Divergent: A Retelling

Weakness and Strength Defined

That night I dream that I'm jumping off the ledge again. I'm caught by the net, it snaps and I fall to the floor. I get out of the tangled net and I'm surrounded by Dauntless initiates. They stare at me. I call out their names. Will, Al, Christina, Tris. Four and Eric push through and look down at me. Eric holds a gun to my head and says "Divergence is Dangerous."
I wake up suddenly, in a cold sweat. The lights are on and people are getting out of bed. I sit up and my shirt is plastered to my back. I get dressed without saying a word to anyone. I look at Peter and he has a red spray can. "What are you doing?" I ask him, as he walks over to Tris's bed. "None of your business sunshine." He says and then starts spraying on Tris's bed. "Hey!" I say, pushing him off balance. "What are you doing?" "It's not like it won't come off." He says, pushing me away from him. He sprays "Stiff" on the headboard in red paint. "What do you have against her?" I ask angrily. "Stiffs get on my nerves." "What, like I do?" I say, pushing him away from her bed again. "No, I guess you're worse." He says and chucks the spray can into the trash can that sits in the far wall. "You gonna vandalize my bed next?" I ask as he starts fluffing his pillow. "No," He says, turning to me, arms folded. "Because then I'd have to listen to you cry about it." My blood boils. Tris walks back in from the shower and Peter resumes fluffing his pillow. Tris stares at her bed and looks around angrily. I make eye contact with her and then look at Peter. "Nice decoration." He says, straightening up and turning to her. "Did I do something that I'm unaware of?" Says Tris, yanking the sheet of her stained mattress. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're in the same faction now." "I don't know what you're referring to." He says lightly. And then he looks at me and glances at Tris. "And you and I will never be in the same faction." Tris and I strip her bed of all soiled material as Peter makes his bed. Al walks in and immediately begins helping Tris and I. Al walks the sheets to the trash can and he and Tris leave for the training room.

Before I walk out, I walk over to Peter. "Hey sunshine, I'm loving our little talks." He says, turning to me "You know, it doesn't matter if you like it or not. We're in the same faction now. Being a jerk doesn't have to be your top priority." I say and I walk away angrily. I can feel his eyes on my back.

I get to the training room and see that Tris is staring at the board, Christina has a worried look on her face and Al is biting his lip. He makes eye contact with me and motions for me to get over there. I hurry and look at the board. "She's fighting Peter." Says Christina. "Kick his ass then." I say. Tris smiles, but it's more like a grimace.
"Maybe just take a few hits and pretend to go unconscious." Al suggests. "No one would blame you."
"Yeah, maybe." Says Tris unsurely. "Hey, guys, acting like you're confident she can't beat him is not going to help her." I say, "The fight could go both ways." "What, like it will for you?"
Says Christina. I look and my heart drops into my stomach. I'm fighting Molly. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

Someone laughs behind me. Peter. "You're goin' down, stiff."
He says, before walking over to Molly and Drew. We all glare at them.

I fight first with Molly. I am only eighty percent sure I'm going to lose. Well, make that ninety five percent. I try not to let it show. Someone squeezes my shoulder, though I don't know who. I walk up to the platform. I'm not a particularly big girl. I weigh one hundred and fifty pounds, and I'm five foot five. I'm wearing a pair of black polyester leggings that go up past my belly button and a black sports bra. I tie my hair back again and step onto the platform, my bare feet touching the cold, white surface. Molly steps onto the platform and doesn't bother tying her hair back. I swallow. I put my fists up to my head, heart beating out of my chest. My anxiety is so extreme that it's hard to breathe.

Molly puts her fists up, and we circle each other. I squeeze my fists so they won't shake. Without warning, Molly lunges towards me. I step out of the way and hold out my foot so that she trips and falls to the ground with an 'oof'. I turn and watch her get up. Shit. She's pissed now.