The Girl Who Cried Dauntless

Chapter Twenty-One: Rankings

Unlike this morning, chatter from the initiates bounced around the room. Not about the visits from family, that would no doubt be too painful for some, but for the final rankings of stage one. It's all anyone was talking about as we got ready to see them.

My mind was completely at ease as I made my way to dinner, knowing my rank was bound to be in the top three. I hadn't lost any of my fights, but looking on it now, that's probably due to the fact I haven't been paired with Edward yet. I most likely won't be undefeated when I do.

When I get to dinner I noticed Tris, Christina, Will, and Al sitting together at a table. They awkwardly send me glances as I walked closer and closer to their table. I didn't shy away from sending them a blank, stoic stare back as I walked passed their the table. The only problem I had with that was now I had to find someone new to sit with. I'm positive Edward and Myra would let me sit with them, but I couldn't possibly stomach all their hand-holding and sneak kisses so that was out of the question. The next table over from Tris and them held Peter and his lackeys, Molly and Drew. Not sure what else to do, I went over to them and sat down while they were speculating about what rank they were in. As soon as I was sitting, they stopped mid-word and looked at me questioningly. "Did someone invite you here, Nose?" Molly asked, a sneer starting to take place on her face. "Not explicitly, but I know someone here who loves my presence," I said, taking a side-glance at Peter. In turn, he met my gaze and smirked. "I hope you're not talking about me, princess. I'm only just able to tolerate you." The corners of my mouth started to lift into a smile when Peter's expression went from serious to mischievous as he took another teasing glance at me, taking my hand in his under the table.

All three of them went back to their conversation about rankings, and unlike a conversation between Tris and Christina or Will and Al, I don't force myself into it. I just watched as mostly Peter talked and bragged with a certainty that he'd be first. I didn't say anything to him about his fanical assumptions that I knew weren't going to come true. Peter definitely was going to be one of the highest ranked, but after Edward; who unlike Peter, hadn't lost a fight yet.

It didn't take long for everyone to finish their dinner. Motivation for the rankings was the primary driving force as everyone got up and travelled back to the dormitory in a herd. They swarmed around Four and Eric, who had a blackboard on the ground between them, leaning against the wall and away from us. I found spaces between all the bodies in front of me and squeezed through them to get to the front.

"Now for everyone that just came in, I'm explaining how ranks are determined," Four took a step forward, leaving Eric to causally roll a piece of chalk on the palm of his hand while taking cold looks at Four. "After the first round of fights, we ranked you according to your skill level and the skill level of the person you beat. You learn more points for improving and more points for beating someone with a high skill level. I don't reward preying on the weak. That's cowardice." His eyes skimmed over the figures of Peter, Drew and Molly, though they didn't react making me believe none of them noticed it. "If you have a high rank and you lose to a low-ranked opponent, you decrease in points."

Four had talked about rankings and points before but it was still unclear as to why we needed them in the first place. Christina, yet again seemed to be thinking in the same terms as me considering she asked the question. "What are the rankings for?" With this question, Eric seemed to come alive. He was now fully engaged into the conversation. "It determines what career you'll go into after imitation," Four's mouth opened to add on to his answer, but was beat by Eric. "Rankings also decide who gets cut." Christina took a slight step forward, as if she didn't hear him correctly. "I'm sorry, but did you say 'cut.'" The curl of Eric's lips was cruel as he looked at the horrified faces of the initiates. "Only the top ten initiates become members of Dauntless. The rest are cut by the final stage."
"And what happens if we're cut?" Multiple initiates asked at the same time. "You live factionless," he said indifferently to cries of outrage.

None of this was news to me. My mother got people to fill me in on the way Dauntless ran initiation.

Everyone was now speaking all together, drowning out the voices of Four and Eric. All of them speaking in the same tune: worried about their future here with Dauntless.

"Don't worry about that now, though," Four's voice took back control of the situation. "Cuts are announced tomorrow. Enjoy tonight." He ignored some of the scoffs from the crowd and flipped over the board to show our ranks:

1. Edward
2. Peter
3. Adelaide
4. Will
5. Christina
6. Molly
7. Tris
8. Drew
9. Al
10. Myra

Everyone began talking again as soon as Four and Eric left the room. Tris, Christina, Will, and Al. Edward and Myra. Molly and Drew. I noted that Peter didn't participate in the conversation with them though. Instead, he silently went to his bed and untied his shoelaces. That action had me more confused than anything else right now. I knew Peter definitely couldn't be satisfied with second place and yet, he hasn't said a word about how unfair it was. I wanted to go up to him and comfort him, tell him not to do anything stupid, but I rather give him space to think everything over. If I gave him time alone, I'm sure he'll end up calming himself down.