Four pulls her away and out of sight from all of her friends and even away from everybody in the cafeteria. He pulls her down the same hall that lead to his apartment in Dauntless. Once they turned into the same hallway the lead to the chasm Jade crossed her arms and avoided eye contact with him. "What were you doing with Eric huh?" Four asks upset, she could see his fists were clenched and a vein was popping out of his neck. "Four our relationship started yesterday, I wouldn't do that to you. Trust me it's not like that." - "Oh yeah? Then what's it like Jade?" He asks impatiently.
"He saw me coming out of your apartment and assumed that I was sleeping with you. I told him I wasn't and then he went on about, ..." She trailed off and looked up at him, tears pricking at her eyes. "About what?" He asks a bit calmer then moments before, due to her expression. "He told me about all these girls you were with before me. He told me their names, their original factions, and how you treated them. He also went into detail about how all you want from a girl is sex." Jade explains, beginning to suck the former tears back into her eyes. "And Four the reason I'm speaking like I believe him is because he explained everything very specifically and very confidently. I watched and listened to him carefully, and he didn't look or sound like he was lying. Please tell me he is." Jade nearly begs, she has grown to not like but love everything about Four so the news of all this being true would ultimately crush her heart. Four shakes his head and steps closer to her, Jade stops him by putting a hand on his chest.
Four nods understandably and looks at her, "If all of this was the truth I would've told you this yesterday. I would've informed you that I wanted nothing serious to come out of us and that all I wanted was just one night. I also would've come clean and told you about all these 'other girls'. When I kissed you on my balcony I could've tried to pressure you into sex the moment I carried you inside and laid you on my bed. But I didn't. I didn't do not one of these things and you wanna know why?" Four asks, Jade looks at him curiously and nods. "Because I would rather spend a lifetime with you then just one measly night full of lust and meaningless sex. I would rather have just one girl, then all the girls in the world. I would rather sleep next to you every night then sleep with you for just one. Jade, I am not that type of guy, and just because one insufferable piece of shit tells you otherwise does not mean It's true." Four tells her, and by the time he said her name she was already convinced. Jade looks to the ground ashamed of herself for believing that pierced devil. "God, I'm so sorry," she says softly, putting her face into her hands, "it's just, Eric has obviously been here longer then I have, and I wanted to be sure and I wanted to know things about you that I don't usually have the guts to ask and I just," - "Jade." Four interrupts her and she slowly looks up into his chocolate brown eyes. "I feel like a total idiot." - "Natalie," he says, "you're not an idiot. You had every reason to do what you did. Like you said once before, we barely know each other yet. Eric manipulated, and convinced you." Four finishes.
"That... makes me feel a whole lot better thanks," - "Eric tends to do that, And I want you to know I don't blame you. If the shoe was on the other foot I think I'd do the same." Four attempts to reassure, "I mean, who wouldn't wanna know everything about their significant other? Like right now, I wanna know every little thing about you just as much as you wanna know everything about me. I, myself, would want to know if the person I choose to spend the rest of my life with is trustworthy, honest, but most importantly, willing to be loyal, and one hundred percent faithful. So trust me when I say I don't blame you." Four finishes, and by the time he begun Jade was already smiling from cheek to cheek.
"You know exactly what to say to a girl in any and every situation don't you?" Jade asks looking down with rosy red cheeks, Four admires the beautiful brunette in front of him. "And I'm gonna be completely honest with you, that's just one of the many things about you that I'm starting to fall for. I want you to know that you don't have anything to worry about. You don't have to worry about any other guys coming in and swooping me off my feet. Honestly, the only guy you'll ever have to worry about with me is my obnoxious twin brother. And that's just because he wants to protect me." Jade warns him, Four nods. "I know, I'll talk to him about it. I'll let him know that I mean no harm and that what me and him want is the same, we both want you safe, emotionally and physically." Four says, Jade was heart warmed by his comment and her facial expression surely showed it. "And I'm not just saying these things just to say them Natalie, I mean every word I say to you." Four states firmly. Jade looks into his eyes fondly and smiles spread across both their faces.
Moments later the speakers all throughout Dauntless ring and a lady's voice is heard. "ALL INITIATES REPORT FOR FINAL TESTING. ALL INITIATES REPORT FOR FINAL TESTING." The voice says, Four and Jade look at each other. Four looked at her and could see she was shaking like a leaf in the wind, with fear in her eyes. He pulled her close and lifted her head up from her chin once again. "It's okay to be afraid, it's okay to feel like there's nothing keeping Dauntless Leadership from finding out about you, or both of us even. But, from my years of experience, it's not okay to hold onto that fear and make it real. It's okay to know it's there and it's still possible, but don't let it define who you are in there Jade." Four reassures her, making Jade calmer with each given word.
She leans her head onto his chest and sighs, "I won't." She whispers. After awhile Four guided Jade towards the Final testing auditorium. They entered a long wide room, it was filled with about a dozen or so chairs. And in those chairs sat a few nervous Initiates, non of which were Jade's friends. Four was stood near another door on the opposite side of the door they came in, he was tapping away on a flat and small touch-screened device.
She turned back around at the sound of a door opening, and the first face she could see was Ben's. For Jade, It was kind of odd to see him in Dauntless attire, considering all the brightly colored childhood memories she made with him and Miles back on Amity grounds. She happily approached him, "Heyyyy Nat, how's it hanging?" Ben greeted her. "Hey Benji, and remember it's Jade now. Natalie is still back on Amity grounds were she belongs." Jade says seriously, Ben shook his head. "Oh please, enough with the big bad Dauntless act in front of me. Natalie is here whether she likes it or not. I mean, if ditching our names is the trend then I guess this 'Benji' you speak of is back home, shoveling dirt with the peaceful stick shoved up his ass." Ben jokes, Jade laughs but mentally gags at the sound of the words stick, shoved and ass in the same sentence.
She studied her childhood friend's brand new appearance, dark clothes, slick brown gelled hair, and two snake bite piercings below his bottom lip. "Alright alright fine, you always have a joke for everything don't you?" She asks curiously, "We always got to be prepared don't we? So why not be prepared in lightening moods and or making good jokes at bad times. Or vice versa, which ever." Ben explains. Jade shakes her head as someone walks up from behind her, it was Miles. "Hey my surprisingly tolerable older brother, hows it hanging?" Jade mimics Ben from earlier, earning her a subtle but very unique middle finger from Ben. He pretended as if there was a crank on the side of his hand and he was cranking it, as his middle finger slowly rose from being aligned with his other fingers.
Jade retaliated by pretending as well and pulled her hand out from her pocket and pretended her middle finger was lipstick, and 'applied' it towards Ben. "Never say that again, it was like you were the girl version of Ben for a second. Very creepy. But I'm good if that's what you're asking, just came from the cafeteria with Tris, and the two love birds over there." Miles points to where the rest of their friends were, Tris stood beside Chris as Will had an arm resting around Chris's shoulders. She called the couple and third wheel over to officially meet Ben. "Tris, Christina and Will this is Benjamin aka Ben, But I can him Benji. Me and Miles here grew up with him back on Amity grounds. I should've introduced you guys to each other sooner but late is better then never so." Jade introduced, "yeah me and these two here go way back, I remember playing around on the makeshift playground Amity had made with them. I was like thee best at tag compared to these two combined." Ben bragged, Jade shook her head and so did Miles. "Oh yeah right! I remember that one time I tricked you into thinking I was tired, I caught you off guard and tackled you to the ground!" Jade shares, Ben rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
"Nope sorry, don't remember that." He replies supposedly clueless, Jade squints her eyes at him just before she remembers a key part to that same day years ago. "Don't give me that bull, you remember that day and I know you do Benji, you too Miles. It was the day I lost the necklace our mother gave me." Jade said sorrowfully looking towards her brother. "Ben didn't you like secretly promise her you'd find it the next day?" Miles asks struggling to remember. Ben's eyes then widened, and suddenly a large smile formed on his face, as if he remembered something himself. "Yes I did, after you tackled me I chased after you and you were so focused on running away from me you ran directly into the forest. Luckily, before you could get deep enough to get lost you tripped over a stump, fell and tumbled a little bit. That's when it came off and got lost." Ben explains with a suppressed smile on his face.
"It was getting dark and you were hurt so I helped you back home. The next day I told her and promised her I'd find it. " He added. "He went into that forest everyday with me and Miles to find it. But after about a year of going in and coming back out without it, it was just too heartbreaking for me so we stopped." Jade explained. Everyone comfort her for the loss of a very meaningful piece of jewelry, well everyone but Ben. Ben held that same smile on his face as he shook his head, "Why are you shaking your head?" Miles asks him confused. "It's just, when you said 'we stopped looking' I want you to know you're referring to you and Miles." Ben says.
Jade tilts her head at him confused, and so does Miles. "What are you saying Benji?" She questions, "You kept looking?" She adds. "Natalie, I never stopped looking. I saw that look in your eyes that day and you were more than heartbroken. And after you guys gave up I grew even more determined then I already was to find it." Ben explains to her. Jade looked at Ben in sheer disbelief, and the moment he uncrossed his arms and reach into his pocket tears began to form in her eyes. Ben pulls the necklace out from his pocket by the chain and lifts it up to show her.
The thin gold chain held a beautiful shard of a green/teal gemstone. Jade lets the tears flow and hugs Ben without even taking the necklace yet. She tightly wraps her arms around his neck and cried a bit onto him, he hugged her back and even lifted her off the ground a bit. "After aptitude testing I decided since it was going to be my last day there I went back, and I found it meters away from where you fell hanging in a bush." Ben explained. "Thank you so much Benji. You don't understand how much this means to me." Jade sniffles and Ben insists on putting it on for her.
She lifts her curly brown hair and turns her back so he could latch it around her neck with ease. "Oh but I think I do. When I spotted it I was more then relieved for you. And the story behind it makes it all the more unique, and beautiful. Just like it's owner." Ben obviously flirts, Miles lightly smacks his friend. "Ben, what did I tell you about flirting with my sister?" Miles says just a bit too loud, and Jade could see Fours head quickly turn in their direction in her peripherals. She cringed for just a moment on the outside as the speakers throughout Dauntless rung once again. "LAST CALL FOR ALL INITIATES TO REPORT FOR FINAL TESTING." That same female voice repeats twice. Jade sighs and takes a seat in between Tris and Chris
"Alright listen up!" Four shouts from the front of the nearly full room. Everyone quiets down, "This is how Final testing will go. Once your name is called you are to exit out that door and when you do, there is a chair in the center of the building and it will be waiting for you." Four pauses as he point to the door on the opposite side of the room, "And that, is where one of our administrators will inject you one Final time and you will have to go through every single situation your mind considers a greatest fear." He continued. "All five faction leaders are in the next room, they can and will see what goes on in your minds. So if you've planned on meeting someone's expectations, I suggest you do your best today and meet theirs." Four explains as he taps some more on the device in his hand. "The order you'll go in will be random so there's no ranking who's the best and who's the worst based off what order you come in. Lookin at you Peter." Four says, everyone other than Peter laughs. "The first person to receive their testing will be," Four pauses and presses the screen on his device once more.
"Jade."