I am lying on the floor sweating like crazy while doing push ups and all kinds of exercises that would build me better stamina. As I am working out, I hear footsteps, and I immediately stop knowing who they belong to.
"Hi sis," I say to my little sister Polly, who is skipping into the room.
"What are you doing?" she asks, confused.
"Working out," I reply with a smile on my face.
"Why?" I laugh at her confusion.
"I'll tell you later. Now let's go prepare dinner." I motioned for her to follow me into our small kitchen.
We live in a little house near the Erudite headquarters. Our mom was my best friend; she was amazing and the best mom you could ask for. I am 18 years old, and my sister is 13. Mom died five years ago. It broke me. But Eric was here for me , in the highs and the lows. The many nights he held me and let me cry in his arms helped me get through everything. Popy doesn't remember Mom that well, so I try to fulfill that role. I try to do everything Mom did for me so Polly can have a normal childhood.
As for Dad, that is a whole other story. If, while Mom was alive, he was bad, you should see him after. After her death, he started to drink. A lot. And then the punches came. He was abusive. Physically and Mentally. Usually it was on me because I took all the punches for Polly. I couldn't let him hit a child. I was a child too, but no one cared. No one except Eric. He knew everything and was always here trying to help me with Dad and Polly. Then , when he was old enough, he reported him to Jeanine Matthews. And Dad was taken away from us. Normally, we would be sent to an orphanage, but since our aunt is the leader of our faction, she let us stay in a little home.
We are sitting at our little table eating in silence, which is really unusual. You could cut the tension with a knife.
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"So you are going to leave, right?" She broke the silence.
"Polly I-" I started to say something, but she cut me off.
" It's fine, I get it."
"I am sorry, baby, but you know I have to," I say softly to her.
"For him, right?" She asks, already knowing the answer.
I nod.
"You love him," she says.
"I-" I try to reason with her but fail miserably.
"I know you do."
I smile at how intelligent she is. Even though we are from Erudite, she is the smartest in her class. She can figure out everything. For the next five minutes we talk about random things, and I try to get her mind to forget about the fact that in less than a year I am leaving her.
"Savvina?" She says it out of the blue.
Yes, baby, what's wrong?"
"Am I going to live with dad?" She asks, looking worried.
No, baby, of course not. We will figure something out. We always do." I smile as I watch the frown leave her face.
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For the next 12 months, I trained every day, trying to get in shape for Dauntless. The only thing that worries me right now is Polly. What am I going to do with her? She can't stay alone or with my dad. Maybe Aunt Jeanine could take her, but I don't think she would approve if I went to Dauntless.
Since I was ten, she would take me to these boring leadership seminars she had with the other leaders that took place every six months, hoping I would end up like her one day.
Thankfully, Marcus Eaton's son was there also, so I had a little company. Both my aunt's and his father's obsession with us following their steps drew us closer since we both hated it.
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Tobias and I became great friends and hung out at those events for seven years. But I didn't feel such a close connection as I did with Eric.
After 11 months of training, sweat,sweat and blood, I was ready for Dauntless. Nothing could stop me.
