To Try Again | Divergent (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 21

When I return to the dormitory, I am surprised by the sight. Al's bunk along with Myra's is stripped clean.

I don't bother asking where they went. It's pointless. They were cut.

I look at Christina and see tears slowly falling from her eyes. Her and Al were close, but I never realized it until now.

I sit beside her, but immediately I feel awkward. I'm not crying even though I feel like I should be. Al was my friend and now he's gone, but I find it as a good thing.

Last time, when someone said he was 'gone' they meant dead. This time around, he is factionless. I had always said that I would rather be dead than factionless, but that is no longer the case. I agree with the Amity boy on the train. I would much rather be factionless than dead. Although, I prefer neither.

I've been both, no matter how hard it is to think about. I've been factionless, living with Evelyn in a home with food. And I've been dead.

So I can only be happy for Al because maybe things will be better for him this time.

"Who else got cut?" I ask, as her sobs turn into nothing more than sniffles.

"Two of the Dauntless-born. I don't know their names," she replies.

I nod and look at the blackboard. There is a line through Al and Myra's names. No one's numbers have changed, considering that they were at the bottom of the list.

I'm still number 2 and Peter is still number 3. I hope he's satisfied and won't try anything on me. I can't risk staying with Tobias again no matter how badly I want to. It is too dangerous.

We started stage one with nine. And just like last time, we now have seven.

~~~

It's lunch and like before I'm sitting in the hallway that I am now very familiar with. All I'm doing is thinking. I'm thinking about everything. Tobias is at his meeting with Max right now. Whether or not he gets this job can decide everything.

I needed to be away from the dormitory in order to think clearly. My chest is pounding and there is a slight ringing in my ears when it finally hits me. Stopping the war may not be as easy as it seemed. There is a possibility that we won't be able to stop it at all. That is a scary thought. The thought of repeating everything that happened afterwards. I can't allow it.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts when I hear footsteps approaching. I stare at my shoes and the footsteps echo on the stone floor.

"Tris?" I hear an all to familiar voice ask. I slightly smile, remembering this conversation.

I look up and see Uriah standing above me with a goofy smile that I always associate with him. There are some other Dauntless-born initiates standing behind him.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I've been having a difficult day. Especially after last night."

"Yeah. I heard about that Christina girl. Stinks, but at least it wasn't any worse. Am I right?" As soon as he says this, his eyes widen as if he has said something forbidden. He looks down the hall and the other Dauntless-borns have disappeared around the corner. He grins wider. "Wanna get out of here?"

I smile a huge smile at the thought of zip lining again. "Where are we going?" I ask, unable to contain my excitement.

"To a little initiation ritual," he says. "Come on. We have to hurry."

Without a moments hesitation, I push myself to my feet and jog next to Uriah to catch up to the Dauntless-born initiates.

"The only initiates they usually let come are ones with older siblings in Dauntless," he says. "But they might not even notice. Just act like you belong."