Chapter Two
A/N: This is the second chapter of Divergence Rising! It's been a slow start but I promise in the next chapter I will start letting you see some of the plot development and a little bit of Eric. Trust me, when we get there, the twist I have planned will blow you away! ;)
#
Two and a half years later...
The alarm goes off, buzzing loudly on the table next to my bed. I groan and hold a pillow over my head. Getting up in the morning has never been my strong suit. I'd much rather sleep in until noon instead of getting up at seven in the morning.
I slam my hand down on the clock, thus silencing the ear piercing alarm, and roll out of bed. I look around. My apartment is not very large, maybe a third of the size of Tobias' apartment, although he's lived here longer than I. I have a couch, a tv, a bed, a bathroom and a small kitchen area complete with a miniature refrigerator. I don't need much else.
The luke warm water glides smoothly over my skin as I wash myself in the small shower. I dress in black leggings, a mid-thigh leather jacket that sinches at the waist, and black combat boots. My blonde hair flows loosely around my shoulders until I tye it up into a high pony tail and make my way out the door.
Dauntless members mill around in the cafeteria chattering excitedly. Today is Choosing Day, which means new initiates. It's always exciting when new people come in to join us.
"Good morning," says Tobias and I sit next to him. I kiss him quickly on the lips and reach for a blueberry muffin.
"Good morning," I say around a mouthful. "Are you excited?" I ask.
Tobias shrugs. "It's the same every year. We terrorize them into being brave and some make it and some don't. The excitement disappeared from me about two years ago," he says.
Zeke plops down in front of us, his hair sticking up on one side of his head. Uriah follows him silently, sleep still evident in his eyes.
"Wonder how many they're taking to the ceremony today," says Zeke.
I glance around the room. "Surely Eric, Max and Peter," I say. "And I suppose anyone else who wants to go." He nods.
"I'm not going this year. I'm supposed to train the Dauntless borns with Eric."
"What about Peter?" I ask. I figured Peter would be offered the job again since he did it last year.
Zeke grins. "His services were needed... elsewhere. I guess they figure they only need one son of a bitch scaring the initiates. Not two."
The cafeteria starts clearing out. I suppose everyone is going to catch the train for the ceremony. Uriah gets up and filters out amongst the others, still half asleep. He's not very talkative in the morning.
Tobias and myself stand and go to the Pit to wonder around until the Ceremony is broadcasted on large screens for everyone to watch who didn't go themselves. We walk around the shops, hand in hand, window shopping.
Our relationship has grown immensly since we first got together two years ago. We've learned more about each other and everything seems to be going smoothly. Tobias asked me a few weeks ago if I might want to move in with him. I told him I'd think about it. In reality, I'm still terrified of intimacy. He is still featured in my fear landscape.
"I wonder how many we'll get this year," I muse aloud. I think back to last year and grow sad. We lost one of the transfers to the chasm. There's always one.
"Better yet, I wonder how many Divergents we'll get," Tobias says, hushing the word Divergent.
#
We stand pressed against one another in the pit, the glass screens dangling above us with live feed from the Choosing Ceremony. We watch each child walk to the giant bowls and make his choice. We cheer loudly for each new Dauntless initiate, regardless of the fact they can't hear us. I silently count the number of initiates and it is adding up fast.
At the end of the ceremony I have counted 21 initiates. That's a fair number for Dauntless, considering most of the factions teach their children to fear us. Twelve Dauntless born and nine transfers.
We make our way to the net, finding Zeke along the way, to get ready for our new initiates.
"A good looking bunch, huh?" Zeke says, jumping up onto the net. "What about that Amity girl, though? That's almost as rare as Abnegation." His eyes twinkle when he look at me.
"I think that in itself proves she's Dauntless. Being able to leave her faction just like that, a faction of peace to come to a faction where fighting is the norm," I say. I feel like I should defend her because I know what it's like to be the odd one out.
Zeke grunts in reply and lays back on the net to look up at the sky through the giant hole. The train will arrive shortly and we will greet the initiates and welcome them to their new lives.
#
We hear Eric's voice above as he taunts the newbies, trying to get one to jump first. We wait anxiously to see who we will greet first.
A scream reverberates around us as someone falls down into the net. A boy with sandy colored hair. He bounces several times before coming to a complete stop. He looks at us, his eyes twinkling with delight.
"What a rush!" he yells, fist pumping into the air.
Tobias reaches up and pulls him off the net. He lands on the ground with a thud.
"Name?" Tobias says coolly. I'm always amazed by how easily he can revert back into trainer mode. I still have trouble with it.
"Cameron," he says.
"First jumper: Cameron!" Tobias' voice drifts to the top to Eric and we all repeat his words.
The rest of the initiates follow in quick succession. Once one goes it is easy for the others. Screams of terror and delight of a variety of pitches fill our ears.
"My name is Four," says Tobias. He gestures to Zeke and I. "This is Zeke and Six. We will be your trainers along with Eric, whom I'm sure you've been cozily aquainted with already."
The eyes of the initiates are wide and full of wonder. A few snickers are heard at the mention of numbers for names. It's always a joke to them. At least they are smart enough not to say anything. I think Tobias gets a kick out of terrozing the first one who makes fun of his name.
"Dauntless borns, follow Zeke and he will show you to your rooms. Transfers, follow me." Tobias turns swiftly and leads the nine transfers to the Pit.
"This is the Pit. This is where your training will take place, starting tomorrow. You will be required to show up on time. Unless, of course, you'd rather face the repercussions," Tobias says. I walk silently next to him.
"What's that?" one of the initiates says, pointing towards the chasm.
"That," Tobias starts, "is where everything goes to die."
I repress a smile. Dramatics are Tobias' specialty.
We start toward the chasm. Tobias explains that if they are not careful, they will fall in and then there is nothing we can do for them. We guide them all around the compound, finally stopping in front of the initiate dormitory.
"This is where you'll sleep. There is a change of clothes for you in your dressers," says Tobias. "After you change, you are expected in the cafeteria." With that, Tobias and I leave them to it.
I grab his hand and smile. "Dramatic much?" I say.
He shurgs. "Gotta get some fun out of it somehow, right?" he says. "Right," agreeing with himself.
#
I lay curled up in Tobias' bed, thinking about the initiates. There is an Abnegation boy and an Amity girl. 'They'll become friends,' I think. There is five Candor transfers, which leaves the mind to wonder what must be forcing these kids to transfer from that particular faction. And there is two Erudite transfers. Not my favorite faction, although one of my best friends came from Erudite.
Tobias sits on the bed, untying his shoes. "It's an unusual set of transfers, huh?" he says.
I nod silently. I still don't know if I'm ready to train another group. This is only my second year and the year before we lost one to the chasm. And not only that, he was a Divergent, which means it most likely was not an accident. It doesn't get any easier with time, knowing that maybe I could have done something to save him. And I didn't.
Tobias lays next to me, staring intently at me. "It will get easier, I promise." It's like he can read my mind.
I look away. "I just don't want to lose one again. Losing them because they didn't make the cut is different. At least they'll be alive, even if they're factionless, ya know?" I shake my head. "But for them to die and not be able to leave their mark anywhere isn't something I think I can bear, year after year."
"Sometime's living factionless isn't living at all, Tris," he says softly and I know he's right.
We lay together for the rest of the night, exchanging words about the transfers, about his work and mine, and about the future. Before I know it, I fall asleep, hoping that tomorrow will be an easy day of training.