Sorry I didn't update right away, I was busy with school and basketball. Anyway, this chapter won't be extremely interesting, but either the next one or the one after that the crazy will begin!
I walk to breakfast with my friends, and take only a piece of toast and a small glass of orange juice. I have no appetite, I really don't like the thought of Gregg bashing my face in.
My friends are talking about birthdays and such, and I feel myself start to daydream, that is until Kiera lightly shakes my shoulder, "Sadie?" She asks.
"Huh?" I say, shaking myself out of the daze.
"When's your birthday?" Austin asks before she can say anything else.
"Uh," I start. When is my birthday again? I can't remember the last time I celebrated it, but if I remember correctly, it's on. . . . . Oh yeah! "June 18." I say.
"What!? That's tomorrow!" Ellis exclaims.
"It is?" I ask. I guess I've lost track of time since I got here.
"Yes! Why didn't you tell us?" Kiera grabs my shoulder.
I put my hands up in innocence, "I didn't know, I swear!"
Austin and Dustin laugh and Jonah smiles faintly. Ellis giggles, "Wow, people really do forget things when they come here. Like, I forgot half of the things I knew in Erudite!"
"I didn't forget anything from my old faction," Austin says, stretching and yawning innocently.
"That's because Dauntless has always been your faction, smart one!" Kiera laughs and we all join in.
"Hey, he's not the smart one, I am!" Ellis protests. We all laugh again and stand up to throw away our garbage. After a quick 'good luck', we wave goodbye to the Dauntless-born's and head down to the training room.
I can feel the butterflies fluttering around deep in my stomach. My legs felt a bit like they did at the Choosing Ceremony and before my fight with Gage. Gage went easy on me; no doubt for a reason, but Gregg doesn't have a reason. Most likely. . . . . I'm toast. I will be lying like a pancake on the mat. Kiera pats me on the back reassuringly.
"Sadie and Gregg, get to the mat!" Four calls as he and Tris walk into the room, "We have to get going fast, we have six fights toddy and I don't intend on wasting anytime."
I make my way nervously to the mat and get into a crouched ready position. Gregg snickers and glares at me, "Good luck, Amity," he sneers.
"Fight!" I hear here Four yell, and I charge at Gregg, but he swings his arm and punches me straight in the jaw. I stumble backwards but quickly regain my footing. Gregg charges at me this time, but I sidestep and jab him in the back with my elbow. He recovers and knees me in the gut. I double over and he punches me in the jaw again. I fall to the mat and he jumps on top of me, he punches me on my temple and my vision gets blurry. I vaguely can here Four call 'time', but Gregg keeps punching me. My vision starts to fade but I feel someone pull him off of me.
I wake up in a white room on a hospital bed. A young Dauntless woman dressed in white, but with dark make up and hair and piercings, leans over me.
"Are you okay?" She asks in a sing-song voice.
"Yeah- yeah, I'm fine," I sit up and feel a dull ache in my head and gut, "What happ-" I start but it all comes flooding back to me. Gregg beating me up. But, there is no way he's going to put me in the infirmary because of a few punches, "Uh, can I leave now?" I ask.
She looks surprised, "Well, I guess so. Are you sure your ready to leave?" She sounds concerned. I nod. "Then you can leave- if you are sure you're fine,"
"I'm fine." I persist.
"Okay then," she sighs and motions to the door, "Just be careful."
I nod and scurry from the infirmary. I go to the training room, but Four is the only one still there. "Where is everyone?" I ask.
"Whoa, slow down there. How do you feel?" He asks, his eyebrows furrowed in a concerned look.
"I'm fine." I say, and cross my arms, "Now, where are they?"
"Back at the dormitory. I'll walk you there." Four says and leads the way out. I follow him back to the dormitory, but when we walk in, the room is dark and looks vacant.
But, the lights flicker on, and everyone yells, "Happy Birthday, Sadie!" Kiera runs up to me and gives me a big hug and Ellis follows. I feel completely astonished. They would actually do this for me?
"Wow, I- I don't know what to say," everyone is here, even Gregg, even Gage, even Kinsey, even Tris. "Thanks,"
"It was all Austin's idea. He said that's what you do in Dauntless, throw parties!" Kiera smiles.
I turn to Austin who is grinning like a maniac. "Um, thanks," I say and he drapes his arm over my shoulders.
"That's what friends are for! What did you expect, to not get a celebration?" He laughs, "How old are you?"
"Uh, seventeen now." I answer.
"Cool! I'm already seventeen," he says.
"Oh, I didn't know. I would have thrown a party-" I start, feeling guilty for not throwing him a party when he'd go through all the trouble for me.
"I didn't tell anyone, because I didn't even want a party, so your of the hook," he winks at me. I laugh in return.
"Let's eat some Dauntless cake!" I hear Dustin yell, and we lam rush to the table for cake. We all take a big piece and place it on our plates and they sing happy birthday to me. I can't help but grin. It's amazing that they'd do this for me.
I watch as Gregg leaves and Kinsey and Jonah follow. Since when did Jonah hang out with Gregg? But, no one else seems to notice, so I back off. This is my party, and I'm not going to blow it because of a little superstition.
"Hey, happy birthday," a voice says from behind me. I twirl around and come face to face with Gage.
"Uh, thanks," I say, slowly. He should give up the act of being nice to me. I know it's all part of his plan. I narrow my eyes at him.
"Are you okay?" He asks, with a concerned- more like a 'fake concerned' look.
"Yeah," I answer, "Why?"
He laughs, "Well, you kind of just got beat up by Gregg," he sucks a breath in, "But, don't worry, I'll take care of him." Huh? He'll take care of him? What's that supposed to mean?
"Okay." I say, and quickly turn away from him to find my friends. I find them gathered by the table, hovering over the last piece of cake.
"Sadie should get it." Austin says.
"No, I don't want it, but thanks anyway." I say, and they split the last piece between Ellis and Kiera for withstanding the fights. "Hey, I forgot to ask, but what did I miss?"
"Well, where to start?" Kiera sighs, "Kinsey fought Dustin and he won, so that was good. And then, I had to fight Gregg. I lost, obviously." I notice she has a dark eye and chin, "And, I had to fight Gage after that, but he didn't hurt me as bad as Gregg did, but he still caused this enormous bruise." She holds up her shirt to reveal a large black and blue bruise on her hip.
"Then, after that, I fought both Gregg and Gage. I lost. And, I ache all over now." Ellis sighs.
"Ouch, that sucks." I say.
"Hey, you were the unlucky one. You went unconscious and were sent to the infirmary!" Ellis exclaims.
"Speaking of that, how are you feeling? They told me what happened." Austin asks.
"I feel completely fine." I answer, rolling my eyes. I look fine, don't I?
"That's good." Dustin smiles at me, patting my back lightly. I nod in response and return his smile.
"Alright initiates! Big day tomorrow, meet us in the training room bright and early!" Four yells before walking over to me. He places a hand on my shoulder and lowers his voice, "Happy birthday, Sadie." He says.
I smile at him, "Thanks."
Tris walks over and wraps her arms around me and pats my back, "Good fight today. And, happy birthday. I'll see you tomorrow at training." She says, smiling at me.
"Yeah, thanks. Oh, and Tris?" I ask.
"Yes?" She looks at me questionably.
"What are the lineups tomorrow? Who do I fight?"
She hands me a sheet of paper, "Here." I unfold the paper and see the lineups scribbled down in neat handwriting.
I nod and wave goodbye, "Thanks for coming," I turn go Four, "You too, Four." And with that, they leave the dormitory and the rest of us clean up. I thank Austin, Ramona, Marc, Sabrina and the two other Dauntless-borns for coming as they walk out the door.
I don't bother changing into my pajamas, instead I just crawl into bed in my clothes and examine the lineups on the piece if paper.
Ellis vs. Kiera
Gage vs. Dustin
Kinsey vs. Sadie
At the bottom of the paper, written in fine letters says,
Be careful, Sadie. It's starting.
I hope it was still good! Thank you to all you awesome reviewers, on the next one I'll give you a shoutout! Anyway the fun is coming up so dont give up on me just yet! PLEASE REVIEW!