❝☇❞ A Beauty we Can't Afford ❝☇❞ Pᴏsᴛɪɴɢ Wᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ

[girl with wifi]

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Chicago is a damaged town. It was destroyed by a war millions of years ago. the ancestors created the faction system to keep the peace. That is until Beatrice and Tobias escaped. The escaped to a place called Bureau of Genetic Welfare. There the rebel Dauntless were welcomed and treated fairly until Tobias discovers their leader is up to something that could ruin the world. The memory serum. Its enough simulation serum to wipe a person's mind slate clean.


Beatrice manages to destroy the serum killing the leader in the process. Unknown of what to do next, the Dauntless rebel rebuild the town outside of the Bureau. Two years later Tobias and Beatrice marry having only one child. A girl named Rebecca Eaton.
Danger is unknown to the new town of Chicago so when it comes Rebecca is unsure of it.


At sixteen years old, you were supposed to take an aptitude test and determine which way you will live your life. Brave, honest, selfless, intelligent, or kind. Well that was the motto now you can do what ever you choose until a new villain is introduced.


Rebecca and Maximus James are rebels. Dauntless rebels. They will do whatever it takes to keep each other safe. Even if it means killing someone you love. In Chicago no one is ever safe. The Erudite are watching your every move. They'd like to think its just a dream but its not. Its real.

[girl with wifi]

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Rebecca Eaton [Bex] ♀ -- 17 years old --Dauntless Initiate

Maximus James [Max] ♂ -- 17 years old -- Dauntless Initiate

Jayden ♂ -- 17 years old -- Dauntless Initiate

Kameron ♂ -- 18 years old -- Dauntless leader

Ajax [Jax] ♂ -- 19 years old -- Dauntless Leader

Eris ♀ -- 19 years old -- Dauntless Leader

Abigail Ruth [Abbi] ♀ -- 17 years old -- Dauntless Initiate

Tobias Eaton [Four] ♂ 31 years old -- Former Dauntless Leader

Beatrice Eaton [Tris] ♀ 28 years old -- Former Dauntless leader

[girl with wifi]

I am Rebecca Eaton, the daughter of Tobias and Beatrice Eaton and this is my life. I am not Dauntless, Amity, Erudite, Candor, or Abnegation. I am a normal seventeen year old girl living a normal life in Chicago. The factions were there to keep peace among Chicago once the war was lost. Some parts we never fixed and rebuilt after the war, that was the part with the factions. But the part beyond the fence was rebuilt so now all of the factionless and everyone who was part of the faction system lives here.

Now Chicago is a normal state accept for the faction part. If the memory serum was not destroyed and Jeanine was never killed I would not be standing here. Nobody would. Jeanine would have killed all the Abnegation and kept the Dauntless under her simulation. My mother would have been dead because she was a Divergent and apparently Divergents threaten Jeanine's system of power. But now after the war and the peace was restored we have nothing to worry about. I have nothing to worry about. That is until now.

↬

I find my parents in their bedroom looking worried. "Oh Becca honey, go get ready. We have to leave in an hour." My mother says once she sees me enter the room.

"Wait what? Mom, Dad what's going on?" I ask. My parents share a worried look with each other.

"There's a meeting in the central hall about our future as the non-factionless." I stare blankly at the wall behind my father. A meeting? We have to leave in an hour? Its important?

"But what's it about?" I immediately felt that I had asked to much. I did tend to go a little far when I asked questions. I just knew it was what I always did ever since I learned how to talk. I was curious and I couldn't keep it hidden.

"A lot of stuff. Now go get ready." My dad responds. I stare at the two of them before I back out oft he room and run to mine. I slam the door shut and fall on to my bed. Usually when we have an important meeting in the central hall it meant something bad and the way my parents voices rose when I kept pestering them about it. Something was up and I needed to find out what.

↬

In the end I end up choosing a simple outfit that doesn't make me look to fancy like what my mom did. "I don't get why you wore a fancy dress to this mom." I say to her once we arrive in the parking lot.

"Because when your old you have to wear nice things when you attend something. In this case its an important meeting." My dad smiles and my mom and plants a kiss on her cheek. he too is dressed in a nice suit with a navy blue tie.

"For you its not fancy. You just dress casually and laugh while the adults wear things like suits with ties and nice colored dresses." Immediately a voice comes over the intercom saying that the meeting was about to start. I follow my parents into the large buildings we normally attended for parties and meetings. I find my friend Max sitting in a chair in the third row.

"Yo Bex! Over here!" he waves me over and motions for me to sit in the seat next to him. I do so. My grandfather stands up on the stage and taps the microphone to see if it works.

"What's this about?" I ask Max. Not sure, he shakes his head and shrugs his shoulders. Marcus taps the microphone once more to get our attention.

"My fellow people of Chicago I have an important message to deliver that has come from the Factions." Gasps and cries of horror fill the crowd.

"What?" I hear Max say under his breath while Marcus continues our speech.

"Even though the leader of Erudite is dead and the memory serum was destroyed by my daughter in-law Beatrice, Erudite have decided they are not done with their take over. They are trying yet again another attempt to make the lives of us cruel. I am sorry to say but the faction system is going to be introduced once more. Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, Candor, and Abnegation." My heart stops. The faction system? We are being threatened? Erudite is trying to take over?

I stand up in an attempt to say something but my father grabs my wrist and pulls me down. "Sit." He says in a firm voice. I sit and cross my legs. I look outside the window at the busy streets and sunny paths along the hills. It hurts that this will be the last time I am sitting beside Max feeling free and uncontrolled and now it all has to change because some dang Erudites are ticked off about our life.

Marcus steps off the stage and makes way for an Erudite. The Erudite taps the microphone and her voice fill the hall. "Adults we start grouping you off into factions tomorrow after the choosing ceremony. Teenagers you will decide which faction to live in at the choosing ceremony." The Erudite finishes her speech and steps off the stage.

Marcus walks back on. "The meeting is over as of now. Dismissed." I watch as families walk out and watch as my dad reaches over and hold my mom's hand. Max looks at me with a worried look.

'What are we going to do? That aptitude test was supposed to tell us what to choose and now we are just having a choosing ceremony. How will we know what to choose?" Max asks me. I stare into his eyes unsure of what to respond with, "we'll figure something out, it will be okay, it won't be hard?"

I respond with "Its going to be okay."

Max sniffs and wipes his eyes with his jacket. "Can you come over?" I look at my dad who nods.

"Yes." I respond. I stand up and follow Max out of the hall. Max opens the car door for me and waits for me to get in before closing it. Its amazing how even the greatest of things can change to the drastic of things. After tomorrow I am never going to see my parents again. It will be the last time I hear my dad's soothing voice, my mom's advice when I need it.

"Hey are you OK?" Max asks as we switch lanes. I guess I must have been crying because my sleeve of my sweater is all wet. I rub my eyes with the Kleenex he hands me.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just thinking about the future." I say in a weak voice. He laughs.

"Oh man I'm so excited for hovering boards and flying cars oh and robots to." I chuckle softly but it sounds more as if I'm taunting him.

"No not that future, I mean my future. After the ceremony I will never see my parents again. If I don't do things right or break rules I may end up factionless." Max looks at me as we wait for a red light to turn green.

"You're not going to end up factionless." He assures me. I'm not worried about becoming factionless, I'm worried I might die.

"Yes I am. I'm the weakest one. I've never been trained and I've never learned a lot about the factions I have to choose from." The light turns red and the car goes back into motion. Oh my god what am I going to do? I may be Divergent because my mom is and I don't even know how that will work out.

"What faction do you think you might choose?" I ask Max as he turns in the direction of the park.

"Dauntless or Amity. I want an easy faction and one that is not against one and another. For example Abnegation would not be a good faction." I raise an eye brow. Dauntless?

"But Dauntless isn't a good faction. Its nowhere close to easy. They protect the city you have to learn how to fight and defend yourself." I inform.

"Alright smart alick, what are you going to choose?" I don't even need time to think.

"Dauntless."

[girl with wifi]

"I'm home!" I say once I open the front door. My dad greets me and tells me to wait in the living room. Without questioning I take a seat on the couch across from the loveseat where my parents usually sat. I look at my reflection in the mirror hanging above the fireplace. A few hairs are in a mess and my braid has completely come undone. Quickly I redo it.

"Four we can't tell her. We don't know how she may react!" I hear my mother shout from the bedroom. My dad calms her down saying its okay and that everything will be fine when I find out. But the real question is find out what? Immediately my dad walks In the living room and sits down on the loveseat, my mom follows and sits beside him.

"Rebecca we know that tomorrow is a very important day for you." My mom says as if she is trying to change the subject.

"We were not expecting this to happen once we gave Erudite the memory serum we thought that the Erudite had used it on themselves and could not remember anything but I guess we were wrong." My mother's shaky hand finds my father's.

"What your father is trying to say is that, we will be happy with whatever faction you decide to choose as long as its not Erudite." Erudite? Why on earth would I choose Erudite? I am not as stupid as the other teenagers that might. Although I wouldn't be surprised if it got no new members.

"I wasn't planning on choosing Erudite." I say trying to break the growing silence.

"Becca we know we are not supposed to ask you, but what are you going to choose?" My dad asks as if its a "need to know question".

I pull the sleeves of my sweater over my hands to clamminess. "Dauntless." I respond.

"Dauntless?" My mom asks me. I nod.

"Okay." She responds.

"There is something we do need to tell you though." My mother stands up and grabs my dad by the wrist. Her grip strong and tight.

"Four no." She says bitterly.

"Your Divergent." He says while her grip is still on him.

"D-d-d-d-d-Divergent?" I stammer. He nods.

"I knew it. I'm dead. I am so dead. Once the leaders find out they're going to kill me." I say standing up to face him. He grabs my hand to get my attention.

"No they are not. I am not going to let that happen to my daughter. Now I can help you but you have to listen." Once I stop shaking and the tears stop I let go of his hand and return to my seat.

"Okay." I say weakly.

"Now everyday I am going to somehow get in touch with you and tell you how to do things your learning how to do exactly like a Dauntless would. Its not going to be easy because its bad if I get caught. But you have to listen to me if you want to survive." if I want to survive. I'm Divergent there is no way i'll survive. And pretty sure with all the technology Erudite have, that my dad will get caught talking to me while i'm in my faction.

"Dad, I can't do this. Its to much. Why do we have to live in factions again anyways?" he hugs me and places his hands on my shoulders.

"Because of the war. Our faction leaders thought if we separated the rest of Chicago into five sections "The Factions" that peace would be remade and unbroken. Chicago was pretty damaged at the time that the factions were made." I can't do this. I need to talk to Max.

"Can I talk to Max about this?" I ask feeling for my phone in my back pocket.

"Yes, but do not and I repeat DO NOT tell him about what I am doing for you." I nod. I would never tell him that. That's my secret to keep to myself to protect me. I run out of the living room on the verge of tears and slam my bedroom door. I sit up against it and dial Max's number.

"Please come over." I say into the speaker.

"What's it about?" Max asks.

"Just come over." I say again but instead of it coming out nice and kind it comes out like a demand.

"I'll be right over." I hang up and set my phone down. I bang my head against the door. Why? Why me? Why do I have to be Divergent? Why do I have to just now live the rest of my life like this?

↬

"You called?" Max greets as I meet him at my front door. I take sigh of relief. Knowing I can tell Max about my divergence instantly takes the burden off my shoulders.

"Yes I did. Thank you for coming." Max shifts his weight in the doorway.

"Now can you tell me why you sounded like you were crying over the phone?" I look around and notice my parents watching a movie while snuggled up on the lover seat together eating popcorn.

"Not here, but in my bedroom where no one can over hear anything." I close the front door and walk to my room. Thank god its not a complete mess.

"Um just sit anywhere. Do you want anything to drink?" He finds a spot on my bed and picks up the picture frame with a picture of him and I when we where twelve starting middle school.

"Coffee?" he asks. I nod and walk out of my room and into the kitchen.

↬

"Your blog has got a bunch of followers now Becca." When I come in holding Max's coffee I'm greeted by him scrolling up and down on my blog. My blog, I had started the blog in seventh grade when I was being bullied by these teenage girls. Max and my parents were the only ones who knew that my blog name was me because I had told them. I hadn't really posted on my blog since last year. At the moment I didn't really care much about my blog I just cared and worried about my divergence.

I walk over to my bed and hand Max his coffee while I sit beside him. "Now tell me why you called." he says sipping from the warm drink. My grip tightens on my mug full of chai tea.

"I'm Divergent." I blurt out.

"Divergent? As in the Divergents threaten the Erudite system Divergent?" he asks. I nod my head while my eyes tear up. Max sets his coffee down on my desk and wraps his arms around me.

"Oh my god Becca I'm so sorry." He says while I place my head on his shoulder and cry.

"The Dauntless leaders are going to find out about me and as soon as they do they are going to kill me. I'm not going to make a week Max." Max picks my head up and wipes the tears from my eyes.

"Yes you are. You have no idea if the Erudites still dislike Divergents." I let my head fall back onto his shoulder.

"Yes I do know. I read about it in the Erudite textbook my dad let me borrow. He even told me what they do and what happens if they are discovered. I am going to die Max."

"Becca stop saying that. You are going to be fine now just try not to think about it to much okay?" he picks my head up and wipes my eyes again.

"This is the last time i'll be able to see you and talk to you about everything." I say hugging him.

"No its not. We're both choosing Dauntless remember?" I nod I do remember. He told me in the car on the way to his house.

"Then its okay. Your going to be okay. We're going to be okay." Max says as he plants a kiss on my cheek.

"Okay." I respond. I am okay. I'm Divergent, but I have my dad and Max to help me live.

↬

"Bex I think I need to go home, its one in the morning and we both need to get some sleep before the ceremony."

"OK." I say standing up to let him out the front door but he stops me.

"Its fine. I can let myself out. Just get some rest OK? And don't think about it to hard everything is going to be fine." He kisses me on the lips and walks out of my bedroom and into my living room and soon he's running past the front lawn to his car. Once I hear it start I let my head hit my pillow and burry myself under my duvet.

[girl with wifi]

I awake to find my dad shaking me violently. His shadow is dark and his deep voice is quiet and calming almost soothing. "Becca, Becca get up we have to leave!"

"Leave? Where?" His shaking doesn't stop. It gets even more violent.

"Just get up." I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stretch. My dad steps back and turns on his heel to leave the room until I see the barrel of a gun on his forehead.

"DON'T SHOOT!" I shout jumping out of bed to grab the gun. But the figure holding the gun let's go of the trigger sending my dad crashing to the floor.

"Daddy!" I shout once he falls.

↬

I sit up immediately panting and sweating like crazy. I look around my room. It's dark and my dad isn't in it. Still panting I pick up my phone from the nightstand and send a text to Max. He'll care about what I just dreamed about.

"I had a really bad dream." I text him. It isn't minutes later that he responds.

"About what?" I bite my bottom lip and take a sip of the glass of water to calm my breathing down more.

"My dad." I text back. Although with my shaking hands i end up texting "My daf."

"What happened." Max says back.

"He was shot in my room." I wait a few seconds and I hear a knock on my door. Who could it be?

"Oh my god! Are you OK?" Max walks in and picks me up in his arms.

"I fine it was just a nightmare it didn't really happen." I respond while wiping my eyes in his shirt.

"It's OK. It was just a bad dream. You're going to be fine." He assures. He places me on my bed and hugs me while I keep trying to catch my breath.

"I am?" I ask once I've cried as much as I can and the water that was in my glass is gone.

"Yes. Bex you will be. You have me and you have your family. We are your protectors." I snuggle into his chest feeling as if for once I am safe and nothing can happen

"Your right. I'm fine I'm safe as I can be." I respond softly into his chest.

"Do you want me to stay longer? Until morning?" I nod it might make me feel better to have someone to comfort me if I have another dream like the last. the last word that comes across my mind before I close my eyes is Divergent.

↬

"Bex." I find someone rubbing the back of my arm. Their skin warm and soft against my rough bare arm.

"Hmm?" I mumble leaving my eyes closed.

"You need to get up." The voice responds sitting on my bed.

"Why?" I ask opening my eyes a little to find Max already dressed sitting at the foot of my bed.

"The choosing ceremony." He responds with a heavy sigh. Choosing ceremony what choosing ceremony? Then it hits me I am Divergent and I have to pick a faction to live in. I'm never going to see my parents again.

"Oh hell what time is it?" I ask propping my head up with my arm.

"Seven thirty. The ceremony is at eight twenty-four." I jump out of bed.

"I think I should go and let you get ready. See there?" I nod. He hugs me and lets himself out. Quickly I make myself a mug of hot coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. I manage to take a shower and do my hair before eight twenty-four. In the end I end up wearing this. In the left over time I have after getting ready I spend it with saying my goodbyes since after I choose my faction I wont be able to turn back and say goodbye I will have to leave and never see them again.

When its eight twenty-one we pile into our car and drive to the central hall. The last time I'll be in my own car again. The whole ride my dad holds my mom's hand as tears gently stain her face. "I love you four." I hear mumble.

"I love you six." my dad responds. I sit back farther into my chair wishing I had someone to call my six. And I knew why they called each other four and six. My dad was called Four at Dauntless because he has four fears. My mom was called Six because of her six fears.

When we reach the hall I feel my throat tighten up and my hands grow sweaty. I can't do this. I can't live my life like this and I won't. When we enter the part of the hall wear everyone is meeting I see five white bowls all laid out on a line.

"Now Becca each of those bowls holds a different sediment. Dauntless which you want are the hot sizzling coals, Abnegation are the grey pebbles, Erudite is the clear water, Candor is the thick cut glass, and Amity is the soil." I manage to find Max in the crowd of different colored clothes.

My dad sits next to me and my mom on the other side. Both of them reach for my hands and hold them. "Now when you get to Dauntless they are going to make you jump off a train onto a platform of gravel then you are going to have to jump a large amount of feet down into a hole where a large net will be waiting for you at the bottom. I'll tell you more when you are alone in the compound." I nod as my dad explains to me the way I basically get into Dauntless. This isn't going to be easy and I can tell.

To break the silence between my parents Marcus my grandfather steps on stage and taps the microphone. "My fellow citizens today we all have an important decision to make. The fate of our lives rests in the hand of these draws. Now we are going to start with Adults first and move to the teens last. Let's start."

He dips his hand into a large bowl with blue strips of paper inside. "Beatrice Eaton." My mom gasps and purses her lips together. She stands up and walks on stage. She then dips her hand in another large bowl with blue strips of paper. While doing so my father grips my hand hard and I cant say it was true but I did thought I saw a tear fall from his eye.

My mom gets a strip of paper and hands it to Marcus. Marcus places the microphone to his mouth and clears his throat. "Erudite." My mom steps of stage and almost bursts into to tears before she gets back to her seat. instead of sitting next to me she sits next to my dad and cries on his shoulder.

"Tobias Eaton." Marcus says after placing the strip of paper in an Erudite's hand. My dad swallows hard and stands up.

"Its going to be okay I promise." Max's words fill my head as my dad leaves me and my mom and walks on to the stage. he hands Marcus the strip of paper for him to read.

"Erudite." My dad steps off stage and comes running back to his seat where he collapses into tears with my mother.

Once all of the adults are given their new factions its my turn. "Maximus James." I sit up straight and watch as Max cuts his hand with the knife. He hestitates a little but lets his blood spill on the hot coals.

"Dauntless." A few people clap and his dad bursts into tears.

I watch as Marcus reads through a list of people but then his eyes find mine. Crap.

"Rebecca Eaton." I clear my throat and stand up slowly. I walk onto the stage and hold the knife in my shaking hands. I have never cut myself before yet alone done anything to myself that would hurt. I let the knife slice my palm and cringe at the paint that follows. I let my palm open when I reach the blistering coals.

I watch as the red liquid sizzles against the fire. I find my parents in the crown and mouth "I love you" to them and then I step off the stage to join Max in the crowd. "Dauntless." Marcus says.

[girl with wifi]

Max puts his arm around me as I fold my hands in my lap. I know I'm not supposed to but I cant stop starring at my parents as sit with my faction feeling sadness and anger. "Its okay." Max whispers in my ear making my tension calm after awhile. I look over at him and smile. He doesn't look back at me though, he keeps his attention to the stage as a girl about our age cuts her hand and places it over the Erudite bowl.

"Who the hell would choose Erudite after this?" I ask titling my head a little to the small group of Erudite teens. Max shrugs and points to the stage where Marcus is now standing.

"Citzens, the choices have now been made. Teens you are dismissed." I stand up and Max reaches for my hand. I move my hand closer to his. I look over at my dad. He nods and his words echo in my head. The Dauntless run outside into the blazing sun and climb ladders that reach a rail road.

I run to the side of the rail road. "What are we going to do?" Questions the sixteen year old who stands with her brother.

"We have to jump inside the trains." A lot of gasps and screams come from the crowd.

"How the heck do you know that!" A tall muscular boy asks.

I swallow hard. "I was told so by my father." The tall boy walks up to me and points his finger hard in my chest.

"Your father is an idiot and doesn't know anything." The crowd laughs and boy leaves. I walk back into the crowd and jab my finger into the boy's chest.

"My father was a Dauntless leader. He knows more stuff than you. if you ever and I repeat EVER talk trash about my father I swear to god I will kill you." The boy rolls his eyes as if he doesn't believe me. I would actually kill him being the daughter of Tobias [Four] Eaton I have the strength to.

When the trains come I start running and hop on to wear a hook allows me to stand and open up the door. I jump in after Max does. The young sixteen year old girl taps my shoulder. "What will we do next?"

I stand up and let my voice get louder. "There is a gravel platform that we'll have to jump since there is no train stop and the train never stops." The tall boy rolls his eyes and scoffs.

"Then what?" I cant do this I don't want to explain this stuff to them.

"A Dauntless Leader will tell us what we have to do." I respond.

"I bet they wont." The boy scoffs.

"Oh for the love of god, would you please shut up!" I shout. The boy stands up and flashes me his pocket knife.

"You wanna go?" I stand back up and roll up my sleeves.

"Yeah I'll go." Max stands up and reaches for my arm as the boy is about to make a move.

"Dauntless is going to teach teens like you not to mess with muscular boys like me." I roll my eyes.

"Bring it." I say punching him in the throat.

"I will." He makes a move with his knife and cuts my wrist. I wince at the pain.

"Pain hurts doesn't it?" He taunts. Max reaches for my hand and pulls me back making me stumble in the train cart.

"How sweet you have your lover to save you." He taunts swinging the knife with his finger.

"Shut up!" Everyone in the train cart says. I hold my hand in my lap and wince at the pain while tears form in my eyes.

Max picks up my head and kisses me in between the eyebrows. "Are you OK?" I nod.

"Let me see." I place my hand in Max's lap and he looks at the cut.

"I'm sure there's a medic in the compound. Until then use this." He says smiling. Max rips of a piece of his jacket and wraps it around my wrist to stop the bleeding and prevent dirt and gravel getting inside.

↬

The gravel platform appears in a blur but then it becomes bigger and bigger as the train roars closer to it. Max walks over and places his hand in the train handle and looks out. A confuse is all I can see on his face. "What's that?" He asks pointing at the platform.

"Where we land after we jump." I respond still starring out.

"We have to jump? As in jump out of this train and onto that platform?" I nod. Then he starts to panic.

"What the hell happens if I don't?" This time is the tall boy who cut me that answers.

Surprised he can talk after I just punched him so hard in the throat. I would've done more if Max hadn't pulled me away once he went at me with the knife. Slicing my wrist in the process. "What do you think? You'll be factionless." He says.

Only a soft whisper leaves Max's mouth. "Factionless?" I nod.

"What do they just expect you to have the dang guts to jump over a moving train going some speed that doesn't stop?" I hate to admit him questioning me was really getting annoying I had to put a stop to it.

"Yes Max they do. Now can you please just stop asking me questions?" Max hangs his head low and walks away from the handle.

"Sorry I just seem to get carried away when I'm learning I have a life or death jump to get onto the Dauntless Compound." I kiss his cheek feeling bad for making him shut up when he was panicking.

"Its fine, just try to relax OK?" He nods and walks over to where the initiates are gathered In the train. I stand at the train cart still holding the handle ready to remind everyone when we jump that is if the boy doesn't remind them first.

↬

"Now I'm sure you're all wondering how you get into the Dauntless Compound so we thought we'd let you find out for yourself." A tall man with large muscles stands onto of a brick wall.

"We have to jump again?" Max asks as the man skims the crowd for fresh meat to pick on.

"Now who wants to go first." The crowd goes silent. All that can be heard is the beating of hearts and the whirling of the wind. I look around, waiting for someone to volunteer btu know one does. Finally it dawns on me that I am willing to volunteer.

"Me." I say. The man looks around and his eyes lock with mine.

"You?" he asks raising an eyebrow. I nod.

"Alright then come here." I walk forward feeling my heart beat epwith every step I take.

"Becca no!" I hear Max shout. I forgot that I had completely walked off. I don't turn around I walk up to the ledge and look down, knowing with my fear of heights that I shouldn't have.

"Are you serious?" I ask the man.

"What are you afraid?" He says bitterly.

"No." I respond. The man scoffs and the crowd watches andi place both of my hands and feet on to the ledge. Once I'm balanced, I jump. Not a single scream or cheer is heard the crowd. Just the sound of my body impacting with the air.

Without remembering what's at the bottom I hear my body hit a net. It shakes a little from the impact. I look up at the sky. I did it. I had jumped from something feet and landed in a net witt dirty and broken ropes.

My daydreaming is interrupted by the movement of someone moving the net. I look over and see a boy who looks to be about eighteen move the net. He picks me up bridal style and sets me down on the ground. "What's your name?"

My name? Oh my name. "My name?" I question.

"Yes your name." He answers making me feel stupid.

"It can be a new one if you want, but make it a good one because only get to change it once." I don't know why but Rebecca doesn't seem like a fitting name for a Dauntless.

"Bex." I respond.

"First jumper, Bex!" The boy shouts over his shoulder. An group of older Dauntless write something on a board along with my name.

"Welcome to Dauntless." The boy says. I can't help but stare because he looks so familiar like I've seen him before. But I can't say that I have. I stand beside the boy as I wait for Max to land in the net.

[girl with wifi]

"My name is Kam I'll be you initiation instructor here in Dauntless." The boy who helped me out of the net now known as Kam, walks across the room with his hands pressed firmly behind his back. Another man steps out from behind the shadow. Its the man who explained how we got into Dauntless.

"I'm Ajax but you will call me Jax. I will also be your initiation instructor. Jax stands beside Kam with a fierce expression on his face. He looks like he would kill anyone who opened their mouth to say something stupid. Max opens his to say something but I put a hand in his face to stop him.

"You will be going through two levels of training. Physical and mental." Kam says walking in front of us.

"And at the end of each stage of training someone gets cut." Jax says in a bitter tone. Immediately a row of hands go up all with the same question.

"Cut?" A dirty blond asks. As if needed Jax gets in her face.

"Yes. At the end of each stage of training someone gets cut. You chose us now we choose you." An echo of gasps forms in the crowd. This wasn't one of the things my father told me. Or maybe it was the thing he was trying to tell me this morning but I wasn't paying attention like I should've. All I could think about was my Divergence and how I was going to keep it it hidden from the rest of the initiates and my instructors.

"Now if you follow Kam he'll give you a small tour of the Dauntless compound." Jax gets up to the leave the room leaving us with Kam. Kam turns on his heel to leave the room, figuring we're are following him he continues to walk until he realizes were not.

"That was and order not an option." Kam says bitterly behind gritted teeth as Jax still leaves the room. Immediately with the tension between them I can tell they really don't get along well. We stop walking when we reach an edge of something we stop walking.

"This is the pit, center of life here at Dauntless. We'll meet here in the morning for instructions on how your day will go. Now if you'll follow me I'll show you where you'll be sleeping." We enter a dim room with several beds scattered around. I can't see anything. Kam flips on a switch and the room is bright.

"Girls or boys?" The muscular boy who cut me asks.

"Both." Kam says in a deep voice.

"If you love this you'll love the bathrooms." We walk into a smaller area in the room where a row of toilets are set. A few sinks are on the other side of the wall and the showers have rust on the sides.

"Ew." Max whispers to me. I nod.

"Now get dressed and meet me in the dining hall." Kam walks off leaving us alone. Max picks a bed in a corner and I pick one beside his. A fresh pile of Dauntless cloths are placed on the bed.

↬

I walk into the dining hall beside Max. I'm greeted by millions of Dauntless sitting at tables with silver mugs pressed to their mouths. Jax stands on top of a metal bridge over lapping the last few tables in the hall. "Where should we sit?" Max asks as we walk in realizing almost all of the tables are taken by other members of Dauntless.

I point to a larger table with fewer members and one of our instructors sits. "There?" i ask. Max shrugs and steps aside so I can sit down, once i do he sits down beside me. I place a piece of steak on to my tray with a fork and use my knife to cut it into to pieces so it's easier to eat.

"So are you two dating?" A dirty blonde teen asks Max as she places a forkful of salad into her mouth.

"Actually we're just friends." Max responds dropping his fork. I forgot how he didn't like to talk about our relationship with other people. I watch as his hand drops from the table and searches for mine. I move my arm so its easy for him to reach. He intertwines his fingers with mine.

The girls eyebrows raise in suspicion. "Sure." She says stirring her salad with her fork.

"I'm sorry." I whisper to Max. As a response he grips my hand tighter while he places a piece of steak into his mouth. I knew we were more than just friends. He has kissed me more than once in the same month. Friends don't kiss each other or cuddle and hold hands under the table when you're eating with other people.

"So what's your name?" The girl asks. I swallow the liquid from my mug.

"Bex. And this is Max." I respond. She nods her head.

"Cool. I'm Abbi." As I'm about to reply the dauntless start pounding their mugs on the table, making the room extremely loud and hard to hear. Max takes his hands and covers his ears. I'm scared Jax will come over and tell him he's a coward because he doesn't care for loud noises.

"New members of Dauntless!" Kam shouts from the landing. Immediaty the room goes silent. I elbow Max to signal he can uncover his ears. When he does he entwines his fingers with mine but we hide it under the table.

"Tomorrow you start your training. For now you must get rest and make sure you are prepared for the training that is ahead of you." Kam walks away and we walk out of the hall and into our room under the pit. When Max and I reach our beds I realize that my phone is vibrating under the pillows.

"Who's that?" Max asks me as he fixes the way his pillows are set up. To answer his question while no one is looking I take out my phone and check the ID. When I check the ID I almost drop the phone.

"My dad." I respond with fear in my voice. Crap. Not now dad. Not now. Anytime but now. I decide to let the call go to my voicemail. When everyone is doing their own thing around the compound I take my phone out and call him back.

"Thank god you called me back." My dad says almost breathless. I can hear my mom in the background.

"Did she answer? Hi honey." She says into the phone. I almost want to drop down in tears as their voices come out the small speaker on my phone.

"Hi mom." I respond knowing I need to say something.

"We need to talk." My dad says in an urgent tone. This let's me know that it's important and my life may depend on it.

↬

Max finds me later with my feet hanging over the chasm and the phone still in my hand with my dad's contact showing on the screen. "Oh god." Max says when he sees me with my eyes closed sitting in the edge of the chasm.

"What happened?" He asks using his hands to wipe the tears from my eyes. I sniffle and place my phone in my pocket. It wouldn't be good if an instructor caught us with my phone.

"My life." I respond in an annoyed tone. He sits down beside me and swings his feet back and forth. I'm surprised he's not clinging to the wall with his fear of heights.

"Bex what happened?" He asks taking my chin his hands. His eyes stare into mine and his expression tells me he wants the truth and not some dumb lie.

"Please you can tell me." He says taking my hands in his. I let my head fall to my shoulders. I dont want to be here not because of this.

"Caleb, my mother's brother apparently faked his death and now he's out to destroy the city. My dad says that in order to contact me about how to pass Dauntless, he's going to come to the compound everyday. And if he gets caught he gets-" I let the sentence hang in the air as Max sinks it all in.

"Killed?" He asks. I nod. He scoots closer and I put my head on his shoulder. The tears come faster now.

"I'm sorry." He says hugging me.

"I just I don't understand. Why me? Why us? Why do we have to live like this? I want to see my parents everyday. I want to grow up living a normal love. I want to be able to love you without worrying about something bad happening." I say sobbing into his chest.

"They are trying to protect you. I am trying to protect you. Afraid there was no other way to show you."

[girl with wifi]

I find my head on a leather pillow and my feet dangling of the edge of a bed. I look around but it's to dark to see anything. I prop myself up onto my elbows and see beds around me. I see Max's hand dangling off his bed. He's snoring and so are some of the others.

I let my head fall back onto the pillow and try to close my eyes, but I feel my phone vibrate. Crap. I take it out and go to my texts. "Meet me outside." It reads. I check the number and see it's my dad.

I set my phone under my pillow and look around. Everyone is sleeping, I can make it out okay. I slip my jacket on and my combat boots. Once I finish I run out of the room and where the net is in the compound. Sure enough there waiting by the net is my dad.

↬

"What are you doing here?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest. My dad stands in front of me with his "Four mask" on. Fierce, strong, and aggressive.

"Nice to see you too. Follow me." He takes my wrist and runs. I have no clue why my dad is here. He wouldn't give me a training lesson this early, or would he?

I follow him into the fighting room. He stands beside a punching bag and points at it. "What?" I ask confused as he continues to point.

"Go." I raise an eyebrow still it getting what his message is.

"Punch it, hit it, kick it I don't care." I walk up to the bag and use my tight fist to punch it. It only sways a little but doesn't fall like it would if my dad punched it.

"That's it?" He asks raising an eyebrow. Figuring he wants more than a punch I kick it as hard as I can.

"You're weak. Just like your mother was." I step aside from the bag and cross my arms.

"That's nice to know." I respond. I didn't really need my dad's critiques towards me at the moment. The sound of footsteps alarms me. I tell my dad to hide and he does. But instead of an instructor standing in front of me, it's Max.

"What are you doing?" He asks in a sleepy tone. I look around thinking of a way to explain why I snuck out into the fighting room when my dad steps out from behind the punching bag.

"Hi Mr. Eaton." Max says figuring out that I snuck out because my dads' helping me. My dead nods and waves but doesn't make contact with Max.

"Do you want me to go back? I can if you want me to." He turns on his heel to leave but I place my hand on his shoulder.

"Actually I think it's fine if you stay. He can teach you as well." A smile spreads across his face and he chuckles softly.

"Well Max, Bex if you want to knock the crap out of a person, you have to go for the throat first. Then go for any other part that's available." My dad steps forward and punchs the bag hard. First it sways back and forth fast, then it almost falls down because of the rope holding it up.

"Now i want you two to practice." Max raises his eyebrows.

"With what?" I ask.

"Yourselves." He responds crossing his arms.

"You mean I have to fight Max?" I ask. He nods. Awkwardly we step onto the mats. I make a move to punch him but I stop. I can't do this.

"I can't do this." I say stepping off the mat.

"Not to him." I say looking at Max.

"Well you have to. He's the only person who can be here to fight with you." I look over at him and get back on the mat. I watch as his feet move back and forth as he moves.

"You first." he says. Me? I don't want to punch him.

"You." I say. He shrugs and punches me in the arm. It hurts long enough to sting but it wont leave a bruise. I exhale big and punch him in the arm in the same spot he punched me. He laughs as if it was nothing and I laugh with him. Its a stupid thing we did. Fight each other for practice. I hope I get someone else when I'm in the ring. I don't think I can hurt Max in front of a whole crowd with my instructors included.

"Who's there?" A deep voice alarms me. I look at my dad but he's already gone. Max stands by my side as the foot steps approach closer.

"What do we do!" He asks in a whisper but sounds more like a muffled shout to me.

"Stay calm." I say. I put my body in the face of defense like my dad taught me and wait for the footsteps to enter the room. Max reaches over and entwines his fingers with mine.

↬

I awake to find Max's head on my chest and my hands tied behind my back. I look around and see that I am surrounded by men all buff looking. Okay where am I? I use my elbow to nudge Max awake. He blinks then and jumps. "Where are we?" I ask in a bitter tone.

One of the buff men steps forward. "We caught you both late last night in the training room after hours. Your supposed to be room and board by ten-thirty at night." I reposition myself after finding that my hand has fallen asleep and I can't feel it.

This time Max is the one to talk. "That doesn't answer our question. Where are we?" he uses the weight and strength of his legs to move around and free himself from the ropes.

"You are in the security room and one of your instructors will speak with you momentarily." I sigh in anger. The men walk away leaving me alone with Max.

"We need to get out of here." I say trying to move my hands around the rope. But how? Is the question I am asking myself. I hear footsteps grow louder and closer as thoughts fill my mind. Who would the instructor be? Kam? Oh god what if its Jax! I hear the sound of a gun going off and freeze. I find a knife laying on the floor but out of reach for my hands. Think it can work, I use my legs to drag the knife close to me.

Once its close enough I place the knife handle in my mouth and move it around to cut the ropes. Once my hands are free I use them to cut the ropes on Max's hands. "Okay come on." I say quietly crouching across the room and to the exit the men didn't use.

"Freeze!" I hear someone shout. I don't move and I don't breathe. I let my fear swallow me whole.

"We have you at gun point, if you move we shoot."

[girl with wifi]

I look over at the floor where the knife is still laying by the pole. If I could reach it I could throw it and aim for the man's hand making him drop the gun and we could make it out. Problem is I don't have the knife. Slowly I move backwards. Max makes a move to follow but I put a hand up. "Stay." I say. He nods.

I manage to reach the knife. I look at the way to aim. Its a perfect shot so far so I take it. I throw the knife just where his palm holds the gun. The knife cuts the man's hand but he doesn't drop the gun. Instead he shoots but misses us by an inch. "Time to go?" Max asks. I nod. We get up and run while the man is too distracted with the pain in his hand.

Another gun goes off and I duck but instead of it aiming at us its aimed at the men. Two fall over and a man approaches us. "You alright?" We nod breathless.

"Good. Now when I tell you to run, run." Our eyes dart around the room trying to figure out who this man is, but then it hits on me that its Kam.

"Hey! What are you doing in there?" Someone shouts. Kam picks up his gun and aims it where the voice is coming around.

"Run."

↬

"Jesus where were you two?" Abbi questions us once we've made it back into the dorm.

"Just you know, taking a stroll along the chasm." I respond in a casual tone. They really didn't need to know about the fiasco going on in the security room.

"Jax and Kam have been looking for you all night. Jax said he was even going to kill you once he found you both." Great its my second day being in Dauntless and already Jax strongly dislikes Max and I. I sigh and walk over to my bed where I fall onto something hard. Max. Pleased I raise an eyebrow.

"Max what are you doing?" I ask standing up.

"I don't know. Why don't don't we just stay here. You and I. While the others go to breakfast." I smile. Being alone would feel good for once and Kam had told us that he would come speak with us at some point. Meaning do not leave your dorm.

"Okay." I respond. He sits up and crosses his legs.

"C'mere." He says motioning for me. I sit on his lap.

"I'm scared." I say. Just sitting there, not doing anything.

"Of what?" He asks stroking my hair.

"My dad being caught, Jax killing us, being factionless, something happening to you."

"Well let me tell you. We're alright Bex Eaton. We're just fine. Nothing can bother us. But everyone else? They are not fine. They are insane working for your uncle." I smile and chuckle softly.

"Yeah?" I ask. He nods.

"Anything else you need to get off your chest for a while to make you feel better?" I sigh. There is something I have been meaning to tell him but with all the crap about factions I haven't gotten a chance to.

"I love you." I say softly. He crosses his arms around my torso and holds me tight. He places his head on my shoulder.

"I love you." He says into my ear. I smile. I wish we could stay like this forever but we know we can't. We know at some point we'll have to get up and go to training. But we both know that we're okay and that we love each other the same.

"Max?"

He moves his head of my shoulder and replies with a quiet "hmm."

"When did you know you were first in love with me?" He readjusts his arms so hes' holding me tighter and exhales.

"Well, on the first day of middle school. When you had entered my science class with a shy and nervous look on your face. You had taken a seat next to me. It wasn't the only one left but you had chosen the desk right beside mine. It made me feel special. You make me feel special." I laugh. I had done that. I was late the first day and had no friends so I had no clue who to sit with, but when I saw him he made me feel safe. He made me feel like if I had sat with him, no one would tease me and if they did he'd defend me.

"You make me feel special to." He smiles.

"Yeah?" I nod. He holds me tighter and presses his lips to mine. I press my lips to his and wrap my arms around him. He pulls me closer and kisses me hard almost biting my lip.

"Max." I say as he kisses me again.

"I don't want to leave." He stops places his forehead against mine.

"Then we won't. We'll stay here until someone finds us. We've already learned the lesson." he uses his hand to move the loose pieces of hair and kisses my neck. I use my fingers and lightly trace his spine.

"Plus fighting is for dumb Dauntless who wanna be so good. When really they know nothing."I laugh. Max tended to have a good sense of humor when i was with him. He always made up jokes about stupid things. I press my lips to his once more. He tastes sea salty and he smells of mint and chai. He doesn't smell like sweat like he should after almost being killed by Dauntless guards.

"Bex?" Max says as he presses his forehead to mine.

"Promise me. Promise me that you will stay with me forever." I grip him tighter.

"I promise. I promise Max." I whisper in his ear. He presses his lips to mine and again we're kissing but this time its deeper.

↬

The training room smells like a mixture of mint and sweat. Its not very hard to tell that imitates and instructors were here. Knives are still laying on the floor by the targets and there's blood on one of the fighting mats. Someone obliviously lost. Jackets are laying on the benches and bottles of water are scattered everywhere. The question is, where is everyone?

I look up at the board that has the day's schedule. Training is the first thing listed, then lunch is behind it. It surprises me that breakfast isn't before training, but I remember my dad telling me that the Dauntless didn't think breakfast was important so they waited to eat till lunch. "Where are they?" Max asks as he walks toward the board.

"Lunch." I respond. Before I walk out with Max I look at the training board with our names on it. I almost scream when I don't see my name but then I see it as number twenty-four. Below the line. We're below the line. Probably from missing training but I don't need to worry. i'll get above it. I am Tobias Eaton's daughter after all.

↬

"Where were you two? We missed you at training?" Abbi says once we sit down across from her at the table. I look over at Max who is smiling while placing a hamburger on his plate.

"Kam wanted to talk to us about something that we are not supposed to talk about." He says reaching for a bun. Abbi's eye squint as she looks at us.

"Sure." She says in a suspicious tone.

[girl with wifi]

I'm surprised I've never heard Max lie before. Probably because his dad is all about telling the truth since he was Candor but still. "You lied." I say once Abbi is distracted with her hair since half of it is covering her face.

"Yeah..." Max says slowly not getting my point.

"And your point is?" I sigh.

"You never lie. Your dad provides you to telling lies." He chuckles.

"That's because he was Candor before." I knew that only because we would come home from school and he'd worry about having to tell his dad he got a bad grade on something. max's dad was a lie detector. He could tell when you were lying and for me I looked to the left. For Max, he bit his lip.

"And I'm not with him. I'm in Dauntless with you. Letting me do whatever I like."

"Ah, bit of a rebel." I say sipping from the silver mug that sat in front of me. Max was starting to become a new person, but me I was still in my cacoon. The same me as always. Maybe being in Dauntless can change a person by their actions.

Just then I felt a hard tap on my shoulder, like getting pricked by a needle. I turn around keeping my hand when I was tapped. "We need to talk." Kam says in a bitter tone.

"Who's this 'we'?" Max says turning around.

"Both of you and me." Kam responds. he grabs my arm and drags me out of the hall and let's go once we are in the center of the compound.

"What we you thinking? Going out In the middle of the night. You could have gotten yourselves killed!" He shouts. I honestly didn't mean to get Max and I in trouble. I just wanted to do what my dad had told me. But I couldn't tell Kam that. Unless he already suspects we're up to something.

"We were thinking nothing." I respond my voice rising as my nerves tense up with fear.

"Yeah and we were up to nothing." Max says quite loudly. I sigh and press a palm to my face. Now Kam does suspect we are up to something. That's usually the case whenever someone says that aren't up to anything when really they are and its usually bad too.

"Really? Then explain this!" A picture on a screen appears in Kam's hands. Who is that? When he zooms in I can tell. I see my face and my hand on Max's arm. Oh crap. But then he zooms in even farther on my dad.

His expression is dim and sulky. "Perhaps Mrs. Eaton you can explain to me who this is?" I shift my legs and feel my throat shut. Max doesn't say anything he just stands there looking casual.

"No, I can't. I have never seen that man before in my life!" I shout. If Max's dad was here I would be getting yelled at for lying because as I always do, I looked to the left.

"Well then if we see this man again we will execute him right on the spot." Kam says and with that he walks away stomping his feet and throwing the tablet computer screen he held, in the trash.

"Oh and Bex?" Kam pauses before he walks any further.

"We'll see what you really are in the fear landscapes that start an hour after lunch." He's going to know! He is going to know and figure out what I am! Divergent. He goes to figure out and then he's going to kill me on the spot like what he's going to do with my dad if he catches him in the compound again.

"He's going to figure it out." I say. Max walks up behind me and crosses his arms across my torso.

"That I'm Divergent. He's going to kill me and not even care." He moves a piece of my hair that escaped from my bun and places it behind my ear.

"He's not going to kill you. I am not going to let him. If you die, I die too." He says like a soft whisper in my ear. His warm breath tickles my neck.

"I need to get out of here." I say quietly in case Kam or Jax is near.

"I'll tell the instructors." He says planting a kiss on my lips, a passionate one. I leave Max alone in the room outside the dining hall and run to the train that will take me to Erudite headquarters.

↬

The train slows its speed alarming me that my exist is up. I hit the door and it opens. I grab my jacket and tie it around my waist. My mom greets me as I walk into their training room. "Becca." She grabs me and hugs me then motions my dad to come over. He pauses what he's doing and walks over. They look weird wearing the ugly blue suits the Erudite have to wear. It makes me want to gag. It doesn't have as much exposure as the Dauntless uniforms do.

"I'm in trouble and I need help." I say my dad hugs me. I can feel my heart beat pounding through my chest. I shouldn't be here its against the factions motto.

"We're doing the fear landscapes tonight." I say breathless. You can't expect me to say it clearly figuring the fact I just jumped off a moving train and basically ran into the Erudite compound. My mom gasps and my dad entwines his fingers with her's.

"What do I do?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest.

"What we'll do is you are going to tell your instructor that the lunch made you sick and you are unable to do the simulation. Tonight your dad will visit you and you'll practice your landscape and beat it the way a Dauntless would. That way they won't suspect a thing." A memory from earlier appears in my mind and Kam's words echo. "If I see him again, I will kill him in the spot." No.

"Dad, no. You can't. Kam is going to find you and if he sees you again he is going to kill you." I won't let my dad die in this way.

"I have my ways. I am Marcus Eaton's son after all." He says chuckling.

"Thank you." I say. I turn on my heel and watch as they walk back to what they were working on. It certainly didn't look like anything an Erudite should be researching. I start off into a jog and then a run once I make it outside the compound. I see the train cart head my way and I jump inside. I hit my elbow in the process and there was nothing funny about it.

I feel someone grab my elbow and I jump almost punching them in the face but I stop when I see its Max. "We need to go." He says deeply, almost as if he's my dad.

"Where?" I don't know if he means the train or the compound. As in leaving the compound forever which I'm sure will never happen. Max hits the train cart door with his hand and it opens. He entwines his fingers with mine and we jump not even close to missing the ledge. It feels like I've done it several times.

"Come on, the instructor is looking for us." He helps me up and jumps off the ledge with me.

↬

When I enter the compound holding Max's hand I see a group of people circling the chasm. Someone must have jumped but who? "Max what happened?" He doesn't answer he just looks up where Jax stands on the railing above looking proud as ever. What has he done now? I watch as they pull a body out of the chasm with large heavy looking ropes. It hits on me that the face of the person was Kam. My instructor.

"It stows upon us today that our dear instructor Kam has jumped to his death. The reason so far is unknown and will remain so throughout the rest of training. You will remain your schedules and fear landscapes are still scheduled tonight after dinner so be ready." Coward is all I can say behind my gritted teeth. You are a coward Jax. He probably was the reason Kam jumped.

It dawns on me that I remember Kam throwing the tablet away with my secrets on it. As if he didn't want Jax to see it. As if he didn't want Jax to know my secrets especially my divergence. "You knew about this!" I shout at Max.

"You already knew it was going to happen and didn't bother to tell me." I ticked as I'll ever be. Jax probably already knows my secret and Max didn't tell me something I wanted to know.

"I'm sorry I just didn't think you'd want to know. I thought you liked him." He says the last part slowly and places his hand sin his pockets as he stares at the ground.

"I don't I just would've liked to know. I like you not Kam. Don't ever think that." I say kissing him. He wraps his arms around my torso and hugs me. I pull away.

"I'm sorry, I just really need to be alone right now. Can I meet you in the dorms before dinner?" He nods and walks off.