Starting Over

Chapter 23

I leave the compound and jump on a train. Tobias is right after me and soon everyone is on the train. I squat down by the door and stare at the floor. Tobias puts a hand on my shoulder to try to comfort me. When I don't react he starts to pull away, but I put my hand over his and smile up at him. No matter what happens I still have him.

Soon we're at the Erudite headquarters and I'm jumping off the train. I walk past the staring sea of blue. I guess they're not used to seeing a crowd of Dauntless heading toward their headquarters. When we reach the main lobby I tell the man at the front desk that I need to speak to Caleb Prior.

"I'm sorry, but he is currently in a meeting. I can take a message or you can return later."

I turn to walk away but Tobias puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Tell him Tobias Eaton needs to see him."

"Mr. Eaton, I was not aware you had a meeting with Mr. Prior today."

"It's an emergency."

The man huffs and says something about going to tell my brother Tobias is here. We wait in silence for something to happen. Finally I see my brother leaving the elevator and heading our way. He looks so much older than he did the last time in saw him. He also looks very confident and composed in his black and blue suit.

"Four, what is it?" He looks concerned.

"We need to talk to you. In private."

"Okay? Follow me?"

He leads us to a conference room Tobias, Caleb, and I walk into the room but everyone else waits outside. "So what do we need to talk about?"

Tobias puts a hand on my back an pushes me toward Caleb.

"Caleb," I start, "you should really know something."

He looks very confused. If I wasn't so nervous it might be kind of funny. "Do I know you?"

"I would hope so, you are my brother."

He stumbles backward and sits on the table. "Beatrice? That's not possible, she's dead."

"No I'm not Caleb. I faked it."

I tell the story for the second time today. Caleb runs his hand through his hair while he takes it all in.

"Are you telling me that you're really Beatrice?"

"How do you you want me to prove it, Caleb?"

"How would you feel about taking the aptitude test for me?"

I agree and Tobias and I follow him to the elevator. We go up a few floors and follow Caleb into a small white room. It's empty except for a chair and a computer. The room looks almost exactly like the one we take the aptitude test in before the Choosing Ceremony.

"If you're really my sister you'll be used to needles," he says as he bends over and slides the needle into my neck.
I'm instantly transported back into a room I've seen twice before. Everything's the same, including my choices.

"I don't get it!" Caleb cries as he looks at the results. Divergent: Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. "It just doesn't make sense!"

"What, you still don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you Beatrice, it just doesn't make sense how you can get all these results!"

"So you're not mad?"

"No Beatrice, I get it. I know why you did it."

"Really?"

He turns and smiles at me. "Beatrice, if anyone can understand it would be me. You seem to forget that I'm Erudite, and it's my job to reason out logic like yours all day. Yes, I understand."

Tobias clears his throat and steps closer to me. I ignore him and hug Caleb. He hugs me back. A few minutes later we're on our way downstairs. Tobias still looks angry so I take his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. He squeezes back and rubs his thumb in a little circle on my palm. When we get downstairs I say goodbye to Caleb and head back to the Dauntless compound. When we get there we head back to Uriah's apartment to finish the game.

"Marlene, Candor or Dauntless?" I ask.

"Candor."

"Who knew I could love a Pansycake so much?" Uriah asks. Marlene picks up the same pillow he threw at Tobias and I earlier and hits him in the face with it.

"What's the most embarrassing thing you've seen Uriah do?"

"Well, this one time when we were little he walked around the Pit in his mom's high heels screaming about how she wouldn't let him use her lipstick." Uriah's face turns bright red and everyone laughs.

About an hour later the game ends and we head to dinner. I can't sit with them since I'm technically an initiate so I sit with Malachi, Risa, Austin, Tamara, and Zach. When I'm finished eating I make up some excuse about the simulation making me tired so I can get ready for zip lining.

When I get back to the dorm I take a shower and change clothes. I put on a pair of black skinny jeans, a tight black tank top, combat boots, and Tobias' hoodie. I pull my hair back in a braid because I don't want to have to worry about it hitting me in the face later. Sometimes I think I should just cut it off again but I like it better long, even if it is a pain.

By the time I'm ready it's time to go so I leave to go meet everyone at the train. Christina and I talk about a bunch of nothing until we get there and ride the elevator up to the top floor. When we make it up to the roof there's a few of people in front of us. 10 to be exact. The line moves quickly and soon I'm up.

Uriah asks me how I want to go down and I tell him head first. Maybe it's just my imagination but this harness smells slightly like Tobias, but I know that's impossible since he's afraid of heights. It makes me feel safer, like he's with me. What's even weirder is that when I move my hand off the strap near my head there's a gray powder on my hand. It looks slightly like ashes. Again, impossible, but I don't get to wonder about it for long because in that instant Uriah sends me racing down the line.

I spread my arms like a bird and feel the wind whipping through my hair. I let out a little mix of a laugh and a scream as I race down the line. All too soon my ride is over and a short while later we're headed back on the train.

When we arrive I go back to the dorm and collapse into bed, exhausted.