Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 18

                My eyes went straight to the chalkboard the moment I walked into the training room the next morning. There was an even number of us, so we’d all be paired with someone for our fights. Last night, I’d had a decent amount of sleep. Mostly, I’d been at ease since Banks’ eerie behavior seemed to be a one-time thing. He’d been completely oblivious to everything and everyone yesterday, so I figured today wouldn’t be any different.

                “Nice, look who I get to fight,” Dan said eagerly.               

                I found his name on the board, and written next to it was Todd; one of the other candor transfers who’d changed to dauntless. I’d known Todd from back in candor, but his purposefully rude remarks had made it so we’d never really amounted to more than acquaintances.

                “This shouldn’t last long,” Dan said as he bounced on his feet.

                I chuckled; it wasn’t hard to see why Dan was so overconfident. Todd was, well to put it bluntly, pretty average. He was shorter than Dan, and though he was a little heavyset, he lacked the speed to be a real threat. Possibly, he’d get a hit or two, but I doubted it would amount to much.

                “I get-“ my eyes quickly scanned for my name, “-Howard.”

                Dan grinned, and I couldn’t help but feel self-assured. Like the typical erudite, Howard was as threatening as the prospect of a pillow fight. He was gangly and lithe; a result of an easier life spent in front of a computer screen. As Billy’s loyal follower, he’d been quick to dish out insults, but I doubted he’d be able to back anything up. All bark and no bite as Mara would’ve said.

                I was feeling genuinely pleased, when suddenly I read the rest of the pairings.  Carla’s fight was fair; she would be fighting Samantha, Billy’s other minion, who was relatively the same size as her. However, that’s where the equality ended. The next pairings were so wildly unbalanced I actually rubbed my eyes to make sure I’d read it correctly; Grace would be fighting Billy, and Pam would be fighting Banks.

                Grace, svelte, gentle, and full of peace, would be facing off against Billy; who, though tall and thin, was built lean and sinewy from working in the amity fields. I was livid, and not just because she was my friend, but because the thought that such a grand injustice would be happening before my eyes and I’d be unable to do anything made me feel incompetent. It wouldn’t be a fight, it would be a massacre.

                Pam, Todd’s cousin, would also be in for a beating. Even though, like Todd, I didn’t consider her a close friend, the thought of her having to face Banks made my stomach churn in disgust. While Howard was the perfect image of an erudite citizen, Banks was an absolute disparity. With the new set of athletic clothes they’d given us, I could clearly see he had an athletic build. His muscles were defined, and from experience, I knew he was fast on his feet. I watched his expression as he read who he was paired up against, and saw him stifle a yawn.

                When Amar came into the room, I practically sprinted to the door, reaching him before the others had seen he’d arrived.

                “Those pairings, they’re hardly fair, couldn’t you do anything to change them?” I whispered hurriedly under my breath.

                “Oh? Do you think Howard is too grand an opponent for you?”

                His answer took me by surprise and I let out a sharp laugh; I found it comical that he’d assumed I was worried about myself.