Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 28

                Eyes flying open, I awoke with the ghost of a word on my lips. Hushed and more of a breath than anything, I’d called out to the figures I’d dreamt about. The main one being, my mother. No matter how childish, I couldn’t lie to myself; I missed her, I missed Mara, I missed home.

                Today was the day before Visiting Day, and I’d had the hardest time falling asleep knowing that I was a day away from seeing my loved ones. I didn’t have doubts, I knew they’d come to see me. Nothing but a grave emergency would keep them away.

                It was still early, and I decided to use the time to get ready. I grabbed my bundle of clothes and then made my way to the bathrooms. I turned the water on, letting it run over my body and soothe the remaining aches I had. The fall from the coaster had left a few odd bruises, shaped like some of the beams that had held the railing up, but they were healing nicely.

                I savored the feeling of the scathing water running down my back. Losing myself in thoughts, I was beginning to feel nostalgic, and as I dressed, pulling on my pants, I caught sight of myself in the dingy mirrors that ran along one of the walls.

                I felt different, but as I took in my own reflection, I realized the changes must’ve been more internal than anything else. Mostly, I was still me. Sure, I could see certain muscles groups more clearly, more defined, but they’d already been there. My hair was getting slightly longer, but I’d always had the bad habit of waiting until the last minute to cut it; opting instead to just run a hand through it and pushing it to the side, rather than waste time going to a barber shop.

                Other than the bruises, my warm russet skin was still unmarked; no ink anywhere to be seen. I’d yet to get a tattoo, not because I was afraid of the pain, but because if I did get something, I wanted it to be meaningful and not spur a spur of the moment thing I might later regret. Like Grace, I wanted something that would remind me of a special moment in my life, a person, a place, something of emotional value.

                I frowned when I realized that what I’d thought was a shirt had actually been another pair of pants, and that the towel I’d grabbed had actually been a smaller hand-towel. Ugh. I sighed; the night’s lack of sleep was affecting me, and that couldn’t happen. Wearing only pants, I dried my torso with the cloth as I made my way back to the dormitory.

                Maybe it was the fact that it was still somewhat early, or that I’d been walking along barefoot, but before I was significantly close to the room, I made out the sound of muffled shouting. Maybe it was a sixth sense, but somehow, I knew it was one of my friends who was in danger.

                Bursting through the dormitory door, my stomach wrenched in anger as I took in the sight before me.  Carla had Grace pinned to the floor. A sharp plastic object in her hand, I couldn’t tell what it was, was pressed to the side of her head. Billy, Howard, and Samantha were watching and cheering her on.

                “What are you doing?” I snarled as all heads turned towards me. Where was Dan? Where was everyone else?

                Carla snapped her head up, and for an instant, regret flickered across her features.

                “Do it Carla, do it if you want to be a part of our group,” Billy ordered.

                And then the look was gone, and Carla was nodding as she prepared to sink the sharp object into Grace’s ear. I leapt, for once not caring that I’d be fighting a girl, and in a swift movement wrenched her off of Grace, took the sharp object from her hand, and tossed her to the side against the metal frame of one of the beds.