Dauntless High School

Chapter 3

FOUR

I'm still thinking about Tris while I walk to Economics class, even though I really should be focused on finding my way around this school. I've had girlfriends before as well as short-lived flings, never anything very serious. But I'm not sure I've ever embarrassed myself quite like I did an hour ago when she caught me checking her out.

Wait, where am I? I need to find room 129 and I just passed 142. I shake my head and groan, then look at the nearby rooms to see which direction I should be going.

A hand lightly touches my arm and I turn to see a girl with straight black hair and green eyes. She's pretty, but would probably be more attractive with a bit less makeup. "Hi, I'm Lauren," she says with a shy smile that doesn't quite suit her. "I haven't seen you around before and you look a little lost."

I chuckle. "Yeah, you could say that. I have Econ― room 129. I think it's that way?"

Lauren bites her lip and nods. "That's my class too. Walk me there?"

"Uh, sure," I say. She pushes her books into my hands. I wonder why she doesn't just carry them in her backpack like most of the other students.

I start walking next to her, following her lead. I can hear the click of her high heels with every step she takes. "I don't think caught your name."

"Oh, sorry, I'm Four."

"Four? How'd you get that name? Number on your football jersey?" she asks. It's not why I chose to go by the name Four, but it is my jersey number, so I just agree with her anyway. It's always easier to go with the simplest explanation, even if it isn't the truth. "So you must be that hot shot quarterback I've heard all the rumors about." She stops outside the door to the classroom, so I do too, off to the side of the passing time foot traffic.

"Rumors?" I ask.

"Yeah," she smirks. "There have been rumors for weeks that some transfer was going to be joining the football team mid-season, which is unusual. Peter won't like it if you bump him from his spot in the starting line-up. I'd rather cheer for you, though." She looks up at me through her eyelashes.

"Oh, so you're a cheerleader?" I ask, feeling a little awkward. I've been nervous about the flack I might get for disrupting the team's hierarchy in the middle of the season, and from what she just said, I was right.

Lauren giggles and lightly hits my arm. "Of course, silly!"

The hallway has begun to empty as students enter their classrooms, trying to beat the bell. I hand back her books. "That's cool," I say. "Well... we should get in there."

Zeke is sitting backwards on a desk near the windows talking to a girl with light brown hair at the desk behind him. He spots me right away and waves me over. I quickly thank Lauren and sit in the empty desk to the girl's right.

Zeke looks to the seat on my right and narrows his eyes. I turn to see who he's staring at and am a little startled to find that Lauren is there. "Don't you usually sit on the other side of the room, Lauren?" Zeke asks.

Lauren smiles sweetly. "I just thought I'd try sitting with you guys today."

"No," Zeke's friends says, "I think what you actually meant was that you've worked your way through the rest of the football team so you thought you'd be the first to slut it up with the new kid. We don't want you here, Lauren. Go back to your skanky little friends."

Lauren huffs and snatches her books off the desk before getting up. I turn back to Zeke and his friend and hear Lauren's heels clicking on the tile. The sound fades as she crosses the room. I raise my eyebrows at Zeke and his friend. She smirks at me. "Bad history," she says dismissively. She holds out a hand. "I'm Shauna, and you must be Four."