AN: Thank you all so much for your reviews! :D They made me smile and squeal. So, onto the chapter!
Chapter Two
"Move over!" Uriah elbows Christina in an attempt to get closer to the screen.
The normally spacious control room is now packed with Dauntless members. All of last year's initiates are either here or at the Choosing Ceremony. And I know why. It's the thrill of seeing the ones that we'll get to help train. The ones that will have to go through the same things we did last year.
Tobias rolls his eyes as Uriah and Christina now begin shoving each other. "You know, you could have gone."
They both snort. "And miss the looks on their faces when they jump off the ledge? Not a chance!" Christina exclaims.
"You could transfer it onto a bigger screen," Astrid Sterling, a pretty black haired girl who was ranked second a year before my initiation says, poking Tobias' shoulder over and over again. "The twins are going to choose, and I want to see that!"
The twins. Everyone knows them. James and Aurora Sterling. Inseparable and all too adorable. I don't think I've ever seen one without the other. The duo are stuck together like glue. But they'll both choose Dauntless. I really can't imagine one without the other.
Now Uriah and a few others have joined in poking Tobias. His eye twitches. I smirk. He hates being poked.
"Alright, alright!" Tobias snaps, jerking around in his chair to send them death glares. "Fine, I'll put it on the big screen. Just stop touching me!"
I try to bite back a laugh as everyone in the room cheers.
It's just starting. We all turn our attention to the big screen at the front of the room and wait.
And wait.
And wait.
This year, Erudite is in charge of the ceremony. And the representative won't shut up.
"Get on with it!" Marlene, who is at the choosing ceremony yells. She's probably there because her younger brother Marcus is choosing this year.
All the Dauntless members there and here clap and scream.
"You them 'em, Marlene!" Uriah cheers.
The Erudite representative, a woman called Julia, looks scandalized. Then, grudgingly, she reads out the name of the first student. Penny Zane, a chubby girl from Candor, walks forward, takes the knife and, without hesitation, spills her blood over the glass. As she walks over to Candor, Astrid snorts.
"Your loss." She says flippantly, waving an arm around.
We all laugh, including Christina. But to show her she didn't mean any offense, Astrid grabs her hand and squeezes it.
A few names later, a nervous Amity girl, Alison Winters, walks forward. We watch as her eyes flick between the earth and one other bowl. The one with the coals. Our bowl. Dauntless.
She's so small, barely 5 feet. Then I remember myself, torn between Abnegation and Dauntless. I find myself rooting for her to pick Dauntless.
Tobias glances at me. "She reminds me of you."
I grin. "She must be awesome then."
Before he can retort, her hand flies over the coals. She chose us. She chose Dauntless.
We all let out a united whoop.
"Hell yeah!" Christina yells, throwing an arm around Uriah and another arm around Will.
The first transfer. But will she make it through initiation? She's so fragile and small looking. But so was I.
This girl is going to make it. I will make sure of it.
Julia clears her throat to drown out the murmurs of the Amity.
"Colt Walker,"
We all tense. Colt is, currently, Dauntless. He walks up, and we watch his blood fall onto the coals, and we cheer. He's staying. For now, anyway.
I zone out a little until James Sterling is called up. He pushes his black hair out of his face and takes the knife. Astrid tenses, and then relaxes when he picks Dauntless. But when Aurora goes up next, she freezes. She looks from the coals to the water. From Dauntless to Erudite.
Astrid clenches her fists. On the left screen, James' face is pale white as he watches at his other half consider abandoning him. The room is silent. The petite girl bites her lip, and tugs on her black pony tail with her other hand.
Could she… But her brother! Then again, Caleb and I both left Abnegation, so I have no place to even think about loyalty to family. Aurora's blood sizzles on the coals, and we scream and cheer even louder this time. She walks to stand next to James. He grabs her hand, a relieved look on his face.
I wonder what would have happened if she'd chosen Erudite. Would James have cried? Gone crazy? Screamed at her?
"God, that was tense." Astrid mumbles, rubbing her temples.
It goes on. Some of our sixteen year olds are lost. We gain some transfers from other factions. We even get two from Abnegation this year. Lacey Rivers, a slender brunette, and Ashton Parker, a lanky blonde. Candice Baker, the first one that I gave the test, picks Dauntless. So does Violet Anderson. We have a Divergent coming our way. Perhaps more than one. The rest could very well be Divergent as well. Who knows?
It ends with Kyle Abby, an Erudite, choosing Abnegation. Spite and satisfaction course through me. Serves them right. And he's not the only one, since Abnegation gained three Erudite transfers this year, while none of Abnegation transferred there. I look at Tobias to see that he's smirking at the screen.
It might be childish of me to think this, but… In Erudite's face. Tobias and I grin at each other, reveling in Erudite's misery together.
Then a voice blares out of the speakers in the room.
"People, what the hell are you still doing in there? Get to your stations! Now! They're already on the move!"
Oh, crap.
Quickly, we all scramble, snatching up our hand held computers so we can track the progress of the initiates. They are flat, thin squares with touch screens. Personally, I think it was developed by Erudite to track down the 'Divergent rebels', but they are quite convenient. But they're not going to catch me or Violet. I'm going to make sure of that.
"See you later!" I call over my shoulder to Christina, who Uriah is dragging away. They lucked out and got to stay on the ledge and watch the reactions of the initiates when they first see the ledge. Tobias and I will be at the net, ready to announce the first jumper, who I am secretly hoping will be Violet, Ashton or Lacey.
"So, Tris," Tobias wraps an arm around my waist. I let out an involuntary giggle. "What do you think?"
"I'm gloating on the inside. In Erudite's FACE!"
"That's what I was thinking too," he says. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."
"Aw, thanks."
Our computers vibrate in our hands. I glance down at the screen. The new Dauntless are leaping onto the train now. A Candor boy doesn't make it on, and bursts into tears.
"That was fast," Tobias says, sounding casual.
We continue walking. Barely two minutes in, and someone is already factionless. But with Dauntless, you must act fast, especially at the beginning.
Once we reach the net, Tobias plops down on it and pulls me onto his lap. He presses his lips against my collarbone and kisses his way up my neck.
We can't do this now!
"Tobias!" I try to frown at him, but I know I just look amused. "Not now!"
"Why not?" He whines, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling against him.
"Because then someone will fall on us later! And everyone is watching!" I jab a finger at the Dauntless members in the crowd, who are hooting, winking and flashing thumbs up signs at us.
He scowls. "Damn them."
"I know, right?" Still on his lap, I take a look at the computer screen. All is well until a Dauntless born flies off the train after dancing about and fooling around.
… Someone just fell out of the train.
"That was dumb!" Tobias looks nonplussed. "Why would anyone do that?"
Dauntless born and transfers alike look horrified. Candice' eyes widen.
I think she might be regretting her decision.
"Now we know why he didn't pick Erudite," Christina yells from up on the ledge.
"True that!" I call back.
"Are you two getting it on down there?"
Uriah.
"Go to hell!" Tobias hollers, flipping him off. Not that he can see from here. My face is bright red. Tobias grins at me. "Wanna prove him right?"
Yes.
"No."
"You're so boring, Tris! Come on, where's your inner Dauntless?"
"The initiates want to see what Dauntless is about, not us 'getting it on'!" I sketch quotation marks in the air.
He waves a hand in the air dismissively, pulling me in even closer. "Then they'll know they can fall for hot trainers like me."
I snort. "Well, maybe one of them will like Uriah."
"Who likes Uriah?" Uriah demands loudly.
How did he hear that?
"No one does!" Tobias replies.
"Tris likes me better than you!"
Tobias rolls his eyes. "She does not!" He turns to me. "Tell him, Tris."
"I like Christina best." I say.
"Love you too!" Christina cheers.
Tobias pouts. "I thought I was your favourite!"
"Oh, don't be sad." I pat his cheek. "I love you more than I love Uriah."
He looks happier. "You heard that, Uriah?"
"Get lost, Four!"
I am staring at the computer screen in shock. Candice didn't make it. She didn't make it off the train. Violet's eyes fill with tears as she stares at Candice's body, sprawled on the ground, her neck twisted, limbs bent at angles they shouldn't be. They must have been friends. A big Candor boy puts a hand on her shoulder, and she throws her arms around him and sobs.
Better dead than factionless.
"God," I mumble. "I tested her."
Tobias kisses my forehead. "It'll be okay," he promises, rubbing my back. Then he presses his lips against mine swiftly. "Violet will make it."
I nod blindly, leaning into him. He promised to help me get Violet through initiation. It may be wrong, but I can't help it. I feel a pull towards this girl that I just can't shake. Maybe it's knowing that's she's wired like me.
I will allow myself four seconds to be weak and dwell on Candice's death.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Pushing myself off Tobias' lap, I stand up and smooth down my figure hugging black top and skin tight jeans. Christina and I went crazy shopping yesterday after the zip line, and bought way too many clothes. Then we had a fashion show for Tobias and Will.
"Who do you think the first jumper will be?" he asks.
"A Dauntless born, maybe?"
Max finishes addressing them. Seconds later, a figure falls down, letting out a scream. The crowd erupts into applause, and gives her a standing ovation. I grab her hand and tug her up. It's Alison. The Amity girl.
"Wow, an Amity, first to jump," Tobias grins.
"Can I do that again?" Alison says, staring at me, breathless.
I laugh. "If you're lucky, yeah. You're Alison, right?"
She pauses.
"You can only pick once." I echo the same words Tobias said to me.
Her head tips to the side, blonde hair flying. "Maybe Al? Or Allie?"
I freeze. My mind flashes back to Al. Al who liked me. Who almost killed me. Who killed himself.
I never even got the chance to forgive him.
"I like Allie," Tobias says squeezing my hand.
Alison- No, Allie, grins. "Me too!"
He nods. "First jumper, Allie!" he pulls her arm up, showing her off to the crowd.
The crowd screams again, clapping and stamping and hooting.
I wrap an arm around Allie. "Welcome to Dauntless."
She smiles as she swings her legs over the net.
Once all of the initiates have jumped, Tobias and I lead them through the narrow tunnel that I was once afraid to get lost in. Once we step out into the light, I turn to the Dauntless-born.
"Those already from Dauntless, you guys probably don't need to be shown around." I grin. "So, with me to the dining hall." I turn to Tobias and narrow my eyes at him. "Don't scare the newbies." I command, poking his chest.
He flashes a small smile. I suppose he has to act tough in front of the initiates. "I make no promises."
"You guys, with me!" I wave my arms at the Dauntless-born initiates. "To the dining hall!"
I lead them to the dining hall, and turn for a moment, to see Tobias scowling at the transfers.
Sometimes I just don't get that guy.
We're all walking to the Dining Hall. I glance over at the initiates, and, to my surprise, Aurora and James aren't with each other. James is talking to Marcus Larson, Marlene's brother, and Aurora is chatting with Samantha.
"Hey, Tris?" Aurora says as we walk to the Dining Hall.
"Yeah?"
"Is Four on his period or something?" she asks. Samantha snorts. "'Cause he's nice enough to us, but he's kind of scary around the transfers."
Last year he pressed a gun against Peter's head. Kind of doesn't even begin to cut it.
"He probably is," I say, grinning at the duo.
Hopefully he never gets wind of that.
"Four, you know how last year you and Tris kind of dated during initiation?" Uriah asks Tobias when he sits next to me during dinner.
"Yeah, Uriah. I was there." Tobias grabs a hamburger and raises an eyebrow.
"Is that against the rules?"
I tip my head to the side.
"There are rules?"
Marlene grins. "This is Dauntless. There are NO rules."
"Why, do you like someone?" Tobias throws part of his bun at Uriah.
Christina leans in. "This is interesting. Who've you got your eye on?"
I snicker. Uriah's cheeks are light red now. "I don't like anyone!" he protests. "It's just, y'know, a question."
Right.
"He thinks Aurora is cute!" Zeke calls from the table next to us.
Aurora, huh?
"Screw you!" Uriah hisses, quickly glances at Aurora to make sure she didn't hear.
"Aurora?" Will raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, she's pretty cute."
Tobias smirks. "No, it's not against the rules."
Uriah looks like he wants to die.
"Do you want me to talk to her for you?" Marlene offers. "You know, to proclaim your undying love and all that!"
"Oh, go away." Uriah tosses a piece of ham at her.
Of course, we tease him for the remainder of dinner.
AN: Uh huh, that's it. In the next chapter the real training starts. About the Uriah and Aurora thing. I couldn't help it. I love Uriah XD
So, review and tell me what you think! :)
