Divergent: Four's POV

Chapter 15

I walk the familiar paths leading out of the chasm. I had been sitting there for about an hour or so just trying to sort out my thoughts and to make a plan to help Tris and Uriah.

As I climb over the railing, I turn to see a small figure walking the path toward the doors that lead the member's entrance and the net that the initiates fell into on choosing day.

I follow behind her quietly, staying in the shadows. I'm just curious to see what she is doing down here. It isn't wise for her to walk around in these secluded places alone, especially with people like Eric and Peter around.

She heads over to the net and lifts herself into it and just lays there looking up into the night sky. Sometimes it amazes me how much we are alike, seeking secluded places to get away from the chaos and noise of the compound.

I turn and leave, I don't want to disturb her and I'm not going to lurk in the shadows. I'll just hang out by the chasm for a while until she goes back to her dorm.

XXX

Today her simulation was the same as yesterday. She was forced to shoot her family.

She sits up in the chair and looks over to me.

"I know the simulation isn't real," she says.

"You don't have to explain it to me," I say. "You love your family. You don't want to shoot them. Not the most unreasonable thing in the world."

"In the simulation is the only time I get to see them," she says. She folds her hands together, and then releases them. "I miss them. You ever just...miss your family?" She blinks away tears before they come.

I look down at the floor. My father is my only family and I have no desire to ever see him again. "No," I say quietly. "I don't. But that's unusual." I don't explanation and she doesn't ask. It seems that she has finally realized that I won't answer personal questions.

She walks towards the door, and pauses with her hand on the knob. She turns around and looks back at me. Our eyes hold each other and I feel like I can hear her questions. I soften my gaze and feel a surge of warmth in my gut and my heart begins to pound. She doesn't break the gaze and I feel like she is looking straight into my soul and I can see straight through hers. I feel like I want to let her into my strange little world. I want her to know me, not Four the instructor, or Four the prodigy, but Tobias. I want her to know the real me and everything that makes me who I am.

She breaks our gaze and without a word quickly leaves the room.

XXX

I meet up with Zeke and Shauna in the cafeteria for dinner. We talk about what we are going to do tomorrow night.

"I think we should hand around the chasm and drink," Zeke says.

"That is all you ever want to do!" Shauna scoffs.

"I do like the idea of hanging by the chasm," I say, "but I don't think I'll be drinking."

Shauna shoots me a knowing look and smiles. After my last episode of drinking at the chasm, I have no desire to do that again for a while.

"I heard that the Stiff is in first place in the rankings for the transfers, is it true?" Zeke asks.

"Yes," I reply without emotion. I am very proud of her. She has done well figuring out how to hide the Divergence. She doesn't manipulate the simulations; she just works at calming herself enough to get through it.

Shauna looks at me playfully. "Well Four, tell us about it. Oh...wait! Maybe, I should say tell us about her!"

Zeke snickers and I glare at Shauna, heat rising in my face.

"Look at this Zeke, Four, is blushing at the thought of a girl. Can you believe it, our little Four has real emotions and he likes someone!"

"Don't worry about it, Four, we won't let anyone know you have emotions!" Shauna laughs. She elbows me in the ribs playfully, and I can't help but laugh. I actually don't mind that they know.

We leave the cafeteria and take a walk through the Pit. We turn down the hall toward the training rooms when I hear a noise come from the gun range. We walk toward the door and hear a couple shots coming from inside.

Shauna pushes the door open to reveal, Uriah, Lynn, Marlene, and Tris. Marlene is eating a muffin and Uriah is shooting plastic pellets at a target one hundred feet away, Lynn and Tris are just talking when they hear the door open, they all turn to see us enter the room.

"I thought I heard something in here," I say.

"Turns out it's my idiot brother," says Zeke. "You're not supposed to be in here after hours. Careful or Four will tell Eric, and then you'll be as good as scalped."

The four of them turn and head out of the room with Zeke and Shauna.

"You wouldn't tell Eric," Lynn says as she passes me. She glares at me but I can tell that she doesn't want to have to deal with Eric. She continues out the door.

"No, I wouldn't," I say.

Tris is the last out, and as she passes I rest my hand on top of her back. Her back tenses then immediately relaxes at my touch and I see shiver shoot through her body.

The others walk ahead and I decide that I'm going to stop her for a moment.

"Wait a second," I say to her. I'm worried about her but manage a feeble smile.

"You belong here, you know that?" the words come out but they aren't expressing what I really want to say. "You belong with us. It'll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?" I scratch behind my ear, and pull my gaze away from hers. I want her to know how badly I want her to make it through and be okay. I want her to know how I feel and how badly I want her to know everything there is about me.

I can feel her eyes stare at me intently. She seems to be playing out some scenario in her head. Suddenly she reaches towards me, and grabs my hand. I lace my fingers into hers. I look at our joined hands, and then I look at her. She appears to be holding her breath. She looks up into my eyes and we stare at each other for a long moment. My heart races so hard that I'm sure it will escape my chest. She pulls away and runs to catch up with her friends.

I watch as she runs out of sight and smile. She has finally let me know that I'm not the only one feeling this attraction. That any ill feelings I felt toward Will, Al, or Uriah were for nothing. She let me know that if I want her, she is mine.

I turn down the hall and head off to the control room.

XXX

I leave the control room later than I had intended. There is no one on the Pit floor and only a couple people lingering in the halls. I walk slowly back to my apartment tired but alive with the possibilities of actually having a relationship with Tris. Behind me I hear the roar of the chasm.

Suddenly I hear a scream coming from the chasm. I turn to see three large figures and one small figure struggling by the railing. I run toward the struggle and see that Peter, Drew, and Al have Tris by the railing. Al sees me and runs in the opposite direction. Peter has her dangling by her neck over the railing. When he sees Al take off he looks in my direction and sees me coming right at him. He releases Tris. She's okay, she has a hold of the railing. I get to Drew and my fury takes over. They tried to hurt her. I begin to punch and kick him into unconsciousness, then I realize that she is calling me.

"Four," she croaks.

I rush over to her and gently lift her over the railing. I place my hands behind her back and her knees and gather her into my arms. She presses her face into my shoulder and passes out.

I carry her back to my apartment and gently lay her on my bed. I know she probably needs the infirmary, but I know that she wouldn't want to go there.

I crouch next to my bed and touch her face. I move the hair behind her ear and try to gently clean the blood that has collected on her face. I make sure she is comfortable and adjust her shirt so her bare stomach isn't exposed. I notice that one of them kicked her in the side. She may have a broken rib or two.

Once I have her situated and have made her comfortable, I go back to the chasm where I left Drew. I take him to the infirmary and drop him in the middle of the floor for them to find him.