That night, I dream of running through the Navy Pier, panting heavily as I try to run from something. Something unknown. I hide in the tree where I hid the flag and as soon as I climb up there, I see a sea of black, marching. Their movements robotic, not natural. Among the robotic moving Dauntless is Tris, who's the only one aware of her activities.
"Divergent rebel!" someone shouts and I see an awake Peter drag Tris from the crowd. Without hesitation he puts the gun to her head, clicks the bullet in place, and he fires, resulting in Tris dropping dead.
I wake up with a start. The first thing I register is that a heavy blanket is over my body before I realize where I'm at. I realize that I'm still on the couch at Eric's apartment, lying in the same position. The clock says five after four in the morning.
"You finally decided to wake up," I hear Eric say and I look to see him leaning against the table.
"Are you going to reprimand me?" I ask. "Because I believe that a initiate transfer is forbidden to sleep in the apartment of a faction leader."
"You were out like a light bulb," says Eric. "You looked pretty comfortable as well, I didn't see the point of removing you from your spot."
I sit up and rub my hand through my hair. Knowing Eric, why did he just cover me with a blanket and leave me on the couch instead of taking me back to the dormitory and being upset with me for falling asleep on his couch?
"What did Max want?" I ask.
"Jeanine called," says Eric. "Since she knows that stage two will begin shortly, she has decided to test two initiates with the simulation serum: one from here, which is you, and another initiate, who will be Dr. Randolph Granger's daughter, since he created the serum."
Rosalie Granger. Theodore's old girlfriend. She chose Erudite, her home faction, during the Choosing Ceremony. So that's the serum her father was working on with Aunt Jeanine. That would explain why it was classified.
"But why would she need two initiates?" I ask him.
"You cut close to being Divergent," says Eric. "Since she believes that a Divergent will not be affected by the serum, she thinks that someone who is cutting close to being one might have some control over their actions."
"Does she think Tris might be able to resist the serum?" I ask.
"Since she suspects that Tris Prior is a Divergent, yes," says Eric.
"When does she plan on testing the serum?" I ask.
"The day after we announce the ranking for stage one," says Eric. "I assume you read about the serum."
I nod. In other words, they will not cut me from stage one. What is the point if they want me to help with what they are up to?
"Might as well head back to your dormitory," says Eric. "You don't want your fellow initiates asking questions."
I leave the glass building and head down to the Pit, still not shaking away the nightmare. Dauntless moving in a robotic fashion. Peter shooting Tris in the head.
I quietly slip into the dormitory without anyone noticing and I slip in my bed and lay there until everyone gets up a few hours later. I dress in a pair of black pants, a black, long-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket.
"Where were you last night?" Christina asks me.
"I was here," I say, partially restraining my hair with a black hair tie.
"Your bed was empty," says Christina.
Why are the Candor nosy? I hope that they don't figure out that I was asleep at Eric's apartment until four this morning.
I'm tying my black boots when Eric walks in.
"Attention!" he announces. "I want to give you some advice about today. If by some miracle your families do come to visit you…" He scans our faces and smirks. "…which I doubt, it is best not to seem too attached. That will make it easier for you, and easier for them. We also take the phrase 'faction before blood' very seriously here. Attachment to your family suggests you aren't entirely pleased with your faction, which would be shameful. Understand?"
On the way out to the dormitory, Peter begins talking to me.
"Well, I will miss my mom's cooking," he says to me. "I always woke up to the smell of breakfast. You would have loved her pot roast. She always made the meat tender so it wouldn't be hard on the teeth."
I just nod as he talks about his mom's cooking. It sounds like the recollection of an innocent boy than an ambitious sociopath.
We walk into the Pit and see clusters of families. Mainly so far, its Dauntless initiates with Dauntless parents. Peter spots his parents, a short, meek-looking woman with red hair and a tall man with bushy eyebrows. It's not long before I see my mother, wearing her blue pencil skirt, and blue blouse, carrying her black leather clutch; her red curly hair partially restrained in a clip.
"Isobel," she greets, walking over to me and shaking my hand; usual Erudite way of greeting others.
"Where's dad?" I ask.
"Visiting Theodore at Candor," she says promptly.
I imagine Theodore, wearing the usual black and white while dad is in his blue suit. He probably ditched the glasses, since he doesn't need to wear them anymore. In the Erudite compound, I know who will not see their parents, since Abnegation members are denied access to Erudite.
I glance to see Tris with her mother, Natalie Prior. With her simple bun and grey clothes, she looks out of place, but the way she holds her body suggests that she probably has been here before. I see Tobias going over to them.
"How have you been holding up?" mother asks me, and I turn my glance to her.
"Good," I say, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "The first stage of initiation has been rough, but I have been managing. Eric has been overseeing us initiates, so, nothing to worry about."
"How is Eric?" she asks.
"Good, I think," I say sheepishly. "He hasn't changed much, only that he isn't bookish."
"Dauntless has left an impression on him, I suppose," she says.
"How is Aunt Jeanine?" I ask, playing dumb, like I don't know what she is up to. I thought I see Tris turn her face in our direction for a second.
"Pretty busy lately," says mother. "You know Erudite initiation. It seems she is busy trying to fill knowledge into these kids' heads."
Erudite initiation. The perfect time to conceal her plan of war against Abnegation. I think my aunt is spending half of her time brainwashing the transfers about Abnegation. I hope that Caleb Prior doesn't believe her and fall victim to her persuasion, but it might be in vain.
She looks at her watch and says, "I got to go. I have to prep for the Sociology Class for the initiate transfers."
Unlike Dauntless, Erudite has two stages of initiation. The first tests their IQ; the second, they study a pathway. I wanted to study Sociology if my results were Erudite. Instead of rankings, we have lists: one listing the names of those who passed their final IQ exam so they can stay for stage two, another for those who failed, meaning that they will become factionless. That is at the end of stage one. Like Dauntless, the transfer initiates are separated from the Erudite-born initiates during stage one. My mom teaches Sociology during stage two to the initiates when the term is over for those who now have chosen a new faction.
"Okay," I say, nodding.
"It was nice to see you," she says, before shaking my hand before she leaves the Pit. I stand here, alone, watching the initiates with their families. I spot Will with his sister and I approach them when Will introduces her to Tris and her mother.
She gives Tris the type of look that would wither a plant and does not extend her hand. She glares at Mrs. Natalie Prior.
"I can't believe that you associate with one of them, Will," says Cara.
I mentally scoff. Tris shouldn't be considered a part of Abnegation anymore.
Natalie purses her lips.
"Cara," says Will, frowning, "there's no need to be rude."
"Oh, certainly not. Do you know who she is?" she points at Natalie. "She's a councilman's wife is what she is. She runs the 'volunteer agency' that supposedly helps the factionless. You think I don't know that you're just hoarding goods to distribute to your own faction while we don't get fresh food for a month, huh? Food for the factionless, my eye."
I remember getting fresh fruit and food at home, but the thing is, members of the Erudite council and the families of the three leaders get the food first. It goes through Amity first. I know this because I overheard an argument between an Amity girl and an Erudite boy. The argument: the validity of one of the Erudite reports.
"I'm sorry," says Natalie gently. "I believe you are mistaken."
"Mistaken. Ha," Cara snaps. "I'm sure you're exactly what you seem. A faction of happy-go-lucky do-gooders without a selfish bone in their body. Right."
Tris's face turns red and is about to open her mouth when I nudge her shoulder. I know Cara and she doesn't. I don't want her to do anything stupid.
"Cara, are you aware you are talking to a Dauntless initiate?" I ask her. "From what I know, Tris could have a temper."
"I see why she left Abnegation," says Cara. "No sane person would stay there. I would leave too."
"Stop acting like you know them, Cara," I snap. "I never have been there. You never have been there. All you get is reports from Erudite. How would you feel if someone from Candor accused your faction of being something if it wasn't true? I never have believed half of them. Before you accuse me of treachery, I'm no longer part of Erudite. Faction before blood, remember?"
Cara looks like she might argue but doesn't say anything.
"Thank you," says Natalie. I hear her tell Tris something and I hear their departing footsteps.
Curiosity gets the better of me and I follow them to the hallway leading to the dining hall before they take a sharp left. I follow them into a dark corridor and blend in as I strain my ears.
"I said no questions about me," Natalie tells Tris. "And I meant it. How are you really doing, Beatrice? How have the fights been? How are you ranked?"
"Ranked?" Tris asks. "You know that I've been fighting? You know that I'm ranked?"
"It isn't top secret information, how the Dauntless initiation works," says Natalie Prior.
"I'm close to the bottom, mom," she says slowly.
"Good," answers Natalie Prior. "No one looks closely at the bottom. Now, this is very important, Beatrice: What were you're aptitude results?"
I never had a close relationship with my parents and Aunt Jeanine, but at least Aunt Jeanine cared to listen about my aptitude results. But then again, she is the main leader of the Erudite faction.
"They were inconclusive," Tris says quietly. I almost make myself known at that pronouncement. So, Tris is the Divergent. The Divergent that Aunt Jeanine is looking for.
"I thought as much." Natalie Prior sighs. "Many children who are raised Abnegation receive that kind of result. We don't know why. But you have to be very careful during the next stage of initiation, Beatrice. Stay in the middle of the pack, no matter what you do. Don't draw attention to yourself. Do you understand?"
Deciding that I heard too much, I slip from the dark corridor and go to the direction of the training room.
Tris is what Aunt Jeanine and Eric suspect.
She's a Divergent.
