A/N: Heyo, I still don't own anything except new characters and events. I make no money and all rights go to the rightful owners and stuff.
"You're being ridiculous!" my mother chided, "You will wear the dress and the heals, you are a girl." I wanted to strangle myself. I wanted to strangle myself. It was just a waiting game to see who I actually strangled this time.
"Fine" I grumbled, I grabbed them from her hands and quickly dressed before throwing on a blazer as well. I did my make-up and hair, put on my necklace and then looked at myself in the mirror.
"See, you look much better in a dress." She smiled.
"Yeah, better" I rolled my eyes and tried to move past her but she grabbed my shoulders.
"I know you'll make the right choice today" she said it a little too forcefully, she squeezed my shoulders. Suddenly I was glad I was leaving her and my father. Peter came in, still in his pajamas, and made up a quick lie.
"I need Alessas' help, I don't know what to wear and she's so fashionable." He flashed his smug smile, I half smiled as mom let me go.
"Oh, dear. I could help you or your father could." She reasoned, but Peter shook his head.
"No thanks mom, I'd rather Alessa help me." With that I followed him to his room, his clothes were laid out on his bed. I sat on the chair in the corner of his room. "You okay?" he asked as he started getting dressed.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm just glad that we're leaving today"
"I couldn't agree more."
An hour later and our parents were taking their seats while Peter and I stood with other 16 year olds that would be choosing today. I saw the girl from yesterday a few pew people in front of us. She was beautiful, like a doll. With large grey blue eyes and a long thin nose, her features are both striking and beautiful.
My heart started beating faster and my palms were sweaty, "Are you okay?" Peter whispered since Marcus was giving the speech.
"Oh, uh, I think so. I fell weird, maybe I'm still sick." I wiped my hands on my blazer and calmed my breathing, I hoped I didn't puke. I didn't feel like I was going to, maybe I was just nervous.
Marcus started calling names in reverse alphabetical order, Beatrice looked to be debating between Abnegation and Dauntless. Her home and maybe where she was meant to be. After moments of silence she chose dauntless causing whoops and cheers from them, I smiled to myself.
After a few more minutes Peter was called up, he sliced his hand and dripped his hand over the dauntless coals. Another roar of whoops and cheers erupted, he shot me an encouraging smile as he made his way to the dauntless section.
"Alessa Hayes" Marcus called, my heart stilled. I willed myself to walk forward but my world was tilting. I took the knife from Marcus and sliced my palm, crimson blood sprang up. I watched it as it dripped down into the dauntless coals, I took a napkin and a Band-Aid. Dauntless cheers erupted as they welcomed me, I cleaned off the blood and placed the Band-Aid on the cut.
Peter hugged me tightly then we waited for everyone else to be called and for them to choose. Drew and Molly were some of the last to choose and of course they chose dauntless, I don't know why I ever hoped I would be free of them. They act like my brothers shadows.
"Alessa!" Christina shouted, I had been looking for Beatrice but she was rather short and some of these people were rather tall.
"Chrissy!" she tackle hugged me, I think she would do well in dauntless. "This is crazy." I laughed. Peter scowled at her and walked away with his friends.
"You would think your brother would have gotten use to be by now" she huffed, "And, I know. I think we're insane" she smirked.
Everyone started leaving, walking with polite smiles but not the dauntless. The dauntless started fucking running. "Oh motherfuckin' no" I groaned, Chrissy laughed. She was wearing sneakers. She probably knew this would happen.
"Let's go" I grumbled, we took off with the dauntless. Down the stairs and out of the building to the train tracks. My chest hurt. "Running in heels is a big no-no" Chrissy smiled as we started running again, this time we were going to jump on a fucking train. How wonderful. A train. Chrissy was behind me, I threw my weight sideways into the train car and landed on my arm. Peter grabbed me and pulled me to my feet.
"Be careful." He whispered before going to his friends, I guess this was how it was going to be now. Chrissy jumped in, I pulled her up. We were both breathing hard, like our heart was about to explode or about to jump right out of our chests.
We heard a thump moments later, Chrissy looked out and pulled in a girl. Beatrice. They slumped against the floor laughing, Chrissy looked up to me and held up her hands to me. I took them and she pulled me down. "Okay, is it just me or are they trying to kill us?" she laughed. Beatrice laughed breathlessly.
"They're jumping!" Peter yelled, I stood and looked out of the train car. He was right, dauntless born were jumping out of the train cars onto the roof of a building.
"Time to get up." I smiled. I moved to the other opening of the train car and smiled at Peter, he seemed scared but thrilled. "Ready?" I asked, he nodded and took my hand. We jumped, it seemed like forever but it couldn't be more than a few seconds. I landed on Peter, which I'm sure he did on purpose.
"Are you okay?" he asked after I helped him up.
"Yeah, I'm good, no gravel touched me. Are you okay?"
"My back hurts" he smiled before jogging back to Molly and Drew, Christina and Beatrice jumped and landed a few feet away from me.
"Hey guys!" I waved as they walked over with smiles, Chrissy was laughing and pulling gravel from her hair.
"Do you think we get to do that again?" she asked as she looked between us, she was definitely going to fit in here in dauntless.
"I hope so" I nudged Chrissy with a smile. Beatrice still seemed exasperated, like adrenaline was still pumping through her veins. Her pale blonde hair was windblown and her eyes were wide
"Do you like her?" Chrissy whispered in my ear, I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
"What are talking about? She's a girl."
"Yeah, so? A girl can like a girl." She smiled playfully at my confused expression. "Ya know what, we can talk later. I'll explain everything my confused little ladybug."
A scream of pain and horror nearly gave me a heart attack, we looked to see a dauntless born boy holding back a dauntless born girl who was screaming and crying. We looked over the ledge, a girl was on the pavement 15 stories below. Her limbs were bent at odd angles and blood spilt from wounds. The dauntless born weren't safe. We weren't safe. I barely heard anything over the roar of blood in my ears, I turned and walked away as fast as possible.
I bumped into a young dauntless man, he looked down at me. "Hello there" he smiled at my expression.
"I'm sorry I bumped into you. I just saw a dead body, it was first time. Dead body virginity is gone" he laughed and walked away to the ledge, he stepped up and called everyone to attention.
"Alright, listen up initiates. I'm Eric, I'm one of your dauntless leaders. If you want to enter dauntless this is the way in" he motioned past the edge where he was standing, maybe they were trying to kill us. "If you don't have the guts to jump then you don't belong in dauntless." He half smiled, mischief twinkled in his eyes.
A boy with scruffy blonde hair and pale green eyes spoke, "Is there water at the bottom or something?" he was dressed in erudite blue.
"I guess you'll find out, or not" Eric replied, still smirking quite smugly. I think he would either get along quite well with my brother or they would hate each other, no in between.
The boy mumbled something to Beatrice, she just shrugged and made a face. It was funny and surprisingly cute.
"Well, someone's gotta go first" Eric looked at each of us, "Who's it gonna be?"
"Me" Tris said without hesitation, I smirked. She definitely wasn't a Stiff. She walked forward and shakily and stood on the ledge, took a deep breath, then jumped. There was no screaming and no sickening crack or splat so I know she was safe.
After a few minutes Eric asked, "Who's next to jump?"
"Me" I walked forward but had a hard time steading myself.
"Might help to take off the heels" Eric suggest.
"Holy shit, I don't have to wear heels anymore." I took them off and held them in my hand, Eric picked me up and set me on the ledge.
I looked back to see Peter staring at me with wide scared eyes, I smiled and jumped. I laughed and seconds later I landed on something hard, my limbs tangled with it, my heart hammered and adrenaline was pumping through me. I laughed again as I was pulled out by a guy with olive skin and dark blue eyes.
"Hey there" I was out of breath, I landed with a small thud.
"What's your name?" he asked, his breath smelled like onions and cake.
"Alessa"
"Second jumper, Alessa!" he called, I walked over to Beatrice.
"I changed my name" she smiled sheepishly, "My name is Tris now."
"Tris, how does it feel to officially be a dauntless initiate?"
"Amazing" she laughed. A few minutes later Chrissy and another girl, a dauntless born with a curvy body and wavy mousy brown hair. She looked at us with unsure eyes, although they lingered on me. I felt the blood rush again, I looked away and busied myself with the edge of my dress.
I put my heels back on incase anything sharp was on the floor. I didn't want to impale myself.
A woman introduces herself as Lauren when all the initiates are present, we follow her, Eric, and Four down a few corridors. But I stop when I notice that the fourth jumper walked down a different corridor, I follow her closely but quietly. It's not long before she turns and tries to back me against the wall but I've seen Peter, my father, and my mother use that same move too many times. Instead I have her pinned against the wall with my forearm against her throat.
"Hi" I puffed my cheeks, she snarls in return.
"Why are you following me?"
"I wanted to see where you were going"
"Why"
"You're interesting."
"No, I'm not. I'm going to go shave my head."
"See, interesting. But you shouldn't shave it, maybe I can cut it for you. Like a really short haircut. More intimidating I think."
She narrows her eyes at me, "Excuse me?"
"You're going to shave your head because you want the boys to feel threatened or intimated by you and not go easy on you or anything like that because you're a girl" she strained to look at my close.
"You aren't an erudite."
"Oh, no. My mom originally was though, father was originally dauntless. They liked to flaunt it to my brother and me."
"So, you want to cut my hair?" she asks. I smiled and unpinned her.
"Yeah, could be fun, I cut my brothers and few neighbor kids. I cut mine" I was leaning on the wall, she flipped us and had her arms on either side of my head. I swear my heart had never beat faster, not when I jumped off the ceiling or the train or anything.
"Then let's go" she smirked, I made a noise that vaguely sounded like a whimper. She stepped away, turned, and started walking.
I definitely needed to talk to Chrissy. Which, honestly, she shouldn't go by that nickname anymore. Chris, maybe.
I followed her down corridors and up flights of stairs, into darkness, and into the paling sunlight. After a few minutes we were in an apartment, an older woman was sitting in the front room cleaning a gun.
"This is my mom."
"Hello dear, call me Cheyenne." She smiled without looking up.
"My name is Alessa."
"Initiate?" she questioned with a raised a brow.
I looked down at my clothing, wasn't it obvious?
"Uh, Alessa. My mom is blind. She doesn't leave the house."
"Oh, shit. I'm sorry, I didn't know. I am a transfer from Candor."
"Ah, the mouthy type" she smirked, the same smirk Lynn had.
"Anyway, I was going to show her something real quick" Lynn interrupted, we walked past her mom and walked down a hall to the last door on the right. We entered, it was the bathroom. Was I hoping it was her room? Oh god. I felt my blood rushing to my face and my stomach fluttering.
She sat on the edge of the bathtub with her feet inside it. "The clippers and scissors are in the top drawer." I grabbed the things and began chopping her long hair off.
A few minutes later and I announced I was done, she stripped her clothes off and turned on the water. I turned around as she showered quickly, my heart was hammering. Soon she finished, dressed in clothes that were on the counter, dried her hair, and then cleaned up her hair on the floor.
"So?" my voice sounded strange.
"So what?" she questioned as she looked in the mirror.
"So, do you like it?"
"I do, probably better than I would have liked it shaved. Don't know how you talked me out of it. We should get going. I'll explain what you need to do, my sister has already passed initiation so I know everything.
On the way to the cafeteria she explains what I'll go through, it sounds horrible but I can do it. "Do you already regret switching factions?" she questioned.
"No, of course not. I prefer to regret nothing. If I may ask you, how did your mother become blind?"
"Already starting to learn your place." She half smiled, "A serum that was still in the process of being made, it wasn't perfected or tested yet. It sprayed in her eyes because she chose to protect another person, she became blind and the person she save exiled himself because he couldn't carry the shame." She sounded bitter. "That person was my father. If I can even call him that, good for nothing asshole" she snarled.
"Maybe one day you'll run into him and get to make him regret leaving, regret being an idiot. Looks like he lost a lot." She looked down at me, she is a few inches taller than I am.
"Thanks, I like that you don't look at me like I'm damaged goods or an orphaned kitten."
"You're not an orphaned kitten but maybe you are my kitten" I smiled then realized what I said and wanted to through myself off a cliff, I am an idiot.
She laughed to my relief, "Maybe you're my kitten" We walked into the cafeteria, she waved goodbye and I made my way to where Tris and Chrissy sat.
"Hello my babies" I grinned as Chrissy and Tris looked up at me with confused smiles. Four looked at me confused too but without a smile. "You are not one of my babies" I puffed my cheeks.