I don't own Divergent, Veronica Roth does!

The morning of the first day back, I sit at breakfast with Al. A slight brown stubble tints his chin while his physique seems better, his shoulders broader though slightly hunched over, his arm and leg muscles slightly firmer, yet he would never hurt a fly.

"Everyone else is asleep I presume?" he asks.

"Yeah, we were in the guys' room until at least midnight last night, you should've come!" I persuade him.

"I couldn't have, the time difference wiped me out at nine, I never would have been able to cope."

"Come along next time, Al. It will be great to see you there," and nit genuinely would be nice to Al there and finally come out of his shell.

"Yeah, sure I'll be there," he pauses a beat. "Tris, do you maybe want to do something tonight, nothing serious, just as friends?" I look at him for a moment thinking, he said just as friends, and I guess that means I'm not cheating on Tobias, which I would hate to do. What have I got to lose?

"Yeah," I smile," of course I would like to."

"Do you want to just come round to my room and we can hang?"

"That sounds great, is Peter out tonight?" I ask, after finding out rather recently, Al and Peter are room mates, though their personalities are contrasting, who knows, maybe they get on well.

"Yeah, he usually is whether it's with Molly or Eric or someone, he's never in."

"That's great, I'm sorry, but I'm not tin the mood to be dealing with him today," I feel guilty admitting it, but I dislike Al's roommate.

"I'm never in the mood honestly," he sighs. Al never mentions Peter, he's like us, he doesn't like Peter either.

"I'll distract you from him tonight. I'll come round after dinner."

"I said I'd go to Al's now," I say as Tobias, Chris and I walk back from dinner.

"Al," Chris wriggles her eyebrows suggestively.

"Nothing like that. We've made it clear that tonight we're going to be just friends. I have no time for guys right now," quickly, I grab Tobias' hand and squeeze it to let him know that I'm just covering.

"Let's see how long that lasts," he laughs.

"I need to go now, I'll talk you all later," with that I part. Al's room is on the top floor, as I knock, I hear voices inside.

"Oh, hey, Tris," Peter greets me.

"Peter."

"Al, Tris is here so I'm leaving now," he calls.

"Leaving because of me?" I sneer, it would be nice to have some power over him, making him fear me.

"Yes, your face is too repulsive that I can't stand anymore time near it," he darts from the room leaving me and Al alone.

"He's more of a douchebag each time I meet him," I joke.

"I'm sorry about him, God. I wish that I could get rid of him."

"Honestly, if there's a way, I'll help you. Or if there's a way to get him expelled I'll help you even more readily," the idea of a school without Peter sounds great, less harassment, less annoyance, we'd all be happier.

"I'll need your help, and moral support. I don't think I can go much longer with him living in here."

"God bless you."

"I really need it," he laughs. We sit down on his bed and talk for a while, we talk about our classes, our holidays when Al asks, " Hook up with any guys?" he winks.

"Yeah, so many, " I must admit, I am slightly annoyed that people keep asking if I hooked up with people, back home we never did such so I was never asked. I can't help but that it invades my privacy; though one day I'm going to break. One day I'll tell them about Tobias and I before I'm ready, and I will regret it.

"Getting through all them guys, Tris. I can imagine."

"I'm sure you can," we sit in comfortable silence for a moment before I ask, "How long have you been here for?"

"Well, there's an attached middle school, so I came from there. Back in those days though, I was in Candor, it wasn't until this year did I move into Dauntless."

"You used to be in a different faction?" I ask confused.

"Yeah, in fact so did, Will, Christina, Peter, Molly, most people actually. Uriah, Zeke, Marlene and Lynn weren't, and obviously others weren't, but I can't remember who they were," after almost five months at this school, I'm surprised no one has told me that you could transfer.

"I never knew you could transfer factions."

"Yeah, most people don't, about ninety percent stay, so I guess because we're transfers we tend to stick together."

"How was I never told?" I ask, eager to know why this has been hidden from me.

"Well, we live by Faction before Blood, so this means leaving your past behind, yet you can still see the traits of everyone's old factions; Peter is still brutally honest as is Chris, but she's not as bad."

"But you, you are too sweet to be Candor," I'm bemused how he used to be there, you can't tell it.

"That's why I moved."

"Yeah, but you don't show any of the old signs. You're actually a really decent guy. "

"Thanks, Tris."

"Look, I need to go do homework, I'm so sorry I need to leave, I thought that I would get no homework, making staying here longer easier, but I'm sorry I have to go."

"Tris, it's okay. I'll walk you to the door," we get up and stand by the door, Al stares into my eyes with his round deep chocolate eyes. "I had a good night with you tonight Tris," he mutters.

"So did I, you should join us soon," I offer once more.

"Yeah. Look, Tris I need to say this. "

"What?"

"I like you." he lets slip.

"You what?" I'm shocked. He can't like me, I'm with Tobias, but I can't tell him that, but I need to think why I cant date him, but he'll know.

"Tris, I know you don't like me, it's obvious you're more into Four or Uriah, but I'm sorry. I needed to tell you sooner or later."

"Okay, Al. Okay."

"I'm sorry," he mumbles.

"It's okay, Al," I pull him into a hug his smell of Lemongrass and sage fills my nostrils almost comforting me.

"Thank you for being so accepting." he mutters into my hair, his warm breath pricking my neck.

Thank you for reading guys! For those who have PM'd me I will reply tomorrow, but it's not quarter past midnight and I need some sleep.

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