Mother's Daughter - Divergent

Chapter Seventeen

Song for this chapter ~ Hits Different by Taylor Swift

The tracks beneath the train car make a smooth clicking sound as the train slowly follows its course. The sun is gleaming through each and every window and door opening inside the car. I squint my eyes, trying to look outside.

After deciding I wanted to watch the city flash before my eyes on my way to see Jack after his shift, I get up from the floor of the cart and lean against the door frame as I feel the wind against me.

I sometimes take the scenery on the train for granted. The train shows great views of the city. I find it peaceful. Well, apart from the many buildings and structures that lay crumpled on the ground from the war.

My eyes fall closed for a second and thoughts of meeting Jack off of the train flood my mind. Jack and I have been dating for a week and missing him must be the worst part of this whole ordeal. I force my eyelids open again before I fall asleep on the train.

The train slowly approaches its final station at the city's wall. I sigh, wishing I could have appreciated the amazing scenery for just a while longer. The train car's wheels screach on the tracks below and the train slows to a halt.

I step off of the train carefully. Compared to the train jouney, the sight infront of me is dismal to say the least. The ground is barely level as is complemented by overgrown grass and rubble. The neglect the city has shown the land is evident.

"There you are." I hear in the distance. It's Jack's voice. 

As I turn my head to the right, I see him walking towards me, gun in hand. I've never really understood why guns are necessary for guarding the wall from the outside. It's been so long, I seriously doubt we are going to be attacked, but, the city likes to be prepared for the inevitable.

I smile at him and jog over to him, giving him a hug as I reach him. He wraps his arms around me and drops the gun almost immediately. I rest my head gently on his left shoulder, looking across at the grass. 

"I think I'm starting to like meeting you after your shifts in defence." I confess. I have no idea why I liked it so much as he is only working in defence as a punishment from Dauntless leadership. Maybe its missing him so much that makes seeing him so exhilerating.

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but, this isn't going to be permanent." Jack chuckles with his response as he strokes my hair. His sense of humour never fails to make me feel joy. 

"I think I can live with that too." I say. I raise my head and look up to him. He looks into my eyes before he softly places a kiss onto my forehead.

"Shall we head on back?" He asks whilst looking at me. I nod and we get back onto the train and headback to Dauntless.

***

As soon as Jack and I reach the walkway that heads towards the pit, we stop holding eachothers hands. We made things official between us, yes, but, we still want to keep things private. Especially since rumours having been spreading around the city at a crazy rate lately.

Erudite - no, my mother morelike - have been releasing statements about Abnegation. When I say statements, I mean the ones that are intended to stir chaos among people. My mother's intentions are slowly starting to become more obvious. I'm still undecided on whether I should be grateful that I know of them or not.

The hustle and bustle of the pit continues. Its always difficult to here anything here. The Dauntless seem to have a constant desire to be deafening everywhere they go.

I see Four stood in the corner with a group of his friends and I walk towards him.

"Well, well, where have you been?" He says with a slightly concerning look on his face. I pull a lop-sided smile.

"Nowhere special, just felt like a train ride." I explain myself. He just nods but with a confused expression on his face. 

Four continues the conversation with his friends as I turn to go down one of the many corridors of the pit. I hear footsteps walking behind me and notice its Jack following me.

"So, where are you going?" He asks, catching up to me.

"Felt like walking over to the cafeteria to grab some chocolate cake. You are welcome to join." I tell him jokingly. He grins.

"Well, I wouldn't mind that." Jack replies. 

We continue walking down the corridor. Every corridor in this place has large florescent lighting on the walls so I'm not sure how no one mananges to lose themselves, but somehow we don't. Anyhow, we take a right and begin walking towards the cafeteria via the weaponry corridor. 

Jack taps my shoulder as I see a tall blonde women walking towards us in the distance. The women is having a conversation with memebers of Dauntless leadership and is carrying multiple folders as well as a pair of glasses. It's my mother.

Jeanine starts getting closer to Jack and I before I realise that Lauren is walking behind her. She keeps her head down as she reads whatever she is holding in her hands. One would assume some sort of non-fiction book as thats what she used to read during our lunch breaks at school.

Although Jeanine never lays a single eye on me or Jack, Lauren does. I look at her back.

"What are you doing here?" I ask her. I'm not only curious, I am confused as to why she is walking alongside my mother whilst she vists Dauntless. Only memebers of her lab team would attend meetings held with other factions.

"It's a long story." She responds, closing the book in her hands as she stops to talk to me whilst the rest of them continue walking.

"I have time." I say to her, almost through gritted teeth. 

We all step to the side as Jack keeps an eye on the corridor for us. I notice Lauren gulp after I had pressured her. I feel no guilt though, as I want her to answer.

"After initiation, your mother offered me a job in her lab." She explains. My heart sinks as I realised my best friend not only is in the same faction as Jeanine, she is also working with her and supporting whatever vulgar ideas she has. I start to feel nauscous.

"Do you seriously believe what she is saying Lauren? Have you even considered that she might just be unecessarily getting attention by spreading rumours about Abnegation?" I raise my voice at her and she certainly looks taken back.

She opens her mouth to say something but no words leave her mouth. 

"Just go." Jack says to her and she does exactly that. I place my hand on the wall infront of me to steady myself as tears start streaming down my face in pure rage.

Jack places his hand on my shoulder and eventually turns my body around to face him. 

"It's okay. Come on, let's go back to my place." Jack says softly and he wraps his arm around my waist. Then we walk on back to his apartment.

I almost feel a sense of betrayl. I never knew that Lauren was that much of a follower. I can't believe she would work alongside my mother and believe all the bullshit claims she makes about various factions.

When we get back to Jack's apartment we lay on his couch and watch tv whilst hugging one another. Eventually I fall asleep.

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So if you haven't noticed, I am going to try and aim to update this book weekly. I'm not sure how long this will last for as I have assignments for university but, I will try my best. 

See you all next time!

Eden <3