MISPLACED || DIVERGENT¹

-twenty five-

Annabelle goes back to the dormitory where she joins Tris and Christina who were just getting dressed. Eventually Eric walks in gaining everyone's attention extremely quickly.

"I want to give you some advice about today. If by some miracle your families do come to visit you..." He paused scanning the faces of all the transfers and smirked, "... which I doubt, it is best not to seem too attached. That will make it easier for you and easier for them.

"We also take the phrase 'faction before blood' very seriously here. Attachment to you family suggests you aren't entirely pleased with your faction, which would be shameful. Understand?" The threat is evident in Eric's voice.

Everyone makes their way to the pit, eyes immediately scanning it for a face even slightly recognisable. Molly and Drew stand to the side alone making Annabelle smirk, however she couldn't act on that yet since she didn't know if her parents were there or not. She continued to scan and saw Peter stood with two Candor adults. He noticed her a lightly smiled, before nodding at her as if telling her he saw some Abnegation when he was searching and for her to continue.

Annabelle saw everyone with a family member, she even saw Tris with who she assumed is her mother. Annabelle was about to give up when a very meek voice called her name. Turning around the brunette gasped at the sight of her parents not too far in front of her.

She walked up to them and as much as she wanted to decided against giving them a hug, heeding Eric's earlier words.

"Wow, you look amazing," Jennifer Kennedy spoke, giving her daughter a glance up and down, "Despite all the cuts and bruises, but you did choose Dauntless after all,"

"Are you mad?" Annabelle asked quietly, her father hadn't said and word and she thought maybe her mother was only trying to not make things awkward.

"Of course not sweetie," Johnathan Kennedy finally said, "No, look at you, we're so proud."

Annabelle had to gulp down her tears, she was so happy seeing her parents again, but knew she wouldn't act like that, after all anyone could've been watching. The three continued to talk explaining her little sister wanted to come but had school to go to, and what had been going on in Abnegation but also Annabelle's initiation so far. Annabelle told them all about her friends and how now she was even friends with Beatrice Prior. Annabelle smiles it reminded her of the family dinners they once had when they'd all talk about their day.

All of a sudden Tobias joined Annabelle's side, introducing himself as 'Four, one of Annabelle's instructors'.

"Is she doing well?" Annabelle's mother asked, her eyes sort of frantic with worry. Annabelle had already said she had been but Jennifer wanted to hear it from an instructor. "She's built up muscle, but that might not mean anything here, you know?"

"I can assure you, Annabelle is doing amazing in her initiation." Tobias began, "I shouldn't say this, but she's ranked high in stage one already,"

"That's so good to hear," Her father exclaimed, "I know about Dauntless initiation and couldn't be more proud of my daughter."

"You know about Dauntless initiation?" Annabelle asked confused, moving her attention from the fact Tobias admitted she ranked well and to her fathers statement.

"I'll leave you three to your reunion," Four said, before quickly walking away.

"How did he know your full name? I thought you said you went by Anna here," Jennifer butted in before Annabelle could question her dad again. She practically scoffed the name Anna, as she wasn't happy her eldest daughter had shorted the pretty name she had been given.

"He probably heard Tris call me that," Annabelle tried to conjure up an excuse, "or he was at the choosing ceremony?"

Her mother seemed to buy the excuse, nodding her head before saying, "He's quite the handsome lad,"

"Ew, he's my instructor,"

"What? The way you were talking to each other before he said how you were doing, you seemed close," Jennifer explained where she had gotten the impression that there was something more going on.

"No, he's my friend, if I can even call him that." Annabelle began, "but he's my instructor first,"

"Okay honey, got your eye on anyone else then?" Annabelle scoffed as her mother continued to comment on every guy she could see asking Annabelle what she thought of them and what they were like, her dad even joined in at some point, wanting to know more of what was going on in his daughters life.

Their conversations were yet again interrupted by another boy coming to stand by Annabelle's side, this time wrapping an arm around the girl.

"You must be, Mrs and Mr Kennedy! Pleasure to meet you,"

"Pleasures ours, but you are?" Johnathan asked in response to the outgoing boy.

"Uriah Pedrad aka your daughters best friend," Uriah grinned widely, his confidence and charisma shocked the older Abnegation, they immediately assumed he was the Dauntless Born friend Annabelle had mentioned earlier.

Uriah quickly introduced Annabelle to his mother Hana and again to Zeke since they weren't supposed to have met, before wandering off going to bother god knows who.

***

At the end of the day, after countless conversations with her parents and introducing everyone to everyone, Annabelle made her way back to the dormitory. No one discussed the family visits it would be too painful, so instead everyone focuses on the ranking that would soon be announced. After Tobias had said to her parents her rank was high, Annabelle was scared. She didn't know if he was lying to please her parents or telling the truth, anyway she didn't believe she was good enough to be ranked high the thought alone scared her.

After dinner, Four explained in the dormitory how the ranks were determined. "After the first round of fights, we ranked you according to your skill level. The number of points you earn depends on you skill level and the skill level of the person you beat. You earn more points for improving and more points for beating someone of a high skill level." Annabelle knew she had won multiple fights, however she didn't know anyone's skill level and how that would affect her rank.

"I don't reward preying one the weak. That is cowardice. If you have a high rank, you lose points for losing to a low ranked opponent." Annabelle sighed that meant hopefully her loss to Edward would barely mean anything since he was highly ranked.

"Stage two of training is weighted more heavily than stage one, because it's more closely tied to overcoming cowardice. That said. it is extremely difficult to rank high at the end of initiation if you rank low in stage one.

"We will announce the cuts tomorrow. The fact that you are transfers and the Dauntless born initiates are not will not be taken into consideration. Four of you could be factionless and none of them. Or four of them could be factionless and none of you. Any combination thereof.

"That said here are your ranks."