Four doesn't turn to look at me when we're walking the opposing way back to the Dauntless cafeteria, so I don't get the chance to stop him and inquire about his buying my lunch until we're back in the deafening room. He still doesn't turn, but I'm right behind him.
"Hey, Four!" I call, having to shout to be heard over the laughing, talking and whooping going on. He turns for a moment and sees me calling him, so he fully turns and gestures to a small table compared to the others, only enough room for no more than 8 people. I nod at him, and we walk through the small crowds around the other tables to the dark wooden table and sit on the benches on either side of it.
Already sitting there are Will, Al, Christina, as well as Zeke, Uriah and 2 girls I don't recognise. I presume they are Shauna and Marlene, who Zeke mentioned before lunch. Unfortunately, there are only 2 seats next to each other now, so I have to sit next to Four and opposite Will. I don't mind, it'll give me a chance to talk to him and thank him for my lunch.
"Thank you Four, I really, really appreciate it. I'm so upset with my parents for setting a limit…I mean, really?" I say casually, as if he's the easiest person to talk to. He still looks surprised that I'm speaking to him, but he doesn't sigh like he has previously, as if he can't be bothered to even talk to me.
"It's nothing." He says bluntly. I relax a little, but his voice is still sharp and cold. It doesn't anger me like before, but it does bother me. I just want to talk to him for God's sakes, does he think I'm trying to flirt or be mean or something, because I'm certainly not. I don't even want to be friends with him at this point.
We spend the rest of our hour-long lunch at that table, staying and talking even after most of Dauntless have already left. The conversation is truly one of the best I've had in years. Zeke and Uriah are absolutely hilarious, Shauna and Zeke are so sweet with each other, and I can tell Uriah is super nervous around Marlene. She seems to be just as shy, so I don't really know why he's so nervous!
Al, Will and Christina are their usual selves, and I'm not excluded from the conversation at all. We talk about everything, from our families, to school, to the other factions, everything. The only quiet person is Four. He isn't quiet like the shy people you pity at school, like an underdog, more like somebody who doesn't like to talk and prefers to be closed off.
When the bell goes, I feel like we've only been talking for 5 seconds. I can hear grumbles and sighs from our table, but we all rise, tossing our rubbish in the black metal bin. I pull out my paper schedule, to see, sigh, more training. Great.
We have the same training class, but Marlene and Shauna aren't in it unfortunately. The rest of us make our way to the training gym, where Max is calling the class over for, next to the door. He opens the double door, and I can see the huge field is muddy as anything. And in the time, we've been inside, it has been raining like a monsoon. The mud is sopping, and I know I won't go long without slipping and getting muddy.
The moment Max says we're going for a 5-kilometre run in the rain, I open my backpack and pull my hair into a messy, loose ponytail down my back, and pull my black rain jacket on, tucking my leather jacket into my bag. I move with the rest of the class towards some coat hooks on the wall and hang my bag up on one of them.
I shiver violently when I step outside, the chill in the air going straight to my bones. I stand next to Christina and Will, as well as the group I had lunch with, and laugh with them. For some reason, we find this funny, as if the thought of us slipping and getting absolutely filthy is some kind of joke. Four just smiles weakly. A gun sounds, and we set off running.
We manage to keep our footing for the first 500 metres, but that's when Zeke and Al lose all footing and fall into the mud, Al on his side, Zeke on his butt. The rest of us break into hysterics, and even Four chuckles a bit.
For some reason, I nudge his side with my shoulder, as if to say "Come on, I know you find this as hilarious as I do!" and I immediately feel the tension I just created. But it goes away immediately, because Four starts laughing lightly. I laugh back, and start running again, this time next to him. I notice how he runs, athletically. His legs and arms strong with muscles, powering him through the field. I hear a shrill shriek a few feet to my right, and see Christina inches from the floor, Will's hands gripping her waist, preventing her from falling all the way. She laughs for a moment, before trying to pull herself up. Will's pale face suddenly fills with a bright red colour as he pulls her off and takes his hands from her hips.
We keep running, and a small red flag planted in the ground tells us we're at 3000 metres. Over half way there. I keep running, but not even 10 seconds later, the ground suddenly gives way under my feet and I go cascading to the floor, landing flat on my back. The impact stings a bit, but I find myself laughing, and scrambling to get the runny mud out of my hair.
The rest of the group is also laughing, not at me but with me. I laugh harder, and pull myself back up. I run for a while, the mud drying on my clothes and skin. My nails are filled with it, the grime inside them. After a few minutes of this, I feel something warm on my cheek. I snap my neck to the left on instinct, slowing down slightly, to see Four's hand on my cheek, pushing off a huge clump of mud I didn't even realise was there.
I laugh in thanks, and he smiles back. Still cold and closed off, but it's a smile. The smile disappears after not even a moment, and we continue on. By the end of the run, everybody has fallen into the mud, me 3 more times. The Abnegation in me says this is so selfish, running around enjoying myself and getting good clothes dirty, but I push it away. I'm having too much fun.
When we finally get back to the training room, I'm dripping in mud and rain water, but I feel energised, alive. They give us 10 minutes to have a quick shower in the school's shower rooms, but unlike most of the other girls, I don't take a shower, I'm just too self-conscious about my body. I do wash off my face, my hair as best I can, and the skin my t-shirt doesn't cover on my arms, but my hair is no better, and I don't feel much cleaner.
Everybody else has had a shower by the time we get to the science classroom, and I can see stares. Thankfully, I'm put in a group this time, with Uriah, Marlene and Four. We sit on a square table, me next to Marlene and opposite Four. I can see Uriah staring at Marlene from the corner of my eye when she isn't looking, and Four scoffing at him.
That annoys me. From what Christina and Will told me earlier this morning, Four has never had a girlfriend. So, he shouldn't be scoffing at Uriah. I give him a look that says as much. He gives me a glare back. So, I suppose we're back to square 1 with this friendship. Not that we ever left it.
The science lesson is more interesting than I thought it would be, even if it is just listening to a lecture about photosynthesis and taking notes in my notebook. Marlene has one too, and Uriah has a piece of paper, but Four is just staring at what I'm writing, as well as Uriah's paper, as if he's going to take it all in by just looking. Like the rest of Dauntless, I'm not one for lessons like this, but personally, I would like to graduate with good grades. The lesson drags a little, but by the end of it we're free to go home. Uriah hands me a piece of paper with his and Zeke's numbers, and Shauna hands me one with hers and Shauna's. I say thanks, and walk off with the rest of Dauntless, eager to get home for a shower.
On the bus back, I laugh to myself under my breath, shaking my head and looking down at the window. What a day. I spend the next 15 minutes on my phone, putting the new numbers into it. While tapping Zeke's number into my contacts, I see writing on the other side of the paper shining through the now present sunlight. I turn the ripped slip over, and see Uriah's handwriting on the back.
U may as well have Four's too, he wouldn't give it to u himself! 09174 719274
I sigh and open a new contact page, titling it Four and typing his number. The bus stops when I finish the contact, so I walk off it to my house. I suddenly realise I never finished my discussion with my parents this morning, and I look a mess. My first thought is to tidy myself up, but I push the thought out.
Why do I need to bother? I've had a fantastic day, I may as well show it. I pull my house key from my pocket, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Caleb is already back and is helping Mom and Dad make dinner. I shut the door as they look at me from the kitchen. I take my filthy shoes off at the door, and drop my backpack there.
I walk proudly into the kitchen, where Caleb is gaping, my mother is greeting me good evening and my Dad is looking sad, rather than angry.
"What happened to you?" Caleb says, causing me to let out a light laugh.
"Initiation." I say, laughing at his and my father's identical shocked expressions.
"What kind of initiation causes you to ruin perfectly good clothing?" my father says with a stunned tone.
"They aren't ruined Dad, they're washable for this kind of thing. We had to go for a 5k mile in the rain on the field, all my friends ended up like this. Honestly, this was one of the best days I've had in years." I say with a smile. I walk forward and hug my Dad, ignoring the fact physical contact is sparse in the house.
"I'm sorry for this morning. You were just trying to make sure I was sensible, and I lost it. I'll be sensible, I promise. Oh, and I climbed a metal structure made of pipes almost 3 storeys high this morning. It was pretty amazing. Excuse me, I have to take a shower." I say, and I'm already out the door before I can see their shocked expressions or remember to talk about my card limit.
I take a hot shower, rubbing every piece of mud out of my skin and hair. I take longer than usual, seeing as I normally only get 5 minutes before my parents tell me to save water and get out. When I do get out, I pin my hair up with a clip and put on some soft pyjamas. I walk happily into the dining room, sitting in my usual seat next to Caleb, digging into my chicken and peas.
My Mom starts up some conversation, talking about her day at the volunteer centre for the homeless, and my Dad talking about his day in his government job for our section of the city. More realistically, the Abnegation section of the city. Caleb tells us briefly about his day in Erudite, mostly just reading and experiments.
I spend ages rambling on about my day, about my new friends, the run, the climb, lunch. I arrive at the topic of the card limit and address it with a calm attitude at first.
"I know you set a limit on my points card, and I really want you to take it off." I say calmly. My father instantly reacts.
"This isn't about you joining Dauntless Beatrice. This is about saving that food for those who need it more." He says quickly.
"My friend payed for my lunch. Which would've just been a smoothie with that limitation. So please take it off, I don't want to keep taking his points." I say, now a bit more forceful.
"It isn't coming off Beatrice. End of." He says. I leave my fork on my plate and go up to bed early, flopping down onto my covers. It doesn't take me long to fall asleep, what with my climbing and running. My room goes black as I think about how much happened in one day, and if every day this year will be just the same.