Beatrice's PoV:

I grin as Tobias slips his hands over my eyes, blocking my vision. "Guess who," he whispers into my ear. I smile. "I always know it's you, Tobias. You're hands are so huge," I reply as I spin around. Tobias laughs, but it sounds forced. I frown.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask him. He nods. "Yes, of course. Thank you for asking. You?" I roll my eyes and sit down next to him.

"You're lying, Tobias," I say. He just smiles and tugs on my hair, which is in its usual tight knot on the back of my head. "How'd your aptitude test go?" I ask him, after he ignores my comment.

"Fine," is all he says through grit teeth. I stare at him. Prying is selfish, I know, but I can't help but be curious on why he's acting this way.

I am only fourteen, but my parents had given me permission to court Tobias, but we're not allowed to break-up or anything. He'll keep coming over to my house for dinner, or I'll go over to his, and then one day, -Boom!-, we'll get married. That's how it works in Abnegation, at least.

"Tobias?" I say, since I notice him spacing out. I wave my hand in front of his face, but he does not respond. I try snapping my fingers. No response. So I do something my parents would disapprove of, I slap his back, not hard though. What he does, however, surprises me.

Tobias lets out a cry of surprise and.. pain. My eyes widen. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to- does it hurt over there?" I press my lips together. He gives me a pained smile. "No," he says. "You just surprised me."

I eye him suspiciously, since I know that he's lying, but I don't say anything, since, of course, that would be selfish. Fourteen years into my life, and I'm already sick of my faction.

"Tobias," I sigh. He shakes his head. "Really, Beatrice. I'm fine," he states stubbornly. I still don't believe him, but I change the subject.

"Tomorrow, you get to become a true Abnegation adult, right?" I ask him. He nods slowly, his expression unreadable. Once you choose Abnegation, you have to volunteer for 100 days, as a initiation. Then, at the end of the 100th day, everyone sits down and passes the food around, but they don't eat until the food gets around to everybody. Then we eat. And get to speak to our parents without being called on, since we were then considered "adults"

I had always dreamed of calling my parents "Andrew" and "Natalie," and being able to speak with them formally, like adults. But now, that doesn't seem so appealing anymore.

"Beatrice, I'm thinking-" Tobias stops himself in mid-sentence. I cast my curious eyes on him, but he does not continue. I really, really want to know what he's thinking, but, yet again, that would be selfish. I guess I really am a selfish person. And I must correct that.

"Beatrice!" calls another voice.

I turn to see my brother, Caleb, calling me over. "It's time for dinner now!" he says while walking over. Then he turns to Tobias. "You're welcome to join us, if you'd like," he tells him politely. I know he doesn't approve of our relationship, but he doesn't say anything, and he's still polite. A perfect Abnegation.

"No thank you, Caleb," Tobias says. "I'd like to think things over tonight. Thank you for inviting me, however." I pout. "Aw, please?" I beg. "Beatrice," Caleb scolds in his best father voice. I pout.

"Sorry, Beatrice," Tobias looks at me apologetically. "I'll see you later." I stare at the floor as Caleb watches Tobias's retreating figure. Then he turns onto me.

"You musn't plead, Beatrice, unless you really need it," he says stiffly. "That is selfish of you. Come on, now. It's your turn to set the table. I've already prepared dinner." He turns and leaves, and I run after him.

"How did Tobias's aptitude test go?" Caleb asks me. I shrug.

"He said 'fine', but I don't think it was fine. He seemed quite troubled." I reply, slowing into a walk next to Caleb.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I'm sure Tobias got Abnegation, especially when Mr. Eaton is his father," Caleb reassures me. That's true. I smile a bit.

"Are you going to the Choosing Day?" I ask him. That's not what it's actually called, because the place isn't called, 'choosing day'. That's, of course, the day. But Caleb gets what I meant.

"Of course I'm going to the Choosing Ceremony, Beatrice. I won't miss out on watching someone special to you choose," he replies. My smile grows wider.

Tobias's PoV:

I lay on the bed, face down, of course. My back still stings from this morning's beatings.

What should I choose? Should I transfer? This decision would be easier, I'm sure, if this one tiny girl did not belong in Abnegation. Beatrice. But, I know, I have to escape from Marcus. I have to. Or I'll be trapped for the rest of my life.

If I transfer, Beatrice will think I betrayed her. I know it, since she doesn't know about Marcus. I had planned on telling her today, but in the end, I couldn't get it out. I wonder if Beatrice would stay, if she were in my place.

Beatrice is very selfless, so I think she may stay. But, she is also very brave, very daring. She is willing to touch me, which is against the Abnegation policy, that 'the most one may do to another is graze fingertips'. But I don't think she'll survive the Dauntless initiation. She looks so delicate that she would shatter on the spot, if any pressure were to be placed on her. She is also incredibly intelligent, though she doesn't know it. But I can't imagine her joining Erudite, our enemy.

But this isn't about her, it's about me. What will I choose? I think, I think it would be best if I transferred. For my own safety. And I'm not selfless either. Where could I go?

There's always Amity, always smiling, kind, and accepting. They'd provide the protection and acceptance that I've always craved. But they are whole people. I am not. I don't belong there.

Erudite. I learn quick enough to belong there, but I don't think the idea of sitting behind a computer for the rest of my life sounds appealing.

There's Dauntless. That's one I should consider. But I fear the initiation, since I heard it had changed, but not that much. There also hasn't been a Abnegation-Dauntless transfer in a decade, at least. But I think that I am too cowardly for Dauntless.

And lastly, Candor. That's just-no. Just no. I'm not spilling all my secrets to the public. That'd be awful.

I study my possibilities, and I'm stuck with deciding between Dauntless, Abnegation, and Erudite. Abnegation would be out in a flash if Beatrice wasn't in there. I think and think, but I cannot decide. In the end, I fall asleep.

~x~

The next morning, I am still deciding between the three remaining factions. I decide to rule out Erudite, since, well, I just don't want to join that faction. I look at my options. Dauntless, where I can find the freedom I sought, but I may fail. Abnegation, where I have the girl of my dreams, but there's also Marcus.

The door of my room opens, and I instinctively yank my covers up to my chin. Marcus walks in.

"Time to get up, Tobias." he says. "You need some more time to trim your hair too." Then he stalks out. I get up slowly and change.

Marcus trims my hair, for the first time since I was four, and soon, I find myself sitting with the rest of the Abnegations, staring at the choosing bowls.

And I still haven't decided which faction to choose yet.

And I still don't know as I get in line in between an Amity boy and an Abnegation girl, whose name I think is Anne. I look around the crowd, and my eyes meet with Beatrice's. Her smiling face in the crowd seems to lift the weight off my shoulders, for a moment. My reason to stay.

But then my eyes focus on Marcus, greeting her father, Andrew Prior, in the crowd. My reason to transfer. And all of a sudden, I'm confused all over again.

A Dauntless leader, Max, begins talking about the Choosing Day, but I don't pay attention. I eye the choosing bowls; soil for Amity, water for Erudite, coals for Dauntless, smooth pebbles for Abnegation, and glass for Candor. My eyes keep switching from the grey stone of Abnegation to the sizzling coals of Dauntless.

What to choose, what to choose, what to choose.

Before I knew it, I was first in line. My stomach did a massive flip-flop, which made me feel like throwing up. I warily watched Anne cut herself with the knife. Wincing, she squeezes some of her blood into the Abnegation bowl. That's easy for her, she doesn't have anything, or anyone, to run from. I, on the other hand, am different.

"Eaton, Tobias!"

My stomach feels queasy as I step onto the stadium. What to choose, what to choose, what to choose, my brain continues to hum. I stare in between the Abnegation and Dauntless bowl once I accept the knife from Max. My eyes flicker back and forth between both.

I slide the knife across my palm. I don't mind the sting; the queasyness in my stomach was much worse. And I'm also used to pain, thanks to Marcus.

Thinking this, my mind automatically phrases this sentence:

"I can't stay."

My blood slides slowly into the Dauntless coals.

I need to get away.

The coals sizzle as it makes contact with my blood. I'm Dauntless, I'm Dauntless. I ignore the whispers and stares from Abnegation, but I couldn't block out one strangled cry. Not from Marcus, the voice belongs to a girl; Beatrice.

My eyes lift to the crowd of Abnegation, but automatically, they flicker down. I can't bare to look at Beatrice in the eyes now.

But then I see Marcus. There is a crowd of Abnegation surrounding him. He looks shocked -embarrassed- at his loss. I can't help smirk. I, Tobias Eaton, had put that expression on his face. The boy that Marcus had beat every other day, the one who had been scared of Marcus his entire life, had scarred Marcus's life forever.

Beatrice's PoV:

I let out a strangled cry, then clamp my hands over my mouth. Tobias chose Dauntless. Dauntless.

The first thing I feel is betrayal. How dare he leave me without telling me! How dare he leave me alone in this selfless world where I don't belong! But then, my inner Abnegation voice jumps in. You don't know why he left. He must have a reason.

I suddenly think of yesterday's conversation. He was trying to tell me that he wanted to switch factions. I know it. But why didn't he tell me?

And, the last thing he said to me was, "I'll see you later." What even!? When will later be? Never!?

Or in two years, my brain suddenly tells me. I stop, dead. Could I join Dauntless? Can I? I don't know. I've always thought of staying in Abnegation; I've never thought about transferring, even though I knew I wasn't selfless. I wasn't fond of being selfless. But I never thought about transferring. Even if I do transfer, I would not like to go to Dauntless. They are so cruel, so violent.

Cruel, but free.

The rest of the people are done choosing, before I realize it, and everyone is dismissed. Usually, we would all wait until everyone was gone to get to our feet, but this time, all the Abnegation stood up and gathered around Marcus, pitying him. Marcus was just sitting there, stunned, and so was I. Suddenly, my eyesight blurred. I was confused on why until I felt tears dripping onto my lap.

"Beatrice?"

Caleb's voice broke my train of thoughts. "What?!" I demanded, and I scowled at him. Caleb flinched.

"Are you alright? You looked like you were going to kill someone," he tells me in an intimidated voice. I realize how my eyes were glaring and I force my face to soften up.

"Yeah," I reply as softly as I can. Caleb still looks concerned.

"Beatrice, I know it's hard on you, since Tobias had transferred to Dauntless, but-" I stop him.

"Really, it's okay. I should have seen that coming in the first place. It was obvious, I just wasn't studying him hard enough. That was selfish of me." I say. "Besides, I think the one that needs pity right now is Marcus," I spit. Caleb flinches again.

"It's Mr. Eaton, Beatrice," he corrects me.

"I don't care!" I snap. "Just leave me alone!" Caleb swallows and walks away.

I get up and walk over to Marcus as well. People were muttering and whispering to him. "I'm sorry," "I'm sure you didn't expect that- none of us did," "Maybe that's where he belonged," "Maybe it was best for him,"

All of them had called Tobias 'him', which made me snap.

"Call Tobias by his name, you cowards!" I blurt out, furious. Suddenly, there is a silence. Then I realize what I have done. "Beatrice!" exclaims my father, but Marcus stops him, finally speaking and recovering from his shock. "I'm sure that was unintentional, Andrew. Tobias," he grimaces, "and Beatrice were courting, after all. It was hard on her, she deserves no punishment."

"Yes, thank you, Marcus," my father said, his eyes still on me. I shrink back a bit. Marcus stares at me and I glare right back. My face flushes but I don't back down. He beat Tobias. I have no proof, but for some reason, I just know it.

Marcus breaks the eye contact and I storm away, causing a lot of Abnegation to look my way. But I don't care.

~x~

I turn and lie on my back as I groan into my pillow. Tobias left for Dauntless. I still can't stop thinking about that. Why?

I pull the pins out of my bun and release my hair. I take a lock and twirl it around my finger, thinking about how it would feel like having my hair like this all day. You could do that in Dauntless. In Dauntless, you are free.

I also peel off my grey Abnegation jacket. The grey shirt underneath shows my collarbone, so I'm not allowed to take off the jacket ever if I leave my room wearing this shirt. It exposes too much.

Caleb and I share a room. I had asked my mother for my own once when I was thirteen, but she didn't allow it. Why couldn't I have some privacy? Caleb's a boy! It's ridiculous, the fact that we have to share a room. I stare at his bed. It has books scattered all over it, some for pleasure reading, which my dad does not allow. He keeps those books crammed under his bed, in the closet, hidden everywhere.

I walk over to Caleb's closet and pull a book out. The History of Our Five Factions. The cover was decorated with each faction's symbol, an eye for Erudite, a tree for Amity, two helping hands for Abnegation, a scale for Candor, and flickering flames for Dauntless.

Dauntless. The faction Tobias left me for.

I think about the decision that Tobias had to make. He could pick any of the five factions. The aptitude test can't change our choices, I know it can't. I know that I'll stay loyal to my faction; I will choose Abnegation.

Or that's what I thought at that time.