Entering my home, I slip off my tennis shoes at the door and place them on the shoe rack. Father always voiced that having shoes in the house was illogical and unhygienic; an Erudite quirk that hadn't quite faded through the years. Of course, this verdict applies to all members of the household, including those with paws. Grabbing the cloth by the door, I crouch to clean three sets of feet. The dogs are beat, not hesitating to trudge to the kitchen for water after I clear them.

Only when I finally shut the door, do I belatedly realize that the house smells of my favorite dish – lasagne. My mom was just placing a pot of goodness when I entered the dining room. The apron and mittens she wore wasn't something I could ever be used to seeing. To me, my mother belonged outside, much like me. "Hey."

She perks up, a smile immediately gracing her lips. "How was your day?"

The man at the fence briefly flashes through my mind. "The usual: dog training with John, fields, yadda yadda. Nothing special" I list nonchalantly, waving my hand. Giving a mom a quick hug, I head to the kitchen. "You?"

The meat was already on the counter, a mixture of raw beef, bones, organs, and chicken. Washing my hands and grabbing a knife, I pulled out a chopping board and three metal bowls. "I went to Dauntless today, it was... eventful..." I turn my head towards her, my interest piqued. "I'll tell you when Adrian comes home." Nodding absentmindedly, I spend the next few minutes chopping and dishing out the meat. My dogs eat in luxury, never would I ever feed them the sad excuse alternative: kibble. Raw meat was much easier, much less maintenance on my side. Plus, it was much healthier too, their shiny coats prove so.

Picking up two bowls, I turn to face the already sitting the dogs. They eye the bowls with their heads perked and tails wagging. Amused, I placed the bowls in front of Sabre and Hawk, not waiting any longer to prevent them from drooling all over the tiles. The dogs were shoveling the food down their throats before I even finish placing Gunner's bowl down. After cleaning the counter, I re-enter the dining room. Dad just came through the door, face tense and stressed. My mother was there to greet him, kissing him on the lips briefly before placing his case away. I stand by the threshold and watch them interact. My parents were the epitome of love. I never understood their strong bond despite transferring from different factions and having different views. Watching them every day only made me wish that I would find someone that would love me as much as they love each other. For some reason, my mind drifts back to the man at the fence. Even from afar, I felt a bond creating. No wait, that sounds stupid. Maybe I'm being ridiculous.

I am being ridiculous.

Shaking my head from my thoughts, I take a seat at the table while my parents do the same. Dad's the first to break the silence, "so I was at Erudite today…" He pauses to scoop out a hefty portion of lasagne. "and I think they're up to something big." The one thing about Erudite is that they are always up to something, it was their sly actions that made Dad and I create the dogs, believing that there will come a day where we would use them. He didn't trust Erudite, despite being a former Erudite himself. It was his mistrust that he insisted to be an ambassador, wanting to keep a close eye. Johanna immediately agreed, she and Adrian were in the same initiate class, and quickly become close friends. When Johanna was elected as the leader, she placed Adrian and Sarah as ambassadors, trusting them to collect information, ensuring that Amity will always silently be in the loop of things.

"How so?" I ask.

"Well to start, Erudite," he coughs, "mostly Jeanine, has been releasing reports on Abnegation hoarding food." Mother and I frown. "Which is ridiculous, considering that it's Abnegation. If Abnegation was truly hoarding food, the people will finally gain some weight, and honestly, they should." He chews thoughtfully. Leave it to my tree-hugger dad to find fault in every faction. "Plus, the whole point of Erudite giving us the gene-modifier tech was to increase food production, which has. So, I don't even see the point of releasing accusations when there isn't a big shortage of food."

"Maybe Erudite thinks Abnegation gets first pick on the produce?" I chip in.

"That's untrue. But maybe. Honestly, if the food was such a problem, Jeanine should be coming to Amity – me, instead. I'm sure we can figure something out. I mean, it's not like I go to Erudite every week." He rolls his eyes sarcastically.

"If Erudite is up to something, I bet Dauntless is in the loop." Mom pipes, the frown on her face becoming more and more prominent. "Max and Eric have been frequenting to Erudite, I always have to reschedule my meetings with them."

"Any reason why?" Dad asks with his head tilted. The fact that he isn't aware means that the meetings were held in secret.

"I didn't pry. Though, on the bright side, Max did shed some news on the initiate program. Apparently, Eric has been installing massive changes." My ears perk up at the mention of the initiation program, I was hungry to know what becoming a Dauntless was like.

Mom shares of the new 'cut system' and how conceding was no longer an option during initiate fights. I wince at the news, feeling grateful for the two years I spent preparing for the physical stage of initiation. When I told my parents that I plan to transfer to Dauntless, they weren't shocked at my revelation. It was common for kids to transfer back to their parent's original factions. So my mom began to prepare me for Dauntless, taking time off a few days a week to teach me fighting techniques and help me build my fitness. It was also when I was 16 when Dad started to develop the dogs, tweaking the DNA of the canines preserved from before the Great War, courtesy of Erudite technology.

As she elaborates on the changes, I think about Dauntless's newest leader: Eric Coulter. From that I'm hearing, he seems to be some sadist that enjoyed watching dependants – who've just picked their new life – become factionless. Who in the right mind gave him the position? My head pounds as I try to understand his decisions. I decided immediately that I dislike him. He's definitely someone I wouldn't want to associate with.

Mom continues talking about the relationship between the head and youngest leader, saying how Max seems rather fond of the 20-year-old. My face scrunches into disgust. Why was Max even allowing the initiation process to turn so brutal? There had to be a reason, and I have a feeling that I wouldn't like the answer.

After dinner, I help clean the table and check on the dogs. They were sleeping in the living room, out like a light. I took a long shower, savoring the warm water like it was the last, and went to spend my last few hours with my parents. I will miss them, just like I would miss John and my dogs. I briefly consider staying in Amity, then I won't need to consider 'faction before blood'. Perhaps the phrase was good for those with want nothing to do with their family. For me, it was an inconvenience, a major one at that. But I knew Amity wasn't for me, I couldn't stand everyone, all they are are high-on-peace-serum smiling drunkards. I rarely dine at the Dome, but when I do, it's often with my parents or John, the only people - well maybe Johanna too - who make an effort to avoid the dinner rolls. There was only so much I can do to avoid the general population, and I knew that if I stayed, there was no way I could.

I slip into bed that night, Gunner by my feet while the other two were still passed out downstairs. The moon's bright through my window and I try not to think about how it may be the last I'll see it for a long time. The fact that Dauntless lives underground puts me off, perhaps I could slip out once in a while.

At the thought of Dauntless, my mind drifts back to the man at the fence. I wonder what he thought of me. Did I look like every other Amity? Though it was a possibility, I highly doubt it, he wouldn't have stared so long if I was just another 'banjo-strummer'. Perhaps he was intrigued by my dogs, that was a larger possibility. My heart sinks at that thought, and I try to brush that away. I question if it's the first time he's seeing me, I never actually paid much attention to the guards by the fence. For all I know, he could've been watching me every day, and was only caught today. The fact that he didn't turn away and hide his actions was what drew me to him. Would I meet him in the Dauntless compound? Or will I have to get a job at the fence to meet him? Was he even a fence guard?

I grab one of my pillows and crush it to my face, groaning. I need to stop overthinking and overanalyzing things. Slamming the pillow on my face repeatedly, I try to rid all thoughts of the man. I didn't need a mirror to know that my cheeks were beet red. Stupid Erudite, stupid hormones, stupid man.

After having a brief reprimanding session with myself, I close my eyes and will sleep to come to me. I need all the sleep I can get. I will get all the sleep I can get. No stupid Dauntless man is going to take that away from me. No one.

What does his hair feel like?

A/N

I can't stop writing. I started this story three days ago and I'm already on chapter 7.This is not healthy.-.