Starting Over

Chapter 4

I lay in bed later that night feeling like my muscles are trying to murder me. Today was filled with running and cardio and all kinds of physical activity meant to try to get us in shape as quickly as possible. Laurel moans a few beds over. She tried to roll over but only succeeded in causing herself more pain. I slowly roll over and stand up.

"Where are you going?" Thomas asks.

"A walk," I respond as vaguely as possible as I walk out the door.

A few minutes later I'm standing in front of the clothes store in the Pit. I can't help but think about the first time I was ever here, when Christina insisted on giving me a makeover. I think I'm going to do the same thing for myself today. With a deep breath I walk into the store. I'm faced with black everything. The only problem is that I have to make sure all my shirts hide my tattoos. About a week from now it won't be a problem, but it's too soon to show them off.

About an hour later I walk out with three new black shirts, two new pairs of skinny black cargo pants, a black jacket, and black combat boots. It took me forever to find shirts that I could actually wear.

I also decided to get a new haircut since I can't wear a hat the whole time. During training today I kept it in a bun but if I keep doing that they'll claim that I can't let go of my Abnegation side, which is true. Instead of doing something crazy like a person in Dauntless usually would I just go for some long layers to give my hair more body and make it look different. Right now different is good, but I don't want to do something extremely Dauntless like shave half my head or dye my hair a random color. Right now I just want to be Tris.

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The next morning Tobias takes us into the training room. I see the knives on the table and have to fight the urge to smile. It's been too long since I've held a real weapon.

"Everybody line up, Stiff at the beginning," Tobias orders. "Today we will be learning how to throw knives. I thought it would be best to start you off with this instead of giving you a gun your first real day here. You're going to watch me first."

He demonstrates for about 15 minutes before he lets us actually pick up a knife. I'm in the front of the line so I go first. I purposefully miss the target by about a foot.

"Again," Tobias says harshly as I go to pick up my knife. This time I miss the target by about six inches. He grunts and turns away.

By the time it's my turn again nobody's hit the target yet. This time I aim for the very edge. It hits exactly where I aim it. I walk back to the back, grinning. On my next two turns I aim a little bit further in but on the opposite side. They continue to hit where I'm aiming.

After our fourth time through Tobias stops us to demonstrate the proper wrist movement again. So far Grayson is the only other person to hit the target, although Laurel came pretty close.

"Four, is this correct?" Laurel asks as she walks through the motion on her own.

He grabs her wrist and repositions it. "Like this. Let your wrist relax some. You can't be so tense."

Even watching him touch her wrist makes me jealous. He shouldn't be bothered with her, not while I'm standing right in front of him. I have to force myself to calm down, telling myself that it's because he doesn't know who I am. He thinks I'm just another transfer.

Eventually we're allowed to break off on our own. About 2 hours after that he sends us off to eat. I can't help but get some smug satisfaction that Laurel's the only one who hasn't hit the target yet.