A/N: Sorry this is a little late! There was a lot I wanted to get in here so the story can move on and the one person everyone wants to see can make an appearance :D Sadly, I'm still without a beta at the moment so there might be a few slip-ups I didn't intend, not to use that as an excuse, but more of a warning. I really appreciated all the feedback and comments pointing out things I could change. They were great!
Thanks so much for all of the people that favorited and followed my story. It's amazing how many people are reading this now. A big shout out to JustCallMeWhatever, Vex, Ridea, licia33, and kmcgeezy for your wonderful reviews. And Silver doe 3 for the message. It was quite surprising, but nice. I loved hearing from all of you!
The Ceremony was a blur of applause and names, bodies streaming by. Name. Knife. Bandage. Applause. Name. Knife. Bandage. Applause. The same cycle repeated like a carousal rolling in my head. Since I was so early in the list, I had to wait until everyone else went before I could leave. My eyes seemed to blur out, not focusing on any of the faces or things around me. All I felt were the bodies I was pressed between, all in black clothes, crazy hair colors and styles, with metal sticking from their faces. Yet, I didn't feel the pinch of panic having them so close. My throat wasn't closing and my heart was calm.
I was numb.
No one told me how I was supposed to feel after making the biggest decision in my life. The feeling was surreal almost. It was odd. Nothing felt different. It felt as if nothing had changed.
Without knowing what else to do, I fell into the same routine as those around me, clapping when someone else chose Dauntless—I refused to be any more boisterous, let alone shout—and staring silently when someone left. The air around me buzzed. My new family. Unlike other factions, they were almost always moving, whispering, laughing. Standing with them, I heard it all.
Julie was watching me. I felt it all the way down to my soul. No matter how hard I tried bringing myself to look over at her, my head wouldn't move. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction knowing I was thinking about her. I wouldn't let her think I cared. I couldn't.
Before I could dwell too much on it, the ceremony was over. I only noticed because Johanna stepped up, saying something I missed in her painful lisp. Probably about wishing all of the initiates luck with their choices. I couldn't imagine anything else. What a predictable ending. Then right after her foot left the first step, the room erupted.
"Alright!" a man next to me screamed.
Physically jolting, I jerked away from the sound, completely thrown out of whatever world I had been in. Like a mob, everyone exploded up around me with more cries: "Let's get going", "Finally", screaming. Eyes wide, I spun in my seat, staring as countless fists pumped in the air and every Dauntless member around me burst from their seats, some not even going towards the isles as they shoved through rows, stepping on whatever was in the way. "What the hell?" I whispered.
I reacted a second too late, realizing I was quickly getting left behind as the mob of black surged through towards the hallway. Alarmed, I shoved myself from my seat, quickly falling into their ranks along with the other panicked and confused initiates around me. They were the only other ones frantically looking around. I wasn't ready to run with them, and my heart was already racing in response. They were loud, screaming and hollering as they punched fists into the air.
Panic hit me as I realized we were heading towards the elevators. Imaging being packed in a tight space with these people around me made my throat close up. When I noticed people streaming by the metal doors it physically felt like a weight had been taking off my shoulders.
Dauntless didn't take the stairs.
We were a pack, a chaos of rhinos bursting down the stairs in no rhythm, no order. My skirt kept pinching at my knees, preventing me from stretching out and falling into my usual stride and my feet groaned in my flats, protesting the lack of padding. The few times I had to skip steps to keep up with everyone, I felt my skirt bunch a little higher around my legs. Anymore and I might as well take the thing off for all the good it was doing. Twice, I would have fallen if not for the sea of bodies around me, holding me up. "Where are we going?" someone hollered, slightly out of breathe.
No one answered. "Hurry up!" someone hollered instead. My brain was too split, too fuzzy to think about answering. I wouldn't have answered if I could; none of the other Dauntless did.
I was Dauntless now. Fit in.
Before I knew it, I was outside again.
It was still raining, coming down harder now than before. Water sloshed into my flats as I accidentally stepped in a puddle and I shivered, hating the feeling. Pausing, I stepped to the side, shoved and jostled out of the way as others raced past me, still laughing and shouting loudly. The rain didn't seem to bother any of them at all. In fact, they only seemed to go faster, shoving and giggling as people slipped and slid around on the mud and through puddles.
"Come on Grunt!" some hollered back at me.
I panted, slightly out of breath from the stairs. I knew what was going to happen now. Dauntless only traveled one way. If I was going to have any chance at keeping up, I was going to need to be able to use my legs.
Bending down, I gripped one of the slits in my skirt and pulled as hard as I could. My fingers ached, and for a second, I thought the fabric was going to hold. Then, with a loud rip, it split halfway up my leg, showing off the blinding white skin underneath. A little bit more than I was after, but then again, I didn't really have time to complain. I was so pale.
Someone whistled, and like that I was running again. If I was going to end up factionless at any part of this initiation, it wasn't going to be because I was too much of a pansy to keep up with a few people running. Hell no. My legs stretched further now that my skirt wasn't getting in the way. My feet splashed through puddles. Dauntless members are fitter than me, but I was fast and light on my feet and as I pushed my body, forcing my legs to go faster, I slowly started catching back up. It was like I was falling back into an old routine.
This felt good.
A stitch started to form in my side, and I knew my face must be red. Still, I couldn't help but laugh as I realized my white blouse was almost completely see-through at this point. God. It was like Julie did this on purpose.
The train tracks were just around the corner. I had to look up to see them. These weren't the ones I had thought we would be headed towards; these ran at least thirty feet up in the air. The only possibly way to climb up were the metal support beams that held it off the ground. This was crazy. I couldn't believe I was doing this. This was crazy.
Laughing, I pushed faster, feeling something uncoil inside me as I finally melted in with the people around me. My lungs burned, and the stitch in my side screamed. I still couldn't stop the bubbling excitement when I saw black clad people starting to scale up rusty metal pegs along the rail supports. This felt so stupid, so dangerous.
I loved it.
Not wasting time, I hopped in line, eager for my turn. Any second now, the train could come barreling down the tracks. If I wasn't up there in time, it would all be over. Just like that. I wanted to see where this would go, what would happen next.
Finally, it's my turn and my arms trembled as I pulled myself up the first rung, suddenly fully aware of my skirt. Great. The metal was slick and cold in my hands, and for once I was thankful for being tall. I easily stepped up to the next rung, putting all of my weight in my feet instead of trying to heave my body up with my arms on slick metal. I wouldn't have made it if I had to. Even now, I clutched the metal like a lifeline, my fingers aching with the white-knuckled grip I had.
"Ahhh!" someone screamed off to my left.
Tensing, I whipped my head around. A girl. Someone fell. There was a loud crash and water shot up in the air as she landed in a puddle. Everyone jumped out of the way in shock. The girl screamed again, her body jerking up as she reached to grab something.
Holy shit.
A sense of urgency filled me as I paused, watching her lying in the mud, gripping her ankle. An initiate.
The first failure.
"Hurry up, Initiate!" someone yelled from below.
Gulping, I turn back, looking up through the rain to see I was almost to the top. My eyes burned from the water, but I resisted the urge to wipe my eyes. Not after what I'd just seen. The metals slick, but soon enough I was there. My muscles burned from the effort and I panting. But I was there. I felt my legs trembling as I crawled out of the way, further onto the tracks. Safe.
I need to workout, I panted, resting on my knees while my legs caught back up with the rest of me. After seeing that girl, this didn't feel like as much as a game anymore.
I allowed myself a few seconds of rest before pushing myself to my feet and moving to where the Dauntless members are lining the side of the tracks, bouncing on their toes. They were grinning. A few people were still sticking their heads over the sides of the tracks, craning their heads to see who'd fallen. Their feet were too close to the edge for comfort. My skin prickled looking at them. Most people were already past it, shoving each other and laughing as they waited. It was like they were unaffected.
"You ready for this?" a girl asked next to me.
For a second I almost thought she was a man from her shaved head and deeper voice, but when I looked over the small slip of cloth over her straining breasts destroyed any other thought. I suddenly didn't feel awkward about the scandalous amount of skin I was showing. Compared to her, this was nothing. I guess Dauntless was a little more liberal than Erudite.
Good.
"Hell yeah," I answered, feeling a little silly for cursing, but it was worth it when she laughed and clapped me on the shoulder.
I was going to fit in here, just fine.
Hopefully.
The whistle of the train shattered the air. I jumped, and as members around me looked over and laughed, I chuckled a little, trying hard to ignore the burn in my cheeks. This wasn't the time to be embarrassed. I turned to watch the train whip around the last turn before the straightaway, amazed by the flutter in my chest seeing it coming closer. The girl that'd talked to me shoved by. I might have stood there, feeling the race of my heart as it came closer and closer if she hadn't jostled past me, reminding me this was for real. I'd have time to stand around and gawk later. We all turned, taking off running away from the train as it got closer and closer. The tracks vibrated under my feet.
It raced by in a rush of air. The force nearly blew me straight off my feet. My feet slipped a little, but I was quick to regain my balance, pushing myself further to catch up a bit more. Running next to the train was indescribable. It was just amazing. Experienced members didn't waste a second before reaching out to grab a hold of the handles by the doors lining the side of the train. I watched, amazing as they took two steps and leapt up, their grip not faltering a bit as they swung themselves in.
I swallowed, looking over at the door near me. Taking a deep breath, I jumped out. My fingers slipped around the wet handle, but somehow I managed to swing my lower body up and around before I completely lost my grip. It must have looked awkward, but all I cared was that I made it in. Another person jumped in right behind me, almost ramming straight into me.
To get out of the way, I headed further in the cart, noticing I was the only initiate in this car. A small sense of pride swelled in me. That meant I was the fastest initiated to get on the train. Curiously, I inched toward the door again, mindful of the last person jumping up, to peek my head out.
The rain slammed into the back of my head, painful now with the speed behind it. I cringed against the needles, fighting the urge to duck my head back in. I only managed to poke my head out for a second to see someone that looked like Luke climbing into a car a few back.
Lovely.
Suddenly sour, I stood as close to the edge as I dared, looking out over the city while I clutched the door handle with everything I had in me. I heard a few people shuffling around behind me, but I couldn't make out what they were saying over the roaring sound of the wind. Feeling so disconnected was almost refreshing. I didn't want to go through the motions of artificial talk with someone I might not even see again once I got to the Dauntless compound.
The city was stunning. The clouds are a deep thunderous dark grey, but there wasn't any lightning. With the rain, all of the buildings were blurred, and it was almost a mesmerizing pattern of the trains reflection against windows and flickers of cut outs where streets showed further in. Just then, the buildings thinned out. I stared, taking in everything I could as fields of grass popped up and the mile high wall surrounding the city came into view. This was what I was going to be doing for the rest of my life: protecting the city from whatever dangers there were out there. I'd probably be standing right here on this train, looking out over the city. Looking at the fence, thinking of what was out there, an ominous feeling spread deep in my chest. Anything could be out there. My brain tingled as if I knew something about it. It felt like I'd been here before, staring at this same thing. But why?
Did it really matter what was out there? As I stared out, I frowned at the sudden barrage of thoughts that crossed my mind. Dauntless didn't hold anything special for me. There was no reason for me to pick this life. It was just the best choice at the time. I couldn't fight the wave of melancholy that raced through me. It didn't matter that I was here.
Would it ever matter?
The wind threatened to pull me out and knock me down, but I leaned against the train and loosened my knees to absorb some of the pull and shift my center of gravity. I struggled with the balance for a second. I wasn't used to the pattern of shakes and shifts of the train, but I would be. No matter what I thought about my choice now, my fate was already set. The only other option for me now was Factionless. If there was a chance though, no matter how small it might be, that my life in Dauntless could be full of this moment—the roaring wind and flashes of the city as the train blew by—I could do this. Maybe this life wouldn't be that bad. It was loud with the vicious wind, explosion of droplets hitting the metal roof, and the periodical clicks and shifts of the train moving around the tracks. At the same time, it was beautiful.
Someone stepped up behind me as the track began bending around another curve. Buildings started cropping back into view and I felt the wispy thoughts in my head leave with the sight of the fence. I tensed a little as the man poked his head outside the cart, his hand protecting his eyes. He wasn't holding on to anything. I could feel the distance between us, too close.
"Get ready!" he shouted, straightening back up. He looked over at me, and I'm struck by the excited look in his eyes. "You're going to love this, Initiate."
Turning around, I poked my own head out the door. The rain slapped hard into me like little knifes, one hitting so close to my eye I thought something had physically stung me. I flinched, but forced myself to adjust to get a good look. Up ahead a building was coming up with a flat roof that ran alongside the tracks. Despite being level, it was still several feet back, and I gulped as I realized what was going to happen. We were going to jump. Jump off a perfectly fine train and onto a roof.
"What did I get myself into?" I whispered. The wind ripped the words away until they were nothing but a faint memory.
Shaking my head, I backed up with the other people in the train, trying to shake out the nerves in my legs. Jumping onto a train was one thing. The chances of me missing my target and falling to my death were a lot lower. I glanced over at the other people with me, seeing they looked completely calm. Happy.
Freaks. I was surrounded by a bunch of freaks.
Guess I might fit in after all.
I didn't have time to think of anything else before they moved. Not thinking, I followed, stepping up with them. Running as fast as I could, I reached the edge of the train. Sucking in a breath, I jumped.
Flying.
Crashing.
Slamming into the ground, my feet hit first, but I wasn't ready for the crushing momentum that sent me wheeling forward. Flipping over, I shoved out my hands, ready to catch myself. Too fast. Before I could get my arms out, I instinctively bent in, tucking my head, and rolled. Still moving fast, my body flipped over, and my back unfurled too early. It smacked hard against the gravel and I cringed, laying flat on the roof as my body tingled.
Panting, I stared up at the sky. The rain was once again soft and cool. It splashed down on my face, making me blink. Pain radiated around my back and my chest heaved. I sat there for a second.
At least I made it.
I sat up slowly, groaning as my back protested. The rest of the people in my cart looked like they had managed much better. Of course. They'd been doing this longer than I had. I guess I'd get better with some time. Not wanting to seem weak, I shoved myself to my feet, wincing as I bent back and tried to stretch out my back a little. I had a feeling this bruise was going to be one of many.
Other bodies were flying in around me, some landing gracefully while others fared worse than I did. I didn't move until someone nearly crashed straight into me with a cry. Only then did I step aside, looking around for where I was going to be whisked off to do something else stupid. By the looks of things, they were all huddling around the opposite side of the roof.
A scream made me freeze. Deep low.
Whipping around, I stared for only a second. A boy was hanging off the edge, his arms wrapped around the edge and his eyes wild. We locked gaze for a split second as he slipped, still screaming. Snapping into action, I ran over towards the ledge, watching as I saw his face disappear over the edge. Lurching over the side, I shoved my arm out, not even thinking. I barely managed to grab onto his hand before his grip completely slipped and he was falling down. I groaned as my body slid forward, the weight of his body nearly jerking my shoulder out of place. My stomach slammed hard into the edge, knocking the air straight out of my lungs. I felt his hand slip in mine.
Someone else's hand shot past my peripheral vision. Almost immediately the weight was lighter. Glancing over, I saw another man with a metal piercing sticking out of his nose. It was all I saw before he moved to pull, and I followed suit. Other arms appeared in my vision, bodies moving around me, some bending over the ledge. Heaving with everything I had, I bent all the way back, using the edge of the building as an anchor. My arms burned.
Finally, the guy's head reappeared over the edge and with another tug the four of us were able to slide him far enough back onto the roof to drop him on the ground. His eyes were wide, and I could still feel his hand trembling in mine, but I respectfully looked away so he could compose himself. My brain felt numb.
"You alright man?" the guy next to me asked, stepping up towards him. "That was close." I gave him some room, shifting back, while others stepped in to see if he was okay. They asked him a few questions, someone clapping him on the shoulder.
I took a deep, unsteady breath as I let my mind catch up with what had just happened. My body was shaking. Staring down at my hands, I trembled. My heart was pounding harder now than it had all day.
I'd saved him.
I'd actually saved someone.
The weight of that hit me like a hammer to the chest. I couldn't help but picture Edith in my mind, the damage I had done her. I pictured Tristan dying in front of me. I didn't know what I'd been thinking or what had happened. I'd just moved. When I felt his hand slip, for a second I thought I wasn't going to be strong enough to save him either. But I did. I saved him. A deep, wretched sob wanted to tear from my throat.
Turning away, I screwed up my face, taking deep breaths to calm myself. I could still hear them shuffling around, but I couldn't dare look at them. I knew I should stay and see if he was alright. I couldn't now. Fighting to compose myself, I instead took off, heading to where the group of people on the other side of the roof was staring at us. My steps were unsteady, my flats soggy and squishing, but I held my head high, not meeting anyone's gaze. The rain hid the tears that wanted to crawl down my face.
People turned and gave me some space as I tried blending in with the crowd. I could feel their eyes on me. Someone even clapped me on the shoulder with a mumbled compliment. I nodded, glancing their way for a second before slipping further in. I didn't know what to say even if I could find my voice.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke standing off to the edge. Sighing, I waited a second before turning and looking over at him, knowing I needed to get this moment out of the way. He was something I could focus on. I knew what to feel when I looked at Luke. Of course he of all people would have to transfer to Dauntless. Sure enough, as I looked over I was met with the grizzly sight of his ugly mug and the tall wiry frame of one of his friends. Overall, he looked fine besides a bruise around his neck from the force of my blow. It looked like it pained him to swallow. The other one, the only one I didn't attack, wasn't there. I guess he didn't transfer. I cringed a bit seeing their faces. I'd really pulled a number on them.
A reminder of what I could really do.
"What cha' looking at, Noser?" Luke sneered.
Frowning, I took a second, taking in the sickening greenish purple blooming all the way from his nose around his eyes. It looked like one of his orbital bones might have shattered, angry busted capillaries in his eyes stained in a glowing red. In the rain, it looked even freakier with his dark hair matted down to his forehead in jagged spikes. He looked like shit.
I wasn't up for another fight. Not now. Inside, I still felt oddly numb, as if I'd stepped back from reality a little bit. He'd think he won if I didn't step up though.
Choices.
Tilting my chin up, I smirked at him, faking the confidence and arrogance I knew would piss him off. "I'm not sure yet. I'll tell you when I figure it out."
Like I expected, a flash of red dusted across his cheeks, but he managed to hold himself back. His friend stepped forward, but stopped as Luke hissed, "Just you wait. You haven't seen anything yet." His voice was dark, full of promises.
Perfect. Now I was going to have to go through the entire initiation process worrying about what petty stunt Luke was going to pull. Instead of giving him the satisfaction of seeing it on my face though, I smiled sickly sweet. I couldn't bring myself to care at the moment. "Looking forward to it."
I needed to learn to shut up.
"How many made it?" an older member asked next to me. I turned, peaking over my shoulder to see he was asking another man next to him.
"Thirty-nine choose Dauntless, thirty-five made it on the train, and thirty-two jumped. I thought we were going to lose that one too. Least everyone made the roof this year."
"Yeah," the other agreed.
What type of place was this? Did someone really always die trying to jump to the roof? I swallowed thickly, feeling sick to my stomach. Already seven people were factionless. An hour and a half at most and already seven people no longer had any place to live.
Maybe this place wasn't going to be as cool as I thought. I sighed.
"Alright, listen up," an authoritative voice called.
Looking up, I noticed the older dark skinned man walking along the edge of the building as if someone hadn't almost died hanging off it a second earlier. He paced back and forth, his steps sure and light. The rain didn't seem to bother him at all. Compared to the other Dauntless members I've seen, it's striking how old he really looks. Grey hairs are creeping in along the sides of his head, mixing with his short black hair. There are wrinkles pinching around his eyes, but the way he moves makes me think he's younger than he really is.
I curiously looked around at all of the other members, blinking through the rain. All of the other members around me couldn't be older than thirty. Is this just because only these people wanted to come to the initiation? Members didn't have to attend after all. Or were there really that few old people in Dauntless?
Judging by everything that had happened so far, I'm guessing there just weren't that many. They couldn't survive this life.
"My name's Max," the man called, redrawing my attention. His voice was aged, rich almost. "Several stories below lies the Dauntless compound," he continues. "In order to become one of us, you have to jump. If you can't, you don't belong here."
What? I thought with wide eyes. I have to jump off a building? Gulping, my eyes trailed down to the railing, wondering what I would be able to see if I looked over. I could only imagine the possibilities. Up this high it couldn't be water. There was a large swimming pool at Erudite most people used to keep in shape, and once I'd gone diving in one of my daring moments. Up this high, hitting the water would feel like hitting concrete. Since there was no harness it couldn't be any zip-line or anything. Maybe an inflatable mat or trampoline? A slide? What was with Dauntless and jumping off things?
My heart skipped when he continued, "Initiates have the pleasure of going first."
It felt like eyes were immediately on me from all around. Cowering a little into myself, I looked around feeling dirty under everyone's gazes, only to see everyone was doing the same thing. I could see reflections of my own shocked and hesitant eyes staring back at me from all of the initiate's faces. It was easy to pick out which were transfers like me. Those who weren't fit perfectly in with the other Dauntless members—black clothes, piercings, tattoos—only, they looked scared too.
That meant they didn't know what was going on either.
My brain logically told me there was no way Max was going to have everyone commit mass suicide jumping off a building, but the irrational part of me kept my jaw locked and my hands glued down to my sides. I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to just go and jump off a roof. Forget that. The silence that fell over the group stretched out painfully slow.
Finally, when it was growing unbearable a girl stepped forward. "I'll go," she called, her voice melodious and light. She was short and frail; it was easy to see through her black and white striped shirt and black shorts as they clung to her like a second skin. It reminded me of my own see-through clothes, but I couldn't tear my eyes away to be self-conscious. This girl didn't look Dauntless. She looked twelve.
I bit my lip to keep myself from stopping her as she climbed up onto the ledge next to Max.
She stared down, looking at something I couldn't see, but judging by the panic on her face, it wasn't going to be reassuring. Then she closed her eyes. And jumped. My heart lunged into my throat, and I jerked forward, eyes wide. Her body vanished over the ledge. I could hear her shrill scream the entire way down.
Then nothing.
Heart hammering, I stared at where she stood a few seconds ago, not breathing. She did it. She jumped off a building. I couldn't shake the image of her terrified face out of my head as the group shifted and murmured towards each other. None of us knew what happened. There was no splash, no crunch. Nothing…
"Who's next?"
"You have to be kidding!" someone cried. Looking over, I saw it was the boy I helped pull back over the ledge. The panic on his face was apparent. I wondered if he was thinking of what would have happened if he fell.
Max shrugged looking unconcerned by his fear. "Suit yourself." His eyes turned back on the group and for a moment I felt like he was looking into my soul. "Any other volunteers?"
I can't believe I'm going to do this. Swallowing, I shoved forward, trying to hide the way my hands were trembling. If this was really the only way I was going to get into Dauntless, I might as well get this over with. Max's eyes followed me as I pushed towards the front, but I didn't look over. Instead, I shoved myself up on the railing. Suddenly, I knew why the girl looked panicked standing up here. Down below there was only a hole, surrounded by buildings. It was pitch black, completely hiding any sign of what might be waiting down below. If I missed, I'd hit the ground from seven stories up.
I gulped.
Luke jeered something behind me, but I could hear what he said. I didn't bother to turn around and find out.
If this really was all just a test they would have stopped the girl before she jumped. They would have used her as an example that there was a difference between bravery and stupidity. Right? That's what I told myself as I stared into the bottomless pit of a hole. Without another thought, I jumped.
My scream lodged somewhere in my throat as it got hard to breath as air rushed by. My legs kicked out, desperate for footing as I fell into nothing. My eyes burned. Heart pounded.
I hit the bottom hard, the air rushing out of me in a painful rush as my chest clenched in. All of the sudden I'm back in the air, arms failing again. Once again, I land down, something giving a little beneath me. This time I stay down, and my fingers thread through something rough and thick. Rope. Looking down, I see it was a giant net.
I couldn't stop myself. Laughter bubbled out of me from somewhere deep inside. It was uncontrollable, and tears dotted the corner of my eyes as I let it take over for a second.
I was alive.
I did it.
Staring up through the hole, I smile as raindrops still fell down on my face. They were cool and soothing. Something shifted out of the corner of my eye and I realized hands are reaching out towards me. Rolling over, I crawled awkwardly towards the nearest edge, the net shifting and giving every time I moved. The second I reached out, wrapping my hand around someone else's, I was heaved forward with a surprising strength.
The second my feet touched the ground I became aware of my skirt having ridden almost all the way up my legs. Reaching down, I quickly fixed it, blushing a bit as I smoothed my clothes out habitually. With the way my shirt was sticking to me I knew it had to be see-through.
"Thanks," I whispered. My voice is breathless and light, surprising me, and I couldn't help but grin. This place was a rush.
The man who helped me off the net was tall and broad, at least a full head and a half taller than me, something that never happened. Since he was only wearing a black wife beater I was free to see his toned shoulders and lean biceps, but I quickly forced my gaze up to his eyes that were staring amused at me. Several different piercings lined his noes, but his smile was easy. His eyes almost twinkled under his dark black hair. He stuck out his hand again.
"I'm Amar," he grinned. His teeth were startling white. "What's your name? You can pick whatever you want."
That stopped me. Really? Who do I want to be? I didn't want to be the girl that came here anymore. I knew without a doubt I wanted to leave my life at Erudite behind. I didn't want anyone to ever call me Ayriana.
"It's Ayra."
Grinning broadly, his eyes trailed down my body, and I flushed, realizing he was staring at my see-through shirt. "Nice outfit. Didn't realize Erudite dressed like that. I might have transfered," he teased cheekily, laughing when he saw the indignant look on my face. I would have slapped him if he didn't turn around. Following his gaze, I realized there was a whole crowd of Dauntless members around. My face burned brighter. I could feel their eyes on me. "Second jumper: Ayra!" Amar shouted. The crowd cheered and clapped and I stared amazing at all of the strange faces and people staring over at me. A little star struck, I smiled back before heading over to an isolated corner to take everything in.
I was happy hanging back in the shadows and observing everything from a distance. The noise and laughter all around me was intimidating. I didn't know these people. They didn't know me. I felt foreign, a stranger looking in at a family laughing and teasing each other. My eyes couldn't seem to stop on one spot. There was just so much going on.
This place was doing to be interesting, that was for sure.
A/N: Alright! For all of you who have been waiting so very patiently to meet Eric and the rest of Dauntless, there's only one more week to wait! Next chapter, I'll finally be getting into Ayra's life in Dauntless with a bit of training, but more importantly the people she's going to have to deal with. I'm planning on handling training a little differently too, so everyone be ready. Things should get a little fun here!
Let me know what you thought!