Divergent No War

I don't own Divergent, ect. All Ms. Roth's stuff.

Chapter 4

I am ranked first now, and Eric has given me a break. I realize one night that he is training me like a dog. When I am not behaving, he beats me, but when I do well, he embraces me. I am nothing more than his trained pet. He owns me and there is nothing I can do about it.

Our final test has arrived. Only Eric and Peter are watching, today, so no one will become suspicious when my fears come up. I go last. I know that I have the advantage with only one fear, but it still might not be enough. I enter into the room, and immediately the walls melt into Eric's walls. He towers above me.
"You're nothing but a worthless little bitch aren't you!" His blows beat me to the ground.
"You're weak. Nothing, worthless. Nobody wants you. Nobody loves you. You aren't worth it. Bitch." My mind races. I need to get my emotions under control. I breath, slow my heart down. It is just a simulation. There is no need to panic. Eric's voice is drowned out by an invisible barrier, and it is over.

The new members hold a party in the dorm that night. Eric lets me go and I finally have time to meet my peers. Liquor flows freely and soon everyone is intoxicated. I mingle, and end up near three Candor boys. They are tall and muscular, though I still ranked higher than them in stage 1. The boy named Colt smiles at me. He is really good looking.
"Hey, you're Mel, right?" His smile is blinding. I nod silently, unable to think of any words. "So Mel, what's your idea of fun?" Colt puts his arm around my shoulders and steers me out into the hallway. We talk for hours. He is kind and gentle and always listens to my opinions. At the end of the night, he gives me a light kiss on the cheek and goes to bed.

The next morning, I am bursting with excitement. We get to pick our jobs today and since I was ranked first, I get first choice. Also, I want to see Colt again. I think that our kiss means that we are together now. I smile as I dress and walk to the pit.

I stand at the computer screen, torn, just like at the choosing ceremony. Eric's eyes bore into me, telling me the choice that I have to make. I see Four in the crowd. He gives me a small head shake, telling me no. He was brave. He left his father and made a new life, a new identity. I am weak, nothing. My finger taps Leadership and Eric smirks. He knows that I can't disobey him. He knows that I am weak and helpless, and he uses it. I silently apologize to Four. I am a disappointment to him, surely. I can't do what he did.

After the ceremony I meet up with Colt in one of the cafes along the pit walls. While he is in the bathroom, a nice guy from our initiation class saunters over to me. He is just lightly flirting, when Colt comes back.
"Are you trying to steal my girl?" Colt grabs him by the collar and rams him against the wall. "Well?" Colt demands an answer. I jump up and tug on Colt's shirt.
"He wasn't doing anything. Please, Colt. Let's go." He lets go of the boy stalks out of the place with me bobbing apologetically behind.

"Why'd you do that?" I ask him. He just shrugs. "You shouldn't do stuff like that." I try again.
"And you shouldn't tell me what to do!" His voice is loud and menacing. "You're my girl. No one else's." He mutters as he walks away. I try to convince myself that he was just mad, but. The way he said "my girl" as if he owns me, makes me nervous.

The next day I run into Colt in the hallway outside of the dorms.
"Hey, sup?" He is acting like yesterday's events never happened.
"Nothing much." I say suspiciously. I have to decide if I want to end it now or just assume that his outburst yesterday was just a random event. He smiles. I guess I can forgive him. We link arms and walk down to the pit.