𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐒, divergent

⁰⁴, INITIATES ON THE LOOSE

  Before she could turn back around, Eric arm was reaching around her figure, un-balling her fist.

  "Her thumb was tucked," Eric mumbled, readjusting Marlowe's hand, "You can break it like that."

  "Oh," She spoke, though it came out as a whisper, "I'm sorry—"

  "Don't apologize," Eric quickly brushed off, "After all, that's your instructor's fault."

↬

  "So, what do you want to do?"

  Persephone watched Marlowe patiently, as the girl carelessly changed into a somehow tighter outfit than that of the morning. Quite the opposite of Persephone, who was sporting a loose black skirt and a matching top that's sleeves slipped off her shoulders, Marlowe was now tugging large boots over her feet and black jeans that hugged her figure into them, adjusting the just as tight black top as she did.

  "Perse?" Marlowe laughed, waving a hand, "Hello?"

  "It was kind of weird what Eric did, don't you think?" Persephone poised, sitting beside Marlowe as the girl tied the boots, "Showing up for our training. . . and the whole thing, I know he's supposed to supervise training, but it felt like he was trying to embarrass Four."

  Marlowe rolled her eyes, standing and pushing her hair up to give it the appearance of volume.

  "Or, he didn't want me to break my thumbs."

  Persephone furrowed her brows as Marlowe walked to a mirror.

  "Are you. . . You're not involved with him, right?"

  "No," Marlowe sighed, "I mean we just got here. But he's definitely interested in me."

  Persephone shifted in discomfort as Marlowe smudged black eyeliner over her lids. She'd barely known the girl for a few days, yet still, she could tell something had changed. Like a switched had been flipped and Marlowe was now an entirely different person.

  "What about tattoos? Piercings? We can get our hair dyed—"

  "Tattoos and piercings probably aren't smart yet," Persephone interjected quietly, "If we have to fight each other, it's an automatic target, y' know?"

  Marlowe nodded, sighing as she reclaimed her seat beside Persephone. They remained silent for a few moments until a lightbulb went off above Marlowe's head.

  "I know what we should do."

  "Why am I already scared?"

  Marlowe didn't seem deterred by Persephone's expression of fear, as she jumped up and grabbed the girls hand, tugging her along.

  "Remember that guy from the train?" Marlowe grinned, her steps quickening as they made their way through twisting hallways, "East?"

  "We can't just go find a Dauntless-Born—!"

  "Why not? It's not against the rules— and even if it was, rules are made to be broken."

  Persephone followed Marlowe as the latter forged her way through The Pit. She may have only known Marlowe for a drop in the oceans of her life, but there was this. . . fire. This fire Persephone had never felt the warmth of before, the inviting dance of flames and the danger of coming too close.

  But as Marlowe grabbed Persephone's hand to urge her feet to move faster, Persephone couldn't help but ignore that warning; she was blinded by the warmth.

  "Hey," Marlowe greeted a group of teens, clad in black clothing, with a bright smile, "Have any of you guys seen East?"

  "Why?"