TRIS POV
Four stands in front of the tightly packed crowd, a chalkboard leaning against his tall legs.
"Your rankings have been determined by your shooting and fighting ability over the last week. Fighting is weighted more heavily though, as we have spent more time on it and it is more difficult than shooting," he explains. "I've determined your ranks through a system of points, automatically subtracting points from the seventeen-year-olds who completed initiation last year to make it fair for the sixteen-year-olds who are brand new to this. I added a certain number of points to your score if you won, depending on your opponent's wins and losses, and if you lost, I removed points in the same way.
"So these are your rankings as they stand. Remember that you only have until next week to pull your score up. I would advise that you avoid the bottom, since you will are likely to be cut if you are down there. That being said..."
Every initiate shares a breath as we stare at the chalkboard that he hangs on the wall, trying to make sense of it. I have to stand on my tiptoes to see over people's shoulders, and then I am able to make out the names when a few disperse.
I am not surprised, but I do beam anyway.
1. Tris
2. Peter
3. Justin
4. Christina
Christina turns to me and squeezes me in an embrace, squealing loudly in my ear and pressing several painful bruises. I laugh and shove her off so I can scan the rest of the names, the ones that I actually recognize catching my eye.
8. Jessica
22. Dez
23. April
"You're doing great, Dez," I tell her while she frowns at the board.
"Not good enough," she sighs with a shake of her head.
Christina sets a hand on her arm and says, "Hey, you're far from the bottom. You won't get cut, and that's really all that matters this early on."
It's true. I was definitely one of the worst initiates last year, but the second stage was enough to put me right on top, in first place like I am now. Peter even dropped down from second place to fifth in that time period, so anything can happen. Although I doubt my ranking will shift much.
Speaking of Peter, I realize that there is something I want to do. My eyes search the group for him, and once I spot him a few feet away, pursing his lips and looking nearly as worn as I do from our fight two days ago, I start toward him.
"Peter," I call.
He turns his head and watches me incredulously, trying to guess my motive.
"I just wanted to say good job on the fight," I say honestly. And while a part of me wants to be nice, I am also looking out for myself. More specifically my eyes, since last time Peter took second was when Edward fell victim to his malice, and then later me when he tried to toss me into the chasm.
Peter's seemingly innocent, doe-like eyes stay that way instead of hardening at me with a promise for revenge. I hold my breath, waiting for something, anything, and then he sticks out his hand.
"Yeah, okay, Stiff," he replies, and I hear a truce in his voice. A truce is better than being even, and I shake his hand and offer a polite smile before retreating back to my friends.
"What was that about?" Christina scowls.
"Insurance," I say.
Four pulls our attention away from the board and to the larger one standing up close to the ring. "All right, here are the fights for today. If your name isn't on here, then you will fight your third opponent tomorrow, which will be the last day of fights," he announces. "Derek and Bryce, you're first up."
YOU ARE READING
Chasm
Fanfiction"There is a chasm between us, a gaping schism that only seems to widen as hard as we try to close the distance. Someday, our combined efforts to reach each other again will lead us both into the abyss." After an overthrow of the unwanted factionless...
