divergent-excerpt

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each one as he does, first against the air and then against the punching bag. I catch on as we practice. Like with the gun, I need a few tries to figure out how to hold myself and how to move my body to make it look like his. The kicks are more difficult, though he only teaches us the basics. The punching bag stings my hands and feet, turning my skin red, and barely moves no matter how hard I hit it. All around me is the sound of skin hitting tough fabric. Four wanders through the crowd of initiates, watching us as we go through the movements again. When he stops in front of me, my insides twist like someone’s stirring them with a fork. He stares at me, his eyes following my body from my head to my feet, not lingering anywhere—a practical, scientific gaze. “You don’t have much muscle,” he says, “which means you’re better off using your knees and elbows. You can put more power behind them.” Suddenly he presses a hand to my stomach. His fingers are so long that, though the heel of his hand touches one side of my ribcage, his fingertips still touch the other side. My heart pounds so hard my chest hurts, and I stare at him, wide-eyed. “Never forget to keep tension here,” he says in a quiet voice. Four lifts his hand and keeps walking. I feel the pressure 84
of his palm even after he’s gone. It’s strange, but I have to stop and breathe for a few seconds before I can keep practicing again. When Four dismisses us for dinner, Christina nudges me with her elbow. “I’m surprised he didn’t break you in half,” she says. She wrinkles her nose. “He scares the hell out of me. It’s that quiet voice he uses.” “Yeah. He’s . . .” I look over my shoulder at him. He is quiet, and remarkably self-possessed. But I wasn’t afraid that he would hurt me. “. . . definitely intimidating,” I finally say. Al, who was in front of us, turns around once we reach the Pit and announces, “I want to get a tattoo.” From behind us, Will asks, “A tattoo of what” “I don’t know.” Al laughs. “I just want to feel like I’ve actually left the old faction. Stop crying about it.” When we don’t respond, he adds, “I know you’ve heard me.” “Yeah, learn to quiet down, will you” Christina pokes Al’s thick arm. “I think you’re right. We’re half in, half out right now. If we want all the way in, we should look the part.” She gives me a look. “No. I will not cut my hair,” I say, “or dye it a strange color. Or pierce my face.” “How about your bellybutton” she says. 85
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VERONICA ROTH
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chapter one There is one mirror in
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shoulders. But she must hide that b
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glass and steel. In front of it is
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I pause by a window in the E Wing a
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we can’t prepare for the test in
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Susan to the exit. The people I pas
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an electrode to my other temple, an
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of the dog’s foul breath and try
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word “murderer.” It has been a
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chapter three I wake to sweaty palm
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or more of the factions, but in you
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I mean you should never share them
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subways, that I have to be careful
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chapter four I reach my street five
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way he does when he suspects someon
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natural goodness, his inborn selfle
Page 35 and 36: surprise me, but now they chide me.
Page 37 and 38: child. The infant died minutes late
Page 39 and 40: of books on his desk. He closes the
Page 41 and 42: as I walk up the front steps. The e
Page 43 and 44: Caleb on the shoulder, grinning.
Page 45 and 46: I have never liked Candor. “Those
Page 47 and 48: higher each moment, and the glass r
Page 49 and 50: I look at Caleb, who now stands beh
Page 51 and 52: Beside him, my mother is smiling. T
Page 53 and 54: sideways. I’m not as tall or as s
Page 55 and 56: What a good actor he was. The thoug
Page 57 and 58: On three we launch off the train ca
Page 59 and 60: dark skin and gray hair at his temp
Page 61 and 62: I hit something hard. It gives way
Page 63 and 64: chapter seven When all the initiate
Page 65 and 66: your mouth shut. Got that” She no
Page 67 and 68: strikes the wall beneath me and spr
Page 69 and 70: and drops into the seat next to Fou
Page 71 and 72: “You know. Like a bed of nails.
Page 73 and 74: “But we started with twelve,” p
Page 75 and 76: now. If you are really one of us, i
Page 77 and 78: the wall. No one has to know that I
Page 79 and 80: difficult, to drastically improve y
Page 81 and 82: hit the target at least once by now
Page 83 and 84: “Sorry, am I being rude” she as
Page 85: +++ After lunch, Four leads us to a
Page 89 and 90: know.” I close my eyes and hold s
Page 91 and 92: Christina dark and lean, Will pale
Page 93 and 94: chapter nine “Since there are an
Page 95 and 96: oth Peter and Molly, but he’s bui
Page 97 and 98: think this is a leisure activity Sh
Page 99: Four turns to the chalkboard and ci
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