Disclaimer: Buenos dias/Buenas tardes/Buenas noches, mi estrellas! So, Divergent is NOT owned by me, or I would be getting a significant allowance off of Amazon, since they sell the trilogy. But I don't get paid by Amazon, and therefore I am not the owner of Divergent. That title goes to the lovely Veronica Roth.

A/N: Woohoo, I'm back, and pretty quickly, too! Band camp started a few days ago, and it has completely drained me physically and mentally, so I'm actually quite surprised that I managed to post this. But hey, it's here, and I'm not complaining. Enjoy!

I hardly step a foot into the dormitory when a waiting Lavender grabs my arm and drags me out again, Julia and Ethan trailing behind her, amused smiles on their faces. I glare at them, and that only makes them smile bigger.

"Come on, Cammi, let's all go forget about these stupidly scary simulations." Lavender is adamant about us spending the rest of our afternoon together, and none of us contest it.

Still clutching my arm, Lavender leads us out to the Pit. Only then does she release me and turn to face us.

I rub my arm where she grabbed it exaggeratedly. "Geez, Lav." I drawl. "You know I would have come with you if you had asked."

She rolls her eyes. "Just making sure you don't run away, like the flighty person you are." She teases.

I bring my hand up to my heart in mock hurt. "Flighty? How could you say such a thing about your dear friend?"

Lavender snorts. "I'm just being honest."

This makes Julia snicker. "I think you're picking up some of your boyfriend's Candor."

The word "boyfriend" makes both of them blush, but neither of them deny it anymore, at least.

"So," Lavender claps her hands together once. "What do you guys want to do?"

"We could go get tattooed. I don't think any of us have visited the tattoo parlor yet." Ethan suggests.

"Actually…" I lift my hand timidly. "I've already been there."

Ethan and Lavender stare at me like I've grown three heads. Julia just smiles.

"What?" I ask defensively when Lavender and Ethan's stares don't let up.

"Nothing." Lavender shakes her head. "It's just… I'm not trying to offend you, but I didn't expect you to shed your Abnegation traits so quickly."

Lavender's voice is sincere, which makes any shred of anger that her words may have ignited dissipate.

"Well, there's a reason I joined Dauntless." I shrug. "And I always thought Abnegation's strict rules were stupid." That elicits a chuckle from everyone.

"When did you go? Did you get a tattoo?" Ethan asks curiously.

"I went yesterday morning, and yes, I got a tattoo, on my side." I barrel on, ignoring how Ethan's mouth opens to ask another question. "Before you ask, no, you can't see it. I'm not pulling up my shirt in the middle of the Pit."

"What do you think?" Julia finally asks a question. I turn to look at her, confused by her question. "About the experience." She clarifies.

"Um, it kind of hurt, but the fights were worse. And Tori - that's the woman who runs the tattoo parlor - is amazing. Her designs are really good. I think they offer piercings as well, if that's what you're into."

"Then it's settled. We'll go over to the tattoo parlor and see what we can find. Cammi, do you want to come with us, since you've already been there and all?"

"Yeah." I nod, my grin turning malicious. "I'd like to see what you guys pick, so I can tease you for life if you get something awful."

It's Ethan's turn to gasp dramatically. "Blackmail!"

"Yeah, it's blackmail. Now, are we going, or what?"

We step into the tattoo parlor, our footsteps resounding against the stone, making it clear to whoever is in the shop that someone is here.

Lavender, Ethan, and even Julia twist their heads left and right, admiring the art that covers the walls. The sight reminds me of owls, and how they twist their neck around farther than seems possible. According to my science textbook, the maximum they can twist their heads is 270 degrees.

I notice that the place is definitely busier than it was the last time I was here. Two tattoo artists who I don't know lean over their customers - one big, burly man, whose bare arms are already covered in tattoos, and one rather tall, skinny man. On the other side of the store, a black-haired woman is getting her right nostril pierced. I wrinkle my nose at the sight. That has to hurt. A few other people walk around, flipping through sketchbooks or browsing through artwork.

"Cammi!" I turn around at the voice. Tori stands in the doorway of what I assume is a little office, smiling at me and my friends. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Tori, this is Lavender," I gesture to her first, "Ethan, and Julia. They are considering getting tattoos or piercings."
"Well, then, you've come to the right place." She beckons us a little closer, and we step forward. "Do you three have any idea what you want?"

There is silence for a moment, as my friends think about what they want. Lavender is the first to make up her mind.

"Do you do flowers, by any chance?" She asks Tori.

"Of course. I have a few sketches of flowers, but not many. If you can describe the flowers you want to me, I can sketch them out to your liking."

Lavender nods. "That's okay. Can I do a bunch of flowers?"

"Sure. Come sit down." Tori starts guiding her away. She calls over her shoulder, "You guys are free to look around for some ideas. Come to me or one of the other employees when you're ready!" Then, she turns back to Lavender. "So, what flowers do you want?"

"I'd like a few jasmine flowers, a sprig of lavender, and…"

Lavender's words fall out of earshot as she and Tori walk further away. "So, what are you guys thinking?" I ask my remaining two friends.

Ethan looks hesitant. "I'm not sure. I'm going to go look at the artwork." With that, he walks off.

Julia's eyes are scanning the room. "I think I'm going to get my ears pierced." She smiles a bittersweet smile, as though she is recalling an old memory. "One of my mother's work colleagues was an Amity-born. They do piercings there too, but not as extensively as Dauntless. She had assimilated nicely into Erudite, but she never gave up wearing her beautiful pair of earrings. I remember asking my mother if I could get something like them, but she told me that pierced ears were impractical."

I'm quiet, listening to this obviously somewhat painful memory spill from Julia's lips. I don't think I would be able to share any of my childhood stories, even the happy ones, nearly as easily.

Julia is still smiling sadly. I hate it, and I have no clue how to comfort her.

But I have to try.

"Well," I start, laying a hand on Julia's shoulder. "You're Dauntless now. For the Dauntless, the only impractical things are the things that make them wait. So, go get them."

Julia laughs, and the sound is a relief. "You're absolutely right. Thanks, Cammi." With one last wave, she too moves away.

I smile, standing near the side wall of the shop, where I can see all my friends, doing various things. Lavender, conferring with Tori over what I assume are flower designs; Ethan, looking over the artwork just like I did yesterday, and Julia, laying down in the second piercing chair and waiting patiently for her turn.

I just stand there for a while, watching my friends. My head is only turned away from them when a shout of, "Cammi!" is uttered.

I turn my head towards the sound. Instantly, a wide grin splits my face. Standing in the entrance of the tattoo parlor are my four Dauntless-born friends. Rowan was the one to call my name. His arm is raised in a wave.

I begin walking over to them, only to be stopped by someone bumping into my shoulder, hard.

"Sorry!" The apology comes out of my mouth instinctively. I look up to see who I bumped into.

It's the man who was looking at me yesterday, while we were on the way to the zip line.

Now that I'm closer to him, I can spot a lot of details that I didn't see yesterday. Most of the man's features are normal; brown, floppy hair, a forgettable face, plain black clothes. But, I can see that those eyes, which I felt boring into me, are a distinct shade of icy blue. They're now looking into my own green ones, and the intensity in his gaze makes me shiver uncomfortably.

"Oh, no, young lady." The man speaks, and his voice is deep, and somewhat raspy, as though he has a cold. "The fault is entirely mine."

Not sure what else to say, I just nod to him, and continue on my path to my friends. I can feel his gaze linger on my back for a few seconds more, before the creepy prickles of being watched disappear, letting me know that he's turned his attention elsewhere.

I frown. That man is certainly strange.

But all thoughts of the man I just walked into disappear when I reach Juniper, Kian, and Chloe, and Rowan. I suppress my impending blush at the thought of the last.

They all greet me quickly, immediately launching into discussion. "What was your simulation?" Juniper questions. I tense up instantly, both at the reminder of the horrible simulation and the question.

I don't want to tell her my secret. But I don't want to lie to her. So what do I say?

"I, um, it was someone from my past." Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Rowan's face darken. He probably guessed who I was talking about.

I try to move the conversation on. "What about yours?"

"Too many snakes." She shudders. "Snakes are just so… smooth and slimy and slithery. Ugh!"

I stare at Juniper, dumbfounded, for a second, before I find my voice. "Wait. So you're not afraid to backflip into a hole without prior knowledge of what's at the bottom, but you're afraid of snakes?"

"Yeah?" Juniper looks at me like I'm crazy. "Aren't you?"

I shake my head. "I actually enjoyed the herpetology unit in school. I think snakes are pretty cool."

Juniper looks disgusted with this fact, but Kian jumps in before she can. "I have to agree with you, Cammi. Did you know that snakes don't have eyelids?"

Juniper wrinkles her nose. Chloe, clearly noticing (and taking joy in) Juniper's discomfort, joins in. "Or that the process of snakes shedding their skin takes several days?"

"Alright, alright!" Juniper brings her hands up to cover her ears. "You guys don't have to torture me."

"Uh, we kind of do." Chloe laughs. "We're your friends, it's our job."

Juniper groans loudly, causing all of us to burst into laughter.

Once we stop laughing, Juniper opens her mouth again. "But, seriously, I really hate how real the simulations look and feel. It was like snakes were crawling all over me in real life."

"That's the point of the simulations." Chloe explains. "The simulation serum is more advanced than the aptitude test, with a tiny transmitter in the serum that sends the sim data to the computer, which is why we don't have electrodes attached to our bodies."

"The serum itself," Kian picks up his sister's speech perfectly. "Stimulates the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes negative emotions, like fear, and creates the image you see in your mind. The brain's electrical activity is then sent to the computer and made into a scene that Four can watch."

"Wow." Juniper teases. "We've got a couple of brainiacs in our midst."

I frown, several things suddenly coming together in my mind. Brainiacs.

How did Kian and Chloe know so much about snakes? We covered them in our herpetology unit in Middle Levels, but we never learned the facts that Kian and Chloe rattled off about them.

The simulations. They were able to explain how they worked in advanced terms, without any sort of reference but their memory.

And, perhaps the most damning thing, their eyes; the eyes of the twins were alight with knowledge, in a way that I've only seen in Julia, occasionally. In a way that the Erudite would possess.

Kian and Chloe are Dauntless. And yet, they act like the Erudite in so many ways.

Did they just choose the wrong faction? Or are they like me and my brother?

"Cammi?" I'm brought out of my thoughts by someone snapping their fingers in front of me. Once my eyes focus, I see that it's Rowan. He's wearing a frown on his face, ignoring the other three members of his party, who are still laughing and chatting. "Are you with us?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." The excuse sounds hollow, but Rowan takes it.

I store my thoughts on Kian and Chloe away for later thought. Right now, I'm with my friends, and here to have some fun.

Before I can join in the main conversation again, Rowan grabs my hand.

I inhale sharply as the strange electric feeling that I normally feel whenever Rowan is touching me runs through my arm. I stare down at his hand, my mind remembering the feeling of touch of his lips on my cheek.

I don't know why I keep thinking of that moment. It was a friendly gesture, that's all. And this feeling - whatever it is - is probably static electricity. Why so many atoms seem to be unbalanced whenever we touch, I don't know, but that's the only reasonable explanation.

"Hey." His quiet voice makes me snap my head back up to meet his eyes. There's an expression I can't read covering his face. "Do you want to go on a walk?"

"Sure." The words are out of my mouth before my brain can even process it.

Why did I answer so quickly?

Maybe because Rowan is my friend. I'd have answered just as quickly to Julia or Ethan or Lavender, right?

"Great." Rowan seems to grow a little nervous, running a hand through his hair, like he did on Visiting Day. "Let's go, then."

He starts walking out the door of the tattoo parlor, without a goodbye to his friends. I stand still for a second, still trying to process everything, then follow.

We don't say a word, just walk beside each other through the Pit.

"So," Rowan finds his voice after a few minutes of walking. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

I shrug. "Ask away."

"Your fear simulation…" I tense again, but let him keep going. "... you were talking about your fa- Marcus, right?"

I just nod. I'm not sure I'd be able to say anything, with the emotions crawling up my throat.

"Oh." Rowan clears his throat. "Are- Are you okay?"

A swell of irrational anger rises up my throat, only to die down just as quickly. He doesn't think you can't take care of yourself. I reprimand my emotions. Otherwise he wouldn't have let you take charge of our team on Capture the Flag night. He just wants to know if you're doing alright with the reminder.

"Y-Yeah." I exhale deeply, cursing the stutter in my voice when I responded. "It wasn't too bad."

"Oh." He takes a deep breath, as though preparing himself for something. "I'm not doubting you or anything, it's just…" Another deep breath. I stare at him intently, waiting for him to finish the sentence that's making him so nervous. "... if you need someone to talk to - other than your brother, of course - I'm here."

He reaches up and runs a hand through his hair again. I've noticed that he does that a lot when he's nervous.

I smile at him. I can't imagine why he'd think I'd be mad at him for offering extra help. "Thank you, Rowan. I'll keep that in mind."

We lapse into silence again.

By this time, we're nearing the Chasm. I glance at Rowan, only to find him already looking at me.

We seem to read each other's minds, and both come to a stop at the Chasm railing.

I stare at the raging water, my mind flashing to Tobias' and my secret Chasm spot. The Chasm is a lot like Marcus. Loud, angry, vicious - but capable of hiding little treasures.

For a second, I entertain the thought of showing Rowan the spot on the rocks. I quickly discard the thought with a shake of my head. I should probably ask Tobias before showing it to anyone. After all, he goes there too, and, from what I gather, often.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I ask Rowan, not tearing my eyes away from the rushing water. Because it is. Droplets fly up and catch beams of sunlight coming through the glass ceiling, which makes them shine like diamonds. The water is blue with white foam, splashing down the rocks in a wild, uncontrolled manner that reflects the Dauntless spirit perfectly.

"Yeah. It is." For a few seconds, I feel like there is a gaze on me, from my left. But when I turn to face Rowan, his eyes are firmly on the roaring waters. Weird.

We stand in easy silence, watching the waters of the Chasm, side by side, for a few more minutes.

"Should we go back now?" I ask.

Rowan finally turns his eyes to me. "Yeah. Our friends are probably wondering where we are." Something in his voice radiates… disappointment?
I ignore it, and wait for Rowan to reach my side, before starting towards the tattoo parlor.

We walk all the way without a word spoken. But the silence is comfortable.

When we enter the tattoo parlor again, the first sight we're greeted with is Juniper, Kian, and Chloe standing with Julia.

"There you guys are!" Juniper exclaims, being the first to spot us. The heads of the rest turn to us immediately.

Chloe darts up to Rowan, getting in his face. Her glare is intense, but, somehow, Rowan holds it. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." He rolls his eyes. "I just took a walk with Cammi. I'm not Denzel or Aziel, I'm not going to destroy everything I touch."

"I beg to differ." Juniper cuts in, the teasing glint back in her eyes. "You're just as much of a troublemaker as they are."

"I take offense to that!" He protests loudly, turning several heads in the tattoo parlor.

"Good. It was meant to be offensive." Juniper fires back.

"Woah, woah, woah, guys, you can continue arguing later. Let's address the most important thing here." Kian buts into their teasing. "Rowan, you and Cammi went on a walk?"

"Uh, yeah." Rowan's hand goes into his hair. "I invited her on a short walk, and she accepted."

"Uh, 'she' is right here, and can speak for herself." I put my hands on my hips, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Right. Yeah, sorry." Rowan blushes, red spreading across his cheeks.

Kian, Chloe, and Juniper share a look that I can't decipher, before starting towards the door. "Sorry to leave you guys so quickly, but we're late for, uh, a planned dinner. Come on, Rowan."

"Wait, what?" Rowan looks utterly confused.

"You seriously can't have forgotten about today's dinner." Chloe emphasized the word, looking mildly irritated. "Are you coming, or am I going to have to drag you?"

"Oh, uh-"

"Drag you it is." She marches up to Rowan, and, before he can move, grabs his arm, pulling him behind her. Rowan doesn't resist. Instead, he looks towards me, and mouths, Save me, please.

I grin and roll my eyes, mouthing back. Your fault. Have a nice dinner!

Rowan makes a face. Traitor, he mouths, before he's pulled out of sight.

I stifle a giggle at his last word before turning to Julia.

Julia is standing, continuing to watch the scene, with a raised eyebrow and a contemplative expression on her face. When the Dauntless-borns disappear, she shakes her head slightly and looks at me. "Ethan and Lav are both still getting tattooed. Ethan chose some sort of cityscape."

A cityscape. Considering Ethan is afraid of heights, it doesn't make much sense. But maybe it does to him. "Did you get your ears pierced?"

"Yeah." She turns her head to show me the new earrings dangling from her ears. They have a small, dark blue stone embedded at the bottom, surrounded by a ring of a silvery-colored metal. The stone hangs from a short chain made of the same metal. I assume an identical earring hangs from her other ear.

"They're beautiful." I breathe, eyes wide. Julia's overall appearance hasn't changed, but the earrings make her look… elegant.

"Thanks." She blushes slightly. "I know I'm supposed to be Dauntless now, but I couldn't help but pick this stone. It reminds me of Erudite." Her voice has dropped to a whisper.

Julia is really opening up today. I wonder what brought this on. But I push the questions to the side for now, focusing on my main task; she feels bad about picking the beautiful blue gemstone for her former faction, and I'm determined to not let her.

"It's not a crime to reminisce about your old faction." Julia opens her mouth, but I cut her off. "Yeah, there's Faction before Blood, but just because you chose a different faction doesn't mean you should forget your old one. That's what I think. The things you learned and experienced in your birth faction can really help you in your new one."

Julia smiles softly. "You're really good at comforting people, Cammi."

"No, I'm not." I return the smile. "I just try to say whatever feels right. Most of the time, I'm convinced I've made it worse."

Julia walks over and links her arm with mine. "Well, then, you really need a self confidence boost. But we can discuss that later. Want to go see Lav's tattoo? I think Tori is finishing up."

"Definitely."

A/N: This chapter isn't very exciting, but I felt like we needed at least one fun afternoon off, before we get into some of the heavier stuff that's coming up in the next few chapters. It serves another purpose, too - it includes a crucial interaction between Cammi and Rowan, bringing them closer together. Cammi and Rowan don't have as much time together as Tris and Tobias do in Divergent (which this is heavily based off of), Tobias being the transfer initiate instructor, so I'll take any chance I get for Rowan and Cammi bonding moments. And, since I don't promote underage drinking, Cammi and Rowan took a walk instead.

When the next chapter comes out (I'm not sure when that will be), please prepare yourself. There will be emotional carnage, I promise you that.

Anyhow, te veo, mi fantastica lectores!