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      THE ATMOSPHERE the next day in the dorms was far from dauntless. Everyone was on edge, and some of the Erudite kids were calculating their every move and assigning scores to try and guess if they had made the cut. Myra and Edward had their nose buried in a notebook, and Will was rattling off numbers to Christina, who was listening but her eyes were glazed over. Davina was no different– she predicted she would be ranked third or second. It truthfully depended on how weighted they were. She had lost to Edward, but Edward had lost to Apollo, who had lost to many people. She wished she knew how it was calculated.

Between all the confusion, she had hardly considered that Visiting Day was approaching. They were given a day off after the final matches and the day their family would come (or not). But Davina didn't care much for that– neither her mother or twin would come. One didn't care, one wasn't allowed with initiation. That was what Davina told herself, because she knew Viviane would never go out of her way for her either way. If anything, the day off was overshadowed by the growing anxiety of who got which ranks.

Davina was free of some stress– she knew she had at least passed. The risk of her being Factionless was almost nonexistent. The same went for Peter and Edward, but Apollo was on the cutting board. They both knew that, as breakfast rolled around the next day, even if he had been able to sleep in for the first time since initiation had started.

"Should we just go?" Davina asked Peter as they hovered by the door to the dorms.

"He'll come eventually," the brunette boy said with a shrug.

"I think he's dead," Davina added, craning her neck to see her friend on the top bunk.

Peter scoffed, dragging her from the room by her hand. He let go soon after they moved into the hallways, but Davina didn't mind. After they had been patched up in the infirmary, Davina had been recommended to stay in the infirmary overnight for a possible concussion, but she hadn't wanted the pity of needing to stay overnight. She had taken plenty of punches before and gotten up just fine. A part of her didn't want to give Peter the satisfaction, a part of her also needed to see the state of the dorms.

She had managed a dreamless sleep, and Peter had shaken her awake under the guise she had not changed positions in an hour. Davina called him a stalker, Peter called her a log, and then they had gotten dressed. Without a set wake up time, everyone had trickled out on their own, and Peter and Davina had been one of the last ones waiting for Apollo.

"How's your head?" Peter asked as they clambered down the steep rock faces down to the dining hall.

"I think you knocked some sense into me," Davina retorted to distract from the fact it still hurt. "You're not as pretty as I remember."

Peter scrunched up his nose, the bruising around his eye darkening the expression. "You're a bad liar." To make a point, he quickly kissed her on the corner of her lip. She had the time to move, but chose not to, and the pretty boy grinned as he pulled away. "Come on, blue," he chirped.

Davina rolled her eyes, but followed after him. It was a comfort, at least, that he still felt the same way. She hadn't put much thought into the kiss, or how she felt about the pretty boy. It had made sense in the moment, and the competition was over– he couldn't impact the ranks for Stage One now, not the way he might have in the beginning when he had kept engaging with her. She knew he was a good liar, but lying at that moment was illogical.

She realised she trusted him, maybe more than she should have.

Davina found she was more focused on Peter that morning than doing her usual scan of the dining hall and the collection of people who had come to dislike her on varying levels. Will and his posse would pretend she didn't exist, but she had particularly been avoiding Edward since Apollo had bested him. It was a consequence she wasn't quite ready to face, and being next to Peter seemed to keep it away. For now.

She wasn't stupid, she knew her decisions would catch up eventually.

Peter stopped at the empty end of a table, waiting for Davina to take a seat before stepping around and sitting across from her.

Despite Stage One being over with, the nerves of the results still knotted her stomach and stole her appetite. Peter piled his plate as if it were a buffet, while Davina settled for a piece of toast and a single egg, staring down at it. Drew sat on the other side of the room, occasionally shooting them expectant glances. Davina knew it was for Peter.

"You don't eat much," Peter said abruptly.

Davina pursed her lips. "What?"

"Is it an Erudite thing?" Peter continued. "Like you're way too aware of what's in it?"

"No," Davina scoffed.

She hoped he wouldn't press the point, but his green eyes suddenly lit up. "Not dead," Peter cheered suddenly. Davina glanced over her shoulder to see Apollo had arrived, hair still sticking up in different directions.

"Atwood's still out," Apollo said brightly as he sat down to breakfast. It was maybe the most energetic Davina had ever seen him in the morning. "Didn't know the Stiff had it in her."

Davina furrowed her brows. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, you guys were already gone," Apollo mused as he began to load up his plate. "Tris beat the shit out of Molly."

Davina and Peter exchanged glances across the table. "You're lying," Peter snorted.

"You wish," Apollo snipped back, setting his plate down.

"What, you think she'll come after me next?" Peter asked in a false tone of fear.

"I hope she does," Apollo jeered. "Maybe it'd get you to shut up."

"I agree," Davina chimed in. She mockingly looked over shoulder. "Where's Tris?"

Peter scoffed loudly. "You're lucky you're cute."

Davina rolled her eyes at him, as Apollo watched the exchange curiously, dark eyes flicking between the pair comically.

"What happened last night?" he asked, in a tone that suggested he already had an idea.

Davina paused, looking across at Peter, who just shrugged. The blonde girl realised they hadn't really discussed what had happened, or whether it was something to share. "Nothing?" was all Davina could say, looking at her friend sitting beside her.

"I'm not that stupid," Apollo snorted.

"Really?" Davina asked matter-of-factly.

"Are you embarrassed, blue?" Peter asked.

"What, for me? Yes," Davina fired back. "Everyone knows I'm out of your league."

The pretty boy's eyes widened, as Apollo laughed. "Finally. It was getting annoying listening to–"

Peter kicked Apollo under the table, but now it was the blonde girl's turn to laugh. Her crush-that-she-kissed-twice just looked at her across the table, shooting her a grin that made Davina look back down at her plate.

"I will say," Apollo said around a mouthful. "I didn't think hitting a girl in the face would be a good flirting technique."

"I also hit him in the face," Davina said indignantly. She pointed across at Peter. "Blackeye."

Apollo pursed his lips. "You sound so proud."

"I am," she said simply.

Peter just shrugged. "I don't care– I got a kiss."

She pressed her lips together, feeling warm.

"Davina," someone said suddenly. Her stomach was already knotted when she recognised the tone, and she tore her gaze from Peter to see her childhood best friend standing next to their table.

"Awkward," Peter said dramatically as the silence stretched on.

Davina ignored him. "Yes?" she asked Edward.

Her old friend did a quick scan of her table, eyes narrowing on Apollo. He refocused on Davina, the overhead lights casting sharp shadows on his features. "Can we talk?" he asked.

The conversation she had been dreading was upon her. Davina inhaled as steadily as she could. "About?" she asked cluelessly.

Edward stayed composed, but she knew her faux intelligence made his eye twitch. "Can we not do this here?"

The last thing Davina wanted to do was stand alone with Edward and be chewed out, so she stayed firmly seated, staring him down. She hoped he would back down, maintain the pride she knew he was capable of. But instead she saw uncharacteristic anger in eyes, the same poison she had felt the day before.

"Apollo's winning trick was cute," Edward said directly.

The boy in question paused mid-chew, and tried to make himself scarce, lowering his head and slumping his shoulders.

"You'll live," Davina responded.

Edward frowned. "That's not the point."

Davina shrugged. "It's not like they're gonna kick you for it. You're still the best," she told him, unable to hide the edge of bitterness in her voice.

"Are you serious? I don't care about all that," Edward hissed. "That's you."

"It's always been," Davina responded. She could feel Peter's eyes boring into her.

Edward shook his head, looking disappointed. "Dauntless has made you different."

"Has it?" Davina snapped back, pushing to her feet, palms on the table. The anger lanced through her– she didn't know whether it was because the accusation was true, or if she hated that it was.

Edward looked her up and down pointedly. "Yes."

Davina narrowed her eyes. "I've always been a sore loser, right? Maybe I've finally just embraced it here."

Edward no longer looked angry– he looked sad. "That's not true," he told her.

"You're a bad liar," Davina got out.

"And you've turned desperate," Edward bit back. "You're many things but I didn't think you were a coward, too."

Davina faltered at the harsh choice of words, eyebrows pinching as she swallowed thickly, trying to find words.

"Now's not the time to go making enemies," Peter hissed in place of silence. Edward's eyes moved to him. "We all know your girlfriend's getting cut."

"Don't fight my battles for me," Davina said coolly, not even shooting Peter a glance at the cruel remark in her honour.

"That's a rough black eye," Edward told Peter.

The pretty boy's glare deepened. "It'll be nothing compared to the one I give you," he challenged, hand on the table.

"Stop it," Davina hissed. "Both of you."

Edward's eyes narrowed, glancing between the pair, and then at Apollo watching on silently. "I hope you're happy," Edward said, surprisingly passive. Davina stayed quiet. "You made your choice."

If any piece of Erudite had stayed lodged in Davina, whether it was the colour blue or the way her brain worked, she had never expected that the piece to leave would be Edward. Over a decade they had been friends, woven into each other's strict routines and lifting each other up through the trials and tribulations their home faction had demanded of them as children.

His receding back between the rows of tables and the laughter and chatter from other parties haunted her, as Davina watched him leave– both the scene and her life.

She lowered her eyes and slowly sat back down, hands in her lap to hide the shaking. Peter and Apollo looked at each other warily.

"You good?" Apollo asked first.

Davina nodded, tongue between her teeth. "I'm fine," she got out. Peter leaned forward, elbow on the table. "I know, I know– I'm a bad liar," the blonde girl said before he could open his mouth.

Peter smiled weakly. "You know I know you," he mused.

Davina rolled her eyes. "Sure you do."

"Well, I know what will cheer you up at least," Peter said brightly.

She narrowed her eyes at him, watching as he pulled the pack of smokes from his pocket.

Davina frowned. "Isn't it too early?"

Peter shrugged. "Sky's still pretty, isn't it?" he fired back.

The blonde girl didn't answer, only ran her tongue over her teeth. Beside her, Apollo shuffled in his seat. "Can I come?" he asked.

Peter tore his gaze off Davina to look at the other boy. "Voluntary third wheel?" he jeered.

"I'm getting used to it," Apollo responded simply. "C'mon, you never take me– where do you guys always disappear to?" He looked between the pair.

"The roof," Peter answered. "Blue likes the sunsets."

"You're wrong," she finally spoke up. "I like the landscape." Davina looked at Apollo. "You smoke?"

"I could," Apollo said thoughtfully.

Peter kicked Davina's shin under the table, earning a glare. "We're bad parents," he said snidely.

"Alright," Davina sighed. "Let's go."

She pushed away from the table, breakfast half-eaten. She could feel Peter's eyes lingering on her, but said nothing as they left the hall. The blonde led the way, unspoken, as Peter and Apollo seemed to know it was best not to speak to her, keeping to themselves and laughing about something.

Davina had been sixteen when she had taken to a lighter and a cigarette. An old Erudite man had absentmindedly offered her one, and when Viviane had said 'no', it was almost expected that Davina would do the complete opposite. It had become a habit that disappointed everyone else, because it wasn't like the Erudite to do something stupid. When she had told them it was a man from their faction who had started it, she had not been believed.

They weren't Candor, but Davina found Erudite to be painfully black and white sometimes.

The view from the roof was not as regal as it was during the sunset, but Davina accepted it as a moment to stop and slow down. She didn't know what the next day would bring– the Visiting, the ranks, the fate of Apollo. She didn't know if Edward would ever speak to her again, and she knew she probably deserved it. She had been born and bred to know what was going on at all times, but throwing caution to the wind seemed to be a Dauntless thing to do.

It was hard to think it had been only a month since Davina had left behind everything she had known in an effort to escape the shadow. Some days she felt she had only grown darker, some days she didn't recognise the person in the mirror.

"You don't look cheered up," Peter remarked as they reconvened in the dorms. Apollo, not used to the scent of tobacco, had fled to take a shower.

Davina only frowned. "It gave me too much time to think," she told him.

"Well, usually we talk," Peter pointed out.

"I didn't feel like talking," she responded truthfully.

"Well, no shit you don't feel better," Peter said with a shrug.

The boy's ability to consistently be brutally honest but still likeable always astounded her, and Davina only scoffed as she moved towards her bed.

"Peter," she said, catching his attention. "Here."

He moved over, looking down at the piece of watercolour paper in her hands. "What's this?" he asked, furrowing his brows.

"A painting," she said simply.

The brunette gently took it from her, holding it as if his fingerprints would burn through it. "It's the sunset," he said after he scanned over it, forest green eyes lifting to meet hers.

"From the roof," Davina added.

Peter still looked confused. "Why would you give me this?"

Davina shrugged. "It's a gift."

"I can't smoke this, can I?" he said teasingly. Davina sneered and reached to take it from him, but he pulled away. "Fuck off, I'm keeping this."

The blonde's lips twitched. "I used to have a bunch of them in Erudite," she said. "Trying to get back into it."

"What happened to them when you transferred?" Peter asked.

Davina sucked on her bottom lip, imagining the empty space in her old bedroom. "I don't know," she replied quietly.

"I hope they were framed," Peter said, in a bright tone that didn't match hers.

"Doubtful," Davina scoffed. "The Erudite don't appreciate art."

Peter looked down at her, forest green eyes scanning her face. "Well, I do," he said indignantly.

He kissed her before she could retort, and Davina held her tongue for once.

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      THE LAST TIME Davina's mother had shown up for her was in the hospital to bring her into the world. At least, it was the last time Davina knew that Callista Todd had shown up for her. Her childhood was dominated by reaching for her mother's hand and being met with ice instead, shrouded in the shadow her twin cast. None of Davina's achievements were met with celebration or applause, because Viviane had made it first, or because Davina did not meet Erudite standards. It didn't count as showing up if her mother had struck her because she had lashed out to get her attention. It didn't count if Davina was an annoyance rather than a child.

When Davina opened her eyes the next morning, her chest already seemed to know what Visiting Day meant. Tight and feeling like she couldn't get enough air into it, Davina pushed into a sitting position, hands wrung in her lap. The mood in the dorms was despondent– it seemed many shared her sentiment of wondering whether or not they'd be worth visiting.

Davina glanced to her right to see Peter had risen, looking as smug and unfazed as ever. She then looked up, as if she would see Apollo through his mattress. Neither of the people she had somehow ended up the closest with knew anything about where she came from. They did not know what Visiting Day really meant to her– that the mirror was boring into her, and somewhere far away, her mother was plaiting her twin's hair before their own Visiting Day.

Viviane would get a day off, she would exist as if it were a normal day. It called for nothing, and Callista would show up for her nonetheless. Davina knew very few things for certain since she had joined Dauntless, but she knew her mother would not be amongst the faces in the Pit. And Davina knew she shouldn't have cared, but it changed nothing.

"You're awake early," Peter commented as he approached her. Drew hung back behind him. Davina only glanced at him as she pulled a top over her bra, pulling it taught over her stomach. "Why do you look like you're in pain?" Peter added when he got no response, scrunching up his nose at her.

Davina knew the expression he was referring to. The one she made when deep in thought, trying not to overthink, preparing for a situation she could not escape. Viviane had made similar comments over the years, something about the fact the younger twin wore her emotions on her face, and it wasn't a good look. Davina knew Peter wasn't Viviane, he was just being annoyingly curious.

"Nothing," Davina got out. "It's just..."

She trailed off as Edward and Myra passed them without a glance, hand in hand. Peter followed her gaze. "Do I need to repeat that you're still going to rank next to him?" he pointed out.

"What?" Davina said before she could stop herself. She frowned as she realised Peter had taken her issue to be with the rankings– an entirely separate problem that same day. "God, I wasn't even thinking about rankings," she groaned.

"What else is there to worry about?" Peter asked simply, as if there were nothing. He shrugged at the look Davina gave him. "Erudite doesn't sound all that nice anyway, I wouldn't complain if they didn't show."

Davina knew his intentions were good, but the words bit at her and she moved past him, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she went. Peter didn't follow her into the bathroom as she washed her face, if only because the cold water gave her something else to focus on. Bruised knuckles gripped at the sink, and Davina looked up to the mirror to see a face she knew well staring back at her.

"What'd the mirror ever do to you, nose?" someone sneered.

Davina glanced across to see Molly was also in the bathroom, face a mess of purple and strips of medical tape. The blonde girl could only blink at her– she hadn't seen the carnage of Tris yet.

"I think you're more fitting of that nickname now," Davina said coolly, pulling away from the mirror and leaving the bathroom. She heard Molly scoff.

Peter found her once she reentered the dorms, hand resting on her lower back as they headed back to her bunk, presumably to wake Apollo, when Eric walked in. Everyone paused.

"Attention!" he announced, as if there was any need to. "I want to give you some advice about today. If by some miracle your families do come to visit you, which I doubt, it is best not to seem too attached. That will make it easier for you, and easier for them."

Peter looked at Davina, but she stayed staring ahead.

"We also take the phrase 'faction before blood' very seriously here. Attachment to your family suggests you aren't entirely pleased with your faction, which would be shameful," Eric concluded. He scanned the dorm of teenagers. "Understand?"

Davina clenched her jaw and continued on her way, walking past where Apollo still lay and out the door. Peter stayed at her flank, but neither of them spoke. Davina recalled his spite to his parents for lying to him, and tried to imagine how he was feeling in that moment. The visiting part of Visiting day hardly seemed to faze him– it seemed the ranks were all that spun in his head.

Even before they reached the end of the hallway, Davina could see the clusters of families gathered in the Pit. From a glance, most were Dauntless families with Dauntless initiates, but as Davina scanned the small crowd, spots of colour showed up, and she felt her heart pounding against her ribcage, waiting for confirmation she didn't need.

"I see mine," Peter said abruptly.

"Go ahead," Davina told him.

The brunette didn't hesitate as he moved off to meet his parents. His father was tall with bushy eyebrows, and his mother short and mousey with red hair– Davina felt guilty for searching for resemblance when she knew there would be none. Peter's father greeted him loud enough that Davina could hear most of the words, and Peter put on a sort of smile someone from Candor wouldn't know how to pull off.

Davina turned away from the reunion, feeling as if she were prying. She could see now that Molly and Drew both stood alone, and then her eyes caught the dark blue of her old Faction. Will was standing with his sister, Edward was greeting his father with Myra by his side– her parents must not have shown. And two others dressed in blue had started to move towards her.

The air was knocked from Davina as her brother practically tackled her, almost too quick for her to process that he was visiting with their father. Her hands went up to hug him back, green eyes wide as her father approached them with a small smile.

Nic finally released his iron grip on her, and though she had a million things to say, Davina could only stare at him. She finally looked to her father, who gently pulled her into an embrace, cradling the back of her head. Davina froze again, before clutching at Zachariah in a way that made her feel ten years younger.

"You came," Davina finally said, voice muffled against her father's dark blue shirt.

She felt the breath leave his chest. Zachariah moved away, but kept her at arm's length, looking down at her. "You sound so surprised," he mused.

"Relief," Davina corrected, but the energy was missing.

"Is that a tattoo?" Nic said abruptly, eyes widening at his sister's forearm. Davina angled the limb away, but her little brother moved with it and craned his head to get a view. "What is it?" he asked eagerly.

Davina looked to her father, as if for permission, but he just looked amused. The blonde girl sighed and showed her brother the ink on her arm. "It's a lily flower."

"I love it," her brother said earnestly.

"I drew it up myself," Davina told him, moving her arm back to her side.

"You did?" Nic said. "That's so cool."

Davina managed a smile, before her eyes locked onto the paper sticking out of her father's bag. "What's that?" she asked.

Zachariah slid something out of the paper bag. "I brought you this from home," he said, passing it over.

Frowning, Davina accepted the gift, and looked down at the small framed painting of a meadow she had done back in Erudite. The smallest reflection stared at her from the corner, but she was more focused on every brush stroke, every shade of green, the way the forest met the grass and flowers.

She clutched it to her chest, feeling very small. "Thank you."

"Getting that past security was not fun, believe me," Zachariah told her simply, brushing past the gesture that had made Davina's chest warm. "I don't remember Eric Coulter being so cold."

"Yeah, he's a treat," Davina said sarcastically. "He's one of our instructors."

"They're not too hard on you, are they?" her father asked.

"No– I mean, it is Dauntless," Davina responded.

"Bet all that training with Edward helped," Nic chimed in. Davina just nodded. "Where is Edward anyway?"

"I haven't seen him," Davina lied.

"Can I go find him?" Nic asked, looking between his sister and father.

Davina shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."

Nic grinned as he headed off across the pit. Davina kept her gaze ahead, worried she'd lock eyes with her childhood friend and create a situation she hoped to avoid. Her father looked at her, almost knowingly.

"Your mother–"

"I know," Davina cut him off.

Zachariah just nodded. "I want you to know I'm proud of you," he said suddenly. "It's not an easy choice you made."

Davina said nothing. She clutched the painting tighter.

There was only so much Davina and her father could talk about before they lulled into small talk. She had never been close with either of her parents, even the one that did not cut off her hand when she reached for them, but it was nice to hear about the place she had called home. Her father did a good job of steering clear of Viviane or their mother, and he spoke of the house as if Davina's presence was truly missed.

It was nice– having expected no one to show up and being proven terribly wrong, clutching a piece of home to her chest.

"Edward's dad said hi," Nic announced when he returned.

Davina just nodded, before someone swung an arm around her shoulder. "Blue," Peter addressed.

"Oh– you," Davina jeered.

Still with an arm around her, Peter reached the other hand towards her family. "I'm Peter. It's great to finally meet you," he greeted, the most formal she had ever heard him.

"Zachariah Todd," her father said, shaking Peter's hand politely. "This is my son, Nicholas."

"Nic," he corrected, indignantly.

"Nic," their father relented. Peter just looked amused by the exchange. "That's quite a blackeye you've got there, son," Zachariah added, gesturing to the boy. "Get into trouble often?"

Davina looked at the ground with a suppressed smile.

Peter's arm fell from her shoulders, and instead his hand came to rest on her lower back, thumb rubbing circles. "I try not to," he said simply.

"Oh, yeah, you're an angel," Davina said dryly.

"Yes, I am," Peter said earnestly.

Davina rolled her eyes, and her brother laughed.

"That's not something you see everyday," her father spoke up.

Davina followed his gaze to see Tris introducing her mother, dressed in the modest, grey clothes of Abnegation, to her friends. Christina, accompanied by her mother and sister, were watching on, perplexed. Beside them, Will was trying to introduce his sister, but judging by the look on her face, it hadn't gone well.

"What is?" Nic asked curiously.

"A Stiff," Peter told him.

Davina scrunched up her nose at the word. "So's our friend."

"So's," her father mused. "What a funny contraction."

"I can't believe that you associate with one of them, Will." The voice was equally shrill and cold, the sort of tone only Will's sister could muster.

Davina frowned and glanced back at the small group, the movement pulling Peter off her.

"Cara, there's no need to be rude," Will said with a frown.

"Oh, certainly not. Do you know what she is?" Cara snipped, pointing at Tris' mother as if she weren't there. "She's a council member's wife, is what she is. She runs the 'volunteer agency' that supposedly helps the factionless." She fixed her cold gaze on the Abnegation woman. "You think I don't know that you're just hoarding goods to distribute to your own faction while we don't get fresh food for a month, huh? Food for the factionless my ass."

Davina's eyes widened at the bold claim.

"I'm sorry," Tris's mother said passively. "I believe you are mistaken."

"Mistaken," Cara snapped. "I'm sure you're exactly what you seem. A faction of happy-go-lucky do-gooders without a selfish bone in their bodies. Right."

Tris, far shorter than the Erudite girl, stepped up. "Don't speak to my mother that way," she said, hands clenched at her side. "Don't say another word to her or I swear I will break your nose."

"Back off, Tris," Will cut in. "You're not going to punch my sister."

"Oh?" Tris challenged, eyebrows raised. "You think so?"

Davina's eyes lazily followed as Tris was dragged off by her mother, disappearing from the floor of the Pit in the direction of the dining hall. Cara said something inaudible to Will, and Davina looked away from the scene.

"Cara," she mused. "Always a pleasure."

Peter glanced down at her. "You know her?"

"Well, her brother dated my twin," Davina said simply. "I saw her a bit."

Peter's face shifted slightly at the mention of Viviane, but he said nothing, only nodded.

"Where did you transfer from?" Nic asked suddenly, looking up at Peter.

The pretty boy looked at Davina, as if for permission to answer. "Candor," he answered when she only raised her eyebrows at him.

Nic scoffed, looking between his sister and Peter. "Sounds exhausting."

Zachariah laughed. "I can tell by your expression you don't have any siblings," he told Peter.

"No, sir," Peter said unsurely.

"Lucky," Nic chimed in, but Davina knew the trip he had made to see her undid any words he threw at her.

Davina turned to Peter, angling the pair so her family couldn't hear them directly. "So, do I get to meet your family?" she asked.

Peter's expression shifted. "I don't think so."

Davina just nodded. "See you tonight?"

"No shit," Peter jeered. "What's this?" His eyes had flicked to the framed painting clutched to her chest.

The blonde girl blinked at him. "Oh– a painting from home," she answered shortly. Peter looked inquisitive, and Davina reluctantly pulled it away from chest to reveal the hues of green.

Peter scanned it. "It matches your eyes," he concluded simply.

Davina didn't have the stomach to say she thought it matched his. "Were you going back to the dorms?" she asked instead.

"Probably," he said, tongue in cheek. Peter gazed out at the Pit. "Not much left here," he added with a shrug. Davina nodded. "I can take this back with me?"

She narrowed her eyes, not letting the painting go. "Why?" she asked, unable to hide the distrust in her voice.

Peter furrowed his brows at her. "Free up your hands."

The unusual kindness from someone who almost always had an ulterior motive should have caught her off guard, but Davina was starting to learn that Dauntless had changed things since initiation had first begun. With a sigh, she relinquished the small, framed artwork to Peter.

"It was great to meet you," Peter told her father, giving him a lazy wave. "I can see where blue gets her good looks."

Davina's eyes widened. "You–"

Peter kissed the corner of her lip, effectively quieting her. "Bye!"

Davina could only scoff as he headed off, reconvening with his parents at the edge of the Pit. His mother hugged him tightly, but his father looked mildly disappointed, and after a minute they departed, and Peter presumably made his way back to the dorms.

Nic elbowed her in the side. "Is he your boyfriend?" he asked snidely. Davina brought her attention back to her family, giving her brother an annoyed look.

"Nicolas," Zachariah scolded. He looked at his daughter curiously. "Is he?"

Davina rolled her eyes. "He's... something," she managed.

With her hands free, she had nervously wrung them in front of her– they felt empty. Peter's parents had disappeared, and Tris was nowhere to be seen. Cara and Will were still talking with Christina and her family, and somewhere, Edward was talking to his father.

Davina wondered if he was telling the truth of what happened between the inseparable pair, or if he was sparing someone else of knowing what she was capable of. Something selfish and violent, an ugly truth that had been staring her in the face since she was a child. Would her father have come if he knew the sort of person his daughter had blossomed into? Would her mother love to know she had been right?

Not once did it occur to Davina that maybe she had become chipped and angry because of her mother. She was what she had been made, bleeding and ugly in the hospital besides her twin, who existed as a mirror, not a true reflection.

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this is completely and utterly unedited i just wanted to publish something

seasonal depression kicked me in the face hello and this was such a pain of a chapter to come back to, so much dialogue, so much ugh, and it ended up being longer than planned which pushes into the next chapter and fucks up my chapter outline

but here's a chapter of pavina dating as a treat before everything goes wrong

also peep the black eye davina gave peter lmao