Tris

I have to stop myself from flopping back down on the couch again after Christina leaves, so instead I get up and make myself some coffee in my small kitchen. It doesn't taste as good as the stuff in the Pit, too bitter, but it'll do.

I slowly change clothes as I gradually drain my coffee, redo my makeup so I don't look like the sleep deprived, caffeine addicted thing I am, then decide to head to work at the tattoo parlour, finding the need to be useful overbearing.

I stifle a yawn as I make my way down the steps, past people way too awake for my liking, and along the path leading to the tattoo parlour. I see Tori currently working on a design that covers the entire expanse of some guys back as I walk through the door and grin at her, throwing my jacket behind the counter.

"Hey Tris, didn't expect you back for a few days," Tori says not taking her eyes off her work.

I sigh as I sit on a stool behind the counter, flipping through a design book. "I felt like I had to do something, so I came here. Where's Bud?"

"Getting coffee."

As I flip through the design book my hand wanders up absentmindedly to the three birds on my collarbone, one for each family member: My mother, Caleb, and my uncle. I got them a last year, after Caleb left for Erudite and my Uncle left to guard the fence. I was going to get a fourth to represent my father, but decided against it, how can you miss someone you never knew? My fingers trace over each bird in turn as my thoughts drift to my father, and the questions that always accompany thoughts of him drift to the front of my mind: would things have been different if he stayed? Was he Divergent? Would my mother still be alive if he were here?

My attention drifts back to the book in front of me and a certain design catches my eye. Some things are hard to let go of written in black cursive letters. My mind wanders to the 'almost kiss incident' that happened a few days ago and the tattoo starts to have meaning. Some things are hard to let go off. Like my feelings for Tobias, granted I know they aren't returned, but that doesn't in any way lessen my affection towards him. It should, but it doesn't. And did I really want to let go of my feelings towards Tobias?

My head snaps up when someone coughs close by. I slam the book closed in surprise and look up to see Tobias standing there, arms resting on the counter and one ankle crossed over the other. "Tris," he says, his voice sounding thick.

"T-Four," I say, starting to say his real name before his eyebrow rose. "Can I, urm, help you?"

Tobias smiles. "Actually, I was wondering if I could have a word outside? Just five minutes?"

My eyebrows furrow slightly but I manage a nod before standing up and walking around the counter.

"It's about something that recently happened in Erudite," he says as we step outside. I follow him down the path until we are out of earshot of other people. "And Eric has asked that we go and check it out."

"What's happened?" I ask. I've not heard of anything happening in Erudite, and neither has Christina, and if something happened, she would know.

"There's been a breach in the compound, not many people know about it yet, it only happened early this morning. But Erudite want us to come and clear things up, make sure everything is safe."

I pause for a minute. "If there's been a potentially dangerous breach, how come Eric is only sending two of us?"

"Two of the best, most highly trained Dauntless have got?" Tobias smirks, though it seems forced, probably from complimenting someone else for once, but I smirk with him as well. It's true, if you're going to send someone, send the best. "We have to be on the train at midnight tonight, I'm sorry it's on such short notice, but like I said, we only found out this morning."

I sigh but put on a false smile. "Sure, I'll be there." But I don't want to go. Erudite's leader, Jeanine Matthews, doesn't seem...right. By all means, Eric gives me the creeps, but there's just something about Jeanine that screams 'I'm evil!'. Does every faction have a creepy leader? How Caleb could live there is beyond me.

Tobias smiles at me for a second before walking away, leaving me to walk back to work.

.o.O.o.

I had tattooed two people, drank three cups of coffee, eaten two doughnuts and wished I was in bed about fifty times by the time I leave work, Tori only just finishing off that guys back. I decide to find Christina and tell her about my trip to Erudite before going to get changed to meet Tobias at the train track.

I start to head towards Christina's apartment before I realise that she doesn't get off work until half five, that's half an hour, so I change my corse to the room where Initiation Stage Two takes place. I walk in through the back door just as Will walks out, smiling shyly and blushing like crazy as he mumbles a small 'hi' to me as he passes. I find Christina in a similar state to Will and immediately regret walking in as she runs over to me, full-on girly mode. I contemplate leaving just as she reaches me and begins spurting words that seem to be in a different language.

"OhmygodWilljustaskedmeonanofficialdate!"

"What?"

"Will just asked me out. Officially!" She almost screams.

"Wasn't it 'official' before?" I ask sitting down on the vacant simulation chair.

Christina pauses. "No, he actually asked me to go and get drinks with him tomorrow." She beams and joins me on the chair. "So what are you doing here?"

"Err, well Four came to me before and told me I have to go to Erudite with him tonight because there has been a breach or something."

Christina cocks her head to the side. "A breach? I've not heard anything about that? Why do you have to go?"

"It happened early this morning, apparently. And I don't know, ask Eric."

"No way," Christina shakes her head violently. "Eric scares me shitless."

I laugh at her reaction then stand up. "Well I should go, don't want to be late. I'll see you when I get back, and you can tell me all about your date with Will. See you later." I'm not one for hugs, but I put up with Christina's.

"Be careful," she tells me, then ushers me out of the door.

.o.O.o.

I changed into high combat boots, jeans, and a hoodie, that was two sizes to big for me, before I walked to the train track to me Tobias. It was nearly seven o'clock by the time I was actually ready and I had fallen asleep until twenty minutes ago, and that was the main reason for the hoodie: to hide my sever bed head.

I pull the chord on my hoodie tightening my hood around my face as I walk along the empty platform towards Tobias. He is sitting on the ground, knees up in front of him, staring out along the dark train track, and I have to say his name three times before he stands and turns to me. "Nice attire," he says smirking at my black, oversized hoodie. I scowl at him and cross my arms, the sleeves hanging just past my fingertips not helping me in my defence.

"Come on, the train will be here in a minute." He nods his head in indication that we should walk over to the edge of the track just as the lights appear in the close distance.