Fractured | Tobias Eaton ✓

حبيبي | 10

We end up on the other side of the gym, there's a wall that somehow muffles the sound of what I'm guessing is the Dauntless-born initiates training with the guns. We're surrounded by punching bags and a large ring is painted on the floor.

I hadn't really believed David or Baba when they said that the Dauntless would have the initiates train by fighting one another in a ring. Guess I should take their word more often.

Everyone's names are written on a chalkboard in alphabetical order. It reminds me of the one I would use to teach those I tutored with. I smile at the thought. There is no other Rita on the list, my smile drops. I wonder what happened to her.

Four's right back where he was this morning, standing in front of us. "As I said this morning, next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges–which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless."

Life as a Dauntless. A shudder passes over me as I hold my hands together tightly, rubbing the skin against itself. Ma said I've done it since I was just a child. Self-soothing even as a baby, she'd exclaim. I've been self-sufficient since I was an infant... Always caring for Tammi and Ada.

I miss Tamino. But he is probably still mad at me, I come back to when I see Four already beginning the demonstration. After that, I focus on what he's saying–hard.

Luckily my training with David prepared the skin on my fists for these punching bags. Dauntless just throws them out when they're worse for wear and David managed to find one in the landfill. The rough canvas cover is familiar as I first push it around to get an idea of the weight.

It's heavier than the one I trained with but I get used to it quickly. The only other initiates who seem to know what they're doing are, of course, the Erudite. I see Russ beating the living crap out of his hands while pummeling the punching bag as if it's gonna run from him.

Four goes around correcting mistakes and my peers' forms.

When he stops in front of me, he just nods. What does that even mean? I try to ignore my anger as I take it out on the stupid punching bag. I thrive on critique when it comes to this kind of thing. David and Baba constantly had comments for me both good and bad. I need to know if what I'm doing is right or else I'll psyche myself out.

I notice Christina and Tris talking as we're dismissed for dinner.

Four walks behind me but when I turn toward Tris, he stops me. "Where'd you learn all that from?" I twist around, eyebrows raised. He repeats himself and I feel a small bit of satisfaction that I didn't even try to get him to say it again despite having heard him.

"Cousin," I say plainly, I'm not sure if Dauntless remembers either of them–Baba or David but I won't say names.

"They would have been a good addition to our faction."

I scoff before I can stop myself. "Funny," I catch up with Tris and Christina before he can talk any further. "Hey, what was that in there?" Everyone saw how Four put his hand on Tris' stomach.

I would have writhed away from him so fast. But Tris' default reaction seems to be freeze. I'm much more flighty. Like a bird.

My Aunt Enola always called me her bird. It was because I would always run from home when things went wrong. If there was a fight, I was gone. Food was low? I'd run so they could feed fewer mouths.

These trials are making me want to run now. Just like I wanted to when I chose Dauntless. Not with them–but away from them.

"I–I don't know, he was just correcting me." There's a lingering blush on her ears. Weird. We reach the pit and Al, the boy I tutored and apparently the one who won't stop sobbing every night turns around.