Divergent: No War

Chapter 17

The bed is empty when I wake. I sit up, and get out of bed. Christina sits at the dining table, eating scrambled eggs. When she sees me, she swallows and turns to me.

"I'm sorry I've been so harsh to you about spending too much time with Four." She says quickly. "I guess since he is older, I just don't want you getting hurt."

She has a sorrow in her eyes, and I smile, accepting her apology.

"Can we just leave it behind us?" I ask. "I think we should just forget about it."

"Done." She says, passing me the plate as I sit.

~~~

We meet Lynn and Marlene for lunch, an wander around talking afterwards, making our way up to the glass building, which we learned was called the Pire.

After a while, we end up in some shop, with Lynn and I annoyed as Christina and Marlene shopped.

"Want to go back to my apartment?" I ask.

Lynn says yes, and we go. We sit at the dining table, and she looks like she has news, grinning.

"You're happy all of a sudden." I say, narrowing my eyes, smiling.

She smiles even more, which I didn't think was possible. "You know the day the rankings were put up?" I nod. "Well, Gabe asked me if I wanted to hang out. I said yes, and I think he really likes me."

My jaw drops open. "Are you sure?"

Gabe was one of the Dauntless born initiates. I didn't know him well, but I knew he was at least good enough for Lynn.

"Yep. He asked me out tonight." She says, actually acting like a girl.

"Do not, I repeat, do not tell Mar or Christina where you are going." I warn her.

She laughs, as the door opens with Christina and Marlene, bags in hand. They set them down and tell us we should go to dinner.

I sit with Lynn on my right, only munching an apple, and Christina on my left, telling me about a dress she thought would be perfect for me.

I sigh, as I finish my soup, and take a bite out of my bread. Tobias sits down across from me and gives me a look.

"You're making it hard to be your boyfriend." He says, nodding to Christina and Lynn.

Christina drops her bread. "Did he just use the B word?" She exclaims.

"Hey," Tobias tells her. "She used it first."

I feel my face turn a shade of red, as Christina's over exaggerates a jaw drop. I roll my eyes.

Thankfully, Lynn changes the subject. "So the Erudite week started yesterday. Did anyone go?"

"Will went, but I stayed." Christina tells. But then she adds, "Work."

We launch into small talk, about the 5WF, food, rankings, jobs, everything gets brought up. After a while, Lynn says she isn't feeling well, and leaves, and I smile to myself.

~~~

The next day, I walk into the Tattoo Parlor to find Tori working in a huge forearm tattoo, and a man waiting.

He wants the word Dauntless, on his neck. I get to work, creating the word diagonally, and once I'm done with the outline, I shade it in with a maroon color.

After a while, Lynn comes bursting in, with the biggest smile on her face.

She tells me all about it, how they just had leftover hamburgers at his place, then he kissed her goodnight. She says she liked how simple it was, and how he asked her to hang out tonight as well.

"Well, one of these days, you're gonna have to tell the others." I say.

She nods, still smiling. She asks for a tattoo of the Dauntless symbol on her ankle, and we talk as I work.

After a while, I go to dinner with Lynn but she leaves, and I go in alone.

Christina rushes up to me.

"Have you seen Will? I can't find him or Four." She says, quickly.

"I'm sure they're fine; they are Dauntless, aren't they?" I reply.

She leads me to the table, and I eat with her. Uriah tells how his training for Dauntless leader starts next week, and how he is excited, but nervous.

Afterwards, I walk back to the apartment with Christina. She asks to go find Will, and I, rolling my eyes, follow her.

No one answers at Will's apartment, so I lead her to Tobias'. I turn the knob, and sure enough, it's unlocked.

I go inside to see Tobias and Will laughing, sitting on the floor near the couch.

"Hey." I say, as we walk into the room. "What are you guys doing?"

"Talking." Will states.

Tobias adds, "About you."

"What?" Christina and I say at the same time.

"Oh, just about how you guys compare. Which is a lot. But then you both are very different." Will says.

They tell us how they were just talking about all the things we've done together, our Ferris wheel climbing, Will and Chris's first kiss. They also talked about how I was doubtful and how Christina talks about random things when she is nervous.

I look over to Christina. "Well, maybe we should do this sometime. I know I have a lot I could spill about Four's secrets." I tell her.

His expression is blank, and I stand up to leave, with Christina's arm linked around mine.

Not even out the door, she asks if I know his real name.

"Of course, I do. And his previous faction." I say, closing the door.

After we are out, I hear a noise, and the door comes open with Tobias and Will coming after us. Christina and I split up, and I sprint as fast as I could toward the Pit, and slide into the shadows, hoping no one saw me.

I breathe heavily, my chest heaving, and walk toward my apartment. Suddenly, a hand comes over my mouth and I try to scream, but the hand covers my entire face and takes me away.