After leaving the daycare center, knowing I'm late, I hurry across the Pit floor to the double doors that lead to the net, which are now propped wide open for easy access. I see a couple with bright blue and unnaturally black hair, respectively, walking several yards in front of me. I pass them without a word when we're about halfway to the net. When the dark, dank tunnel opens into the cavernous room, I'm surprised to see so many Dauntless members gathered around to watch the initiates who don't seem to be here yet, at least I haven't heard any screams. I don't remember there being this many onlookers last year.
I see Zander and Stella huddled close together near the platform, worry etched into their features. I wave to them without receiving a response as I climb the stairs to where Tobias, Christina, and Uriah are standing. My eyes meet my husband's when I reach the top of the stairs. The look on his face tells me that he's remembering what we did right here last night, and I blush scarlet. It's a good thing Zeke's not around.
"There you are," Christina says, drawing my attention away from Tobias. "Do you by chance have some texts from Will? We can't figure out where they are. I left my phone at home and, if can you believe it, Four and Uriah's phones are both dead." That surprises me.
"I totally forgot," I say, digging my phone out of my pocket. "It buzzed a few times while I was nursing Tessa then I had to take care of something so I forgot to check it." I know I have to tell Tobias about the situation with Tyler and Bobby Ridinger but it will have to wait until later. I'd like to tell him now but according to my latest text from Will the initiates should be arriving any minute. "They're on their way as we speak. The Choosing Ceremony ran late."
"Heard anything about a certain Dauntless-born?" Tobias asks. I shake my head as I scroll through the multiple updates Will provided.
"There's nothing about Avery. It does look like some factionless 16-year-olds took place in the ceremony, however. We got two as did Candor and Erudite. Holy shit!" I exclaim, attracting the attention of numerous Dauntless members gathered in front of the platform. "Sorry."
"What is it?" Tobias asks, his brows furrowed with concern.
"Murphy and Galen chose different factions," I say, reading off of one of Will's earlier texts. I hear Christina gasp beside me. This is surprising news. They couldn't keep their hands off each other Saturday night. "Murphy's inconsolable and being quite disruptive. Will and Tori had to remind her not once but twice what faction she's representing now that she's officially chosen Dauntless. Apparently, Galen chose Candor with Rhys after Murphy chose Dauntless." I look up into Tobias' slightly amused face.
"Those two were practically having sex in front of a room full of strangers at the Candor or Dauntless party Saturday night," he says. "I thought they would chose together. Let me rephrase that. I was hoping they'd choose together."
"During a short break that night, Avery told me they've been dating for two years. I think everyone thought they would choose the same faction," I say. "Wow, I foresee trouble because of this." I look at Uriah and Christina and add with a chuckle, "You're going to have your hands full with her."
"We'll handle her, right Christy?" She narrows her eyes at Uriah and scowls. I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. "This is so much fun," he excitedly says. The three of us look at him like he may be in need of professional help. "You've got to admit it's better than being an initiate. I thought I was going to hurl from all the jumping last year and not because I was afraid, I was that nervous."
"I couldn't believe that they kept making us jump," Christina says. "I thought I was going to die before the net finally caught me."
"Yeah, we heard you," Tobias says with a chuckle. "I think everyone in the compound heard you." I chuckle at the remembrance of Christina screaming, loudly, throughout her entire fall.
"I understood immediately that our initiation started the minute we left the Hub," I say. "Leave it to Dauntless to never do anything halfway." My phone buzzes again, and I quickly read Will's text. "They're jumping onto the roof as we speak." We all shift and look toward the gaping hole above us but it's impossible to see anything because of the glare of the sun. At least it's not raining. That would make for a terrible mess.
I'm suddenly worried that Will hasn't said anything about Avery. She must have decided to transfer factions, and he's trying to spare my feelings. I'm going to miss her. I can't stand the thought of facing Zander and Stella and telling them that Tobias and I failed to make her see that Dauntless is where she should be.
"Why the long face?" Tobias quietly asks.
"Just thinking about Avery," I say.
"Still no word?" he asks and I shake my head.
"So, anyone want to make a bet what faction the first jumper will come from?" Uriah asks, pulling both Tobias and me from our funk.
"I have a feeling it's going to be a Dauntless-born," Christina says. "According to the gossip I heard when I worked in the salon, it's very rarely a faction transfer." I clear my throat, and she turns her head to look at me.
"How quickly you forget," I scoff.
"You were an anomaly," she says matter-of-factly.
"You must have been amazed when you saw the first jumper was a Stiff last year, huh, Four?" Uriah says.
"Amazed is exactly how I felt when I saw her falling toward the net," Tobias says, his mesmerized eyes on mine. "I was also impressed. Not a lot of Dauntless face fear head on the way she did that day. It was unheard of but as you know Tris has always been more Dauntless than anything else." He leans over and gives me a quick peck. I'd like to grab a hold of him and take my time but his lips are gone just as quickly as they appear.
"How are you two going to keep from making out in front of the transfers?" Uriah asks with humor in his voice.
"If you think that was making out, you're doing it wrong," Tobias says with a smirk on his face. Uriah scowls back at him. I can't help the small giggle that escapes my lips.
"Stop teasing him, Four," Christina says, rolling her eyes. "Seriously, you both know what he's talking about. You two can barely keep your hands off of each other for two minutes when you're together. Like earlier when you got here, Tris. You two looked at each other like you wanted to tear each other's clothes off and go at it right here on the platform." My mouth drops open and heat floods my cheek remembering last night. Does she know?
"I'm insulted that you two think that Tris and I can't behave in a business-like manner when we're with the initiates," Tobias says. "We already agreed to keep it strictly professional when we're training the transfers. They will be our focus when we're in the training and simulation rooms."
"That being said, we're not going to hide the fact that we are a happily married couple with two children and another on the way. We couldn't hide it even if we wanted to," I say. I hold up my left hand and put it next to his, displaying our matching tattoos and wedding rings. "As a matter of fact, we don't want to hide it but we will be respectful in how we act in front of the transfers at all times. It's our job." They look at us skeptically for a moment.
"I'd like to put a wager on it but I'm going to be too busy with my own initiates to worry if you and Tris are giving yours sex education as part of the curriculum," Uriah says with an evil grin that makes me think of Zeke. Christina starts laughing as I shake my head. Movement catches my eye, and I see the first initiate falling toward the net not making a sound. Like Christina predicted, the streak is black.
"This isn't over yet," Tobias says pointing at Uriah's chest, his Four mask firmly in place. When the net finally catches the Dauntless-born initiate, preventing her untimely death, I recognize her … Avery. I find Stella and see the relief in her eyes. She smiles brightly at me and I nod. When I turn back around I see Tobias helping her out of the net.
"So glad to see you again," he says. It has a nonchalance that doesn't give away the depth of his relief.
She holds her head up high and says, "Thanks, Four."
"Since I know your name, I won't ask," he says with a smile. "Uriah, Christina, make the announcement."
"First jumper, Avery," they shout at the same time so that everyone in the room can hear. The Dauntless members standing behind us go crazy, stomping, shouting, and fist pumping the air in celebration. God, I love that sound! Uriah tells her where she needs to wait, and I watch as she walks down the stairs, her eyes on Zander and Stella the entire time. They only exchange smiles as she goes to the prearranged meeting area.
We spend the next hour watching jumper after jumper hit the net, the celebratory air present the entire time. It makes us more excited each time an initiate jumps. By the time we are done, we've welcomed 11 Dauntless-born, 10 faction transfers, and 2 factionless as our initiates, making history not once but twice. First, because of the addition of the two factionless initiates, this is the first time in the history of Choosing Day that the transfers outnumber the Dauntless-born. Second, this is the first time that every single dependent who chose Dauntless actually made it to the compound in one piece, which makes me extremely happy. Not 1 among the 23 will be factionless unless they prove to be unworthy.
Besides Galen's faction transfer, we've had another huge surprise. Alec Parrish, Asher Parrish's son, who spent six months in jail then had his memory wiped with memory serum for his part in Dru and his father's plot to kill suspected Divergents is one of our transfers. I caught Callen giving him dirty looks, which I don't blame him for in the least. I know how he feels but I had to give him a warning look just the same, which he took and turned his attention back to Avery.
After all the initiates have jumped, the 12 transfers and 11 Dauntless-born follow closely behind Uriah, Christina, Tobias, and me down the narrow, dimly lit tunnel. I'm surprised by the silence that surrounds us. The only sound beside the unsure, shuffling footsteps of our transfers is Murphy's occasional sniffling. I imagine the others are quiet because they're still in shock since Galen absconded from Dauntless. Thankfully, her crying has subsided for the moment. I feel sorry for the ones who have to bunk with her tonight. When we reach the spot where the secret passage to the dorm rooms is, we stop. I hide a grin when the initiates all run into each other because of the quick halt, much like I did when I bumped into Edward last year.
"This is where we split up," Christina brusquely says. I can see she's trying to hide her giddiness behind a bland smile but she's not fooling me one bit. She's thrilled that initiation has finally started.
"Dauntless-born, you follow Christina and me," Uriah says. "I assume you don't need a tour." My attention turns to the transfers as the Dauntless-born disappear into the darkness on the heels of Uriah and Christina, not wanting to waste any more time beginning the rest of their lives.
Tobias and I have one Amity, six Candor, three Erudite, and two factionless. He once told me that Candor and Dauntless have a fairly high mutual transfer rate, and this year is no exception, 7 of our 11 transferred dependents went to Candor.
We continue down the tunnel and once again stop, this time in front of the now closed double doors that lead directly onto the Pit floor. My eyes roam over the group standing before me, which consists of seven girls and five boys while Tobias does his usual introduction to Dauntless. Surprisingly, no one interrupts him like Christina did last year to question his name. Maybe the frightening Four look that's covering his face at the moment is keeping those who want to ask about his unusual nickname silent or perhaps maybe no one is as curious as my best friend. He looks my way signaling my part of the tour.
"Through these doors is the Pit," I say. "It's the center of life here in Dauntless, and one day you will come to love it." I push through the heavy wooden doors and walk out onto the floor of the Pit. I remember seeing it for the first time like it was yesterday. Even though I found it frantic and frenzied and a bit terrifying, I also found all that chaos to be wonderful. It's as far removed from Abnegation as one can get, and it fascinated me. If I'm being honest, it still does. I love everything about the Pit.
"If you will follow us, we'll show you the chasm," Tobias says, leading us to the dark right side of the Pit. I glance over my shoulder to make sure everyone is following us and notice a tall, pretty, red-haired girl from Candor practically undressing my husband with her eyes. She senses my heated gaze and gives me a wide grin. It shouldn't surprise me that someone else finds him attractive but for some reason the look in her eyes enrages me. Normally I would take his hand to let the little tart know that he's taken but I promised we would keep things strictly professional during work hours. Oh, God! I sound like Marlene. I guess the green-eyed monster has come out to play in me, too. I make a note to keep an eye on her.
"The chasm is here to remind us all that there's a fine line between courage and stupidity," I shout above the roar of the raging river several stories below us. Tobias leads us to the railing, and I notice most of the transfers are leaning up against it. Not the factionless boy though. His name is Brody if I remember correctly. He's standing on the edge peering over the side. I can see that he's absorbing everything around him. "A reckless jump off this ledge will end your life. It's happened before, and it will happen again. You have been warned." I'm afraid my voice will break remembering Al's suicide but, thankfully, it doesn't. Tobias and I next lead the transfers across the Pit floor and down a series of hallways to the dorm. They file into the room behind us, and I notice them looking around confused.
"There's not enough beds," one of the two male Candor transfers, Grant, says. He's tall and muscular with wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Something about him reminds me of Peter but I can't pinpoint what it is so I'm already distrustful of him.
"We all have to sleep in here together?" the Amity transfer, Sadie, says sounding panicked before Grant really finishes his statement. I imagine she's like I was last year and has never slept in a room with a boy before.
"Before lights out there will be another bunk bed brought in from the Dauntless-born dorms," I say addressing Grant's question.
"As for all of you sleeping in the same room, the answer is yes," Tobias gruffly says, addressing Sadie's question. I hear my phone buzz, and I glance up at Tobias who's looking down at me with furrowed brows while I check my text. Tessa is inconsolable again, and it's disrupting the other children. It's only 5:45. She shouldn't be hungry again.
"Tessa," is all I say. He nods and gives me a slight smile before I walk away, leaving him to finish the remainder of the tour.
"Hey, Tris," Zeke says when I round the corner, nearly bumping into him. He looks at his watch and adds, "The tour over already?"
"Tessa's still not feeling well," I say. "She's been crying, and the daycare workers are at their wit's end."
"Need help with Tyler?" he asks. "I'm done for the day."
"Sure," I say. We continue on to the daycare center in uncomfortable silence. Finally I say, "Thanks, Zeke."
"For what?" he asks, appearing genuinely confused.
"Stopping the teasing," I say. His cheeks turn red as he looks anywhere but at me.
"I should apologize to you about that. I got carried away Saturday night," he says, finally looking straight at me. "I love teasing Four but it was never my intention to bring you into the middle of it but once I started I couldn't stop. It didn't help that I was drunk. Shauna tells me that my filter goes out the window when I've been drinking." I hear Tessa's cries the minute Zeke opens the door for me. His eyes widen as he looks my way. "Is that Tessa?"
"Yep," I say.
"Wow, she's got a set of lungs on her," he says. When we walk into the same room I found her in earlier, a worker whose name I don't know is holding her up to her shoulder, patting her back gently as she rocks her.
"Zeke, will you go find Tyler and have Mrs. Wheeler bring in Tessa's diaper bag. Her antibiotic is in there." He nods and heads out of the room. Tessa turns her head at the sound of my voice and, impossibly, cries even louder. "My sweet girl," I say lifting her out of the arms of the distressed young woman. "Thanks. What's wrong, little one? Do your ears hurt? Should I take you to see Zander?"
"Tris, thank you for coming," Mrs. Wheeler says when she comes into the room followed by Zeke who is carrying Tyler in one arm and the diaper bag in the other. "She's been crying for about 30 minutes like that. We changed her diaper twice, tried to give her a bottle, and tried to get her to sleep. You have the magic touch with her." She's still whimpering a bit but she's quieted down considerably.
"Thanks for calling," I say. "I'm going to take her to see Dr. Parrish. Is there an update on the other matter?"
"Yes, I talked to Bobby," she says, eyeing Zeke strangely but I motion for her to continue. "I told him that it wasn't nice to say the things he has been saying. He couldn't give me an explanation as to why he did it. He was sat in timeout. He apologized to Tyler without being encouraged to do so, which I view as a good sign. He didn't go near him the rest of the afternoon. I want to apologize for overlooking this matter. I've seen them talking a few times but their interaction has always been friendly-looking, and Tyler has never taken his aggression out on Bobby, only his friends." I glance at Tyler and knowing he's being talked about, he starts pouting.
"You're not in trouble, buddy," I say. "If Bobby says anything that makes you feel bad you need to tell him that it isn't nice and to stop. If he won't, you need to tell Mrs. Wheeler or one of the other teachers and then tell Mommy and Daddy. Okay?"
"Otay," he says.
"I'm sorry for the disruption with Tessa," I say. "Hopefully, she will feel better tomorrow." I turn and look at Zeke and realize he looks upset. I wonder what that's about. "Do you want to take Tyler to supper?"
"I'll tag along with you, if that's alright," he says. We quickly walk to the infirmary and are immediately taken to an examination room to wait for Zander. "Is someone bothering my little buddy?"
"Unfortunately," I quietly say looking at Tyler who is sitting on the floor playing with his race car that was in the diaper bag. "I haven't had a chance to tell Four about it yet. That boy has made him think the baby will replace him and that we don't love him because he's adopted. Why? We have no idea." He draws in a sharp breath.
"That's a bunch of…" I caution him with my eyes. "I'm sorry he's going through this. I know it's not an excuse but maybe something like this happened to that other boy, and he's acting out," Zeke says as Zander walks into the room.
"Tessa, are you still not feeling well?" he asks.
"She's been crying a lot and having trouble eating," I say. "I'm not sure if daycare will let her back in until she will at least take a bottle."
"Let me take a look," he says. I start to lie her on the examination table and he says, "That's okay. You can go ahead and hold her." He takes her temperature, listens to her heart and lungs, and then looks into her ears, nose, and throat, much like Dr. Wilson did Saturday night before gently pressing on her neck and around her ears. "What antibiotic did they give you at the hospital?" I have Zeke dig it out of the bag and hand it to him. "Hhm. This is a good medication but I think she needs something a little stronger. I would expect her ears to be looking better at this point and, unless her case was severe, I'm not seeing that. So I'm going to write you a prescription to take to the pharmacy. Give her a dose before you nurse her and again before you put her to bed tonight. Then starting tomorrow, three doses daily for seven days. I want to see her back here in two days if she's still refusing a bottle." He writes out a prescription, tears off the little sheet of paper, and hands it to me.
"Thanks for seeing Tessa on such short notice, Zander," I say. Sensing he would like to talk to me I turn my attention to Zeke. "Hey, Zeke, can you take this and get the pharmacy working on it. I really appreciate everything you've done while Four's with the transfers." I hand him the prescription, and he leaves with Tyler on his shoulders.
"Anything for you, Tris," Zander says. "Stella and I owe you and Four a debt of gratitude. I was beyond ecstatic when my daughter was the first jumper. I'm just as proud today as I was the day she was born. I don't know what you and Four said to her, but she was a totally different person when she came home last night."
"I didn't really do much," I say. "It was all Four. He was wonderful with her. I'm glad she's still here, too, but we better not speak of this again. I better catch up with Zeke and Tyler before my son gets cake for supper." He laughs with me for a moment before surprising me with a hug.
"Thanks, Tris," he says, emotion thick in his voice.
"You're very welcome," I say. "Gotta go." I meet Zeke and Tyler at the pharmacy just as they get the prescription filled. I sign for it and immediately give her the first dose. She doesn't make a face with this one. She smacks her little lips together and repeatedly sticks her tongue out. "Was that good?" She smiles at me, her bad mood forgotten for the moment. I hug her close and kiss her head. "Shall we get supper? I for one am famished." Tyler furrows his brows in confusion. "Mommy's hungry," I clarify.
"Me, too," he says. "I want mac 'n cheese and cake."
"You want cake in your macaroni and cheese?" Zeke teases, mimicking a gagging motion.
"No!" Tyler giggles. "I wanna eat mac 'n cheese then I want cake with Wiah."
"Of course, you do, buddy," I say. We walk into the cafeteria, and I'm surprised to see that Tobias hasn't finished with the transfers yet. I walk by a table full of the Dauntless-borns and see that they are trying in vain to console Murphy.
"Hi, Avey," Tyler says over Zeke's shoulder.
"Hi, buddy," she says with a brilliant smile. "I'll see you soon."
"Otay!" he happily says. "Zeke, sit with me?"
"Sure, kiddo," he says. "How about we go get you that mac and cheese? We'll be right back, Tris."
"Okay," I say. I recognize that Tessa's getting hungry again, and I need to feed her before she starts wailing, disrupting the entire cafeteria. "You're going to have to wait until Uncle Zeke gets back with your diaper bag, little one." I caress her cheek as I hold her. She keeps turning her head toward my finger trying to get it in her mouth. "Sorry, baby girl, but that's not what you want. I promise." Tyler sits down next to me and after being begged, Zeke sits on the other side of him. I note with pleasure that beside the macaroni and cheese and cake, Zeke got him green beans and applesauce. "Can you get a blanket out of the diaper bag for me?" Zeke rifles through the bag before handing me a soft pink blanket with white crowns all over it.
"Is Tess hungwy?" Tyler asks when I cover her head.
"She sure is," I say.
"She want some mac 'n cheese?" he asks, holding up his fork, his face so serious.
"It will be a while before she'll eat macaroni and cheese with you I'm afraid," I say. "But that was awfully nice of you to want to share. You're such a sweet boy. Mommy loves you."
"I love you, too," he says. "Is Daddy eatin'?"
"I think he should be here soon," I say looking toward the entrance just in time to see Tobias lead the transfers into the cafeteria. When the Dauntless see the transfers enter the cavernous room, their arrival is celebrated with stomping of feet, shouting, and clattering of table service. I can't help but smile at all their grinning faces, which makes me remember walking in here for the first time. Tobias says something to them then heads our way while they move as one to the food line like a flock of birds migrating south for the winter, all except for Olivia who carefully watches every move my husband makes. I'm going to have to have a talk with her.