*turns her face away from the glares* I'm soooooooo sorry that I haven't updated in FOREVER! If I were reading my story I'd be really mad at me, but maybe we can just be happy I'm finally updating? Basically I was super busy this summer with my sailing job and races and then school started- gross. And now I'm super busy with school work and field hockey! So, sorry, but you'll have to take the updates when you can get them!
Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent, I'm not that amazing...
When she's in view, Tobias lets go of my hand to greet her. He firsts shakes her hand like a Dauntless, but then bows his head in respect like an Abnegation. It's fascinating to see both sides of him at once, but it makes up who he is.
"Nice to meet you Ms. Prior." Tobias says in an even voice.
"Nice to meet you too Four, but please call me Natalie. You look familiar…"
"Really?" He says politely.
"Maybe not… Sorry to question you." My mother seems to understand something out of this one word response that I'm not quite getting, she has always been more complex than I've ever thought.
"It's quite all right."
"Well," I say trying to get this conversation back on track, "My mom wanted to meet you, you don't have to stay if you don't want to."
"It's up to you, I don't want to intrude." Tobias says politely.
"Oh, come join us, I want to hear more about you!" My mom says cheerfully, now that I know she wasn't always Abnegation, her other sides are showing through. An Abnegation doesn't usually request things of other people, or want to know more.
So, all three of us ended up going to one of the Dauntless cafés that line the Pit, we had a lovey lunch that ended up not being as awkward as I originally thought it was going to be.
By the end of Visiting Day, my mother trusted Four completely and I think she had figured out who he was as well.
"I had such a good time with you and Four." My mother says later, as she goes to leave.
"Me too, Mom. I've missed you so much." I add this part in a quieter tone, as faction before blood is one of the most important sayings.
"Good luck with the rest of initiation, I know you're going to be amazing. Just one more stage left. Don't let anyone put you down. And, keep your friends close, I'm sure they're all as lovely as Four is."
"They are. I'll see you later, alright?" My voice is becoming thick with emotion, to give someone something they missed so much and then pull it away is like emotional torture.
"Of course," she steps into the elevator to bring her to the surface, "Remember, keep Tobias close, I see how you feel for each other." And the elevator doors close.
I smile; of course she knew this whole time. She probably had an Erudite response as well.
I return to the Pit with a spring in my step, having the approval of my mom means so much to me, especially knowing that she once walked these paths.
I meet up with the gang in the cafeteria. Tobias sits next to me. Most couples would be holding hands, but coming from Abnegation, sitting close to each other is enough to let us know the other is there, we don't need to be physically touching to have each other.
"Are you guys ready for the next stage of initiation?" Christina asks.
"Do we even know what it is yet?" I say, thinking I may have missed something.
"No, Christina is just getting overexcited as usual." Will rolls his eyes as he says this, but has a loving tone in his voice.
"I just hope it'll be something I'm mildly ok at…" Al says this in a miserable tone.
"I'm sure you'll do fine!" I try to reassure him, but at this point, he's the lowest on our rankings.
"My parents came today, I had to tell them I wasn't doing well, I didn't even want to come to this faction in the first place, it was what my family wanted. They talked to Candor heads and I'm going to go back."
We're all stunned into silence. I'm the first to break it. "Good for you, you should do what you want, not what you were told to do. We're going to miss you though."
He smiles sadly, "I'll miss you guys too… I'm not even sure how this opportunity happened. I'm thankful for it though."
"Tris is right, we'll miss you, but do what makes you happy. When do you have to leave?" Christina asks, putting the question that's on our minds into the air.
"Tonight after dinner. Maybe I'll see you guys during Visiting Day sometime." He adds hopefully.
We all nod. The dinner continues on, we try to keep the conversation light-hearted and we reminisce our fun together, but at the same time, our hearts are heavy with the anticipation of Al's departure.
The dinner finishes and for the second time today, I'm escorting someone out of Dauntless.
We all hug, well Christina and I hug him while the guys do that weird hand pull in clap on the back thing. We would've stayed longer, but a Candor representative arrived to take Al back.
We walked back to the dorms to see Amar there with a board in his hands. Guess we'll figure out the next stage, but I don't know how the four of us will focus with Al's goodbye in our heads.
If anyone has ideas on the last stage, please tell me, I haven't quite figured out what I want to do yet... I also don't know how long to continue this story, should it go after the initiation is over, or stop there? Please tell me what you guys want- if there's anyone still reading this...