'Right, everyone!' Max's call silences everyone in the room; all the former initiates. 'I've explained the jobs. I'll take you out in groups of two, in ranking order, and you have to tell me what job you want, and a good reason as to why you wanted it. Then we'll see what's available.'

There are more jobs than I thought possible. Initiation instructor, control room, computer technician, out by the fence. Chasm maintenance, cleaner, infirmary worker…

I already know what I want to do. Although being out by the fence isn't the most exciting the most thing in the world, it's being outside, for the whole day, and that's more than I could have wished for. It's just what I want to do. I love being outside, I love patrolling, I'm very observant, and that's what I tell Max when he calls me in.

'Luckily for you, no one else wants to do patrolling so far. I'll see what I can do about that.'

'Max? Where's Four?' I ask. I've been wondering what job Four wants. He seems like the perfect initiation instructor, but then he mentioned in passing that he loves computers. And now he isn't here. Did he forget? He can't have forgotten.

All the way through the meeting I wait on edge for Four to race into the room, out of breath, apologising frantically for being late. But all through the agonisingly slow two hours, he doesn't arrive. Max only tells me, 'You can ask him later. I'm sure he'll have lots to tell you,' and smiles cryptically. I inwardly groan.

When I see Four at dinner in the dining hall, sitting alone, my instinctive response is to sprint over to him and drag him over to our table, where Zeke, Lynn, Marlene and Uriah are sitting, eating and chatting.

'Dude, you missed it!' Zeke barely waits for Four to sit down before he bursts out. 'The only jobs left by the end were the gross jobs like scrubbing toilets! Where were you?'

Four doesn't look fazed. 'It's okay,' he says calmly. 'I didn't miss anything. Max came to see me earlier. He says one of their leaders is getting a bit old for the job, so he wants me to go through a year-long training program, and at the end, I may qualify to be one of the Dauntless leaders.'

He tells us a bit more about the training program. I can't help noticing that he doesn't make it sound as interesting as I know it will be. Maybe he's trying to avoid making anyone jealous. I don't know why he bothers; it's not like we're going to be jealous of him. Four worked so hard in initiation. He's a Dauntless legend. I grin like an idiot, feeling pleased for him.

I turn to Zeke, smiling. 'I guess we should have tried harder during initiation, huh?'

Zeke catches on. 'Or killed him before he could take his final test.'

'Or both,' I add. 'Congrats, Four. You deserve it.'

He flushes, and hurriedly changes the subject. 'Where did you guys end up?' But I notice the pleased expression on his face.

'I'm in the patrol leadership track…thing,' I say, not knowing what else to call it. 'Not the most exciting job ever, but at least I'll get to be outside.' Max told me that it's mostly trooping around outside, and I need to learn how to drive a truck, but I love the outside.

Lynn scowls and says sourly, 'Yeah, let's hear you say that in the dead of winter when you're trudging through a foot of snow and ice.' I don't bother telling her that I love snow and ice. She stabs her food with her fork. 'I'd better do well in initiation…I don't want to get stuck at the fence.' She hates being outside almost as much as I love it. I'm still trying to change that.

Uriah sighs. 'Didn't we talk about this? Don't say the 'I' word until at most two weeks before it happens.'

Four looks pointedly at his plate, heaped with food. 'Stuffing yourself up to the eyeballs with food, though, that's fine?' he asks. Uriah rolls his eyes and keeps eating. Four pokes his food, pushing it round his plate without actually eating it. Zeke looks up, spots someone on the other side of the room, and says, 'I'll be right back.'

He crosses the room and goes to some other Dauntless girls, saying something that makes them giggle. Zeke jabs one of them good-naturedly in the ribs, making them laugh even more.

Four rolls his eyes and stares at his food, his gaze becoming unfocused. I can't help staring at them, feeling somewhat jealous of those girls. I vaguely recognise them from last year's initiation. Zeke is such a flirt, but I don't think he'll ever realise that I'm right under his nose, and I like him. A lot.

I miss my mouth with my fork, smearing food all over my cheek. Lynn snorts; she's a grump, but so intuitive she probably knows exactly what I'm thinking. Marlene audibly kicks her under the table, and I can't help smiling.

The silence stretches out between us as Four scowls at his plate, stabbing it with his fork, I inwardly curse Zeke, and Lynn and Marlene search for something to say. Marlene eventually speaks up. 'So,' she says to Four. 'Do you know of anyone else who's doing that leadership program, Four?'

As Four comes out of his daze, I break in, suddenly remembering. 'Come to think of it, I didn't see Eric there today either. I was hoping he tripped and fell into the chasm, but…' I watch four to see if he laughs, but he just looks at his hands and avoids my eyes.

I see Zeke walk over to us, and think, Got dumped by his girlfriends. But of course it's not that; he's still grinning like an idiot, his face flushed. 'Four. What are you doing tonight?' I recognise that look. Zeke is, in his roundabout way, asking Four a favour.

'I don't know,' says Four vaguely, sounding exhausted. 'Nothing?'

'Not anymore,' Zeke says. 'You're coming with me on a date.'

Four chokes on his potato, as he tries to talk, and ends up coughing and spluttering. I slap him on the back. 'What?' he gets out eventually.

Uriah grins. 'Um, hate to tell you, big brother, but you're supposed to go on dates alone, not bring a friend.'

'It's a double date, obviously,' Zeke says, like we were supposed to know that. 'I asked Maria out, and she said something about finding a date for her friend Nicole, and I…indicated that you would be interested.' I watch the shock on Four's face turn into horror.

Lynn cranes her neck. 'Which one's Nicole?' she asks, with some amusement.

'The redhead,' Zeke says, gesturing. 'So, eight o'clock. You're in. I'm not even asking.'

'I don't…' Four begins. 'Zeke, I've never…' This is the first time I've heard him sound genuinely worried. He's the sort of person that covers up worry with anger, but not this time.

Of course Four hasn't ever dated anyone. He was a Stiff. I feel a surge of anger towards Zeke that dies within seconds. No matter how hard I try, I can't really be angry at Zeke. I still resent him for finding a date for himself and Four. Like I don't matter.

I crane my neck like Lynn did, and see Nicole. Red-headed, fair-skinned, lots of freckles, very wide eyes. I see Four looking worriedly at her. Uriah frowns and pokes him. Four slaps his arm hard, giving him a death glare. 'What?'

Uriah just grins. Not even Four's death scowl fazes him. 'Oh, nothing,' he says happily. 'You were just sounding Stiffer than usual, so I thought I would check.'

Marlene cuts him off with a laugh, drowning out whatever Four was going to say next. 'Yeah, right,' she says.

Zeke, Four and I exchange looks. We all know about Four's origins. I don't know how Uriah has figured it out, because we rarely mention it, and I'm not sure about Lynn. She hasn't ever brought it up. Marlene, somehow, hasn't the faintest idea. She isn't observant at all.

Zeke just grins. 'It's not a big deal, Four. You'll go, you'll talk to her like she's a normal human being, which she is, and maybe she'll let you…gasp…hold her hand.'

Suddenly I stand up, ignoring the screeching protest my chair makes against the stone floor, and take my tray to the returns. I can't listen to this anymore. Lynn, ever the loyal sister, gets up and follows me.

When will he stop looking for dates so far away when there's one right under his nose?

When I walk to the training room, taking the long way round through the Pit, the first thing I see is Four, sitting alone. I check my watch; five past eight. The date night should be well in progress, I think sourly. But there's no one with him.

Four waves to me, and I walk over. 'Isn't tonight your big date night with Ezekiel?' I ask. I only call him that when I'm about to explode.

'Ezekiel,' Four repeats. 'I forgot that was his whole name. Yeah, my date just stormed off.'

I can't help it; I burst out laughing. 'Good one. What'd you last, ten minutes?' I know that he didn't last that long; it's barely five past eight.

'Five,' he replies. He frowns, and I wonder if he's upset. Then he bursts out laughing. 'Apparently I'm insensitive.'

Now that's something I can believe. 'No,' I say in mock disbelief. 'You? But you're so sentimental and sweet?' We both know that Four is anything but sentimental and sweet.

'Funny,' he says. 'Where's Lynn?'

'She started arguing with Hector, our little brother. And I've been listening to them do that for, oh…' I pretend to count up days on my fingers, 'my whole life. So I left. I thought I'd go to the training room, get some exercise in.' What I mean is, I want to vent my frustration on a punch bag before I really do explode. On a spur of the moment decision, I ask, 'Want to go?'

'Yeah…' There's a brief silence as Four stands up. 'Let's go.'

We walk down a hallway in the Pit, our footsteps echoing. Suddenly Four stops, and puts out a hand to stop me too, but it's too late. I've already seen them. Two people, a boy and girl, sitting in an alcove. Barely concealed. Their bodies pressed together, arms and legs entwined, tangled up.

It's Zeke and his date.

I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Getting beaten up by Ashley during training pales in comparison. I know exactly what Lynn would do if she was in this situation; march over and confront them. I know what Hec would do; walk away and think nothing of it. But I'm not Lynn and I'm not Hec, and I don't know what to do.

I'm rooted to the spot for seconds, each one an eternity, before I spin round, something snapping inside me, and jog down the hallway, the other direction.

'Shauna-' Four jogs up to me, looking concerned. There's understanding in his eyes, but it isn't enough.

'Training room,' I snap. I know I shouldn't be taking this out on Four. He's done nothing. Thankfully, he doesn't say anything; instead he runs with me, down the halls, the paths carved into the Dauntless compound. Halfway there, I speed up so much that I trip and twist my ankle. Four pulls me to my feet, but I don't feel anything. I run even faster after that, willing the pain in my ankle to blot out the pain in my heart.

When we arrive, I slam open the door to the training room and instantly start on the punchbag.

I don't think I've ever hit anything so hard before.

A/N: Thank goodness, it's done :) I wrote this a couple of days ago, but I haven't had a chance to type it up. I did this all in one go and my hands are aching! If you haven't already, please vote on the poll at the top of my profile page. Just select your three fave characters out of Tris, Tobias, Christina, Amar, Caleb, Peter, Eric, Al, Will, Uriah, Cara or Marcus. I don't know why I put Marcus on the list…!

Here's an interesting fact; Marcus is actually a very, very important character. If he'd been a perfect father, Tobias would've chosen Abnegation, because he didn't need to get away. And if Tobias had chosen Abnegation, but Tris had chosen Dauntless, where would the story have gone? (Any theories, people? Leave it in a review!)

Please review, they mean so much to me…I still giggle like a maniac when I find I've got reviews :)