Everything anyone talks about is our rankings. After our families left, Four took the chalkboard with the winners and losers on it to calculate our scores. I'm confident about where I'll land. There's no way I'd be anything other than first. At least I hope so.
Compared to the others, I've sustained minimal injuries. The only major injury I had was when I sliced my hand. And that's already scabbing over. Dinner is a bit chaotic. Christina's talking about the aptitude test. I hadn't thought about that thing in ages.
"Because, dogs are sort of ruined for me. After... you know, after the aptitude test." Christina admits, we all know we aren't supposed to talk about it. Even I was drilled with warnings.
Will's eyebrow twitches, "You mean... killing the dog, right?" I sigh in relief quietly, that's what I did. Grabbing the knife wasn't even something I considered. It was like I did it instinctually.
"Yea, I mean you guys all had to do that too right?" Christina asks and I see how Tris is twitching weirdly. She glances at everyone and I nod, Al doesn't say anything but when she looks at Tris, her eyes narrow. "You didn't." It wasn't a question.
"Hmm?" Tris' eyebrows are so high on her forehead that it's embarrassing.
Christina doesn't relent, "You're hiding something, you're fidgeting."
Maybe my dad's Candor teachings were useful after all.
"In Candor, we learn to read body language, so we know if someone is lying or keeping something from us," Al explains.
"Oh," Tris elongates her word, scratching her neck as she does so, "Well..."
Christina points at Tris from across the table, "See! There it is again!" Tris is bright red.
"I didn't kill the dog," She says.
"Then how'd you get Dauntless?" I ask, a bit confused. "There's no way you killed the dog without a knife." We're talking quietly about this forbidden topic.
She shrugs, "I didn't, I got Abnegation." Funny she chose Dauntless.
—
Our group is sprinting back to the dorms to see our rankings. I'm at the arrowhead of the pack, the most excited. I push past Peter and Molly, making room for the others to follow. We clamber into the dorm and Four's at the opposite end of it, with the chalkboard sitting on the ground facing away from us.
I glare at it and then at him, he's holding a piece of chalk. "For those of you who just came in, I'm explaining how the ranks are determined. After the first round of fights, we ranked you according to your skill level. The number of points you earn depends on your skill level and the skill level of the person you beat."
That makes my ego begin its descent up an imaginary Ferris wheel. I'm buzzing and can hardly stay still. Tris grabs my arm, grounding me. I almost push her off but my excitement might come off wrongly to the others. I take a deep breath.
"You earn more points for improving and more points for beating someone of a high skill level. I don't reward preying on the weak. That is cowardice." He gives some of us dirty looks. I'm spared the venom.
Four continues explaining, "If you have a high rank, you lose points for losing to a low-ranked opponent." The sound Molly makes is foul, she's angry she lost to Tris, funny. "Stage two of training is weighted more heavily than stage one, because it is more closely tied with overcoming cowardice. That said, it is extremely difficult to rank high at the end of initiation if you rank low in stage one."
Four taps the chalkboard with his foot, "We will announce the cuts tomorrow, the fact that you are transfers and the Dauntless-born initiates will not be taken into consideration. Four of you could be factionless and none of you. Or any combination thereof. That said, here are your ranks."
The tension in the room is so thick that it's hard to breathe. I scan from bottom-up and sigh in relief–I did it.
1. Rita
2. Edward
3. Russ
4. Peter
5. Will
6. Christina
7. Molly
8. Tris
9. Drew
10. Al
11. Myra
It is quiet until Molly cries out, "What? I beat her! I beat her in minutes and she's ranked above me?" She points at Christina accusingly as if it's Christina's fault that Molly lost to Tris.
"Yea?" Asks Christina, "And?"
Four speaks before Molly can complain any further, "If you intend to secure a high rank, I suggest you don't make it a habit of losing to low-ranked opponents." Molly threatens Tris after Four walks out before she does the same.
And Peter... my god, he looks livid. But he doesn't say a word. He's not in the top three which I know it's driving him absolutely crazy.
That's when I feel Christina's arms wrapped around my neck, "Oh my god! How did you do it?!" It's a rhetorical question but I shrug anyway. "That's insane! I expected it but WOW!"
Will high fives Christina, Tris, and then me. "1, 5, 6, and 8. That's pretty good."
"I bring our average up a lot," I joke and Christina pushes at me. "Good job guys."
Tris shrugs, "I don't know if it's well enough,"
"Who are you kidding, that's great, top 10 is better than nothing," Christina argues.
"We should celebrate!" Will tries to get Al to join in but he shrugs Will off. "It's alright Al, we don't know how the Dauntless-born initiates did, I'm sure you're fine."
That reminds me. What if I'm not in the top three when they're included. I hope I am. I know I'm lucky to have made it to first among my fellow transfers but that prideful monster inside me wants first place so badly.
—
Everyone's asleep but me, I've got a sick feeling wrapping around my head from the alcohol Christina dared me to drink. At first, I wouldn't touch it but when I saw how much fun she was having I let myself have a little. That turned into three drinks and I was basically gone.
My head is reeling as I hear something moving around. I try to figure it out but then someone screams. I haven't heard that wounded of a scream in years. It's animal-like and I'm horrified to find the source of it. I'm still too drunk to stand and so I crawl on the floor to the sound of someone crying.
Then my fingers touch something damp and sticky and I freeze, "Turn on the lights!" I don't sound like myself but I just know what I just touched isn't water.
I'm disoriented when the lights turn on and trip back when I see it–Edward's got a knife in his eye and I'm covered in his blood. My hand is drenched, the knees of my pants are soaked, and I'm covered in his blood. I'm covered in it, it's everywhere, everyone is everywhere I vomit and probably pass out.