Cold Hearts | Tobias Eaton

°16°

"CAN I SIT HERE?" says Will, tapping the table with his finger.

"What, you don't want to hang out with your Erudite buddies?" says Christina.

"They aren't my buddies," says Will, setting his plate down. "Just because we were in the same faction doesn't mean we get along. Plus, Edward and Myra are dating, and I would rather not be the third wheel."

Edward and Myra, the other Erudite transfers, sit two tables away, so close they bump elbows as they cut their food. Myra pauses to kiss Edward. Right in front of my salad.

Edward turns his head and presses his lips to Myra's. I don't really have anything against them, but what they're doing shouldn't be presented so publicly. In Abnegation everyone believed that showing affection in public is considered selfish to those who don't have anyone.

"Do they have to be so public?" I hear Beatrice say.

"She just kissed him." Al frowns at her. "It's not like they're stripping naked." But at this point, I wouldn't even be surprised.

I don't hear what's said next, since Jin-Soo starts conversation with me.

"You would be surprised how affection looks in Amity." She smirks at me

"What?" Beatrice says.

"Your Abnegation is showing," says Christina. "The rest of us are all right with a little affection in public. I bet even Keigo is okay with it. "

"Oh." I shrug. "Well...I guess I'll have to get over it. It's not like I'm still in Abnegation." Her eyes throws daggers at me.

"But Tris you can stay frigid," says Will, his green eyes glinting with mischief. "You know. If you want."

Christina throws a roll at him. He catches it and bites it.

"Don't be mean to her," she says. "Frigidity is in her nature. Sort of like being a know-it-all is in yours."

"I am not frigid!" Beatrice exclaims.

"Don't worry about it," says Will. "It's endearing. Look, you're all red."

Everyone else chuckles. I laugh with them too. Then I hear Beatrice forcing herself to do the same.

It feels good to laugh again.

After lunch, Four leads us to a new room. It's huge, with a wood floor that is cracked and creaky and has a large circle painted in the middle. On the left wall is a green board—a chalkboard. My Lower Levels teacher used one, but I haven't seen one since then. Maybe it has something to do with Dauntless priorities: training comes first, technology comes second.

Our names are written on the board in alphabetical order. Hanging at three-foot intervals along one end of the room are faded black punching bags.

We line up behind them and Four stands in the middle, where we can all see him.

"As I said this morning," says Four, "next you will learn how to fight. The purpose of this is to prepare you to act; to prepare your body to respond to threats and challenges—which you will need, if you intend to survive life as a Dauntless."

If I was in Candor, would I have meet amazing people like I did here? Probably not. The only amazing person is Jin-Soo. So not really.

"We will go over technique today, and tomorrow you will start to fight each other," says Four. "So I recommend that you pay attention. Those who don't learn fast will get hurt."

Four names a few different punches, demonstrating each one as he does, first against the air and then against the punching bag.

I catch on as we practice. Like with the gun, I feel like it's in my blood. need a few tries to figure out how to hold myself and how to move my body to make it look like his. Every kick, although not as easy as it was with the gun, comes naturally to me. The punching bag stings my hands and feet, turning my skin red, but at least it moves. All around me is the sound of skin hitting tough fabric.

Four wanders through the crowd of initiates, watching us as we go through the movements again. He then stops between me and Beatrice. He firstly focuses on her.

"You don't have much muscle," he says, "which means you're better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them."

"Never forget to keep tension here," he says in a quiet voice.

Four lifts his hand and walks closer to me. His eyes scan the was my hands hit the punching bag.

"You seem natural." He says.

"Put your body little forward, it won't hurt as much." And then he walks away.

When Four dismisses us for dinner, Jin-Soo nudges me with her elbow.

"You seem natural." she says in fake quiet deep voice. She wrinkles her nose. "If I didn't know him,  I would even say he was flirting with you."

"But you don't even know him? Besides I bet he doesn't even speak with anyone ..." I say and look at him. His intimidating self is in some kind of conversation with some dauntless "...well he speaks with everyone but us," I finally say.

Al, who was in front of us, turns around once we reach the Pit and announces, "I want to get a tattoo."

From behind us, Will asks, "A tattoo of what?"

"I don't know." Al laughs. "I just want to feel like I've actually left the old faction. Stop crying about it." When we don't respond, he adds, "I know you've heard me."

"Yeah, learn to quiet down, will you?" Christina pokes Al's thick arm and Beatrice laughs. "I think you're right. We're half in, half out right now. If we want all the way in, we should look the part."

She gives us three a look.

"No. I will not cut my hair," Beatrice declares, "or dye it a strange color. Or pierce my face."

"How about your bellybutton?" Christina asks.

"Or your nipple?" Will says with a snort.

Then Christina looks at Jack and me. "And you?"

I look at the edges of my hair. "I think I'll cut my hair. Add some colour."

Jin-Soo next to me also answerers. "I'll get a piercing or two. And I want to go blonde."

"Let's get matching tattoos." She then says looking at me.

"I'm down." We then look at Christina who starts talking.

She looks at us and says. "And that my friends is the Dauntless energy."

And we all laugh.

Now that training is done for the day, we can do whatever we want until it's time to sleep. And now I think it's really important to change myself. I want to start a new life. A new life where I belong. A new life for Keigo, the child who was made to dissappear.