Author's note:

Warning: this chapter has teenage drinking which I am absolutely not promoting but this is a different world and Dauntless is that kind of Faction. Also more cursing will appear. If you don't want to read it then turn away now. As we go along these chapters are probably going to get more and more mature. Because Tris is growing up quickly.

reposted after minor edits: 10/18/2020

First day on the job and I realized I was overdressed just a bit. Most of the other interns were wearing casual clothes but I kind of liked setting myself apart. Diana, or Di, as everyone here called her is my boss and she dressed up more for work. I'd seen her in the Pit after hours and she would wear the same casual clothes as everyone else but while at work she wore almost the same styles as Erudite or Candor but all in black. Her purple hair and neck tattoo really contrasted with the clothes but I liked that too.

She sat down with me in her office and we went over what my schedule would be like for the first month. She wanted to know where I would fit in best and then we would readjust after that.

The first 3 days of the week I would work with her in different factions. The last two days were spent typing up reports and doing paperwork. The first week was in Amity which was interesting. I was specifically told not to eat the bread. The people there were nice and helpful, but that also annoyed me.

The second week I was in Candor, with me all in black and them in black and white I didn't stick out quite as much. And even though a lot of time I didn't like what they said to me it was expected for me to answer back with honesty to help promote trust. One man said he thought my tattoos were ugly and I said back, "Well I didn't get them for you so I don't care what you think of them." The man actually smiled at me and nodded. I found out later that it was their Ambassador. If he hadn't smiled I thought I might have just sealed my fate. But I got a glowing report back to Diana so that was good.

The third week was Erudite and that was a struggle. I saw my brother in the library studying and the last time I saw him was under difficult circumstances. I knew things were going on that shouldn't be and it was hard to stay passive. Then there was Jeanine. Thankfully she kept our last encounter to herself and was very pleasant to me. But it was Jeanine's pleasantry, which means she knew exactly what she was doing.

Last, I spent three days in my old faction. Thankfully we had our own quarters there and I didn't have to stay with my parents or any of my old neighbors but that didn't make everyday dealings with them any better. It was very difficult for me to see Marcus and know what he had done to Tobias but since nobody was supposed to know that then I had to act respectful to him. He acted like he didn't even know me at all. My own Father stared at me disapprovingly. Seeing my hair down and tattoos peeking out from under my collar, along with the earrings and leather jacket, was not something he ever expected to deal with I'm sure. I tried to cover up as much as possible out of respect but by the third day of being glared at that way I decided I would just wear what I was comfortable in. Which happened to be my tight slacks, combat boots, and a black sleeveless shirt that showed all my tattoos. I realized he was going to have to learn to deal with who I am now. Maybe I should have done that sooner because when he saw my Abnegation tattoo I saw his expression soften. When I had a chance I went over and said a short "Hello" to my mother. I couldn't spend too much time because no one needed to know how much I missed my family but since she was one of the leaders wives I could use the excuse that I wanted to discuss the factionless a little more with her.

After the first four weeks I had to write a report on what I had learned. It wasn't easy because I was supposed to put aside any biases I may have. But seeing my own former faction as an outsider gave me new insight to how things were working also trying to hide my divergent tendencies was a different situation. In the end Diana said I had done extremely well, but I would be dealing mostly with Amity and Candor since I had less personal ties with those. That was just fine with me.

So six days of every month I was out of Dauntless, and away from Eric and Max watching me. The other days I was in the office or helping to host the Ambassadors from the other factions, and a routine started to form. On the days I was on my home compound, and I wasn't hosting anyone, I would go to dinner with my friends after work and talk about our days. Sometimes shop, get tattoos, or piercings, or they would go off to a party or something. I would usually head off to the training room.

Sometimes Four would be there and help me, grudgingly though. I think he played it off that he respected I was still working. Often my friends would join me, and I liked sparring with them but Will would not fight Christina. He said he didn't want her kicking his ass. She probably would have too. When she and I would fight, it got dirty. Neither one of us would give up until we were exhausted and bleeding. But we were still friends after it. We were both very careful not to hit in the face because she knew I had a job where I didn't need to go into Amity with visible bruises but anything else was pretty much fair game.

Christina's job was in ammunition and supplies, with the seasonal training of initiates, which I would be joining her in. So her having bruises or marks didn't matter at all. In fact they were usually a badge of honor.

I hated the days Eric would come in to train. Thankfully, he always came in with Max so even though he would take the opportunity to beat on me Max would only let it go so far. Apparently I was worth more alive than dead to Max, for now. Four had to stay and watch, because if he left it would show that he didn't want to see me get beat and if he interrupted it would mean he cared too much. I was getting better though because one night I actually broke Eric's nose. Max stepped in that night before Eric killed me.

I knew there would be retaliation and I would have to watch my back but I still couldn't help feeling just a little victorious.

One Saturday Christina was helping me decorate my apartment. She said she couldn't stand how plain it was. I told her I didn't know what to do because I had everything I needed. I had a bed, bathroom, and a small kitchenette area. What more could I need? She gave me a look and said, "I don't know. Maybe some color, or a life."

We spent the whole day raiding old buildings and finding old furniture that we could use. With Will and Uriah's help we were able to move in a couch and some side tables. Will being former Erudite helped us find all kinds of things because he seemed to know where all the best stores were from before the Factions were set up.

We found some crazy artwork in one old building that looked like it might have been an art gallery at one time. There was a pretty one that I fell in love with called, Dante and Beatrice. It was by an artist named Michael Parkes. I didn't know the context of the picture but there was just something about it that made me feel for these two people. It was set up as two separate portraits of a man and woman facing each other. Their eyes didn't meet and there was a white line between them almost like a wall. The man's face was turned down while the woman's face was facing the man. Like she wanted his attention but was afraid to fully give hers. And he wasn't ready to fully give in either.

I told Christina I wanted it because of the red and black that fit in with Dauntless colors. But there was more to it than that.

The couch we found folded out into a bed so if I wanted to have a friend over for the night I could. At least that was Christina's thought on it. We also found a small round table and a set of four chairs to go with it. Once we had my apartment set up Will and Uriah went down to the cafeteria and brought back food so we could eat in my new apartment.

Uriah had also picked up some bottles of something alcoholic. I tried to opt out of that but I was told that the best place to learn to handle drinking was in your own place with friends you trusted. Uriah said if I wanted to be Dauntless sometimes I would be handed a drink and it would be rude to refuse unless you had good reason. If you were on the job at the time, then obviously no one would question it. You didn't have to drink the whole bottle but taking a sip was considered customary. I had way more than a sip. Whatever the clear stuff was I liked it!

That night was pretty warm so I had the door and all the windows open trying to get some air flow going but the alcohol was not helping me cool off either. I saw someone walk by my door and I heard a key turn in a lock.

"Four! Don't be a stiff, come over and say Hi!" I yelled falling off my couch because I was leaning over way too much to see him. I got off the floor with Uriah's laughing help and sat back down on the couch. Uriah laid an arm across my shoulders.

Four turned to look at me in that stern way he had when he was being tough responsible Four. He took a few steps to my door and saw the bottle I had in my hand.

"Looks like you don't need me," he said looking directly at Uriah. Whatever vibe Four was giving off Uriah was too drunk to notice.

Uriah squeezed me too him and laughed, "Hey, the more the merrier, Four, you're always welcome."

I snaked out from under Uriah's arm because I know Tobias doesn't like Uriah doing that even if Four doesn't care. I stand up and walk over to Four even though the room is tilting and hold the bottle out to him, "Peace offering."

He looks at the bottle and then to me, "Do me a favor, stay away from the chasm tonight, okay?" and then walked away without taking a drink. I watched him walk into his apartment and heard the lock click behind him.

Uriah was the first to say anything, "Well, that was kind of rude."

I turn around and laugh like it doesn't matter, "And they call me stiff." I really wasn't too upset because Four quoted me with his parting shot. I'd said the same thing to him one time. The night he was drunk and told me a I looked good.

Uriah clears his throat and gets up to close the apartment door, "Hey, Tris, I need to ask a huge favor. I don't want it to travel past this door."

"Sure, ask away," I say.

"There's this girl that I like but she doesn't really notice me. I was hoping you might help me get her attention," he said.

Christina laughed, "Do you mean Brandy? Dude, she doesn't really even know you exist."

Uriah nodded exasperatedly, "I'm aware of that, thank you very much. But everyone knows Tris now so maybe I can tag along on her coattails." With the look Christina gave him he added emphatically, "I'm desperate here."

I shake my head to try and clear the fog, "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know, just act like you're interested in me. You know flirt and stuff," he said in a weird uncertain way.

Oh, wow, this actually works to my benefit as well, I shrugged, "Sure, why not. But there will be rules."

Christina's eyes went wide, "What? Tris, this is not going to work."

"Chris, let's just say it will be an experiment for me to learn how to flirt with boys," I say to her and then turn to him, "But no kissing on the mouth. No grabbing any part of my body that isn't my hand. And remember I'm deadly with a knife."

Uriah shrugged, "I can live with that."

"There may be more rules when I'm sober enough to think of them," I stated.

Will laughed and stood up to open the door back up, "I need to get some air. It's too warm up here."

Eric was standing in the hallway knocking on Four's door when my door swung open. Eric turned to see me standing in the middle of my apartment with a near empty bottle with my friends already heading out into the hallway. I raise my bottle in salute to him and his slightly crooked nose and giggle as I stumble to a stop in the doorway.

"Damn, Stiff, You're kinda hot when your drunk," he says leering at me, "Maybe I should've went for you." He reached out and took the bottle from my hand to take a long drink and handed it back to me.

By this time Four had opened his door and I could see his jaw clench hard. If he did anything it would give him away. Keep it together Four.

But Uriah had good timing wrapping an arm around me and kissing my cheek, "too late she's already taken."

The look on Four's face could have turned a man to stone so I popped off, "And pin cushions don't do a thing for me." I see Four's face relax and he covered his laugh with a cough.

He clears his throat, "What do you need, Eric?"

Eric stares at me for a little while longer then turns back to Four, "Max needs you. There's a problem in Candor and he wants you to go over and settle it down."

Four nods, "Alright, tell him I'll be there in a minute."

Eric gives me a disgusting wink and walks past me back down the hall. All of us watch him go and Four turns to me and in his Four voice he says, "You might want to sober up in case Diana needs you." He said and turned to go back inside his apartment.

"Yes sir, Four sir," I say in a sassy way that I'll probably hear about later and wave my friends on down the hall. I hand my bottle to Uriah saying something to the effect that I don't want to be tempted to drink anymore. Truth was I don't want to drink anything after Eric. "Go, Go, have fun." I say swishing my friends down the hallway.

Christina groaned about me not having enough fun but I thanked her for helping me and reminded her that I did have fun today. Will gave me a hug and then Uriah gave me a hug just as Four came back out his door. Uriah saw Four and decided to make a big deal out of kissing my forehead before he left.

"Alright, loverboy, you can leave now," Four said to him as he grabbed his shoulder and helped him walk back down the hallway. I went back in my apartment and laughed because Uriah had no idea how close he came to being killed.

The next morning Tobias told me he was able to explain to my boss that I was indisposed for that night and that whatever needed to be settled would be better off without me.

He told me that she laughed when she asked, "The stiff got drunk? I bet that was funny to see."

I was pretty hung over that next morning, while he was telling me this, and I didn't find it funny at all. He mixed up some kind of vitamin drink that was supposed to help hangovers but choking it down made it worse for awhile.

Four also asked me what the hell Uriah was up to with his declaration last night. When I explained he sighed and said, "Great, so I have to watch him groping MY girlfriend?"

I leaned into him as he sat next to me on my couch, "Not exactly, we have some rules set up. There are certain things I will allow for show. And because he's my friend and I know he isn't into me, I'm allowing it. But there are something's only you are allowed to do."

"Mmm," he mumbled low into my hair, "And what things would that be?"

I laughed weakly, "Maybe, when I feel better, I'll let you find out."