The Girl Who Cried Dauntless

Chapter Eight: Dormitories

In unison, Dauntless members and the Dauntless-born stood up to honour their leaders. The transfers awkwardly followed suit, unsure of the usual protocol for speeches.

"My name is Max and I'm your leader here at Dauntless. You have chosen the warrior faction. Tasked with the defense of this city and all its inhabitants. We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, and the courage that drives one person to stand for another. Respect that and do us proud!"

Everyone broke out into another fit of claps and whoops, making me raise my hands slowly and quietly clap. People in Erudite would've laughed at such a speech. Short and to the point was something no speech in Erudite had ever been, especially not under my mother. When Max concluded, he walked out before the clapping started to die down, his lackeys following close behind.

After all the chaos settled, Four made rounds up and down the table, trying to gather the initiates for the finishing of the tour. Regardless of whether they were finished their meals or not, a command from Four had the transfers ready to comply without much resistance. When we left the eating area, Four led us down a series of hallways, not bothering to tell us where we were headed. Each hallway we passed was lit scarcely by a flickering, blue lamp at the end of each hall. I stumbled multiple times in an attempt to keep up with Four and the group as my heels buckled on the uneven ground. Thankfully for my heels, Four only took us down one more of the poorly lit hallways and stopped at an oaken door. We crowded around and waited for whatever he was going to say before allowing us entry. "Behind me," he started, tilting his head back to signal at the door, "are the dormitories, but before we go in, there are some ground rules. It's a must that you be in the training room everyday at eight o'clock sharp. Training takes place from eight to six, with a lunch break in between. After training, you're free to do whatever you want. You also get some time off between each stage of initiation."

The last words of his speech ended abruptly and he looked at everyone before turning around to open the door. "This is where you'll be staying for the next few weeks." Beyond him was a spacious room with bunk beds occupying the middle. Although the room was big, it was about as presentable as the sewers. "Lovely," I said sarcastically, my face twisted in annoyance. "You want us to live like wild animals."

I heard a laugh come from behind me and I turned on the heels to see who it is. The Candor boy who made the lewd comments about Tris and I, along with a girl about the size of a tank and a dull looking gingered-haired boy. "Yeah, we shouldn't make her stay here, should we, princess? I mean someone with such a pretty face can't be seen at such a place - but wait, you don't have one, do you?" His two sidekicks snickered wildly at his jeer and my cheeks reddened. Not in embarrassment, nor sadness. It was in white-hot anger. I could handle many things, but making me look like a fool in front of people was not one of them. For the second time today, I lost my cold and calculating demeanour and my lips parted back into a feral snarl. The Candor's face contorted in amusement at seeing my anger. "Oh, look! She can show emotion! Maybe she's not as alike with her mom as everyone says she is. Tell me, princess, does your mom always walk around acting like a computer?"

"How about you tell me something, Candor? What kind of people are your parents to have raised such a vacuous child. That means a person who shows a lack of thought or intelligence, if you didn't know." I said, mimicking the voice of an adult speaking to a toddler.

"Great," the Candor scoffs. "Your mother's a walking-talking computer, with a walking-talking dictionary as a daughter."

An insult was ready to fire off my lips before Four rudely interrupted. "Am I going to have to listen to your banter all throughout initiation? And you," he said, his eyes narrowed at me. "What makes you think you're entitled to anything better?" Knowing the danger, I bit back the witty remark.

Four left once neither I nor the Candor made a comment, and the room stayed completely silent afterwards. I climbed into bed, my anger not dissipating until sleep took a comforting hold on me.