I joined Maddie to go dress shopping, admittedly shopping was an activity I didn't hold much joy for, but I had nothing to wear to our ceremony this evening, and I wanted to actually spend some time with my closest friend, who was constantly in an upbeat mood, I knew we had tonnes to catch up on.
We walked through the racks of clothing, nothing caught my eye as I browsed the pretty slips of fabric, the Dauntless style seemed tight fitting and completely out of my comfort zone.
Maddie picked out a handful of dresses before going to try them on, stepping out of the changing cubicle to twirl and model each dress for me to judge; though I had little to no idea about dresses.
"Well?' She asked expectantly.
I bit my lip before choosing the one that stood out the most to me. "I think the second dress you tried on was the best, the black one that shimmered." I offered.
Grinning, and nodding at me proudly for picking the right one, she shoved the rest of their dresses onto their respective hanger "I think that one was the best too."
It took her a fraction of the time to decide on a pair of black platforms to go with the dress.
Though, I still couldn't decide on a outfit.
"Don't worry, Sasha, I think I spotted something that you will love." Maddie explained, pulling me over to the corner of the shop that I didn't even know that was there, causing me to be slightly amazed at how Maddie found it.
"This is it." Maddie came to the rescue when she showed me a black spaghetti strap jumpsuit, it reached my mid thigh- like the dresses, and had cold shoulders and a v neckline, but most importantly it had pockets.
Quickly, I grabbed the jumpsuit in my size and changed- also putting on the black wedges that Maddie paired with it.
I cautiously walked out, the jumpsuit was a little shorter than I would normally choose but it fitted perfectly.
"Sasha, you look stunning." Maddie said, smiling at her handiwork.
"Do you think?" I asked, tugging at the hem of the shorts.
"Yes, you better get that for tonight, and then you're coming back with me so I can do your make up." Maddie ordered, smiling to herself.
I'd never really seen make up, mainly because we'd never been allowed to own any in Abnegation, but I'd seen the pretty girls in Amity in the lower school bathroom applying it, or the Dauntless man who I sat next to in Faction History using the reflection in the window to outline his eyes with something dark.
Once I changed and paid for the clothes and shoes, Maddie dragged me back to the Initiates dorm room and sat me on her bed, I winced at how hard the mattresses were. I had forgotten how uncomfortable the dorm beds were, usually after first stage I was so tired and sore I could've slept on the ground.
"So, how do you think it went?" Maddie asked as she pulled a makeup bag from her bedside table.
"It wasn't what I would call pleasant but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before." I felt the tip of the liquid liner against my eyelid "you done well."
"I don't think someone who has fourteen fears has much of a shot but thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Don't say that, your time was good, I refuse to let you go anywhere."
I heard Maddie giggle as she moved onto the other eyelid "well I suppose you can sneak me in your duffle or something."
"Why are you so sure that I'm in." I countered "maybe I'll have to sneak in in your duffle bag."
"Please, no one came close to your time." I heard her sigh "I guess you're looking forward to moving into your own place after staying with Eric for so long. Open."
Blinking, I opened my eyes to Maddie waving a mascara brush in front of my face.
"In all honesty, how had it been staying with Eric? He is not known to have the sweetest disposition."
"It could be worse, we stay out of each other's way." If you count spending all morning together, and sleeping in the same bed. "We usually only see each other in the mornings, as I usually have to wait till he's out the bathroom to have a shower."
"Well, as long as he's not being cruel."
"Hey presto!" Maddie pursed her lips as she scrutinised my face before handing a mirror to me, the person who stared back was not me, this person had bold dark blue eyes outlined with black and silver and defined cheekbones.
"I look..." I trailed off.
"Striking, hot, amazing, stunning- they'll all work." She offered while colouring her lips in deep shade of red.
Smiling, I got changed into my jumpsuit, and slipped a choker around my neck as Maddie continued with her own make up.
.:.
Maddie and I were heading to the Pit, the only area big enough to cram all the Dauntless in, we spotted Lynk and Ash heading towards one of the open bars. "I just need to speak with Lynk, head in without me." Maddie smiled "do you want a drink?"
"Sure." I nodded, I had noticed that Maddie had seemed to have been growing closer to the Dauntless man and was wondering when it would start to catch on "I'll have whatever your having."
"Sash."
I spun around, slamming into Eric, and stumbling back.
"You really are an asshole." I muttered as his hands held my waist. "Is everything okay, Eric?"
"I just wanted to ask how you were feeling after the landscape." He stated, looking at what I was wearing, "is this what you brought today?"
"Yep." I furrowed my eyebrows "is something wrong with it? Does it look okay?"
Slowly, he moved his eyes back over the outfit, he met my gaze once more and answered "there's nothing wrong with the outfit."
"It's not bad, and it has pockets." I grinned.
I walked into the room, Eric trailing behind reluctantly. Dauntless were dressed in their best best clothes, tattoos on display even if they had no shirt, I looked around and spotted my friends towards the back.
As soon as I reached Maddie she threw her arms around me before passing a clear coloured drink with bubbles in, I took a sip and almost winced at the sharp lemon mixed with what tasted I felt arms incircle me and I turn to scold Eric but quickly realised it was my annoying brother
"I just wanted to say good luck." Tobias smiled, I spotted the bottle that was responsible for his happier demeanour in his hand. " Not that you need it, you'll be fine."
"Thanks." I replied and he went to turn away "grab some water after that drink!"
"Hi guys." Jake laughed, appearing out the crowd, curled around his inner forearm looked a realistic pile of skulls, they still looked fresh.
"We were wondering where you'd got to." I commented.
"Did Tori do them?" Maddie asked.
"Nah, Bud finished them this morning." He replied. "You guys look amazing."
Max, Eric and the other two leaders, a women with purple hair and a man older than Max, stepped out onto the catwalk that ran along the circumference of the room and a hush fell and Max began to speak. "Just over a month ago twenty odd initiates jumped from the roof, most were scrawny and looked like they had peed their pants."
"Over the course of the weeks that followed these Initiates faced their fears and their opponents without hesitation and without cowardice, the twelve that appear behind me will become our new members who will continue to make us proud."
His voice was drowned out by the chorus of yells, an electrical board behind him lit up and I desperately scan it for my name, people who I didn't know slapped me on the back in congratulation and I laughed, for the first time since the aptitude test I felt like I could breathe.
1: Sasha
2: Lynk
3: Hayden
4: Maxine
5: Maddie
6: Rhea
7: Charlie
8: Atticus
9: Mason
10: Ash
11: Jake
12: Hera
------------
X: Ruby
X: Orion
X: Gregor
X: Kyle
X: Zoe
Laughing in pure joy, I wrapped Maddie in a tight hug, she had tears in her eyes as she laughed in disbelief. Arms wrapped around me and hauled me into the air, I could hear Jake speaking but couldn't discern what he was saying over the ruckus around me. Maxine and Lynk and Ash had all made it though, it was official, we were Dauntless.
The crowd started to disperse into bars to grab more drinks, I commandeer a table just outside the entrance, leaving my friends to fight for the bar. Many of the older Dauntless stopped to congratulate me or offer to buy me a drink, I decline politely and don't try to find out how they managed to match my face to the name on the board.
"Top in your class." I recognised the voice and turned to find Tobias perched on the concrete seat beside me, his grin was as wide as mine. "Knew you could do it."
I snorted "not quite as impressive as four fears but you've always been such an overachiever."
"I'd like to introduce you to some people." He looked up as a group approached, I recognised them from the canteen. "Zeke and Shauna, this is my sister, Sasha."
"Wow, I didn't know you had friends."
"Ouch." Zeke laughed as my brother elbowed me in the side "that told you."
"You have one drink." He took a swig of his own beer, he was still smiling though so I knew he hadn't taken it too seriously.
Maddie placed a cup in front of me, and took a seat on my other side "and now I have two."
.:.
I took aim with a coin and flicked it.
The coin bounced against the edge of Zeke's glass but didn't go in.
I booed as the rest of the table laughed. The older Dauntless were teaching us different drinking games, an apparent rite of passage during initiation celebrations.
Shauna appeared with a tray and took a seat next to my brother, both of them took the initiative to pass round the small glasses filled with clear liquid and a lime wedge balanced on the top. Maddie had told me that I was drinking vodka and lemonade, this looked similar.
Maddie licked the side of her hand and shook some salt onto the area, I shot her a strange look.
"Trust me." She laughed "lick the salt, drink the shot, bite the lime."
"One moment, we need to toast our top initiate!" Maxine raised her shot "to Sasha."
"To Sasha!"
I ducked my head in an effort to hide the redness staining my cheeks, but gave my own toast "to Dauntless."
"To Dauntless!"
My face twisted as I followed Maddie's instructions, I removed the lime from between my teeth.
"What the hell was that?"
"That, my love, was tequila." Maddie informed me as she leant her head on my shoulder.
I leant my head on hers "that, my love, was vile."
Laughing, Maddie picked the coin out of her drink and finished the cup.
Turning to Tobias, I whispered "I'm gonna get some air."
"Do you want company?" He asked, looking a little concerned.
"No, no." I picked his jacket up from the seat "just letting you know."
With everyone in the Pit, the rest of the compound was deserted, my brain felt a little sluggish but I wasn't stumbling and my vision was fine so I gathered I wasn't as drunk as I thought, or that my friends would be. I slipped Tobias' jacket over my shoulders, feeling comforted by its weight and warmth. There was a staircase next to the initiates training room that took you up to the rooftop we had jumped off of on our first day, it had taken a bit of aimless, nighttime wandering to find but its view was unmatched, something that I hadn't noticed when I was fighting my life.
The sound of someone in the gym caught my attention, frowning, I peered at the door and noticed light leaking from under the door.
Carefully, I peeked round the corner and saw Eric, he had lost his top and boots, and was punching the hell out of a bag. He sent a powerful kick to the middle of the red leather bag and I heard a loud rip, the leader grunted and took a couple of steps back, and slumped back against the brick wall.
"Are you going to lurk in the corridor all night?" He asked harshly "or are you going to come in?"
I stepped into the room, he raised an eyebrow, his tattooed chest rose and fell heavily, the ring he usually wore was hanging around his neck.
"Why aren't you at the party?" He questioned, pushing himself on the wall to inspect the damage to the bag.
Shrugging, I continued to move towards him "why aren't you?"
Eric laughed "are we playing games again, Sasha?"
"Did we ever stop?"
Perhaps the few drinks I had made me brave, I certainly let my thoughts that surrounded Eric wander with less inhibition as I would usually, he rolled his shoulders back and I watched the muscles shift under his skin.
I crossed my arms over my chest "fine, lets play a game of truth, hm?"
"Fine." Eric spun around "who's jacket are you wearing?"
That is what he's so concerned about?
"None of your business." I nodded to the bag behind him "why are you here?'
"I wanted to hit something."
I opened my mouth to ask why when he shook his head and asked "where were you going?"
"Up to the rooftops, I wanted some quiet." I raised an eyebrow "what are you so wound up about?"
Laughing, Eric shook his head "what I'm wound up about? I'm wound up about the fact that you're driving me crazy, I feel so protective of you and I want to keep you with me at all times but at the same time I want to show you off , I hate people in my space and yet I want you there all the time. I think that you're amazing and smart and selfless and beautiful. I feel like I'm choking every time Jake touches you."
"You get thrown out a window and you're in a coma but you act like it's okay. You absolutely ace initiation and act like it's not a big deal. I want to hold you through your nightmares and promise you that Marcus will never hurt you and kiss your bruises better." Eric looked over at me as I watched the words tumble from his lips " god, if only you knew what I think when I wake up with you next to me."
Slowly, I crossed the distance between us, before bringing his lips to mine, it was softer than the last one we shared, it was simple.
"See," I murmured "that wasn't so hard."
Eric doesn't respond, ducking his head to find my lips again. I felt myself smile as he pressed my back against the wall and his body was against mine, hands hooked behind my legs as they're lifted to wrap around his waist, I take advantage of my new position and deepened the kiss, Eric indulged me for a moment before pulling away and setting me back on the ground, his forehead pressed against mine.
I scowled at him.
Smiling, he fixed me with a look "next time I kiss you you're going to be stone cold fucking sober."
Yay I've give you a extra long chapter. This is dedicated to dauntpuffabi - I hope you liked it.
I have to say that the ending was difficult to write and articulate so I hope you liked it.
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