DIVERGENT: Tobias (Watty Award Winner 2013)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Today is going to be nothing new. Today is the last day for combat. Combat...Relief fills me when I remember that it's my turn to choose the pairings. Only four names float through my mind. The only pairings that I really want to see. Peter get beaten up by Edward. And Tris not get hurt with Myra. Other than those two pairings, I don't care that much about today's combats.

The whole day passes by in a blur at times. The only thing that is clear is Tris. Her every movement catches my eye. I can't look away from her.

As for her fight with Myra? Tris punched her in the First two-minutes and then it was over. It wasn't much, but at least she wasn't hurt. After the combats, everyone has time to do whatever they want, so I know it's unlikely that I'll see Tris....But I will see her tonight.

I dwell on that fact more than I should. The fact that I will see again before the day is over. We are all playing capture the flag: my team against Eric's. It's so funny how he thinks he can beat even though he has never won. His problem is that he doesn't think, he just acts.

At around eight thirty that night, me, Eric, and a few others meet to tell the initiates about the change in plans tonight. We sprint to the Dauntless-born initiates room first, giving them a small advantage over the transfer initiates. Eric throws the door open and everyone behind me flashes their flashlights into the room, causing many initiates to groan and squint.

"Everyone get up now! You have exactly ten minutes to get dressed and meet us at the tracks! Understood?" Eric screams. The response he gets is just a jumble of murmurs.

We leave them and set of to the transfer initiates room. The procedure is pretty much the same, though they have less time than the others.

Eric bursts through the door with flashlights behind him, illuminating his figure. "Everyone up!" Eric screams at them. My eyes are frantically searching the room, looking for one person only.

Then I see her with a confused expression on her face.She looks at everyone around me and then her eyes connect with mine. We both don't move for a while. And how could I? Her eyes hold me here. They make me never want to turn away. They truly are striking to look at.

"Did you go deaf, Stiff?" Eric demands. At his remark, Tris breaks our eye contact and slides the blankets off of her body, which I notice is already fully clothed. Strange. Why would she sleep fully clothed? Is she not comfortable changing in front of so many people? I would understand if that was the reason.

Christina stands next to Tris, wearing barely anything, exposing her legs and crosses her arms. She stares at Eric.

"You have five minutes to get dressed and meet us by the tracks," Eric says. "We're going on another field trip." With his statement, we leave to go to the tracks and wait for all of the initiates to gather there.

It doesn't take them very long, considering we only gave then a few minutes. But it isn't surprising when the Dauntless-born initiates show up just before the transfer initiates do. And then I find myself looking for her. Again. I try to tell my eyes to stop looking, but they know that's not what I truly want so they continue their search. When they eventually find her standing next to the box labeled paint balls, she laughs, apparently finding some humor in their name.

"Everyone grab a gun!" Eric shouts to everyone. Tris is the closest to the supplies so she is the first to grab a gun and a box of paint balls. I watch as she shoves the box of paint balls in her pocket and slings the gun onto her back.

"Time estimate?" Eric asks, looking at me. There he goes again, making me seem like his slave or something. I guess he just doesn't remember who beat him in initiation. Or maybe he does and this is his pay back. I swear, I will never understand the workings of his convoluted mind.