The Natural {Divergent | Eric Coulter}

Part I: Chapter 8

"That was fucking badass, stiff." Adam laughs and plops down next to me.

"Mhm? Thanks." The rest of the boys follow shortly behind him, and I wince as Scott claps my shoulder in congratulations. God damn, I'm still sore.

Adam & Mackenzie & Benji ramble about some party last week and who's sleeping with who and how Mackenzie's sister is pretty sure she got knocked up last night in somebody else's apartment closet.

I didn't know who any of the people were, and figured it wasn't any of my business, so I kept my head down and continued to eat.

I've started on my hamburger when a hand reaches up and pulls a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. Scott.

"You're cute, Stiff," he says. "You can join in our conversation if you'd like."

"It's not really any of my business," I pause, "I don't want to intrude."

His hand is still on my cheek, gently caressing my face. "If we didn't want you to hear, we wouldn't say it in front of you, sweetheart," Scott says. "You're not intruding. He's telling you just as much as he's telling us."

I smile back at him as he continues, "Besides, it's no secret that Mac's sister is a slut." This time, I join in laughing as Mackenzie punches Scott's shoulder. The pair roughhouse for a little while, not stopping until Benji sticks his foot out and they fall to the ground.

Everything in Dauntless is so hands on- disputes are resolved by fights, and fights are resolved by more violence. Best friends have no second thoughts about putting the other on the ground, each still laughing at the other.

The boys have taken me in. I finally feel included, like I'm part of a family.

As I look around at Mackenzie still on the floor, Adam and Benji still laughing their asses off, and Scott sitting next to me, arm lazily drooped around my shoulders, I'm finally sure of my choice.

I'm going to have to work my ass off, but I will do well in initiation. I have made friends and I will meet more people. I will continue running, running away from my past and the solitude that encased me in Abnegation. But for now, I am Dauntless.

I am home. 

[<>][<>] [<>][<>] [<>][<>] [<>][<>]

I've been here for only a week, yet I feel like I've lived here all of my life.

We had yesterday afternoon off and I won my fight that morning. It wasn't quite 16 seconds, but it was a quick fight that showed my dominance. We have today off and rankings will be announced at lunch..

The rest of the transfers still don't talk to me. They won't look at me and won't talk in front of me, and I've heard them whispering about me behind my back. They're scared of me- the weak little girl from Abnegation. But I keep my head down and stay focused. No excuses, no distractions. Keep training.

I'm not wired to sleep in, but I lounge in bed as the others rise. I don't want to bother them or let them bother me, so I wait for the dorms to clear out and the hot water to reheat. In Abnegation we were seldom allowed warm showers so I'll take advantage of any chance I get.

When it finally runs out, I get dressed and head into Dauntless. I might go straight to the cafeteria, or I might screw around for a little bit, depending on how much time I have. Unsurprisingly, I have no idea what time it is.

As I pass above the pit, I see a familiar face messing around on a laptop.

"Hey, Stiff," he mutters, barely glancing up from his work.