Starting Over

Chapter 39

The next few days go by about the same way. By the end of the week I'm exhausted, but it's Friday and it's Visiting Day so it won't be as bad. The initiates have the day off so after all of the visitors have left we can go do whatever we want. Which means that we'll be organizing the training room and getting ready for simulations to start.

I have to look like an instructor today for Visiting Day so I can't put on old clothes to clean up the training room. I wish I could because that would mean that I didn't have to change in between the two, but oh well. I put on a pair of ripped up skinny jeans, a tight black V-neck  T-shirt that shows off my ravens, my favorite leather jacket, and my favorite pair of combat boots. I pull my hair up into a tight ponytail and grab a muffin on my way out the door. Tobias was already ready so I'm meeting him down in the Pit.

I really don't like Visiting Day because it reminds me of when my mom came to visit me on my Visiting Day. Now I know that I won't see either of my parents waiting with the others. I guess the best way to get through this is to just get it over with. The longer I procrastinate the more I'll dread it.

When I get to the Pit I see that most of the initiates are already there. I see Max and Micah standing with two families. Max has a little boy on her shoulders. He keeps laughing at something she's saying or doing. Or maybe he just likes the height. Max is almost six feet tall after all. Micah is about three or four inches taller than her.

"Tris," I hear someone call. I turn toward where I think I heard my name from and see Ty standing with a man and woman dressed in black and white. They must be from Candor.

"Tris, these are my parents. Mom and Dad, this is one of my instructors, Tris," Ty says. I shake his parents hands.

"I remember you!" his mother says. "You're the girl who shot her friend's boyfriend!" I stiffen and Ty looks shocked. I really don't like Candor. I know Christina used to be Candor but that's different, she's my friend.

"Yes, that's me. His name was Will, and he was going to shoot me. It was shoot or be shot. I wasn't going to die."

Ty looks really awkward and it almost makes me want to laugh, but I'm too frazzled to laugh. I wasn't expecting for anyone to bring up Will.

"Well, how's our son doing in initiation?" Ty's dad asks.

"He's doing fine. He won his first fight yesterday. He's toward the top of his group." I just wish that he would stop flirting with me.

His parents look really proud and start talking to Ty about initiation. When they do I leave. I want to go find Tobias but I hear someone else call for me and I look around, already exasperated with Visiting Day. At first I'm confused when I don't see anyone waving me over, but then I see someone that I hadn't expected to see. They're dressed in a blue suit.

I rush over and run into Caleb's open arms. He picks me up and spins me around before setting me down. I'm laughing and smiling so wide that my cheeks hurt.

"Long time, no see, sis."

"I know! It's been like two weeks and that was because of a dare! What are you doing here?"

"It's Visiting Day, and I wanted to see you. You did save my life, after all."

"Yes, even if you are annoying I do love you enough to risk my life for yours."

"I'm just so amazing that you can't help but love me." He flashes me a smile and I throw my head back laughing. I realize that a lot of the initiates are staring at me but I don't care. Caleb smiles but it fades when he looks down at his watch.

"What is it?"

He sighs. "I have to go. I have a meeting to go to. Promise that you'll visit soon, and not for a dare!"