Pretty Little Divergent

Chapter 24 - Technique

TOBIAS POV

Once they're all lined up, I tell them they can start shooting. Tris and I walk along the line of initiates, watching them as they shoot. The only person who hasn't hit the target is Elliot and Abbie. Tris is already talking to Abbie, so I walk up to Elliot.

"I think what you need to do is get comfortable with it," I say, causing Elliot to jump and turn to face me. "You're very.. Tense."

"Sorry. This is all just new to me." His voice trembles, but just at the end of each word. He has the look of someone who is trapping fear inside. I watched two other classes of initiates with that expression, but maybe if Tris makes a difference to the rules, no one has to fear getting cut from Dauntless.

I shake my head and say quietly, "It's fine, I get it. But if you don't let that tension go, what good would that do you?"

He nods.

"The physical technique is important," I say. "But it's mostly a mental game, which is lucky for you because you're from Erudite, right?" He nods again.

"So you know how to play those. You don't just practice the shooting, you also practice the focus. And then, when you're in a situation where you're fighting for your life, the focus will be so ingrained that it will happen naturally."

"I didn't know the Dauntless were so interested in the brain.." Elliot gulps, then asks, "When will I have to be 'fighting for my life'?"

"I doubt you will be, but if you're going to have a job in guarding the fence, you're going to have to be able to defend yourself in life-threatening situations."

"But I don't want a job in guarding the fence."

"Well if you don't let that tension go, you might not even get a choice." Elliot looks down. I step back and let him practice, and he gets better with every shot.

[A/N #FourKnowsBest 🙌]

TRIS POV

I can tell when people don't like me, and I can tell when they don't. The thing is, Freya seems like the type of girl everyone follows and wishes they were her. Miss popular, right?

Wrong. Deep down I can see that she's just like everyone else. She makes out like she hates me but she doesn't. The truth is, she's one of those people who let what other people think about them, get to them. And as long as she thinks people think she's on top and better than everyone else, she'll relax.

She's not stubborn or mean. She's just so self-conscious that she tries to be the opposite. That's why I challenged her to stand at the target. To test my theory on who she really is. Because if she was as stubborn as she makes out, she would've refused.

But she didn't.

_____

"You owe me a slice of pizza!" Uriah points at Christina.

"Uriah, I'm not in the mood," Christina says. Behind her, I see Will's eyes burning the back of her skull. That's probably why she's acting so fretful.

"But it was last week and I'm still waiting for-"

"Uriah. Stop," I say. And he does.

After a while of eating, talking and more eating, Max approaches our table and the conversation abruptly comes to a stop.

"Tris, Four. We need to talk," he says, one hand clutching the other in front of him.

Any other time, I would object. But right now I would do anything to get away from the feeling of Will staring at us from across the hall.

Seriously, what's his problem? He's the one who cheated.

Tobias and I both stand, knowing it's probably something confidential. Max walks us down a familiar hallway, and I notice there are cameras. He seems to have noticed them too, and that's probably why we don't stay there. We end up going to his office and we sit down where we sat before: Max on one side of the desk, me and Tobias on the other.

"I have received news from the Candor, and it turns out they have found new evidence," says Max in a low voice.

"What evidence?" Tobias asks a little too loudly.

"I don't know." Max shakes his head. "I guess we'll have to find out when we get to Candor."

"So we really have to go to that stupid trial?" I ask.

Max nods and says, "Like I said, there hasn't been a murder for as long as we have been around, well, that we know of. Whatever this new evidence is, it must be pretty serious for them to even consider the two of you guilty."

I look at Tobias, but he doesn't look back. There's something about his hardened expression that pains me. Something about his icy eyes and pulled-down brows that makes me scared for him. But if he did anything, he would've told me.. I hope.

"Because if you are found guilty, and an initiate of all people was murdered by an instructor, this will look badly for both of you two and me." At the last word, Tobias looks at me back, and I look away.

"So if there is anything, anything either of you wish to tell me, now is the time to say it."

I don't know why I am nervous, but I am. This new evidence, planted by A or not, could be the difference between living Factionless or living freely.

A few days ago I was so sure I had nothing to worry about.. However, right now, I'm not so sure.

I try to speak, but I can't, so Tobias does for me. "No," he says, his voice clear and strong. Things I should be right now but I'm not.

"When do we leave?"

"Thursday." Two days.

The answer imposes itself over Tobias and over me. It makes the reality of the situation stronger. It's like before it was actually confirmed it didn't seem real.

It definitely seems real now.

_____________________
A/N

This is so unedited forgive me. I've just been a little busy lately.

But I promise there WILL be another update tomorrow. Maybe even a couple!

-Tayah💗