I'll Be Good

10

'If we go down now to the pit your family might be there,' Eric says. 'But remember, you are now in a different faction and we expect you not to go crawling back screaming that you need them. Also remember that there is a chance that your family might not be there and maybe that's better for everyone. Now you can go.'

Almost half of the initiates go down. I wait a while in the bathroom. I feel sick. When George transferred, my dad didn't want us to go visit him. They probably won't come for me either. I'm wearing a black hoodie with a ripped, dark gray jeans jacket over it. My face is swollen, I'm broader, my hair is messy and longer than it has ever been. I'm not even sure if they will recognize me. The door of the bathroom opens and it's Ross.

'Hey,' he says concerned.

'Hey,'I say back.

'Your parents are here,' he says kindly.

'Oh..'

'Yeah, they are talking to my parents now and they asked if you were still here. Are you coming?'

'OK.'

We leave the dormitory together and take the stairs down. The pit is filled with people. It is mostly a black mass, but there are dots of other colors between the black too. It is a weird phenomenon. Ross grabs the sleeve of my shirt and pulls me through the crowd. I hate crowds. Then I see them. They are talking to Ross's parents. Ross goes up to his parents and they leave. I see my mother, sister and father. They came. They look past me as if they don't recognize me. Then my mom and I lock eyes. She steps forward and wraps her arms around me.

'Are you alright?' She whispers in my ears. Her hot breath warms my ear. I just nod. She pulls back and looks at my swollen face. 'What happened?' She asks.

'It's nothing,' I say. She lets go off me. My dad claps me on my back and I try not to cringe away from the pain. I hug my sister and she whispers in my ear: 'Is George here?'

'Yes, I don't know where he is at the moment, though,' I say. My sister and I break apart. Suddenly I feel a large hand on my shoulder and my family looks somewhere above me.

'Eric,' my dad says and then looks at the hand on my shoulder.

'Good morning,' Eric says. He stands close to me and I can almost feel the warmth of his torso against my back. My sister looks at him as if she has no clue who he is. Eric bows forward to shake everyone's hand, whereby his chest presses against my back. I try to act normal while my stomach is making back-flips. My dad looks disapproving at Eric. 'I am overseeing Ellis's initiation.'

'You are? And how is Ellis doing?' My dad asks.

'Very good actually,'Eric answers. 'They were asked to do a early leadership program, but they turned it down.' I turn my head and give him an angry look.

'You turned it down?' Dad says, confused.

'No, I didn't. I just took a break from it,' I say and look from my dad back to Eric, 'I want to continue with it.' Eric smirks.

'Is that so?' Eric says, with the same awe-full smirk.

'Yes,' I say between gritted teeth. Eric's hand slides from my shoulder and I try my best not to shudder.

'OK,' He says and leaves.

I turn to my parents and sister, trying to hold back tears. They have no clue... they think that I am just doing initiation. I killed someone and they know nothing about that.

'Let's go to the dining room. There you can taste dauntless cake,' I say.

'Is that tasty?' My sister asks.