Amity may seem like the perfect faction: a place where one could truly be happy. What many may not realize is that the brightest and happiest faction hides some dark intentions. As the Candor say, politeness is deception in pretty packaging.

"What has become clear is that lies are just a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Lying just to spare a person's feelings, even when the truth would help them to improve, damages them in the long run."

(An excerpt from the Candor Faction Manifesto)

Dear leaders of the Amity faction,

I know that since I already passed initiation, I don't need to send you anymore journal entries. But this isn't so much of a journal entry as it is a complaint. What happened yesterday made me angry enough to get my message across, to sneak into the initiate dorms and find my journal tablet.

First of all, let me explain to you why I transferred in the first place. I know that I've already explained this to you in my previous journal entries but I feel the need to explain it again. Yes, I transferred to Amity because I wanted to be happy. I wanted to be able to have a positive outlook on things. I wanted to reach that happiness myself. I wanted to leave Candor because I wasn't as blunt or brutally honest as the others. I kept my opinions and rude judgements to myself, and I could not take the uncensored scrutiny of others. I didn't feel welcome.

When I came here, I felt welcome. When I came here, I was able to make myself happy. When I came here, I thought that this faction was perfect. However, there was an old Candor saying that stuck in my head, and it proved to be true yesterday: "Politeness is deception in pretty packaging."

You make this place seem like a paradise where no one is sad. It's a place where any individual that had no doubt that this faction is the best faction could easily be deceived. The way of living here is not the truth. And coming from Candor, I know.

When the Abnegation and the few Dauntless first came, the faction reached a unanimous decision: they would stay. Everyone accepted that they were here and didn't bother asking why they came here because that would be considered impolite. Coming from Candor, I asked one of your conflict managers. They took refuge here because countless Abnegation were killed. People have died, and the man told me this in the most apathetic way, as though we were not to be concerned with this because it was not our conflict.

That is absolute freaking bullshit. How can you be satisfied when you selfishly think, "These people were killed, but I don't care because it didn't happen to us"? You withheld the truth from the others so they could live in ignorant bliss. That is deception in pretty packaging right there.

A few days after they were accepted into the faction, I noticed that they were eating bread that was different from the bread Amity normally eats. Coming from Candor, I asked why. Amelia, having researched it before she transferred from Erudite, told me that you put peace serum in Amity bread to prevent conflict. I knew that you were somehow using that to control us, since you have never told us this before. I immediately stopped eating your bread, and I haven't eaten it since. Deception in pretty packaging.

All of these events and revelations finally led up to yesterday, when the Erudite came in to search for the Dauntless and Abnegation that were hiding with us. Guns were shot that day, and one of the bullets reached Amelia.

What did you do about it when it was all over? You took away the bodies before there could be any speculation, and you went on with your deceitful Amity lives, because what we don't know won't hurt us, and you value our blissful ignorance over the truth and what's important.

My best friend was killed, and you acted like it never happened, like she never existed. I'm sending you this to tell you that you have done a horrible thing and your way of making your people "happy" needs to stop.

Coming from Candor, I can't withhold the truth from you that you need to stop deceiving your people and live a proper lifestyle with no lies. Your way of leading is wrong.

I know that happiness is not forgetting what's important, even if it hurts you. It's learning how to keep going and never forgetting, because you can learn from your past experiences.

I hope you learn from this letter, assholes.

Sincerely,

Sierra Sanders

I slept in my old dorm last night. As I wake up, I remember what I had sent to the leaders of Amity and I don't regret it one bit. I look at the cracked tablet I had thrown on the floor in anger last night after I sent the letter. I leave it out in the open. I don't bother hiding my feelings toward them and what they have done.

I wish I could rip off my yellow shirt and red skirt and put on my old white button-down shirt and black pants, but those clothes were disposed of weeks ago. It won't be long until I don new factionless clothing, though. As I step out of the dormitory door, I find myself face-to-face with the same conflict manager I spoke of in my letter.

"I'm assuming that you're here because the leaders received my little journal entry," I say coldly.

"Come with me, Ms Sanders," he says stoically, and grabs my wrist.

I shout at him to let go of me while he drags me to a room with a label on the door that says "Conflict Room". Once we get inside, I'm finally able to yank my arm out of his grasp.

"Sit down," he says, gesturing to a chair in the middle of the room. "Have some tea."

I refuse to sit down or take the cup on the desk in front of the chair. "No, I'm not having any of your tea. It's probably spiked with peace serum."

"Sierra." I flinch at the sound of my name. "You've changed. Instead of being peaceful like an Amity, you started a conflict like a Candor."

"I'm just telling the truth," I snap. "I bet you guys didn't even really read what I said. You guys won't change. You'd rather lie to your people than let them know what's important."

"Please, Sierra, sit down," he says with over exaggerated sweetness. "We'll talk about this."

"Probably about how I need to be more about a deceitful Amity," I scoff.

"Sierra—"

"I'm not gonna listen to you! Just like how you won't listen to me. What you did was wrong. People died and you act like you don't care!"

"That was for the good of everyone –"

"NO!" I shout. "AMELIA DIED AND YOU PRETENDED THAT SHE DIDN'T EXIST!" I make my way to the door but two more conflict managers enter the room and grab my arms, forcing me to sit on the chair.

"THE WAY YOU'RE LIVING IS SICK AND WRONG!" I shout as I flail my legs, trying to escape. "PEOPLE ARE BEING KILLED AND YOU WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT! YOU'RE ALL SICK!"

Tears of frustration flow down my face and I start sobbing. "YOU'RE CONTROLLING US! YOU'RE CONTROLLING US WITH THAT PEACE SERUM! WE'RE JUST YOUR MINDLESS SLAVES! LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARDS! LET ME –"

I feel a pinch at my neck. All my anger towards these men and the Amity leaders slowly goes away. They're right. The murdered Abnegation isn't our problem. They were right to pretend that Amelia's death didn't happen. There's no need to leave the faction. It's all for the sake of peace and happiness.

My mouth twitches.

I smile.