Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 43

               "Don't try playing mind-games with me, I know you understand what I'm talking about," Billy snarled, jabbing a finger at the board and then at me. "How did you do that? Huh? Did you cheat?"

               "You can't cheat in the simulations," Grace protested in my behalf.

               "Yeah. I mean, I know you're not very smart, but that's common knowledge Billy," Dan agreed.

               "Shut up, I wasn't talking to you two," Billy said, and I noticed that a vein in his forehead was pulsing slightly with his elevated pulse. "Don't you see? Don't you all see? He's obviously got a trick up his sleeve. There's no other possible way he could've gotten out in that time!"

               A trick? Hah, yeah, I supposed I did have a trick. Not one that would do him any good though; even if for some crazy, hypothetical-reason I did have to tell Billy my secret, it wouldn't help him. Ever since we'd started stage two of our initiation, he'd been steadily falling in the ranking's list. It would take a miracle for him to catch up to where he'd once been.

               I snorted, and then before I changed my mind and decided to take out my frustrations on Billy rather than Banks, I turned and stalked out of the room.

               "Ignore him, he's just upset that his rank is so low," Grace said when she and Dan had caught up with me.

               "Yeah," Dan agreed, "some people just can't stand to see others do well."

                I felt my frustrations fade as Grace and Dan continued to chatter, and after a few minutes I was mostly myself again. We were just turning a corner when I spotted Finn, Biff, Jude and Ava.

                "Hey!" Finn waved and began to jog over with the others.

                "Sage, Dan-" Biff called out with a rowdy laugh. "And, uh, girl-who's-name-I-forgot!"

                "Her name is Grace," Ava snapped, jabbing an elbow into Biff's side. He didn't seem to feel it though.

                "Right, Grace, that's what I meant." Biff apologized. He grinned and then tipped an imaginary hat in Grace's direction.

               "Ignore him, that's what I do," Ava said in a tone of exasperation. "Come on. Remember I told you that I wanted to take you to that new store down at the pit?"

               Grace nodded, but before they could go I pulled Ava to the side. I needed to know about Randi, I had to know if she was okay.

               "Hey, can I ask you something?" I asked in a hushed tone.

               "Isn't that what you're already doing?" Ava smirked. She must've seen the look of worry on my face though, because a second later she gave me a wan smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so snarky. It's a habit. Yeah, ask away, although I think I have an idea what you're wondering about."

                "Randi, how is she? I haven't seen her at all today, and it feels as if she's been avoiding me."

                "Yeah, I thought you'd say that," Ava sighed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who's noticed."

                "Has she been acting strange around you too?"

                Ava nodded, frowning deeply. "Yeah, I don't know why either, but it all started when stage two began."