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CHAPTER THREE

Uriah

All my life, The City was all that existed, our entire world. Now I know a lot of things I didn't before. I know that Chicago, which we only call The City (since its the only city we have), and now holds around fifty thousand residents, was once home more than two and a half million people. I now know that Chicago, in terms of land area, is 'such a small percentage as to be negligible', I think I was told, in the scheme of the whole world. I now know that the Sears Tower was once the tallest building in the world, and the broadcasting center for many television and radio stations.

The tower is now called The Hub, and each year, the Choosing Ceremony is hosted here on the twentieth floor. In the lobby, I catch Tris's eye and smile at her. The Abnegation are all taking the stairs and I grin when she almost imperceptibly rolls her eyes.

The elevator doors open and the first wave of people pack it full. I am shoulder to shoulder with Zeke and my mother. "I can't believe my baby brother's Choosing Day is here already," Zeke says in mock sadness, wiping an imaginary tear from below his eye. "It seems like just yesterday he was wetting the bed. Oh, wait, maybe that was just yesterday!"

"Shut up, Ezekiel," I mutter. I don't wet the bed. Not since I was seven. Yeah, okay, that's still pretty embarrassing.

The elevator lets us out at the twentieth floor. The ceremony takes place in a big room arranged in concentric circles, kind of like the bullseye targets in the practice rooms. The families all sit in sections arranged by faction, while all the sixteen year olds line up in alphabetical order around the perimeter of the room- the same order we will be called in, but backwards- beginning with Z and ending with A.

Before I go to find my spot, my mother puts her hands on my shoulders, looking up into my eyes. I've been taller than my mom for several years now, and I passed up Zeke around the time he went through his own choosing ceremony two years ago. My mom and Zeke have the same coloring as me: light brown skin, curly dark hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Mom stands a good seven or eight inches shorter than me now.

"Uriah, my baby," Mom says with tears in her eyes. I roll my eyes slightly at her calling me a 'baby', but she knows I don't mean it and I'm just playing. "I hope you will be coming home to us. But I want you to know I love you and I support whatever life is right for you. You go where you can do the most good in the world with your own unique strengths and where you know you belong."

"I love you, Momma," I say, wrapping my arms around her. "And don't worry," I whisper. "I'll see you soon."

Mom pats my cheek lightly, smiling through tears. "Go find your spot, now. Be brave." I watch her disappear into the crowd as I find a teacher to direct me to the right spot in line. I realize for the first time that I am to stand right next to Tris. And on her other side, that traitor Caleb. I mean, yeah, he wasn't so bad at the very end, but I'd still rather forget he ever existed.

"You ready for this, Beatrice?" I know that Dauntless Tris hates being called by her full name, but it's the only one she has until she lands in that net, so I intend to take full advantage.

Tris elbows me lightly in the arm. "Shut up," she whispers, trying not to grin. I snicker.

"You ready for all this Dauntless cake we're winning in my bet with Mar?" I whisper, and her lips twist into a grin that almost looks diabolical. "You know, you're pretty scary, Tris."

Tris

"That's the same Dauntless boy you were staring at yesterday," Caleb whispers accusingly. We're at the Choosing Ceremony and it seems my spot in line is right next to Uriah, so he's been whispering things at me and teasing me in typical Uriah fashion. After seeing him practically dead in that hospital bed at the Bureau, seeing his smile is the best thing in the world. Well, until I get to 'meet' Tobias today. I'm so close to seeing him… so close.

I shrug. Caleb whispers again. "Beatrice! Is there something going on? Don't choose factions over some boy!"

"I wouldn't do that, Caleb. I'm not stupid." Maybe it's good if he thinks I'm transferring for Uriah. Then when Jeanine asks him about me, he can tell her I transferred for a boy I liked, and she won't question it so much. I managed to receive a straight Dauntless result in my aptitude test simulation yesterday, so Tori did not have to verbally report my result, though I could tell she still suspected that I was aware in my simulation. That's okay- Tori won't do anything to put me in danger. Still, with how rare it is for Abnegation to transfer, especially to Dauntless, there will automatically be some suspicion on Jeanine's part. "It might be a tie-breaker, though. You ever met him in classes? He's cute and nice and fun." All true, though I honestly didn't know a thing about Uriah last time we went through this ceremony.

Caleb glares at Uriah as Marcus starts the ceremony. I tune Marcus out- been there, done that, and I'd rather just forget that the sadistic bastard exists. If only people knew how different the real Marcus was from the mask he shows the public.

Caleb continues to shoot glares at Uriah. "What's Caleb's problem?" Uriah whispers, leaning down to my ear.

I roll my eyes and turn my head to answer, his head still lowered to my level. "He thinks I have a thing for you." Uriah begins to silently snicker. "I figured I'd just let him believe it, throw off suspicion over my choice." Uriah nods and straightens up.

I look around for my parents in the section of gray-clad Abnegation. My mother smiles contentedly, while my father's forehead shows worry lines. He's anxious. After last night, I'm sure he suspects that I won't stay. Caleb, however, will still be a surprise, surely.

Marcus begins to call the names out, and soon-to-be-initiates begin to step forward. Most of them choose the same faction they came from, but here and there, someone chooses to drop their blood into a different bowl than expected.

Caleb gives my hand a final squeeze before walking up to the podium, casting one last glance at me over his shoulder. He cuts his palm, takes a deep breath and shakily lets his blood fall into the Erudite bowl. I shake my head in disappointment. I knew this was what would happen, but I still pointlessly hoped that he would stay in Abnegation… that he wouldn't eventually betray me. The rest of Abnegation, however, cries out in despair, outrage, anger, surprise. The Erudite look around with smug smirks. I glare at them in disgust.

"Beatrice Prior," Marcus says into the microphone.

"See you on the other side," Uriah whispers with a smile. I return his smile and walk to Marcus to accept the knife. I'm not nervous or scared. My heart doesn't pound, and my breath isn't shaky. I know exactly what I am getting myself into- which is probably why I should be scared- but all I can think is that I am one step closer to Tobias. One step closer to our happily ever after.

I accept the knife. Again, I cut my palm a little too deep. This time, I'm excited, not scared. I let the blood pool in my hand, and confidently thrust it over the Dauntless coals. I hear the sizzle of liquid on fire and Marcus's announcement: "Dauntless."

Another round of outraged cries from Abnegation as Dauntless welcomes me with hoots and hollers, foot stomping and fist pumping. I cannot help grinning- the sound is comforting. It feels like home.

Soon, Uriah has made his choice and comes to stand beside me. We grin at each other and bump fists. Slowly the rest of the initiates join us and instead of being surrounded by strangers, I am surrounded by friends- and enemies, but mostly friends. They may not know that we're friends yet, but we will be, and their presence is comforting, but also energizing. My body is buzzing with anticipation.

Marcus nears the end of the long line of sixteen year olds- all that's left are three girls with last names that begin with A. I take this opportunity to take one more look at my parents. My mother smiles, looking directly at me. My father is looking down mournfully. Not the angry, betrayed expression he wore the first time I chose Dauntless, just sad. I can't fault him for that; leaving them- especially for the second time- it's sad for me, too, but it is what I must do, not just for me, but for them, for Tobias, for all my friends.

The last name is called, and the ceremony is concluded. I feel the familiar rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins as the Dauntless cheer and begin to stampede down the stairs. I don't look back. I just run down the stairs with a smile so wide, my face begins to ache. I run with everything I have in me. When my weak, previously unchallenged Abnegation Beatrice body begins to scream at me in exhaustion I just run harder: every step I take, I am one step closer to my Tobias.

I know what we're doing next, and while I certainly know how to get on and off a moving train, I know my body hasn't yet developed the strength and muscle memory I remember having. Just as well- getting on faster would mean I would end up in the Dauntless-born car, but I need to be with the transfers, to meet Christina. Just the thought of seeing her again brings another smile to my face.

When we arrive at the platform I hear the train whistle in the distance and bounce on the balls of my feet in anticipation. Tobias always has said that he will always come back to me; now it is my turn to come back to him.

Uriah

The last several months of my reality, my faction has been divided by war, killing off the people I care about one by one. So, running from the Hub to the train and waiting with my undivided faction to jump on and begin my initiation are some of the most exhilarating moments of my sixteen- (or seventeen, depending how you want to count it) years. It is pure joy, and pure relief. They say you don't know what you've got till it's gone, and that's true, but getting it back like this takes that to a whole other level.

Marlene is smiling as wide as I am, and even the corners of Lynn's mouth turn up a bit. As the train nears us, we run to match its speed, throwing ourselves in. I look out the open door and see transfers struggling to get into the last car; one doesn't make it onto the train. He is now factionless. It's actually not as bad a fate as I was led to believe, so I don't dwell on his situation.

"Did you notice, Marlene? There's a Stiff this year." I smirk at her.

She narrows her eyes at me. "How did you know a Stiff would transfer? They never transfer."

I tap my index finger on my skull. "I told you yesterday. Psychic." She rolls her eyes. "I had a hunch."

"Did you know it would be her?"

"I saw her watching us." I shrug. "It just seemed unusual, a Stiff so interested in Dauntless."

Lynn shrugs. "She won't make it through initiation anyway. Did you see how scrawny she was? She'll be cut by the end of the first round."

"We'll just have to wait and see, Lynn."

We gossip about the ceremony- who stayed, who transferred, whether we were surprised or not- and before I know it, someone shouts to let us know that the cars ahead of us are jumping out of the train. The net entrance of Dauntless is only used by initiates and members, never by dependants, but most of us know about the net, anyway. Somehow, that hasn't seemed to make it any easier to jump off the ledge.

One after another, we run and jump out of the moving train and onto the roof. There's a gap between the two so it's a pretty big risk; from seven stories up, you're not going to survive the fall if you miss the roof. I land on my feet without a problem, as do Lynn and Marlene, but I remember exactly what happened when I hear the screams. Rita, another Dauntless-born, leans over the edge of the roof in hysterics. Her sister lays unmoving, seven stories below us on the street, her limbs splayed out at unnatural angles. "Rita," I coax, "Rita, I know. I'm so sorry. Come away from the edge." I continue talking to her as I lead her away and into the arms of her friend Kate. I join Marlene and Lynn again just as Max steps onto a ledge on the roof and begins his speech.

"Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" shouts our head leader. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to our compound. If you can't muster the will to jump off, you don't belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first."

An Erudite girl speaks up. I think her name was Myra. Her boyfriend, I remember, was Edward, the guy Peter stabbed in the eye. "You want us to jump off a ledge?"

Max smirks. I can tell he gets a kick out of this. "Yes."

"Is there water at the bottom or something?"

"Who knows?" he replies with his eyebrows raised.

By this point, my eyes are on Tris, my mouth curled into a smirk. As she takes her first step toward the ledge, I elbow Marlene, who looks between me and Tris with her mouth hanging open. "Thanks for the cake," I whisper, chuckling.

Tris

I stand on the roof, listening to Max's little speech. I'm dizzy with excitement. It's just minutes, minutes!, until I will see- or I guess technically, meet- my Tobias. I know he won't know me, I know this is going to be hell on earth for a while, but he's here, and I am here, and I know we will be together.

Seeing my transfer friends on the train was surreal. Christina, well, I just saw her two days ago, right? But it's different. I can see now just how much these months of war changed us all. How weary, how much older and more tired it made us. But the hardest part was seeing Will.

I am so happy to have him back, of course. But it's like seeing a ghost. A ghost that haunts your nightmares. He was one of my best friends, and I killed him. Why didn't I shoot him in the leg or the arm? Now, I remind myself, I get to make it right.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?" I hear Myra ask, and I start to unbutton my jacket.

"Who knows?" Max says with raised eyebrows. Two more buttons. I begin to walk forward, and the crowd parts for me. I glance quickly at Uriah and see him smirking, nudging a shocked Marlene. I throw my jacket at Peter, hard. I'm so lightheaded in anticipation, my head could just float away, like a helium balloon. I step onto the ledge, smirk at Max and glance back at the other initiates one more time with a grin, then waste no more time: I jump.

I put my arms and legs straight out as I fall, relishing the feeling of freedom and open air. Just seconds now. Just seconds until Tobias reaches out his hand to pull me out of this net.

I land against the net and bounce a few times, laughing with joy. I see Tobias's hand reaching out for me, among others, but I know him. I recognize his hands, his astonishingly long fingers, and I grab hold of him. The electricity that shoots through me at his touch leaves me giddy. I roll off, just like last time, so that he can catch me again.

I take him in, the face I now know so well. His hair is short again, not like the last time I saw it. I scan his face as if I'm checking to make sure he's all there. His spare upper lip and full lower lip, hooked nose, the slight scar on his chin. And best of all, his eyes. That deep, dark blue, with the little light blue patch on one iris.

And this time, I know him. I know that he doesn't usually touch people. I know that the look in his eyes, it's one he doesn't give everyone. The butterflies in my stomach are fluttering again.

His hands grip my arms, but he releases me once I'm upright. I want him to hold onto me again. I want to kiss him. But I know I can't. Not yet. "Thank you," I say.

"I can't believe it," Lauren says, smirking at me. "A stiff? First to jump? Unheard of!"

I smile with satisfaction when Tobias defends me. "There's a reason why she left them, Lauren." God, his voice. So deep, rumbling… "What's your name?"

I don't hesitate this time. "Tris," I say with total confidence.

"Tris," Lauren repeats, grinning. "Make the announcement, Four."

Tobias yells over his shoulder, "First jumper- Tris!" As Christina falls into the net screaming, he puts his hand to the small of my back, and I close my eyes for a moment so I can just enjoy his touch. I will experience it so little in the next few weeks. "Welcome to Dauntless."