Jaylana's Point of View

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The air around the walls at the top of the pit was thick and warm, though the sun has already been down for hours. Despite the muggy intake of air, Jaylana pulled herself up with a grunt, closing the distance to the glass pane that took up the Pit's ceiling.

She raised her hand and smacked it flat against the warm glass, and a cheer erupted from below. Though the crowd below was small, as it was during the work day, and school day-which she was skipping- it was loud. She smirked hearing her brother Jayson scream the loudest, but wished he had climbed with her.

Melanie had quit out only thirty feet up, and Felix had chickened about ¾ of the way, murmuring up to her something about her being a crazy bitch.

She'd show him a crazy bitch.

Jaylana slammed the hook that connected her holster to the wall with the ferocity of a lion, protecting her, just in case she did fall, and placed her wrapped hands around the rope. Once she was sure that it was secured, or mostly sure, she kicked off from the wall and flew toward the ground.

A mix of questioning cheers and gasps broke out below, replacing the wild cheers from only moments before, but she knew what she was doing. She was only moving fast enough to fall at a controllable speed.

It was an unbelievable thrill, almost as fun as the zip line. Jaylana had climbed the massive building's stairs five times in a single day two year ago after Felix, and her brother's best friend Vance had dragged her there. Since then, she went every Saturday, sometimes twice.

There was no doubt in her mind that she'd get Dauntless as her aptitude next week.

Jaylana slammed to the floor with a solid smack, bracing herself for the impact with impeccable timing. This was the third time she'd climbed the wall all the way to the top, but this time had been in record time.

"Damn it Jaylana!" A voice roared from behind her. She whipped her head around to see that Mika, one of the men who worked under her father, was storming toward her. "Your father told you not to do this again! And during school hours? He's going to be livid!"

He grabbed her and unbuckled the holster, forcing her to remove it. Groans broke out from a few of her friends, her brother and their three friends being the only ones other than her who weren't full-fletched members yet.

Jaylana didn't understand why her father was so adamant that she not climb the wall again, it wasn't even dangerous. Though there was only a small crowd willing to free-climb the walls of the pit, it was perfectly safe. Well, no, it wasn't, but only reason most the people in the factions didn't climb it is that they feared their muscle mass was too heavy to hold against a holster if they fell.

If anything, he should be encouraging her, and be proud! Not only was she damn good at climbing after doing it so much, but it was a good workout. And she had been the FIRST person to put a hook on the wall at the very top of the pit anyway. Before she had done that, the highest hook had been only half-way up. She planned to put another on the other side next week.

"Cmon Mika," she groaned alongside her friends. "You don't have to tell him this time!"

Jayson pushed his way forward and folded his arms.

"Actually, I do." Mika hissed at her and grabbed her by the arm. She threw him off and put her hands on her hips.

Who the hell was he to touch her? She could walk herself! She glared at him and tilted her head up.

"If he hears about this from someone else and knows I didn't tell him, I'd be punished severely," Mika motioned for her to follow him. "You, with me," he nodded toward her twin brother and three friends.

"God dammit Jay!" Mika said to her under his breath. "You just had to choose today, of all the fucking days, to skip class and free-climb the wall again."

"It was perfectly safe; she snapped at him. "I had my holster on."

Jaylana stopped talking when she felt her twin brothers hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"How about this," Jayson stalked forward, so he was walking in front of her and stood straighter.

His figure took up nearly twice the space that Mika's did, and as they walked next to each other, Jaylana couldn't help but think about how similar her brother looked to their father. He was just like him in more ways than not. She would have envied him for it if Jayson wasn't her best friend.

"You bring us to dad and tell him we are skipping classes," Jayson suggested, "and forego mentioning Jay climbed the wall again, and I promise not to let you go to the West-gates when I take your job in a few months."

Jaylana forced her snort into a cough and covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Jayson was such an asshole. She loved it. Though, she figured that making a deal like that wasn't so bad, considering it was well known that she and Jayson would be following in her father's footsteps.

They both planned to take supervisor positions, hopefully starting out under dad, who was the head supervisor of the gate-guard overseeing Abnegation, Amity, and Candor, as well as the large empty area consisting of forests, fields, and whatever else that was just outside of Amity.

Mika ignored Jayson's suggestions and led them toward the two floors that took up the supervisor's offices, the floor just above them the leaders. To Jaylana's surprise, however, he walked right past the door of the stairwell that led to where her father's office was and up to the leader's hallway.

"They're in a meeting with Jack Kang right now about some security problems they've been having." Mika explained, "it's not pretty. I told you this was a bad day for this shit."

"Then why not just let us go?" Felix finally spoke up. Jaylana had been wondering when one of her friends was going to chime in. "We'll take the next train and go to school. It's not even halfway through the day."

"Yeah," Melanie agreed, nodding her head enthusiastically, her curly blonde hair bouncing in the ponytail behind her head with it. "We'll go right back to school, we promise!"

As they stopped in front of the door to the large conference room the leader's used, Jaylana smiled toward Vance, wondering if he was going to speak up as well. He didn't and instead turned his body so that Jayson couldn't see him and winked at her. She felt her face redden, so she turned away.

"Sit down," Mika said and motioned down the hallway. "They should be done soon." He marched toward Andrea's office, the leader who he was supposedly in a relationship with, and opened the door. Jaylana doubted she was in there, and not in the meeting with the other leaders, so she wondered what he was doing. Before fully entering, he leaned through the doorway before going in, "don't move from here. I'm leaving the door open, so I'll know."

Jaylana walked past the door of the conference room once more, pausing momentarily when she heard raised voices. Jayson pushed her toward the wall.

"Don't be listening in on things you shouldn't," he told her quietly. "You'll get us into more trouble."

Vance slid down the wall and onto the floor across from them, their friends the following suit. He watched Jaylana the entire time he fell and didn't take his bright green eyes off of her until the rest of them had sat on the floor as well. "I told you that skipping school wasn't a good idea," he said confidentially.

Jaylana scrunched her eyes at him, then looked to her brother, who was glaring at his best friend.

"Whatever," Jayson replied before looking away. "Stop checking out my sister, by the way, it's gross."

Jaylana blushed again and elbowed Jayson softly. He should know better than to make comments like that around Melanie! She'd been in love with Vance since they were kids, and Jaylana wanted no part of hurting her. Melanie could be a real vindictive bitch when she was mad.

Vance grinned at the two of them, "I don't know what you're talking about," he said coolly."

Jayson let out a small "harrumph" from next to her and turned his attention to Felix. Jaylana followed his gaze to see that Felix was looking down the hallway with his jaw clenched. What was his problem?

Jaylana scooted across the floor and toward the door of the conference room.

"Jay, what did I say?" Jayson demanded.

Jaylana shook him off with a wave of her hand. "Alright, mommy. I'm just going to sit over here, calm your tits."

Melanie giggled, so Jaylana shot her the best shit-eating grin she could muster.

"Dad's going to be mad enough-" Jayson began to lecture her, but he was stopped short when she raised her hand up to stop him. Jaylana could no longer hear voices, or she could, but they were muffled. And, footsteps! Shit!

She rolled across the floor and down the hall, slamming into Felix. He laughed and put his hands up to stop her, but her force knocked him from a sitting position to lying on the floor. His laugh stopped, and his blue eyes widened as he watched the door.

Jaylana turned to see that Max and Jack Kang had exited first, Max rolled his eyes and motioned for Jack to walk toward the stairwell. Next came a person Jaylana didn't know very well, but what she did know of him, was that he was the dictionary-definition of a prick; Eric Dickhead Coulter.

She'd only met the ruthless Dauntless leader a few times, as he never came over for dinner or had poker night with any of the other leaders and supervisors. Or at least if he did, he never went to the ones dad had held at their house. But, she knew that he was far too young to be as cocky as he was, or as mean.

I mean, it was one thing for the old-timers to act like they were the wisest and hottest shit in the world, but a twenty-one-year old hot-head who was given his position by a woman who almost caused a war? Sure, he was good looking, VERY good looking, like unbelievably smoking hot, and he had been second in his initiation class, but really? He needed to get over himself.

Jaylana was loathing having him involved in their training, especially since this year, the Dauntless-born and the transfers were training together. Complete and utter bullshit, and she knew her brother agreed.

Eric shot them a managing glare and turned toward their father, then nodded his head in their direction and folded his arms.

The moment that Jayson Elliot Monahan turned his head and saw his children and their friends sitting on the floor of the leader's hallways on a school-day, his eyes darkened to a rage that Jaylana had known was coming.

"JJ? Jayl?" their father questioned. Though he used the nicknames he'd given them as children, JJ for Jayson Junior, and Jayl short for Jaylana, his voice rippled with anger. "Why the fuck are you two here, and not in school?" he demanded, his voice barely glancing at their friends.

Jayson shot up and stood broadly in front of their father, Jaylana and their friends following shortly after. Though Jaylana moved slowly, trying not to roll her eyes, her friends had their tails between their legs.

"Sir," Jayson said, beginning his explanation.

By the time he'd begun to speak, the conference room had emptied and supervisors and leadership alike were walking the Candor's leaders down the hallway, each looking in their direction and whispering under their breath. Eric, however, had staying planted in the spot next to their father, as if he'd grown from roots in the floor like a tree.

"Not you," her father's voice bellowed loud enough to echo down the hallway. "Her," he pointed at Jaylana.

Great. Just great.

"Why do you always assume that it's my fault?" Jaylana demanded and stomped her foot. If dad were going to be dramatic, so would she. "You never think twice before point fingers at me!"

"Was it you?" her father questioned and folded his arms. Eric smirked menacingly at her.

Jaylana was about to lie, knowing she was wonderful at it, but the look that covered both Melanie and Felix's faces gave her away. Why couldn't' they be like her, Vance and Jayson, and always have a bitchface?

"That's what I thought," her father said. "You three, get on the next train and go to school. You're a week away from initiation, don't fuck up again." He turned back to the twins standing in front of him and waited.

"I found her climbing the wall in the pit again," Mika's voice came from behind them. He stopped at the half-way point between her and Eric, just far away enough that he couldn't be smacked without extra effort. Jayson cursed under his breath.

Jaylana's father's eyes bored into her, and her friends scurried past them and through the door of the stairwell, Felix shooting them an apologetic look before exiting.

"But what he isn't mentioning," Jaylana said confidentially, "is that I made it to the top again! And in record time. I'm amazing."

She glanced to Eric, who's gray eyes seemed to have lightened. Well wasn't that something.

"Amazing until you fall flat on your back and I end up cleaning you from the floor of the pit with a paint-scraper," her father said flatly. That voice was bad, horrible. That meant severe punishment, rather than the light punishment she was hoping for.

It made her sweat, but she wouldn't let dad see that, especially with Eric there. "You and I both know that you wouldn't be the one to clean that mess up, you have subordinates for that," she joked, waving her hand in front of her.

Jaylana almost gasped when Eric's lip twitched. His eyes had definitely lightened that time.

"Jaylana," her father took a step toward her.

"If I may," Eric interrupted him and stepped in front of him. "Their initiation isn't until next week, of course, but my suggestion would be for me to take care of their punishment."

Um, what? He couldn't do that. Only Max had the authority to punish minors, as well as their parent's, of course. None of the other leaders or supervisors could. And Eric? He was ruthless.

Jaylana watched her father turn to their youngest leader with a raised brow.

"I began training them the moment the choosing ceremony is over, given they choose Dauntless. During that time, any punishment necessary will be left to me. Perhaps they should learn before initiation how important it is for a soldier to obey orders?" Eric offered menacingly.

Jaylana knew she was blushing now; there was no doubt about it. Not only was she scared shitless at the possible punishment this man was thinking of, but the look in his eyes when he gazed at her was sending burning waves through her body.

"Father," Jayson and Jaylana spoke at the same time. Their father held his hand up, silencing them.

"Perhaps you are right," he told their leader. "Fine. I agree. Punish them as you see fit, so long as they make it home for dinner in one piece."

Jaylana's jaw snapped open as their father turned and began to walk down the hallway, she felt her brother tense from beside her. Was he joking? This was not happening!

"Wait!" Jaylana stepped forward, "it wasn't his fault. I tricked him into coming with me." She hadn't tricked him, but it had been her idea to ditch school. "I told Jayson that we were supposed to meet you for something and that you said it was okay that we were late. He didn't know until after we met up with Vance in the pit that I had lied. He shouldn't be punished for my mistake."

Her father's eyes shot back and forth between them. Jaylana kept her gaze forward, ignoring the look of annoyance that Eric was shooting in her direction.

"Fine," her father said. "JJ, you've got five minutes until the train gets here. Go back to school with your friends, now." With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the stairwell.

"Don't," she shot her twin a look of warning and nodded in Eric's direction, who had his hands folded. "Just go, I'll be fine."

Jayson gave her a look of disbelief, but knowing there was nothing he could do at this point, followed where their father had just gone. Jaylana kept her eyes on the stairs until he left before turning her attention to their leader. The moment she did, however, she raised an eyebrow at seeing that Eric's glare had been replaced with an expression she could only pin as, well, a grin?

"This is perfect," Eric waved for her to follow him and walked down the hall, then into an office directly across from Max's. "I was just telling Max earlier today I had too much paperwork sort through by myself."

Jaylana followed him into the classroom, confused at what was happening. Paperwork? That was her punishment? She'd expected to be running drills until her feet bled, but, paperwork?

As she entered Eric's office, she looked around, taking note that it was organized down to the paper clips on his desk, which were each arranged in a line beside a notebook. She was a pretty clean person, but this? This was borderline crazy.

She turned back as Eric slammed a huge box on his desk with a bang. He nodded for her to sit in one of the chairs sitting in front of his large well-organized desk and tossed her a folder. He took a seat and leaned back in his chair, skimming through a folder himself.

"I'll only tell you what to do once, so you better learn quick," the leader snapped at her. "Oh, and by the way, Jaylana," he said her voice like it was poison on his tongue.

Jaylana looked up to him and gazed into his dark gray eyes across the desk, waiting for him to continue.

"If anyone asks, I made you work out so hard that you broke down in tears, not that I made you do my paperwork." Eric told her, "got it?"

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