Chapter 1

TRIS POV

I don't hate serving. I don't particularly enjoy it, but I don't hate it. It puts a good amount of money in my hand every night and there's job security in food service, especially in a big city like Chicago. My dream has always been to go to school and get a degree in criminal justice, but that just isn't quite realistic yet. My dreams went on the back burner when mom and dad passed. Caleb tried to tell me that I shouldn't give up just so he could go to school. We only got enough money from the settlement for one of us to go and this had been his dream for so long that I couldn't take it away from him. He needed this.

"Beatrice." He had said in his best big brother voice. "You have to think of the family, but you also have to think about yourself." I hated when he called me Beatrice, and as much as I wish he could have been right, he just wasn't. It's been two years since he left for Stanford on a partial scholarship. I miss and think about him every day, but this is what I had to do for my brother to be happy.

After he left, I lived on my own for a while, but I became lonely. So when one of my regulars at work noticed that I had been looking extra down on a slow night, she asked me if I wanted to sit and talk. Normally I wouldn't bother my customers with my problems, its kind the opposite of what is supposed to happen. But Christina has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I just needed to get it off my chest.

"It's really not a big deal. My older brother is off at college pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering and my parents passed about a year ago. I sort of wake up in the morning, come to work, go to the gym here and there, go home to sleep and start over. It gets monotonous after a while." I'm surprised at how quickly the words flow out of my mouth, like they had just been freed from a prison. One I built inside of myself.

"Well, it doesn't seem like 'not a big deal' to me! It sounds like you're lonely. Do you even like working here?" Sometimes I forget how perceptive Christina can be. She has a tendency to be a little self-absorbed, but who can blame her? She is still in her early 20's and is an accomplished journalist for the Chicago Tribune. She's somewhat short but still thin with striking features and that I imagine catch the eyes of guys in the room pretty often. She's never been interested though. Her boyfriend Will takes up her attention.

"I don't hate it, but the hours are terrible and business is slow. I also don't really know anyone who works here." I tell her.

"Well, if you had the opportunity to work somewhere in the middle of the city, would you take it? It would be way busier and I have a friend who works at a bar downtown! He could probably get you in. They're always looking for more help. And then I wouldn't have to drive so far out to see you anymore!" She gets more excited as she tells me more and more details.

"Wow! I didn't realize I was such a burden to you!" I tease. "But it doesn't matter anyway. I can't afford to live in the city and the commute would be too much, especially after long closes at a busy bar." Even now, I don't get home most nights until after 1. A bar in the city wouldn't close until 2 and after finishing my outs and driving home, it would be close to 4 before I could even lay eyes, let alone my whole body on a bed.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm looking for a new roommate! Ever since Marlene moved in with Uriah, I've been lonely too and the rent is a little much for me right now. Please Tris! You have to move in. I'll talk to Uriah tomorrow about getting you an interview. I think you really need this!" The more I think about it, she does have a point. I'm just not happy with my current situation and it's not going to get any better unless I do something about it.

"Okay!" I half shout, half sigh. "I guess there's no harm in at least checking it out. Let your friend know that I'm interested. BUT, I'm not going to move in unless I get the job. Understand?" But it's pretty obvious she's already not listening. She pulls out her phone and begins furiously texting Uriah. I can't help but laugh and shake my head.

As overwhelming as Christina can be, she really does always look out for me. I hear a table across the restaurant complain that their waters are almost empty, so I tap the table twice to let Christina know I'll be right back without talking, like she would hear me anyway. On the way back, I grab Christina's check. I don't ring in her drinks, just a pop for today. She normally doesn't drink on nights when she has to be at work the next day and nobody will know. People get free refills for goodness sake. There's no way to tell if her Pepsi isn't rang in.

"Okay, Uriah is going to talk to his manager tonight! He's kind of a dick, but he said as long as you have experience and aren't a total moron, you should be good! This is so great Tris! You need more excitement in your life. We are going to have so much fun in the city. I can't wait!" Her words are a blur and if I didn't know Christina well enough and know how to understand her fast speech, I would say she's just making sound.

"Remember, I have to get the job first before anything happens! I need to be responsible. It's not like I have a lot of money to throw around." I say as I set down her check.

"Whatever, everything will be fine. Uriah knows what he's doing." She places a sleek black credit card in the book without even looking at the total. I narrow my eyes at her while I pick the book up to take it to the register. As I swipe her card, I see that I got sat with a 4 top at table 44. I drop off her check and say my goodbyes to Christina before I go over to greet my new table. It's a regular group of late night-ers. They look about nineteen or twenty and only have enough money for a few appetizers and a 14% tip. I would probably be more annoyed, but this is a pretty usual crowd for late night.

The rest of the night goes pretty smoothly, but I'm definitely feeling exhausted as I lock the front door and start to work my outs. As I'm entering my tips into the computer for the night, I realize I never went back to Christina's table to pick up her check. I open the book to find that she has left her usual 30% tip. I've tried to tell her a million times that she doesn't have to do that, she doesn't even really need to tip me at all, but she insists because not only are we friends, but this is how I make my living. But today, I notice she didn't take the guest copy of the receipt. I consider giving it to her the next time I see her, she likes to keep them just in case, but there is a small note written on the bottom.

"You have an interview Saturday afternoon at 2 with Max. The bar is called 'Dauntless'".

"Dauntless, huh?" I ask myself. It has a certain ring to it, but even just reading the name I already wonder if I'll fit in, but I guess I won't know until Saturday at 2.

It doesn't take me long to finish my outs tonight with how slow it has been. I ask the kitchen crew and the manager if they need anything else from me. Not really because I feel like helping, but to let them know that I'm done and to make it seem like I'm interested in helping them go home faster. As they do every night, they tell me not to worry about it and to enjoy the rest of my night. I leave the restaurant and shove the measly $54 I made in my 7 hour shift into my pocket. As I get into my car, I consider texting Caleb to let him know about my upcoming job opportunity, but decide against it. He's likely studying for some big test or out partying with some of his college friends. Either way, he doesn't need to know about it unless it becomes a real opportunity.

As I pull onto the highway, exhaustion starts to hit. Unlike most other jobs, serving keeps you on your feet. Even though the drive home only takes ten minutes, it feels like an hour. I finally pull up to my apartment and let my head rest on the steering wheel for just a moment before slowly making my way to the door. My apartment isn't huge, a one bedroom with a small kitchen and a bathroom. I was given just enough settlement money to get me started before handing the rest over to Caleb for his education. He begged me time and time again to reconsider. He kept saying that we could make it work and that I shouldn't give up. But I didn't give up, I'm just waiting. I'm waiting for my turn to follow my dreams. In the long run I think Caleb was just worried that I would grow to resent him, like he was leaving me behind. I don't resent him, I just envy him and I'm smart enough to know the difference and not let it get to me.

When I walk into my apartment, I immediately notice the picture of my parents on the fridge. It isn't framed, and I kind of like it that way. It's the last picture I remember taking of them before they left for their road trip that day. They were so excited to finally have a vacation for just the two of them. If I had only known that minutes after pulling out of our driveway a drunk driver would hit their car, I could have saved them. If only anyone had known.

Unfortunately, the past is the past, and there is nothing that can be done about it now. I take off my work clothes and throw them into the laundry basket in the corner of my bedroom. I walk in the bathroom and for the first time in a long time, my reflection in the mirror surprises me. I actually look tired. I let my blonde hair out of the pony tail it has been in since earlier today and sigh. The more I think about it, the more I think Christina is right. I can't keep living alone and throwing a pity party for myself. I need to take Caleb's advice and do what's right for me. Well sort of. I'll need to put together a resume for Saturday and come up with the normal "server interview" questions.

How do you feel you handle yourself in a stressful situation? Have you ever been responsible for training new servers? Sell me you favorite drink. While my answers to the questions will matter, what matters the most is my experience. You could give the best answers, but without two years of previous pay stubs, it doesn't really matter.

I finally crawl into bed around 115 and hope that sleep comes quickly tonight. I only have three days until my interview. Three days until my new life in the city can start. It's starting to sound better and better the more I think about it.

A.N. Hello readers! I hope you liked my first chapter. I'm going to tell you right now that this story half lets me create a cool AU for our favorite Divergent characters, but also lets me rant about my job. I constantly find myself wondering how Tris and Four would handle the situations I get into at work because some of them are just plain weird….Anyway, let me know what you think! I'm not going to expect reviews or anything, but the more I have, the more motivated I'll be to write.