Another Pedrad: Initiation

Chapter 2 | Introductions //Tris POV

"It's loyalty that makes you family" 

-Chris Diaz, 

For Blood And Loyalty

♡♡♡

Tris POV

Today was the first day of my life that I didn't try to steal a slice of cake from Zeke.

I gripped the edges of my tray as I stood, watching the familiar bustling and chaos of the Dauntless cafeteria. When my gaze passed over the table where I always sat at, my eyes locked on Zeke's. He smiled and waved at me, but I quickly ducked my head away, quickly walking to where Uriah was. I could almost feel Zeke's disappointment pouring through my body as I hurried away.

Uriah was sitting a table, surrounded by initiates. He was telling a story with wild, dramatic hand gestures, and he nearly slapped the plate off my tray.

"Idiot!" I exclaimed, dodging to the side just in time. "You nearly knocked my food onto the ground!"

"Well, it wasn't your cake," he said dismissively.

I rolled my eyes, sitting down across from him. "You little-"

Besides Uriah, the annoying Candor cuts me off, "You guys are the twins right? But you don't look alike, you're not even the same skin color!" 

I whipped my head to the side, staring her down, "I don't recall asking for your opinion, Candor-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a looming presence behind me as my entire body filled with dread. In that same rough voice I was so familiar with, he said, "We don't refer to our past factions anymore." He placed his tray down besides me, and stared at me, "You are all Dauntless initiates now."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, unsure of what to respond. "Thanks for the advice," I mutter sarcastically.

Four arches a brow, "What was that, initiate?"

"It was a joke," I state.

The corners of his mouth twitch slightly, almost as if forming a smile. I couldn't help thinking to myself that I missed his smile. And then, I proceeded to mentally kick myself for that.

The doors to the cafeteria are thrown open so suddenly that Uriah jumped in his seat. Our table falls silent as Eric waltzes in, a smirk plastered on his face. He once told me his favorite thing about being an instructor was the terror on the faces of new transfers whenever they see him.

"Who's that?" Christina asked out loud to no one in particular.

"Eric," both Four and I said in unison. I nearly crawled under the table in embarrassment as across the table, I could see Uriah visibly attempting to stifle a laugh with a hand covering his mouth.

The two of us stating his name seemed to have caught his attention, because across the room, I saw Eric starting towards our table. He sat down on the seat besides Four, pushing Four uncomfortably closer to my body.

After a moment of silence, he gestured towards us, " Well, aren't you going to introduce me?"

Four sighed, going down the table, attempting to remember the names of his transfers. When he finished, Uriah pretended to look offended as he exclaimed, "You forgot the most important person!"

"Oh yeah," Four replied, pointing to me, "And this is Tris."

I didn't even try to contain myself as I started laughing out loud. Uriah jaw dropped open in a playful hurt, shaking his head.