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Marlene waves as they walk away She used to ith a lift in her step, like she was skipping Now her steps are s the childish joy I associate with her I wonder what she did when she was under the si," she snaps She shakes her head "They’ve just been hanging out alone all the tiet, it sounds like," I say "What with Zeke and all"

"Yeah What a nightmare that was One day he was here, and the next" She sighs "Noyou train someone to be brave, you never know if they are or not until so real happens"

Her eyes fix on olden brown And now that her hair has grown in so I see, I also notice her delicate nose, her full lips--she is striking without trying to be I am envious of her for a moment, and then I think she must hate it, and that’s why she shaved her head

"You are brave," she says "You don’t need me to say it, because you already know it But I want you to know that I know"

She is co

Then she adds, "Don’t mess it up"

A few hours later, after I’ve eaten lunch and taken a nap, I sit down on the edge of e onbetween the bunks, laughing at one another’s jokes I have just finished applying hter Uriah charges down the aisle between the bunks with Marlene thrown over his shoulder She waves aton the next bunk, snorts "I don’t see how he can be flirty, with everything that’s going on"

"He’s supposed to shuffle around, scowling all the tie tofrom hi We should start calling you Beatrice Prior, Queen of Tragedy"

I stand and punch her ar, softer than if I was serious "Shut up"

Without looking at me, she shoves my shoulder into the bunk "I don’t take orders froht curl in her lip and suppress a grin ?" Tobias says, slipping between his bunk and mine to stand in the aisle with us My mouth feels dry I haven’t spoken to him all day, and I’o back to nor to spy on Erudite," Lynn says "Want to cos to take care of here But be careful"

I nod I knohy he doesn’t want to cohts, if at all possible He touchesme back for just a ht--and he releasesstupid"

"Thanks for that vote of confidence," I say, frowning

"I didn’t mean that," he says "Istupid They’ll listen to you"

He leans towardto kisshis lip It’s a small act, but it still feels like rejection I avoid his eyes and run after Lynn

Lynn and I walk down the hallway toward the elevator bank Some of the Dauntless have started to mark the walls with colored squares Candor headquarters is like a ate it I know only how to get to thearea, the cafeteria, the lobby, the interrogation room

"Why did everyone leave Dauntless headquarters?" I say "The traitors aren’t there, are they?"

"No, they’re at Erudite headquarters We left because Dauntless headquarters has the most surveillance cameras of any area in the city," Lynn says "We knew the Erudite could probably access all the footage, and that it would take forever to find all the caht it was best to just leave"

"Ser into the button for the first floor I stare at our reflections in the doors She’s taller than I ay shirt and pants try to obscure it, I can tell that her body bends and curves like it’s supposed to

"What?" she says, scowling at me

"Why did you shave your head?"

"Initiation," she says "I love Dauntless, but Dauntless guys don’t see Dauntless girls as a threat during initiation I got sick of it So I figured, if I don’t look so irl, maybe they won’t look atunderestie"

"Yeah, and what? Acted all faint every ti scary canity or so to be cunning," I say "You don’t always have to s you are"

"Maybe you should dress in blue fro to act like such an Erudite Plus, you do the sa"

I slip out of the elevator before I say sonite, like ive" part

As usual, a few Dauntless with large guns cross back and forth in front of the doors, watching for intruders Just in front of the Uriah; Marlene; Lynn’s sister, Shauna; and Lauren, who taught the Dauntless-born initiates as Four taught the faction transfers during initiation Her ear gleams when she moves her head--it is pierced from top to bottom

Lynn stops short, and I step on her heel She swears

"What a char at Lynn They don’t look much alike, except for their hair color, which is a th, like ," Lynn replies

Shauna drapes an are to see Lynn with a sister--to see Lynn with a connection to so She looks wary

"Hi," I say, because there’s nothing else to say

"Hello," she says

"Oh God, Mootten to you, too, hasn’t she" Lynn covers her face with one hand "Shauna--"

"Lynn Keep your mouth shut for once," says Shauna, her eyes still on ht attack her at any moment Withme "Tris, do you know Lauren?"