Chapter 30

Tris

I walk up the front steps and push the door to the Hub open. Each faction has their own court, but for safety reasons and the fact that this is a secret trial, this one will be held here, where no one would suspect anything. The large clock up on the wall says 9.45pm. I file into the elevator with two boys; both dressed in blue from top to bottom. One of them reminds me a lot of some one I used to know in Abnegation. Michael was his name. I try to get a good glimpse at him without staring too much, but it's hard. The elevator zooms upward and he presses his hand to his stomach and says something to his friend. Then they both look at me and I quickly force my eyes to move to the wall.

"I'm sorry, but can I ask you something?" he says.

His question surprises me and it takes me a few seconds to answer. "Um, sure."

"It's rather personal, but did you transfer from Abnegation this year?"

"Yeah I did."

He smiles a little. "Me too. I don't think you recognize me but my name is Michael. I lived on the same street as your family."

"Yes, I know who you are. I thought you looked familiar." I force a smile.

"Hi," his friend says and extends his hand. "I'm Carl." Awkwardly I take it and shake it twice. "Nice to meet you."

"Tris," I say. "Nice to meet you." Michael's eyes move to mine. His look is skeptical. He remembers me as Beatrice, not Tris.

"So why are you here?" Carl says. I stiffen. I can't tell them that, and even if I could I wouldn't. I'm here to testify against their faction representative and leader. How would they respond to that? I bite the inside of my cheek. "Um, just meeting a friend," I lie.

"Here?"

I should act casual. "Yeah," I say and lean back, pressing my shoulders to the wall. Nervously I look at the sign above the doors. We're on the 14th floor, and I'm getting of at the 20th, the same floor where the choosing ceremony is held every year.

Carl laughs. "I remember this girl asking me on a date up on this roof. It took me a while to agree on that one. This building is insanely tall."

"It is," I say and try to smile. Who would share such a story with someone they just met and they will probably never see again?

The 16th. What will I do if they get of at the same floor as me? "Would you press stop for us?" Michael says. "We're getting of at the 17th floor."

"Of course." With relief I press the stop button and move back to let them through.

The elevator stops and the doors open. Behind them is a corridor crowded with more people from Erudite. The sight of them makes me even more nervous. Why are there so many Erudite here today?

"Well it was nice to see you again… Tris, was it?" Michael says.

"Yes, you too." They wave a good-bye and the doors close.

This time when the doors open, I see my friends, John, Benji and Adrian, my mom, Marcus and Tobias. There is more people here too but I don't know who they are or why they're here. Some of them are sitting down on benches and others are standing in small circles. Further down the hallway there is a door that I imagine leads into the courtroom, our temporarily courtroom.

Christina walks up to me. "Hey."

"Hey."

"So…? Why didn't you come with us yesterday?"

"I just, needed some time alone."

"Are you okay?" she says and takes my hands in hers.

I smile. "Yeah I'm fine." She gives me a sarcastic suspicions look. "I promise," I say, as convincingly as I can.

"Good."

I look over her shoulder and my eyes meet Tobias' who is walking towards us. He rests his hand on my shoulder. "Can I borrow you for a while?"

"She's all yours," Christina says and lets go of my hands. She winks at us and walks back to the others.

Tobias and I walk further down the hallway. "Hi," I say when we stop.

A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth and wraps his arms around my shoulders. "Hi," he says against my cheek. He pulls back. "You okay? You look tired."

"Yeah, well I didn't get much sleep."

"Nightmare?"

I frown and look at him. "Why would you say that?"

"Because I know you."

"So how did you sleep?" I ask to change the subject.

"Okay, I guess. I missed you though." I want to tell him I missed him too, that I miss him all the time, even when he's right next to me. I lean forward to kiss him so that I won't have to say anything else but I stop when I hear my mother's voice.

"Beatrice, come on it is time to go inside."

Tobias sighs. "We can do this later."

The room is just like the choosing ceremony, arranged in concentric circles. Christina and Will walk over to the third front row to the left and Tobias and I take our seats in the back. The others spread out and my mother and Marcus sit down in the front. I don't recognize the bailiff, but he's definitely not from Erudite.

"Which faction's he from?" I ask Tobias and beckons toward the bailiff.

"I think he's candor."

That makes sense. Their values are honesty and order so I'm guessing people would believe they're most fit to judge.

"All rise," the Bailiff says, and we do. "The Hub Classified Court is now is session. Honorable judge Jack is presiding." A door opens and the judge, Jack, enters the courtroom and stands by the podium. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the City of Chicago versus Jeanine Matthews. Bring the defendant in please?"

The door opens again and a man walks out, holding a woman in the arm, Jeanine. She looks awfully beaten down after being locked up for less than 24 hours. The bags under her eyes are massive and hair is frizzy. It's odd to see her like this, especially when she always make sure to look like perfection. Her eyes don't move from the floor as the man escorting her gestures her to sit down in the front.

"If you would all stand and raise your right hand," Jack says, "Do each of you solemnly swear or affirm that you will truly listen to this case and render a true verdict and a fair sentence as to this defendant?"

In chorus we answer: "I do."

"You may be seated."

During the ten-minute break Christina and I go to the bathrooms. I haven't spoken much to her since the night in the chasm.

"You think she'll be convicted?" Christina asks me as she puts another layer of mascara on her already long lashes.

"I hope so, but who knows." I remember my father telling me when I was little that the City's rules aren't always as strict for our leaders as they are for us, the citizens. Sometimes they might get a free pass on breaking the law.

"If she isn't, we're seriously doomed," Christina says and puts the mascara in her small black shoulder bag. "She's going to come after us."

"Maybe she doesn't know we're the ones who took her," I say.

Christina looks at her reflection in the mirror. "It's still scary."

"Yeah."

"So," she says. "Do you think my right cheek is bigger than the left one?"

I look at her and I realize she's full on serious. I burst into laughter. "What?"

"What? It is!" she says. "It's not funny."

She looks at me. "I'm serious, look." She points at her right cheek. "It's totally bigger."

"It's not," I say and brush away a strand of hair from my face. "Your crazy weird sometimes you know that?"

"That might be true." She takes my hand and we laugh together. "Come on let's go."

When we open the bathroom door, we hear a loud and angry voice. "What do you mean I can't?"

"That's Four," I say to Christina and yes I am right. Further down the hallway Tobias is talking to John. We walk toward them.

"What's going on?" I say.

Tobias let's out a frustrated noise. "John here says he's not gonna display his evidence in the trial."

"I'm sorry," John says. "But it doesn't feel right. I'm betraying my faction."

"John your pictures is the only proof we have," Christina says. "We need them."

"We need you," I say.

"If I show them they'll know I've been snooping around after hours and I can be punished for that. I can get kicked out. Factionless."

"That's not really our problem," Tobias says. "Right now, we have to focus on not letting Jeanine kill innocent people. Which she will if she walks out of here today, guilt free."

"John listen to me," I say. "I know you feel like you're betraying your faction, but that's not true. You're helping them by making sure that they have an honest and reliable leader. Isn't that what you really want for them?"

He looks at me, and it's like he's a different person today. He looks weak and small, and scared. "I guess," he says.

"Then that's all you'll have to do and we'll be by your side. Okay?"

He nods. "Okay."

"I did something that I wasn't allowed to, but I did it for the safety of my faction. I photographed the defendants meetings and I figured out her plan."

The pictures are shown on a screen next to judge Jack. They show Jeanine and her associates in the Erudite labs. On their screens there are maps of the Abnegation sector, maps of places I don't recognize, list of names I can't relate with faces. There is a photographed document as well that shows us procedures and techniques for Jeanine's planned attacks. This is unquestionably enough evidence to convict her.

Whispers in the court rise as the last picture is shown. It's a screen exposing Jeanine's plans once and for all. I shiver as I read the words: "Kill all Divergents and destroy Abnegation."

It's over. I lean back and I try to let myself relax but something loud makes me open my eyes again. Something sudden. His grip is strong when Tobias drags me down with him to the floor and we flatten ourselves against the ground. The loud, rippling sound slice through the air again and this time it's followed by complete and absolute silence.

See ya'll soon. Be brave! -s