Her Secret

Jeanine's Office

Tris nervously fidgets with the hem of her blazer as she waits for Jeanine outside of her office. She had only been an Erudite for less than a week and she had already gotten in trouble. Tris was hoping that this time it wasn't for being too Abnegation-like, for Cara had already called her out on Tuesday. Tris then gathers her confidence and quietly knocks on the door to Jeanine's office. 

"Come in," a voice calls. Tris turns slightly red as she enters the office and catches Jeanine staring at her. "You're on time, Ms. Prior. I wasn't expecting such," she says in a cool voice.
Tris opens her mouth and quickly blurts something out. She mentally kicks herself as she hears, "I can be prompt when I want to be, Ms. Matthews," come out of her mouth. Jeanine raises an eyebrow before gesturing to Tris for her to sit down. The girl looks at Jeanine before quickly sitting down in the chair across her desk. "Ms. Prior, I suppose you are wondering why I called you here," Jeanine starts. 

Tris makes eye contact with the older woman and nods. "Yes, that is one of the questions on my mind," she says awkwardly. 

Jeanine nods and proceeds. "From what Nancy has informed me, you have been pulling all-nighters studying in the library, is that correct?" she asks.

"Nancy?" Tris asks in a small voice. 

"The librarian," Jeanine states with a small sigh. 

Tris forces a small smile. "Well you see, I have been trying to fit in, Ma'am."

"So you don't think you belong in Erudite then?" Jeanine presses, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. 

Tris is quiet for a few seconds as she chooses her next words carefully. "I just want to do well in initiation. That's all. It does determine the jobs we can get, does it not?" she asks, mimicking Jeanine's expression.

Jeanine smirks. "Yes, but that isn't necessarily a reason to pull multiple all-nighters and get no sleep in a week, Ms. Prior," she says. "Are you aware of what sleep deprivation does to your brain?"

"It impairs the ability for the brain to function properly, and can cause permanent damage to your brain cells," Tris replies knowingly.

"It's good to know that not only does Erudite have a dedicated initiate and that your studying is paying off, but that still does not give you a free pass. I would also like to discuss you showing up to dinner. Or at least, the lack of you showing up to dinner."

"That's when I sleep. Audrey brings me food." Jeanine nods.
"Very well then. You are dismissed. It's just my job to make sure the initiates aren't dying from some random cause. Don't know I was put in charge of that," she mutters, her gaze returning to her laptop. Tris awkwardly stands there. "Are you going to leave or are you waiting for the Abnegation to invade?" Jeanine asks sharply, defeating the purpose of a joke. Tris nods and hurriedly exits the room, quickly heading back to her dorm. 

The reality was, Tris had chosen Erudite by mistake. She had intended on choosing Dauntless, but her blood dropped in the wrong bowl. Tris had decided that her best chances of making the initiation cut was either for her to befriend the faction leader, or do some serious readjusting of her priorities. And she knew that there was only one right option. She sighs as she flops down on her bed, grabbing a book in the process.
"I take it that your meeting didn't go well?" Audrey asks, who was casually sitting at the desk in the corner. 

"It went fine. She just was worried about my large number of all-nighters, that is all."

Audrey chuckles. "Honey, that's her job. I doubt she personally gives a crap about you at all. To Jeanine, we're just people who will help raise the average faction IQ."

Tris is quiet as she appears to contemplate this for a minute before sighing. "I guess you're right," she whispers after a while. "There really is no reason for her to care, is there? Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"I found one of my dad's old journals. He used to be friends with her. He could have asked Jeanine to watch out for me-"

"Fuck no. Jeanine wouldn't do that for anyone; even a former friend." Audrey replies, pulling her hair out of a bun. It falls into soft brown waves around her head, and Tris just can't help but find herself staring. Tris then shakes her head and looks back to her book. 

"Audrey, I think I'm just going to bed," she mumbles, shutting the book and taking her glasses off. 

Audrey raises an eyebrow. "No all night studying?" she asks, seeming clearly surprised.

Tris shakes her head. "I'm actually going to bed tonight. Miracle, isn't it?" she asks with a small smile. Audrey nods as Tris heads off to the bathroom to get changed. Tris then sits down on her bed, clearly lost in thought. Audrey heads out of the dorm and Tris rubs her forehead, letting out a groan. "What is wrong with me?" She asks herself. She crawls under the covers. "I was raised in Abnegation. Now I've been here for six days and am already questioning my teachings." She sighs as she ducks under the covers. She finds her mind wandering back to her conversation with Jeanine. Tris hated that the older blonde was on her mind- although she hated Jeanine in general- She couldn't even explain why she found herself thinking about her. Tris closes her eyes and falls asleep right away.

Jeanine had been thinking about the strange initiate herself. She hadn't understood how it could be possible for one to accidentally choose a faction. But yet, here this Abnegation girl had been proof that one could accidentally mess up their own destiny. Jeanine sighs as there is a knock on the door to her office. "Come in," she calls. 

Eric enters and she looks over at him. "Hello, Jeanine."

Jeanine forces a small smile as she sits down at her desk. She then gestures Eric to sit down across from her. "What can I help you with today, Eric?"

"We think we have found another Divergent within the Erudite faction. We cannot be for certain yet, so she is under close observation until further evidence suggests otherwise."

"Splendid!" Jeanine says, looking at him. "I'm glad my team is finally proving themselves to be competent enough to find Divergents."

Eric nods. "We've been working around the clock to find them for you."

Jeanine nods. "May I ask what this one's name is that is from my faction?" Jeanine asks.
Eric nods and brings up the person's profile on his tablet. "Her name is Beatrice Prior."