Starting Over

Chapter 7

After two more days of punching bags and other forms of training, Tobias partners us up to practice with each other. I get partnered with Grayson. At least he's not Thomas, but since there is an odd number of transfers Laurel gets to work with Tobias. I wish I had been his partner. We practice till the end of the day.

"Tomorrow, you will be partnered up. You will take turns fighting until one of you gives up or can't fight any more. Then the next group will fight. At the end of the week you will be ranked based on how well you fight. Those rankings will be considered in your final rankings as well as the rankings from before now," Tobias explains.

"Wait! Don't you think it's unfair to rank us and not tell us? Don't you think it's a little unfair that you didn't give us any chance to prepare for that?" Thomas exclaims.

"Would that have changed how you preformed?"

"Well, yeah!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be here."
Tobias walks out of the room and I can't help but smile. We walk out to go to dinner. I choose to sit by Malachi, Risa, and their friends Zach, Grant, Tamra, and Austin.

"How's your initiation going?" Austin asks.

"It's fine. I broke my thumb the other day though."

"Really? Let me see!" Tamra exclaims as she grabs my hand.

"Tamra has this weird obsession with scars, broken bones, and everything in between," Malachi explains and Tamra sticks her tongue out at him.

"How'd you break it?" Zach asks.

"I punched the punching bag too hard after a boy in my group, Thomas, made some comment that made me mad."

"What did he say?"

"He made some rather inappropriate comments about how I was managing to do so well in the former parts of initiation. He seems to think I'm taking lessons and finding an alternate method of payment."

"Where is this Thomas?" Malachi demands. "Maybe I can give him a lesson on what happens to punks like him in Dauntless!" Malachi stands up, his fists clenched at his side and a hard glint in his eyes.

"Sit down! I can fight my own battles!"

Malachi slams back into his seat. The rest of the meal passes in an awkward silence.

<<<•>>>

The next morning I enter the training room and see our names grouped together. I'm with Weston, Thomas is with Grayson, and Laurel has the day off.

Thomas and Grayson fight first. It starts off pretty slow and evenly matched, but after a few minutes Thomas gets a solid blow in on Weston's jaw. Grayson stumbles but doesn't fall. While Grayson is recovering Thomas kicks him in the ribs. Grayson falls this time and Thomas kicks him in the ribs again. Grayson rolls up and hits Thomas hard in the gut. This time Thomas falls but he rolls away from Grayson and pushes himself to his feet. The next time Thomas hits him, Grayson doesn't get up. Instead Grayson drags himself out of the circle that represents the ring. Thomas has won.

A few minutes later I step in the ring across from Weston. He strikes first, swinging at my head. I duck down into a squat and kick his right leg out from under him. He goes down hard but when I go to kick him he grabs my ankle and pulls me down too.

I'm up on my feet again before he is. When he reaches his feet he swings at me again. This time I roll out the way and come up behind him. He turns toward me and I hit him square in the jaw with my elbow. I hear a crack and he grabs at his face. While he's distracted I kick him in the ribs and punch him in the gut. He goes down and taps out. Four comes over and helps him up and then walks him to the infirmary.

"It's time for lunch. You're dismissed for today," Four calls behind him as he walks out of the room with Weston.

"You little bitch!" Thomas spits.
He swings at my head and I duck. He tries again but I keep dodging his fists.

"She's not worth it, Thomas," Grayson says as he grabs his raised arm. "She's just a miserable little Stiff. She can be taken care of later."

Thomas lets Grayson lead him out of the room, leaving me alone with Laurel. She looks at me and I can tell she's horrified. After a second she follows them out of the room.

<<<•>>>

"You managed to break his jaw?" Tamra exclaims.

"Pretty sure. I heard it crack. Four had to take him to the infirmary after he tapped out."

"Dang! I wish I could have beaten Pierce that bad! Instead I'm the one with the black eye and one loss on the board."

"Isn't Weston one of Thomas's friends?" Malachi asks.

"Yeah. In fact once I beat Weston Thomas called me a bitch and tried to beat me up."

"If he laid one hand on you-"

"I did just break a guy's jaw Malachi, I think I can handle Thomas. Besides, Grayson dragged him out of the room before he could actually hit me."
Risa gives her brother the evil eye. Tamra and Austin laugh.

"I think we should celebrate. It's not every day someone breaks someone else's jaw," announces Austin.

"Wait, did we move to Amity? If people's jaws don't get broken every day we must not be in Dauntless," I say and everyone starts laughing.

"I'm game," says Tamra. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe B would like a new tattoo."

"Interesting! I've never seen your tattoo, B! I know you said you got one but you always wear such covering clothing. Maybe we need to go shopping as well."

"Sounds fun, and I have three tattoos if you're counting, Tamra. I also need more clothes."

"Sounds like a plan then. You coming, Mal?"

"No, I have as many tattoos as I'm interested in and I'm certainly not letting you talk me into getting another one. I'm also not interested in standing there as you go crazy over clothes."

<<<•>>>

That night I meet them in the Pit. Together we all walk into the tattoo parlor and wait our turn. When they're finally ready for us I still have no clue what I want to get.

"How about jaw crusher right across your forehead?" Tamra asks.

"Only if you never want her to get asked out," Austin says with a laugh.

"No jaw crusher or anything like that!" I exclaim, but I'm laughing too.

"What do you think about the Dauntless flames?" asks Austin.

"I already have them. They're on the back of my left shoulder."

"Okay, what do you want, B?" asks Tamra.

"Right now I'm leaning toward a circle in between my shoulder blades."

"Why a circle?"

"Because it never begins and never ends. It's infinite."

"That's actually kind of beautiful, but very boring," Austin says.

"So very boring!" Tamra agrees.

I sit down with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what else to get. I already have all the ones I could really think of."

"Okay, so let's go get some clothes that show off your old ones," Austin suggests.

"But, since you're not doing this, you have to listen to our suggestions even if you think you're going to hate them. If you try it and still hate it you don't have to get it, but you have to at least try," Tamra says.

I end up with a few more shirts that show off my tattoos. After we leave the store I go back to lay down on my bed and fall asleep almost immediately.