To Try Again | Divergent (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 31

I breathe deeply as I sit up in the chair. In today's simulation, I was forced to kill my loved ones again. Tobias is looking at me, and we lock eyes.

"I'm tired of having to relive these simulations again," I say with a sigh.

He chuckles. "That makes sense."

"That's not what I mean," I stress. "I'm just ready to get this over with. I'm ready to have a life. An actual life."

He comes closer to me. "I understand completely, Tris. We just have to give it time."

I know he's right, but I'm ready for a normal life. He just continues to stare at me, looking for some kind of response, so all I do is nod.

~~~

When I get back to the dormitory, I notice the other initiates huddled in a group on the other side of the room. Eric has a chalkboard in his hands, and it suddenly dawns on me. Stage two rankings. I slowly walk over and stand beside Will.

Eric turns the chalkboard so it's facing us, and I wait for him to move out of the way so I can see it. Everyone falls silent as they search down the list for their name. No one gets cut after stage two of course, but if your name is below ten, Dauntless may not work out. That's a scary thought considering what I've been through.

The rankings are similar to last time, but they're very different from stage one.

The first slot has my name written in it. Peter is in second. Third is Edward. Christina and Will are seventh and ninth.

I beat Peter in stage two again.

Once again, Peter and my time results aren't even close. Peter's average simulation time is eight minutes. Mine is still two minutes, forty-five seconds.

"Nice job, Tris," Will says quietly.

"Thanks," I mumble, still staring at the board. I know what might happen tonight. I ranked first. Peter ranked second. He might not have Al to help try and kill me, but two is still more than one. I would stay in tonight, but I have a very strong feeling they'd do something in the dormitory instead of the chasm. I'd rather not have my eye stabbed out by Peter and Drew with a butterknife.

Peter gives me a look worse than any glare. He's looking at me with the same look of pure hatred that I've seen before. He walks toward his bunk, but at the last second, he whips around and shoves me against a wall, a hand on each of my shoulders.

"I will not be outranked by a Stiff," he hisses, his face so close to mine I can smell his stale breath. "How did you do it, huh? How did you do it?"

Peter pulls me forward before slamming me back against the wall. Well, he tries to. Instead I grab his wrists and twist his right arm so it's behind his back. He clenches his jaw and holds back a scream before I step away completely. Will's jaw drops, and he stares at me in shock.

"What was that?" Will whispers as I stand beside him once again.

I shrug. "I wasn't going to let him get to me."

"Are you all blind," Peter screams, "or just stupid? She's going to edge you out of the rankings and out of Dauntless, and you're going to get nothing, all because she knows how to manipulate people and you don't. So when you realize that she's out to ruin us all, you let me know."

Peter storms out of the dormitory. Molly and Drew follow him, looks of disgust on their faces.

"Is he right?" Will asks quietly. "Are you trying to manipulate us?"

"Are you kidding?" I ask. "How would I do that? I'm just doing the best I can, like anyone else."

That may not be the complete truth anymore, but it's the best I can give. Experience might help me, but I'm still only doing my best I can for an actual life in Dauntless. I'm most definitely not manipulating them.

"I don't know." He shrugs a little. "By acting weak so we pity you? And then acting tough to psyche us out?"

"Psyche you out?" I repeat. "I'm your friend. I wouldn't do that. Besides, you don't even know the start of it. Okay?"

"Don't be an idiot, Will," Christina adds, hopping down from her bunk. She looks at me without sympathy and adds, "She's not acting."

Christina walks out the dormitory and Will follows, leaving me alone. I sit on my bunk. Christina knows everything. Is she trying to help or is she believing Peter too? I shake my head and start to leave, but Tobias' head appears in the doorway.

He looks around the room carefully, looking for signs of anyone else. "I'm alone," I chuckle unconvincingly. Then, I look down at my hands.

"Are you okay?" he asks, sitting beside me.

I sigh. "I ranked higher that Peter."

He nods. "I know. That's why I'm here." I look up at him. "You're staying with me tonight. I'm not letting him hurt you."

"Tobias," I say. "I can't just do that. People will be suspicious you know? As much as I want too, I can't stay with you everytime something bad's going to happen. I can handle it."

"I know you can, but-" He lets out a puff of air. "Can't you get Christina to cover for you or something?"

I shake my head. "I don't know." I stand up and walk toward the door, after pecking his lips.

"Where are you going?"

"Honestly," I say, "I'm not sure."

A/N: Long time, no see. How's it going y'all?

Word count: 946
Updated on 03/01/19