Chapter 10

Riley was exhausted after sleeping poorly. The previous night had been thrilling, and she enjoyed spending time with her new friends. Friends, it was a word she cherished. She never had friends in Abnegation, only Tobias. 

There were several training sessions going on that morning. Christina and Tris had been working on gun exercises. They were both in need of practice. Al and Will were working on their combat techniques. Will was ranked high on the board, but Al hadn't. He and Tris were the only two under the red line.

Riley was on the edge but was still above the line. Her focus was on gaining muscle. After a few comments that Eric had made to the group, she had decided to focus on that. Her mind was focused solely on the punching bag when a hand grabbed her upper arm. Riley was silent as someone pulled her away. As she turned to look at them, her eyes locked with her brother. "In about twenty seconds, Eric is going to call your name," he spoke only between them. "It is your turn in the ring, but I don't know your partner."

Riley was trying to process the words. "Is it going to be Peter?" That was her true worry.

"No, I don't think so," Four ran a hand over his mouth. "From our discussions, he seems to like you."

"That's good, right?"

"Yeah," he assured her. "He is not fond of many of the initiates."

"In the ring," Eric's voice called over. Riley turned to look at him. "Riley and Paulina."

Riley knew Paulina. She was always with another girl named April. She wasn't very strong and was the slowest runner. "Watch her elbow," Tobias began as they stepped closer. "She has a sharp jab but sloppy punches." Riley nodded, "you are strongest in your legs. Use that, and make sure to cover your face."

"Okay," Riley whispered as she stepped away from him. The mat was only a foot away. Her eyes scanned around for others, but hardly anyone was watching anymore. Everyone was too busy focusing on bettering themselves because of the leaderboards.

The girl looked at Paulina. She was an Amity transfer, and her eyes held a spark of fear. "Okay, step onto the mat," Eric instructed them. Riley stepped on and put her hands over her face in a defensive position. Paulina did the same thing. "Go." Riley decided to step closer. She remembered with Tris that she stepped away when Molly went after her. There was a sense of authority in her actions. Without hesitation, she took another. Paulina had run out of space and took a hesitant swing at her. It was slow, and Riley was able to move out of the way. She used this chance to hit Paulina in the side of the head. Paulina then grabbed her arm and held it as she jabbed her in the stomach. Riley took a pained breath as she tugged her arm free. The brown-haired girl hit her again in the side with her elbow.

With the newfound separation, Riley took a swing and missed. This threw off her balance. With that, she remembered Tobia's words and covered her face from Paulina's next hit. The moment her fist hit her arm, she grabbed it and pulled her into her knee. The impact went straight into her chest and caused her to step away. Riley could feel both her brother's eyes and Eric's watching her every move. Paulina surprisingly recovered and went for a lower attack. Without time to process, Riley took a full-force hit sending her to the ground. She used her arms to brace her head, not wanting to hit it on the floor. Paulina raised her hand to strike her, but Riley used her force to kick her leg. The girl let out a pained breath, and Riley looked up at her brother. He gestured for her to hit the leg again, and she listened. She used her arms to push up and fully kicked Paulina's legs out from under her. The unexpected action caused the girl's entire upper body to hit the floor first.

Riley stood and got into a defensive position. Only Paulina never got up. Her body laid on the floor as she clutched her head. "Okay," Eric stopped them, seeing that Paulina wasn't getting up. "Thank you." Riley took a deep breath as she processed what had happened. Her feet carried her off the mat and towards an open area. Paulina had hit her hard, but not horribly. She was one of the weakest fighters in the group, and it was why she was ranked in spot thirty. "Good job," it was Eric's voice. His words surprised her, but she stopped to look at him. "Go eat and clean up that mark."

She didn't speak but did what he said. Her first task was going to eat. The mention of food suddenly made her realize how hungry she was. Many of the other initiates had already left, but some remained behind.

In her look around, Riley had not seen anyone she was close with. She assumed they had already left. As she walked down the hall, she smiled to herself. It was a great accomplishment to win in a fight, but her competition was not overly strong.

Riley entered the next room with a full meal in mind. She made her way over to grab food, but Christina stopped her. "Hey," she waved her hand. "Over here." The girl turned to her right and noticed her usual group. They were already eating.

Riley then noticed a tray of food. "Thanks," she thanked her friends as she sat down.

"No problem," Christina placed her arm over Riley's shoulders. "I thought you would need some protein after your fight." The group was staring at them. "I placed my bets on you."

"No, you didn't," Will chuckled. "You specifically got her food because you thought she would lose."

"Shut up," Christina glared at him. "Why would you say that?"

Riley felt herself smile at their squabbling. "I still appreciate it," she looked between them. "I fought Paulina."

"Oh," Will now looked confused. "What an odd pairing."

Al smirked at her, "you win?"

"Yeah," Riley answered. "It wasn't very hard. It was almost as if she didn't want to punch me." The explanation sounded odd. "Paulina only used her elbow. I was able to take her down with a tough under kick. She never saw it coming."

"Wow," Will spoke with fake annoyance. "Eric couldn't have made it easier."

Riley felt herself disagree with his words. "I think it was," she shrugged. "We both aren't that strong of fighters."

"That is where I would disagree," Tris spoke up. In the passing time, her confidence was starting to grow. Riley was happy about that.

"I would also," Al nudged her shoulder. "I think you are strong. I mean, you can run as if your life depends on it."

"I just have strong legs," the subject was changing slightly. "I ran a lot growing up."

"In Abnegation?"

Riley thought back to her time there, "yeah. I liked to explore."

"Well," Christina took a bite of her sandwich. "I suck at everything."

"That isn't true," Tris tried to comfort her.

Will spoke up, "it's kind of true."

Christina laughed and threw her role of bread at him. He swiftly caught it and took a bite out of it. "Thank you."

Riley took her first bite out of her sandwich. Her pain in her stomach was slowly growing. The harsh blow she received from Paulina was starting to bruise. She decided to push the pain away and continue eating. Her friends were already changing the topic to a lighter one. 

~~~~~~~~~

The next day Riley felt more confident in herself, but she did not let it get the best of her. There was a lot at stake with the leaderboards and the possibility of becoming factionless. To Riley, that was not an option. After going against her father to join Dauntless and reconnect with her brother, she couldn't afford to get kicked out.

Today they were getting more into self-defense and one-on-one combat. Riley had already gone one-on-one but knew she would have to again. At least for now, she could relax and focus on the smaller things. Her brother had said that everything matters, no matter how small.

However, before their training for the day started, they were focusing on warming up. That was why Riley was standing outside with the group as Four spoke to them. They were running again, exactly a mile to where Eric was waiting for them. She remembered how upset Four was with her after slowing down to try and not pass Peter. At the time, her actions made sense, but now she was towards the bottom of the boards. There would be no slowing down this time.

Beside her, Al and Christina were waiting for Four's speech to end. They were split into two groups, and again she was running with her friends. Christina was not as fast as she and Al, but she was gradually improving. Riley was proud of her efforts. "Okay," Four clapped his hands. His eyes moved to Riley's as he spoke next. "Do not forget every move is calculated here. Do your best." It was unspoken that he was specifically addressing her, but everyone did not know that. "I will send the second group down once the last person has finished."

"Great," Christina mumbled under her breath. "I wish we could stop running. I hate it."

"I know," Al replied. "I have not done my one-on-one yet, and I prefer to do this."

"Hey," Riley comforted him. "You're both going to do great in your one-on-one's. It's not a big deal."

Christina rolled her eyes. "You are saying that because you did good on yours and-"

She never had the chance to finish as Peter cut her off. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" There was a crude smirk on his face. "About how you are going to get kicked out of Dauntless?" Riley clenched her jaw at his words. "We all know you don't have what it takes. Especially you, Stiff."

"Shut up," Christina snapped at him. She was quick to defend Riley whenever he attacked.

"Hey," Four called over to them. "Are you ready?"

"We are," Peter smirked. "I don't know about them," he muttered that under his breath. It was clear Four heard him, but he could not do anything. Instead, he gave Riley a look she did not understand before turning around.

"Ready," Four shouted. Riley took this as an opportunity to step towards the line. Between her and Peter, he held the upper hand. He was faster than her, but his ego slowed him down. He would run incredibly fast at the start, but towards the end lost a lot of his speed. She had caught onto that after a few practice sessions. Peter constantly tried to show off to both Four and Eric. "Go." The moment the words left his lips, Riley began moving. As she expected, Peter took off in a fast-paced run headed of everyone. The second fastest runner was Edward, but he was not in their group. He was running with Tris and Will.

Riley started an evenly paced jog and passed a few of the other initiates. Al stayed relatively close by as she did. After a minute he spoke. "I think," Al was now by her side. "I can beat you this time."

Riley glanced over her shoulder at him. "Really?"

"Yeah." Riley stepped up her pace, causing Al to do the same. It was in these moments that running seemed easier. The small distraction was enough to distance herself from the burning inside her lungs.

"Are you willing to bet on it," Riley asked as she focused her attention on Peter. He was still leading ahead, with a few people trailing behind him. Al didn't reply for a full minute.

"Yes," his voice held slight hesitation. "Winner decides?"

"You're so on." Riley noticed how far along they were. The final turn would be the part she focused on the most. It was a quarter-mile and the section where she had to run with all the energy left in her. By now, a few initiates following Peter had started slowing down. They were running out of energy and struggled to keep up.

The turn was approaching quickly, and Riley was already growing tired. But she was determined to pass Peter. It would prove to her brother she was capable of holding her own and embarrass Peter.

They were steps away from the corner, and Riley spoke. "Don't worry, Al. I'll go easy on you."

The moment her body turned, and her eyes caught sight of Eric waiting at the end, was when her running increased. Al could only watch as Riley began speeding away from him. She began breathing through her nose and out of her mouth. A technique she did as a kid that always helped her. Peter's running had slowed, as she expected. This allowed her to catch up with him.

As her feet padded against the pavement, Peter glimpsed over his shoulder at her. He muttered something under his breath and attempted to pick up the pace. Riley noticed Eric's figure growing and knew there wasn't much track left to run. With her last bit of strength, she pushed through the pain and ran past Peter. The boy grumbled under his breath again but couldn't catch up.

A few seconds later, Riley had made a full pass around him and created a large gap between them. Her eyes locked with Eric as she passed him. It took her a moment to come to a full stop, but once she did, her body began to process everything. The muscles in her leg tightened as she turned around, and she struggled to catch her breath. Eric had a surprised look on his face as Peter came to a stop beside him. Peter's expression was not one of surprise but of anger.

Riley kept her eyes on the boy as others began arriving at the end. "You're lucky Stiff," Peter pointed at her. "You got lucky."

"Did I," Riley spoke as Al approached her. The confidence before came rushing back to her. "Or maybe I'm just better."

Al's jaw fell open at her words, and Peter stepped closer. However, Eric was quick to stop him. "Peter," he shouted. "Andrew. Ring now." Peter glared at her before turning towards the building and walking inside.

"Nice job," Eric spoke to Riley. His words startled her, but she grinned back at him.

~~~~~~~

"He actually said nice job," Will's expression was one of pure shock. "He complimented you?"

"Yeah," Al spoke for her. "Right after she put Peter in his place."

"Who are you," Christina spoke as she wrapped an arm around her. "Oh, that's right. One of my best friends."

Will ignored her. "What did you say to Peter?"

Riley went to respond, but Al stopped her. "He said, "you got lucky Stiff," and Riley turned and said, "Did I? Or maybe I am just better"." With that, the group stared at her.

Christina was the first to break into a fit of laughter. "I wish I had seen the look on his face."

"If you were faster, you could have," Will responded. Christina playfully glared at him.

"What did he say back," Tris spoke up for the first time.

"He didn't say anything."

Al spoke again, "only because Eric cut in."

"Eric," Tris stared at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, he sent him to the ring with Andrew."

Riley's shoulders fell as the story shifted. It was not much of a story to begin with, but Al kept speaking over her. She knew he meant nothing by it.

"I am going to go on a walk," Riley pushed up from her seat.

That caused Christina's arm to fall. "Seriously," Christina spoke to her. "Again?"

"Yes," Riley replied. "I like to walk."

Al shifted in his seat. "Do you want company?"

"I'm okay." She pretended not to see his shoulders fall in disappointment. "I'll be back." With that, she was walking away from the group and out the door.

Riley was always alone in Abnegation. The walks she once took with Tobias were now ones she took alone. She never minded that. The time alone allowed her to think and feel free. It was an escape from her father in Abnegation, and now it was an escape from the exhausting days of Dauntless training.

She enjoyed reflecting on different aspects of the day and thinking about her life. Her time in Dauntless had already impacted her in such a positive way. At this point, leaving was a hard thing to imagine. Not only would she leave her brother, but also her friends. They were a unique bunch with incredibly different personalities, but they worked together.

With her head full of thoughts, Riley realized she was now standing on the small bridge that connected two parts of the facility. It was a short bridge, but the fall would be devastating. It would kill her instantly. Riley stopped wandering as she glanced over the edge.

In truth, she had never been on the bridge alone. It was always with a group of people. She never had the chance to look over the edge. It wasn't until this moment that she realized how deep it was. She could not see the bottom. It appeared to be a never-ending pit that faded into darkness. Riley, however, knew there was water at the bottom, but at night it was hard to see. "You're not going to jump, are you?" The voice startled her.

Riley jumped away and noticed Eric standing behind her. After a moment, his question processed in her mind, and she responded. "No, no."

Eric wasn't sure about her words. "Then why are you standing on the edge?"

Riley blinked. "I have never been on the bridge alone before. I didn't realize how high up it was until now." The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Out loud, it seemed like a foolish thing to do.

"Yeah," Eric seemed to believe her words now. He took this as an opportunity to approach her. "Every year, a few of kids jump during training."

"Oh," Riley was not overly shocked by his words, but they did surprise her. She wasn't expecting him to say something that depressing.

"Yeah," he repeated the word. He then stood up straighter. "I thought I would ask." His tone had changed into a more serious and authoritative one.

Riley turned back to him and shrugged. "I don't plan on jumping. I was going for a walk and stopped to stare."

"A walk?"

She adjusted her body. "Yeah, I like to go for walks around the facility. It's always quiet and relaxing." Eric hesitated as if he was figuring out what to say next. The silence got the better of Riley, and she spoke again. "Why are you out here?" The look on his face told her she had overstepped her boundaries. It was the same mistake both Christina and Tris had done with Four. "I'm sorry," Riley rushed out. "I shouldn't have asked that. It is none of my business."

"You're right," Eric took a step back from her. It was clear that he was ending the conversation. As he turned around, he stopped. Riley watched as he glanced back over his shoulder at her. "But, since you asked. I was going for a walk as well." Riley tilted her head to the side. "I also enjoy the quiet." This stunned her. "Get back to your room, initiate."

"Okay," was her response. Riley turned on her heel and began heading back towards her room. However, a smile appeared on her face. She was surprised at how calm Eric had spoken to her. The way he addressed her and was concerned about her safety on the ledge. It was a different side that Riley didn't know existed. She nearly looked back but was afraid of catching his eye. Instead, she headed for her room in silence.