Flower Crown ❀ (Divergent)

Concede

Chapter 3

The next morning, I was up bright and early in my fighting gear; waiting by the ring for Tris and Christina was like torture. I felt over-prepared for this fight, as if I was waiting for it all my life. Soon initiates trickled in and I spotted Tris, Christina, Will and Al looking around. Christina saw me first and a smile graced her face.

"We we're looking for you! Are you excited?" She asked me smiling.

"A little bit." I told them about what happened with Eric and Peter, they looked at me shocked.

"But he's such a hard-ass and cruel!" Will commented about Eric

"Peter apologized and he asked you out? No ways! What are you, a magnet for all jerks?" She asked mortified.

I shrugged, not knowing.

"It makes me suspicious of what Eric has up his sleeve. Even with Peter, I feel as if they've teamed up." I muttered just as Four walked in with an angry Eric in tow.

Eric explained the rules again that we fight until one of us is rendered unconscious. I was queasy. Christina still wasn't too impressed with that notion.

"First fighters Mia and Peter get up, we don't have all day!" Eric growled.

We did in fact, have all day. I thought miserably as I heaved myself up on the platform. A strand of magenta hair escaped its messy bun. Peter stood in front of me in fighting stance so I reciprocated. He was quite a bit taller than me so I sized him up carefully.

"Concede Flower Crown, I really don't want to hurt you."

I didn't concede, rather stepped forward teasingly. He lunged forward in offense so I smacked him down with the side of my foot. His body made a bunch of sounds as he hit the mat.

"I'm not afraid of a casual bruise. You might be though, are you sure Dauntless is for you?" I snorted.

Eric had a subtle grin hidden behind his large fist. I went back to my same place just when Peter got back up and recovered. He stepped forward again with his right foot and I dodged a punch he sent to the right. He sent a flurry of punches my way but I managed to dodge or block just in time. He was strong and fast, but I out-moved him.

"Stop playing around Mia!" Four commented.

I lunged forward punching him once and hitting him in the face with my elbow. He stepped back but recovered quickly, sending a high kick in return. I ducked and swerve-kicked his standing foot out from under him. Peter hit the ground with a pained thud. My foot throbbed as I stood back up, and Peter noticed my wince so he heaved my foot from under me sending me tumbling towards the floor. My head hit the floor making me momentarily dizzy. Peter and I both got up at the same time. I lunged at Peter and he sidestepped making me punch out sideways. He grabbed my hand and I lashed out with my other fist, socking him in the nose. I then tried to roundhouse kick him but he grabbed my foot and held it. I had to think fast so I heaved my body up and kicked out as hard as I could mid-jump. His body landed on top of the foot he was grabbing and his body wasn't moving. My foot was undergoing some serious trials. Peter got up again so I had to think fast as I was breathing heavy and my mind was focusing on my adrenaline. I twisted up onto his body so that my legs held his neck in lock, I could see he was getting mad. I heaved him down on the floor and scrambled to hold him down firmly with my legs.

I pulled my foot out from under Peter and tried to stand on it. It was bruised but nothing I couldn't deal with. Four wrote something on his notepad, and Eric was looking slightly uncomfortable in his clothes as he bounced from foot to foot. I ignored it and walked back to a cheering Tris, Will, Christina and Al. My hair was an absolute mess, so I took it out and ran my fingers through it. It had been cut to my shoulder blades so it was easier to manage. Somehow my eyes caught Eric's from across the room. I shifted on my feet uncomfortably. He wasn't supposed to be looking at me, what did he know that I didn't? I thought to myself. Paranoia seeped back into my bones.

I watched Al beat Will up and I was so proud of him however he told me that he was kind of ashamed of the way he did it so easily. A guy named Edward was really good and I learnt that he was an Erudite transfer. His girlfriend was a Candor transfer as well.

Eric and Four started arguing about the meaning of bravery and Tris and I looked at each other, rolling our eyes. I could tell Tris had a thing for Four. I would speak to her about it later though.

Said girl wasn't doing so well in the sparring and I kind of felt terrible for her. She was a Stiff and Stiffs would naturally take longer to adjust to the lifestyle.

A few more initiates went before Christina and Molly were up. Molly was dominating on the floor and I seriously wanted to intervene. Christina's face was bloody when she decided to concede. I really wanted to hurt Molly now. After what I did to Peter, it gave me the confidence I needed in myself.

Eric circled like a vulture at the word. I honestly feared for her safety when he ordered us along, I felt a but jealous when Eric guided Christina to the chasm holding the small of her back. But I quickly scrapped it as something else was coming off him. Something more predator.

"Are you, uh, feeling a little better?" Eric was playing around with her now.

"Yeah I'm fine." It was the wrong answer as he threw her off the chasm floor and made her hang by ger fingers off the metal.

I cringed.

"You got three options: hang there and I'll forget your cowardice, fall and die or give up. But if you give up, your out."

He decided to make a lesson of her as he told her to hang over the side of the railing of the chasm at the bottom of the Pit for five minutes. I wanted to scream at Eric as I watched Christina hang. I couldn't watch her in pain there. Tris and Al start cheering for Christina encouraging her to not fall and die.

"Three minutes Christina." I murmured, jumping from foot to foot nervously.

The glare Eric shot me was deadly but I matched him up with an equally as angry glare. He was not allowed to mess with my friends.

Oh hell no!

He stormed over to me, initiates parted ways for him. Eric grabbed my upper arm and pulled me towards him. I was bristling at the proximity.

"You wouldn't help her if you knew what's good for you!" He hissed in my ear.

"Two minutes Christina!" I snarled, testing him.

I knew it was a bad idea testing my faction leader, but as I mentioned before: He brought out the fiercest part of me I never even knew I had.

Christina's arms were shaking now. I knew she was tired and sore from the beating she got from Molly. Said girl was snickering so I reeled back and socked Molly in the nose. Now that stupid little Candor wasn't laughing. Eric pulled me back to him, his large hand almost half of my forearm.

"Mia!" He snapped at me, my eyes flicked towards him in fright.

"I'm not afraid of you Eric! One minute!" I snapped at him pulling my arm back from his grip.

The initiate class gasped as if I was about to be declared factionless but I knew the faction laws well. He pulled back and breathed put of his nose in annoyance. I knew that I was being treated differently than the other initiates and it grated at my nerves. I just wanted to be an equal for once.

"You should be." He hissed at me with narrowed eyes.

I looked back to Christina and helped her up. Eric made an undignified noise as if I wasn't allowed to help her. I did anyway giving her my jacket to warm her up. She was soaking wet due to the water from the chasm spraying on her. I looked back to Eric and smirked at him. He wasn't going to intimidate me.

"Dauntless never give up." I rolled my eyes walking away from him.