Author's Note: This is my first story on here, but I've been writing for a couple years now. I love Divergent stories which is what led me to writing my own. I served 6 years in the Air Force so some things from this story will be factual however this is still fiction so you can accept things that won't seem realistic (I felt like I had to say this in case there was THAT person who wants to point anything that doesn't seem real).

This first chapter focuses more on a background of Tris and her getting ready to leave. After this chapter we will get into the good stuff!

Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent.

It's hot outside. Not the kind of heat that welcomes you into the summer season. Not the dry heat that allows you to cool off when you lay in the shade. No. It's HOT outside. The kind of heat that slaps you in the face as soon as you open the door. Add to that, there's humidity that makes you feel damp and uncomfortable. I used to love summer… and I think that I still do. But driving around in this van with no air conditioning has really created this hatred inside of me for weather above 60 degrees.

I tug at the collar of the gray polo I'm wearing, while I lean my forehead against the window. The fabric is thick and rough, it almost feels itchy. My mother senses my discomfort and she turns back from the passenger seat to look at me. With a small smile, she says, "We're almost home Beatrice." I smile back and nod. I don't like to complain, especially to my parents. If I called them hard workers, it would still be an understatement for what they've dedicated their lives to.

Finally, I see our house at the end of the street, and it makes me sit up straight. All I can think about is how I'm going to run to my room and rip off this polo and the knee length khaki shorts. Our house is a comfortable two-story home, but the upstairs only has mine and Caleb's room. Luxury homes don't exist in my family, but I don't have a desire for anything else. The van's brakes make a creaking sound as we come to a stop in the driveway. My father sighs but before he says anything, my mother puts her hand on his shoulder and says, "Another day."

Watching their interactions always makes me smile. It has never been about extreme physical affection between them. Of course, I've seen them hold hands and hug, but there is something beautiful in the way my mother can say one or two words and it seems to create this calmness in my father.

I don't want to seem overly eager to get inside, so I wait for my parents to make the first move when getting out of the van. I feel relief as the air hits me. While it is still hot out, it does not compare to the stale air I had just endured for an hour. Once inside, I climb the stairs quickly and rush into my room to change. I put on black running shorts and a soft white short sleeve v neck, then fall onto my bed.

I grab my cell phone to see 5 missed text messages from Susan.
"Hey", "Are you volunteering today?", "Ok I know you are.", "You forgot your phone at home again.", "Text me when you're done."

I smile, Susan is my best friend, and she knows how I operate…especially when it comes to me forgetting my phone at home.

Susan and I have been friends as long as I can remember, and there's a picture of us holding hands when we were five that hangs in the hallway. This picture reminds me that she's my best friend, even though the past four years we've grown apart. I know that no one has noticed… I don't even think Susan has. I've spent the majority of high school looking forward to graduating and moving on. Finding a career and home that was for me. But Susan doesn't want to look past going to the University that's 30 minutes away, getting her elementary education degree, and then teaching at the school across the street from her childhood home. This doesn't bother me; I mean it is HER life. The part where I struggle is her not understanding why I want to leave. I don't know how to explain to her that following in the footsteps of my parent's missionary work is not for me. Not one part of me wants to spend my life solely focusing on being a selfless person and putting everyone first. Wearing a polo and khakis, only being kind, never saying no.

The past year I spent hours researching careers, cities, and colleges. Nurse? Hospitals make me feel kind of weird. Surgeon? Way too much school. Accountant? I hate math. But the time has come, and decisions have finally been made.

I text Susan back after laying still for a few minutes. I finally feel the sweat drying and I don't think I have heat exhaustion anymore.

B: Heyyyy. Just got home. & yeah… volunteering most of the day. Not exactly how I pictured spending my first day after graduating.

S: Excited for tomorrow? Hang out after?

B: Yes & yes. I'll call you after, I'm too tired right now to function.

S: Boo ok. Talk to you tomorrow! Love uuuuu.

B: ILY

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Is she seriously asking this right now? She talked about everything else you could imagine on the drive here, and NOW she wants to ask me this.

"Yes mom… 100 percent." I give her a smile and hope that comforts her. This makes a part of me wish she would have stayed at home but then I feel bad for thinking that. She's just a concerned mom.

The recruiter looks at both of us and says, "Alright, well let's get to it." He claps his hands and then pulls out a folder with my name and graduation date scribbled on the top right.

"Tris," Oh God, he just used the nickname that I've been going by while here. My mom is going to have a panic attack, "you've been a part of the delayed entry program for about 8 months now. I believe by now you have an idea what boot camp and training will look like. What our fitness standards are, and a general idea of what life will look like once you've completed your training. If you don't have any questions and you're ready to make this more official, I have a job contract for you. If you agree to it, you'll sign it, and we will set up a date next week to get you medically cleared and sworn in. Then you'll get a ship date for boot camp which will be in about a month. How does that sound?"

I'm too eager and I grab the pen. However, then I realize he hasn't put the paper down in front of me, and both him and my mom are staring.

He laughs before saying, "Did you want to know the job first? You have the right to say no and wait for another job selection."

"Oh yeah. I just assumed I got the job that I wanted." I sit up straight, hoping that's what actually happened.

"I'm happy to say you got your first choice. Security Forces. Mrs. Prior, if you haven't discussed the job selections with Tris here, that's the Air Force's name for military police."

My mom nods with a small smile on her face, "She mentioned it. I didn't know it was her first choice, but I had a feeling…" She reaches over and squeezes my hand. I will acknowledge that even when I think I catch my mom off guard, it seems like she already knew.

When I first decided I was going to join the military, there was some tension with my father. My mom said it was him worrying about his 'little girl', but I thought he would be fine with it after a week of thinking. Turns out he was hoping I would be the one to change my mind. I didn't and then a few months later I decided the Air Force would be my branch of choice.

It's been eight months since that decision and my father has finally come to terms with my career choice. My mom was quiet at first but has begun to wear that "Proud Military Mom" attitude…no pressure.

"Well now that it's all cleared up, I'm ready," I say looking at my recruiter. He slides the paper across the desk and I sign over the yellow highlighting.

The weeks drift by. I get my medical clearance, officially swear in, and spend the remaining vacation days I have with my parents and Susan. My older brother, Caleb, is at MIT studying some type of engineering. He was supposed to come home for the summer but instead chose to take some summer classes for the first half of his break. He's going to miss saying goodbye to me but swears he'll make it to the graduation.

The last day of my "freedom", Susan and I are laying in the grass in front of my house. I close my eyes and embrace the breeze, enjoying the feeling of the grass tickling my skin. I'm going to be in San Antonio during the end of summer... I know heat like that will be a hard adjustment. Susan sits up suddenly. We haven't talked about me leaving, I can tell it's been a subject that she's trying to avoid. I'm thankful that it's almost August, which marks the beginning of her school year. At least she'll be distracted and can begin making new friends.

"Beatrice..." I can tell she wants to say or ask something but she's hesitating.

"Just say it," I say this softly and as gentle as I can. I know with the wrong force behind it, it would sound rude. The last thing I need right now is a crying Susan.

"Are you scared? Like actually scared? Not just about moving. Or even about boot camp. But are you scared of going to war? The Middle East or Africa? Driving those trucks that accidentally drive over bombs and people die. Or are you scared of missing holidays and being so busy you won't come home for... years?" She's speaking so fast, and everything is coming out like word vomit. I know she's been thinking about these things for a while.

"My immediate answer is no but my honest answer is yes. But it's not what you think. I'm mostly nervous about the things like missing my family, and you, and our other friends. I feel kind of scared about deploying or being a police officer in the military. But I think I'm really scared that I'm not going to transform into this new person that I'm imagining. I feel like I'm so ready to grow and I'm scared that I'll go through all of this just to find out I'm not as great as I'm picturing..." that was the most honest answer I could have given, and I gave it to Susan because she deserves it.

She sighs and lays back down. "Beatrice... Tris... you're the bravest person I know for saying that. And I don't think you need to worry at all." She then switches topic, and I let her words comfort me. She's right, I am brave, and overthinking won't help me now. As we lay there, I listen to her talk about her roommate, and I start to imagine what it will be like a year from now. Susan and myself with new friends, her confidence growing from being out on her own, my confidence grown because of the skills that I will have learned. Will we have boyfriends? We both barely dated in high school. The changes were coming, and there was nothing stopping it from now. I knew one thing for sure though, this is exactly what I wanted.

Hope that was a good start for everyone! I'm excited to continue on with this story. Please review and be honest!