A New Life

Chapter 16: Simulations

"How are you dealing with this so well?" He asks letting his hand fall from his face.

"You and I both know I've been through worse." I growl snapping my head in his direction with a glare and clenched jaw. He looks down the instant my eyes meet his and I turn back to Eric.

"You can go." He says and I smile only to be stopped as my hand touches the doorknob. "Tris, just know that you need to do this like a Dauntless, and Dauntless don't break chains and glass like that." I don't look back at him, I simply nod and leave the room. As I walk through the hall I pass Peter, the last one out here, and he grabs my arm.

"I won't lose to you, I refuse to be behind a Stiff." He hisses in my ear and I yank my arm from his grasp.

"If I recall properly, I can still kick your ass." I growl standing as tall as I can in front of him.

"Peter." Four calls from behind us.

"Funny, that's what Edward thought too." He laughs and walks into the door I just exited through. I can't help but imagine what it would be like to be in Edward position last night, and a cringe runs through me. I attempt to clear that thought from my mind as I make my way to the tattoo parlor. I quickly enter and spot Tori setting up her supplies. I force a smile on my face and make my way over to her.

"Hey Tori." I say a small yawn escaping my after.

"Hey, someone's tired." She laughs. "Ready for your second session?" She asks pulling back the curtain and I nod and walk in. I pull off my shirt and unhook my bra and hold it to my chest before laying down on my stomach. Tori quickly gets to work and I soon feel my tiredness from last night catch up with me. I let sleep take over me listening to the quiet hum of the machine marking my back.

~~~

"Hey Tris, wake up." I hear and feel a small shake. My eyes flutter open to see Tori standing in front of me. "It's time to head down to dinner." She smiles. "I'll let you get dressed then walk with you." She steps out of the little room and I stand to rehook my bra before I slip my shirt back on. I walk out into the main area of the shop and stretch my back. I'm not in pain, it's more of a stiffness, like a sore muscle, probably more from the way I was sitting rather than the tattoo itself. Tori sends me a smile as she hold the door open for me and we walk out then she locks the door and we start walking the paths of The Pit. "You know this is the first time anyone has fallen asleep while I did a tattoo on them." She laughs. "I'm guessing it was a rough night?" She says as more of a question.

"It really was," I groan. "But I guess there's a first time for everything." I shrug and she smiles.

"You know, your brother said something similar to me while I did a tattoo on his back when he was new here." Her smile grows. "I guess you two really are related." When she laughs I notice a few small wrinkles near her eyes.

"I don't know anymore." I say emotionlessly and she stops me with a hand on my arm.

"Is everything alright?" She asks genuinely concerned.

"I don't know, he's just changed so much." I whisper running my hands over my face and hair.

"A new faction does that to people." Tori says putting her hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah, but it's like he's not even my brother anymore, like I lost all of my family at once." I sigh and we start walking again.

"He'll come around, I'm sure of it. Four was always closed off since he's gotten here. I bet that you being here, from his past, is just a big change for him, something he needs to get used to." She throws an arm over my shoulder and gives me a side hug as we push through the doors of The Dining Hall. "He just needs to accept that you aren't the little Abnegation girl he left behind." She says as we get in line.