Divergent - Tobias Eaton POV

Chapter 1.

I wait by the net, wide and sturdy, where the initiates are supposed to jump, to arrive at the Dauntless compound. Glancing at my watch, I read the time. The initiates should be jumping soon. The last time I was here was a year ago, on last year's Choosing Day, and before that, was my first time in Dauntless.

"Bet it's a Dauntless born," Lauren, the dauntless-borns' instructor says. Dauntless borns are always the first to jump.

"It's always a Dauntless born," I reply, bored. The Dauntless borns usually know what's at the bottom, even though we try to keep them away from it.

I glance upward to see someone flying down, into the net. I am surprised to see the initiate wearing grey, not black. Not many transfer from Abnegation, and those who do, have never transferred to Dauntless - besides me, and now this initiate. The initiate looks up, then laughs. She laughs? I hold my hand out, and she grabs it, rolling off the net. She stumbles a little, and I catch her. My hands grip her arms, but I release them as soon as she stands up.

"Thank you," she says, her voice steady, though she looks fragile.

"Can't believe it," I hear Lauren behind me. She smirks. "A Stiff, the first to jump? Unheard of." Lauren is right. Never, in Dauntless history, had a Stiff jumped first. Even I didn't, when I first joined.

"There's a reason why she left them," I say, a little annoyed. I turn to the initiate. "What's your name?"

"Um..." the girl hesitates. I remember Amar giving me a chance for a fresh start, so I decide to do the same.

"Think about it," I say, a faint smile on my lips. "You don't get to pick again."

"Tris." She says firmly.

"Tris," Lauren repeats, grinning. "Make the announcement, Four."

I look over my shoulder and shout, "First jumper - Tris!"

I can hear the people above cheering, and then another person drops into the net. This time, it's a girl from Candor, her screams following her down. Everyone laughs and cheers.

I set my hand on Tris' back, and say, "Welcome to Dauntless."