The Right Path: a Divergent fanfiction

Chapter 4

The initiates stand in a line before us. Some fidgeting with their eyes on the floor, and some looking straight ahead. Today we start the training for the fights.

Tobias demonstrates the basic actions, first in the air and then moving to a punching bag. He did just the same in my initiation.

Only a few give him their full attention, the others just stare into space. We'll see who was listening later.

I stand behind the initiates, looking at Tobias in awe. His muscles are so defined, and I love the way that they tense at the slightest movement. When his fist comes into contact with the punching bag, the sound fills the large room, and echos down the hallway.

He must have told them to start practising, because all of the sixteen year olds start to move at once.

We pace behind them, and I stop behind Jenny. She is small, and doesn't have much muscle, like me this time last year. I remember the advice Tobias gave to me,

"You'd be better off if you used your knees and elbows more." I tell her, walking closer behind her. I give her a quick demonstration, moving my elbows strongly, swfitly, surely.

Have I become so Dauntless that a movement like that comes so easily to me?

I go to stand with Tobias, following his gaze to Lily and Luke, the twins.

"What you thinking about?" I turn to him, speaking quietly.

"Oh, nothing." He replies without making eye contact."They're not too bad this year." He says it like a question instead of a fact. I just nod in reply, and we stand in silence, just watching.

When we dismiss them for dinner, they leave the room quickly, without saying a word. When they have all left the room, I start to get out the mats to practise fighting. I hear Tobias' heavy footsteps behind me, and his hand touches my stomach.

"Remember when I did this?" He whispers in my ear, a smirk on his face.

I spin round to face him. "How could I forget?" I reply, and kiss him gently on the lips.

When all the mats are set out, we leave the room in silence, walking at a slow pace, trying to make the most of these moments we have alone. I push open the heavy wooden door that lead to the dining room, and make our way over to our table. I slump in my chair, ravenous.

Today's dinner is jacket potatoes with beans. I have never really liked this meal, and would try to avoid it at all cost. But today, I will eat just about anything.

Tobias is still waiting for his meal, so I talk to Christina about our initiates.

"The Dauntless-borns are so cocky!" She exclaims, as Uriah sits down next to her.

"You do realise we're all like that." He says before shoveling a spoonful of beans into his mouth.

I am finished just as Tobias is sitting down.

"I'm going straight back to the apartment. I'm so tired!" I tell him, standing up.

"You sure? It's only 6:45." He asks. Is he worried about me?

"Yeah. I have some work to do, then I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Well I'll be up in a bit. You OK?" He asks. He is worried about me. His eyes search my face, looking for a sign of what I'm thinking about.

"Yeah, I'm OK." I say, turning around to leave. Tobias doesn't try to stop me, and I slope off to the apartment.

When I get in, I peel off my clothes and get straight into the T-shirt Tobias was wearing yesterday. I slip into bed, shivering at the coldness of the covers. My eyes plead for rest, but my mind won't obey.

For what seems like hours, question whiz around my mind like flying saucers. When Tobias comes in, I pretend to be asleep, so I won't have to answer his questions. The bed dips as he gets in beside me, wrapping his arm protectively around my waist.

At about 10:00 pm I am still not asleep, but I know Tobias is. I get up, and pull on a pair of shorts and decide to go for a walk. I creep quietly out of the apartment, so as not to wake Tobias. I close the door softly behind me, and walk sleepily through corridors and hallways.

I reach the chasm, and stop at the railings, mesmerised by the loud yet beautiful water attacking the rocks beneath me.

A cold hand wraps around my mouth and nose, to stop me from screaming, and something hard hits me on the back of my head. There is one hand almost suffocating me, as another nearly pulls me off my feet, dragging me along.

I thrash at the hands holding me, but they don't budge. I think I can smell the faint aroma of honey and lemongrass, but it is just my imagination.

I am hit again on the back of the head, cold blood trickles down my neck, and then he speaks.

"Shut it, Stiff."

Peter.