Chapter Five – Boys
Four left us to join Lauren – who I think is Owen's sister – with a fast smile and a "Welcome to the Dauntless faction", leaving me with Emmett and Owen. They're looking at each other and I'm trying to find a way to escape from Emmett's arm, so when Four tells us to follow him and Lauren and Emmett lows his arm, I feel like I could kiss Four right now.
We're now passing through a narrow tunnel with walls made of stone and a tilted roof. Again, I have the feeling that we're in some sort of cave. There are some circles in the walls that barely illuminate our way; anybody could be hidden between two of those lamps.
Owen stops, pulling my arm so that I won't hit the Dauntless initiate that is standing in from of me, and I pull Emmett's arm too. Once we realize the three of us are forming a chain, we let go each other's arms.
"This is where the Dauntless-initiates leave. I'm thinking that none of them will need a guided tour." Lauren says.
"I think the fall made me forgot some things sis, I'll just go with the transfers and meet you later." Owen answers her, with a smile on his face. We don't have time to laugh before Lauren answers him back.
"Okay, then I think I can show you how to get to the tattoos store, in case you still don't remember. I heard they were needing someone to clean it." The Dauntless-initiates laugh, and then disappear in the darkness. Owen lets me see him rolling his eyes before he follows them, leaving us with Four.
"Okay, for those who don't know, my name is Four. I was transfer last year, just like you. Now I work in the computers room, but in the next weeks I'll be training you." He says.
"So this is the first time you're doing it?" I can't see whose talking because it's too dark, but I'm thinking it's the boy from Erudite.
"Yes, any problem?" Four defies him. It's weird to think that Four is only one year older than all of us.
"Actually, yes. Shouldn't we be trained by someone who actually knows what he's doing?" Now, I'm sure it's the boy from Erudite. One of the girls from Erudite, the only one that is standing next to him, agrees with him.
"Ethan, right? An advice for you: here we don't judge people by the time they're in here; we judge them by their bravery. But, if you feel like I'm not doing my job as I should, feel free to replace me anytime." That's enough to shut Ethan, but Four keeps on talking. "And you've been "learning" all your life, right? So here is my first lesson: keep your mouth shut, before it gets you into serious trouble."
Four turns around. Even though is calm, I can see that Ethan really pissed him off.
"I'm going to show you the Pit now. But feel free to leave if you want." Four says, as he starts to walk.
Pit? That doesn't sound any good to me. I look up to Emmett. He's not staring at me. His mouth is slightly open, as if he is shocked for what just happened, and for a moment I forget about the Pit. "Let's go, before we lose them." I say. He nods, and starts walking by my side.
Four opens a large door when we get to the end of the tunnel and we enter the place he called "Pit." Once I'm there I see that I was wrong. It's just a large room, with walls made of rock, and the ceiling is made of glass, so that the light can get in through it. It's busy and we can hear a lot of noise, what makes me think that this might be some sort of square, but only to the Dauntless faction.
"Now, the most interesting part – the chasm." Four says, as he keeps walking. Damn! I knew Pit couldn't be a good thing, and now I know why, it has a chasm on it! Four stops when he gets to an iron barrier. I can hear the sound of water down there, crashing the rocks, but I don't want to get close enough to see it.
"The chasm is here to remind us that there's a fine line between bravery and idiocy." He screams to make his self hear over the sound of the water. It reminds me of words from manifestos. I think I remember one phrase from the Dauntless manifesto. We believe in simple acts of bravery, in the courage that leads one person to stand up for another. I'm not sure if these are the exact words, but it's the same meaning. I smile. I made the right choice, because that's exactly what I did in my test. I stood up for Emmett.
I try to find is hand but all I catch is air, so I look to my right, and see that he's not there anymore. He, and the others, took Four's place near the iron barriers and are now looking to the chasm. I wish I could be by his side, but I can't, I still can't control my fear, as Max said.
"Afraid of heights?" I jump when I hear the voice so close to my ear. It's Four.
I start by pinching my lips, as I used to do, but then I answer, stepping away from him. "A little bit." He laughs, which annoys me, it's not my fault that I'm afraid of heights. "Maybe if it was Emmett you would step in the opposite direction." He provokes me, and I feel myself blush when I understand the meaning of his words. Now I prefer if he had make fun on my fear. I open my mouth to protest when I feel a burning touch in my back.
"You okay?" Emmett asks. I simply nod, but I'm still looking at Four, and he smiles, and I change from annoyed to furious. Please don't say anything in front of Emmett, please. "Great." He pauses while he evaluates the situation. "Hey, Four, didn't you say something about having dinner? I'm starving." I lift my eyebrows, surprised. When did Emmett become so talkative?
"Sure, let's go." Four turns around, and I can still see the smile on his face. This won't stay like this. Who does he think he is? Emmett casually takes my hand and follows Four, taking me with him. Did he notice that I just had an awkward moment with my instructor? I mean, what was that? Just a few minutes ago Four was all pissed off with Ethan, now he's telling jokes at my cost?
When we get to the dining room Four stops right in front of me, and I almost hit him. I mean I really hit him, when someone behind me hits me and Emmett and then I hit Four, like if we were domino pieces. Emmett pushes me back, but this mess already called attentions and I can see Owen waving at us from the other side of the room. I immediately smile, but then I feel Emmett's hand on mine and I remember that he has something against Owen so I don't really know what to do.
Four sees Owen too and starts walking towards his table, so I take Four as an excuse to join Owen and push Emmett with me. Four takes a look at the food before he sits. "Good, almost forgot that we always get burgers in the faction ceremony day!" While I sit between Four and Emmett, I think, what does he mean by always? Didn't he just get here last year?
"I can't believe my sister actually made me clean the tattoos store!" Owen claims.
"Well, Four taught us that we should keep our mouth shut sometimes, maybe you should try to do the same." Emmett says, casually, while he puts some ketchup in his burger, and then offers to put on mine. I use that moment to kick Four on his leg, pretending it was meant for Emmett, but he doesn't say anything, he just whispers to me: "If that's how you want to play, wait for tomorrow." I pinch my lips and I know I'll regret what I did.
"Maybe you'd like to present your friend to Is and Emmett." Four says while Lauren and a tam skinned girl approach to us.
"Oh, yeah, this is Maeve, she is my best friend." Owen's smile disappears. "And, of course, my sister." Lauren smiles. "How was Tori?" Owen murmurs something like "Not funny." But after a burger he forgets he was mad at her sister and starts talking with Maeve while Lauren talks to Four. I and Emmett just stay quiet, trying not to pay much attention to their conversations.
When Four ends eating his seventh burger, he decides it's time to take us to the dorm room, but not before Owen tells him. "Be careful. I passed through Eric and Max and they were talking about you. Whatever comes from Eric can't be good." Who's Eric? But Four doesn't say anything, he simple nods and walks toward the dining room's door. I make sure I keep my hand away from Emmett's hand while Four is looking, but once we pass the Pit, and everything goes dark again, I feel safe to grab it.
It's not a long walking until we get to the dorm, is more like a dangerous walking. Four lets us in and I let go of Emmett before the light involves us. All we see is a simple room with ten beds – three bunks and four single beds arranged in two pairs – and a blackboard. We're sleeping all together. The fact that we're sleeping all together doesn't actually bother me, what bothers me is sleeping with Ethan and Lara – the girl that agreed with him. I also don't like one of the boys from Amity that joined them for dinner; I don't know his name yet.
"Before I leave, there are some things you need to know about out things work here." Four looks at Ethan while he speaks. "First of all, you have to be in the training room at eight o'clock every morning. The train last until six o'clock in the evening, but you have a break for lunch. You can do whatever you want after that, as long as you stay in the headquarters. You can't go out, unless a Dauntless member goes with you."
"What's the board for?" I ask. I know it's there for a reason.
"Ooh, the mute can speak." Says Ethan.
"Out! Now!" Four says. "Is made an important question, and you should respect her, but as you've shown you can't you stay out of the dorm while I explain them everything. If you don't break any rule, you're expulsed from the Dauntless." Ethan opens his eyes, more than normal. "But-" "No buts, out!"
Ethan throws me a glare before he leaves. "Close the door." Four says. We hear Ethan hitting with the door and the all becomes silent in the room.
"The board is there to point you classifications. You'll have classifications after all the three phases of the initiation. Together they will decide if you become or not a member of the Dauntless faction. Only ten of the initiates will do it." I freeze. I'm not going to make it. I noticed that he said initiates and not transfers. We're competing against the Dauntless-initiates that have been here since they were born. The other seem to take some time to understand that, but Emmett and I did it right the way, and I know he did because he asks Four: "And what happens if we don't stay in the top ten?" I don't need Four to say it, I already know the answer, but hearing it out loud makes it ten times worse. "You become faction less.
All is silent for a second, but then the Amity guy that was with Ethan and Lara. "But that isn't fair! If we make it through the initiation, we should become a member!" Four tries to remain calm, but I can see it messes with him too. "Unfortunately, things are changing." He pauses. "We chose us, now we have to choose you." Again, it's like something taken out of a manifesto. Four turns around and leaves, but we still hear him saying. "You can go in now, but I'm warning you: another joke and you better run."
I end up by choosing one of the single beds, and Emmett takes the one right next to mine. I refuse to change into a pajama's before the lights are off. So I just sit in my bed, and wait for the other to be asleep. The only ones that talk before the lights are off are Lara and Ethan, while she explains everything to him.
Emmett changes clothes to just wearing some shorts he found on a box under my bed. Apparently this two boxes were meant for boys, but as one of the others single beds it's not being used I went to get a pajama's for me in there. After he's done he sits on his bed, holds my hands and looks at them, softly passing his fingers through the lines in my palms or the veins in the back of my hand. We stay in there for about an hour, which is how long it takes for the others to turn off the lights and fall asleep. All I can think of all that time is questions and more questions I have to ask him. How did he know I wanted to change faction? Why did he choose Dauntless? What is his problem with Owen? Does he think we're safe here? Does he know I'm a Divergent? Better still, is he a Divergent too?
When I feel safe to change clothes, I make him turn around while I change into some black pants and a t-shirt. Then I lie, closer than I ever thought I would be to Emmett at this time of the day, but here I am.
"Did we make the right choice?" I whisper, concerned about what Four told us.
"We have to." He whispers me back. "There's no way back now."
"What if we don't get in the top ten?" What I want to say is what if I don't get in the top ten, I'm sure he will, but that's what I end up asking.
He lifts his head, and leans on his elbow. I see his hand moving toward me, and then he softly cares me in my cheek. I figure Kate must have been really lucky by having Emmett to take care of her like this, and I feel bad by stealing him from her. "We'll find a way." I know is trying to comfort me, but instead he only leaves more doubts. To what? To stay here, or to survive faction less? I'm afraid to ask. I'm afraid of his answer, so I let him care me until I fall asleep, and right before I do it I remember Four's words. "Just wait for tomorrow."
A/N: Okay, I know I'm a nobody and all the rest, but I would really appreciate reviews, so I'm really thankful for the few who sent me reviews so far.