Waiting Four You

Chapter 8 (Beatrice)

I hate saying goodbye, but I know that it is necessary as I still haven't turned sixteen myself. This next year I'm going to train as hard as I can. I'll say that it's to get ready for Dauntless, but in reality, I just want something to distract me from his absence.

About a week after visiting day, I assume that Tobias told James about Marcus as he gets put on trial with truth serum and sentenced to prison. Through the trial we also learn that Evelyn is still alive, and all the council members who were responsible for helping her leave to keep Marcus's reputation clean.

My father gets elected as the new leader of Abnegation and he decides to make some changes to the council. Although half the council remains Abnegation, five representatives from each of the other four factions are added so that the governing body of our city becomes more fair to everyone.

Uriah and I spar every day after school, and eventually, it reaches a point where I'm winning more than I'm losing.

"At this rate, they might have to train you with the Dauntless-Borns. Otherwise, you might break the transfers before initiation is over."

His comment makes me laugh, and I decide to bring up the coming visiting day.

"If I give you my measurements, would you be able to buy me a Dauntless dress to surprise Four? It's for visiting day."

Saying Four instead of Tobias still felt unnatural to me, but I understood that he wanted Dauntless to know him for his strengths rather than his weakness.

"Sure," Uri responds. "I'll see if Shauna will help me pick it out."

I thank my friend and head home.

Anticipation for visiting day makes it difficult to concentrate on my studies the next day as the only things that I can think of are questions about Tobias. Did he find someone else? Will he recognize me? Will I recognize him? Did he wait for me?

When the day finally ends, Uriah has me run into the bathroom to try on my dress. He wants to make sure that I like it before Tobias sees it tomorrow.

The dress fits perfectly. The top is form fitting with a v shaped neckline that gives a decent view of my collar bone, but not much else as my chest wasn't exactly proportionate to my age. At the bottom the skirt flows out some until it rests just above my knees. I love it, and I hope that Tobias will too.

Uriah gives me a thumbs up as I walk out and twirl for him before going back in to change into my regular clothes. We spar like usual, and as I go to leave he stops me.

"There's something that you and your mother should know before you visit tomorrow."

I panic for a moment thinking he might be about to say something about Tobias, but instead, what he tells me is almost worse.

"About a two weeks after the last visiting day, I found Amar on the pavement below the Pyre. No one knows if he took the jump willingly, fell off, or got pushed, but I didn't want you to be surprised when you got there and found your uncle gone."

Tears start to fall from my face, and Uriah envelopes me in a hug.

"I'm sorry that I took so long to tell you, but I didn't really know how. I just knew that I didn't want you to find out when you arrived."

"Thank you, Uri," I tell him. "I need to get home. Meet me at the Pyre early on visiting day with my dress. We'll be in the first group to arrive. Tell Four that we'll be in the second so that I have time to get ready."

We split ways and tears continue to follow me the whole way home. I tell mom what Uri had told me, and even though she keeps her face composed like the Abnegation woman she is, I can see the hurt in her eyes.

The next morning I wake early and ask my mom to braid my hair. I don't want the normal Abnegation bun, but nor do I want my hair in my face.

At the Pyre, I see Uriah first, and he quickly ushers mom and I in a different direction from the normal entrance.

"Four wanted to be here early to tell an Erudite girl what her boyfriend has been doing."

"What do you mean?"

"Four is training the transfers, and he and Zeke caught one, who's been talking about when his girlfriend joins him next year, with four out of the five Dauntless-Born girls in this group. He was disgusted by the blatant lack of respect the boy had for the girl he claims to love."

The thought that he was angry at an initiate for cheating makes me feel so much better, like all my fears were for nothing.

"I'm glad that he stands up for what he believes in," I hear my mother say from beside me as Uriah leads us into another entrance into Dauntless so that I could get changed.

I'm glad too.