruffy cheek.
"Come to your first meeting, I see," he says. "Little Breanna is growing up."
This has to be quite the event for him, considering he missed most of my 'growing up.' He straightens his black button-up dress shirt and takes a note from his breast pocket. He slips it into the pocket in my blazer, when I go to reach for it, he blocks my hand.
"Not here," he whispers, "not now."
I nod and say nothing, but at the back of my head the need to know why I shouldn't read it here paws at me.
"Alright, everyone," the same man with the short hair that pulled me from the net the first day of initiation claps his hands. "Let us begin."
Everyone takes their seats and Isaac pulls my chair out for me, which is beside his.
The man begins with formalities, and Isaac leans over to me. "His name is Rafe," he says, nodding toward the fifty-something man, which is pretty old for a Dauntless.
"As most of you know, we do have a problem arising in the Dauntless compound, but for those of you who don't, I'll explain. When a child takes the aptitude test, they are expected to get one faction as a result. Only one faction. On occasion, they will have inconclusive test results and are suited for more than one faction."
With each word, I feel my stomach turn more and more and my throat constrict.
"Those who have inconclusive results are what we call Divergent, and recently, we have had an influx of these Divergent, which pose as a major threat to the Dauntless society."
No. NO.
"They can use their abnormal brains to bend simulations to their will, which gives them an unfair advantage. We fear they are even more dangerous than we think. That is why I propose we begin a secret genocide of the Divergent, for the safety of our faction."
Please, please, PLEASE review! I need feedback because I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this, and your input is important!