Surviving Reality: Divergent | ✓

Marlene

Original chapter title: The Good, the Bad, and the Stupid

"You are my new best friend." Lynn announces, slinging her arm around Tris's shoulders on Thursday. We're on a walk around our small town, bored to death but wanting to enjoy the warm weather before it's gone.

"Thanks?" She says it like a question. Christina, Myra, Cara, Lauren, and Lynn laugh. This is more of a girls-only thing. 

"So, who's the cutest guy in the school to you guys?" Cara asks. Her question is mostly a joke, since she's only interested in guys if they're one thing- fictional.

"Will." Christina says without hesitation.

"Ha!" Cara shouts. "I knew it!"

"Tris's brother is pretty hot." Lauren admits, and Lynn nods in agreement.

"Only if you're actually into guys." Lynn says.

Tris makes a face. "Caleb? Ew, no. Myra, what about you?"

"Edward." Myra says dreamily. Of course she thinks Edward. He's her unofficial boyfriend.

"Ask him to the Halloween dance. He'll say yes." Shauna advises.

I look at Shauna. "What about you?"

She shrugs. "I like Zeke. But you guys already knew that." None of us comment on the fact that her and Zeke are dating-but-not-fully-dating since she broke up with him after the accident.

"Tris, what do you think of Four?" Myra asks.

"He's...nice." Oh god, are you serious? What is up with her and Four and the word nice? Can we get a bigger vocabulary here, people?

"Hot or not, chica." I say.

"Oh, um...hot? Sorry, I'm bad at this. What about you, Marlene?"

"She's in love with Uriah." Lynn annouces in a slightly sing-song voice. I feel my cheeks turn bright red and glare at her. And of course, the guys show up. You can tell that they didn't hear us. Clueless fucks.

Uriah falls back in step beside me. "Hey, 'Lene." He says, using my nickname from when we were little. To everyone else- and to him now, as well- I'm Mar, but he couldn't pronounce Marlene when we were younger and it only ever came out as Lene.

"Hey Uri." I reply.

He keeps his hands stuffed into his pockets. "Are you going to the dance with anyone?"

"No. Why?" Ask me. Ask me. Damn it Uriah, you better fucking be asking me.

"Um," he scratches the back of his neck. "Do you wanna go with me?"

"You mean as friends?" I ask, still shocked that he asked me.

"Uh, yeah. As friends." He gives me a sheepish smile.

I grin and take his hand. "Sure. Why not?"

Oh. Maybe because you aren't asking me out on as more than friends, you thick headed dumbass.

But whatever.

I'll take it.