Gender-bent Divergent
Disclaimer: *I do not own Divergent, the plot, or the characters used in the story. The only original part of the story is the gender-bent names and my interpretation of Veronica Roth's original story line.*
Chapter 1
Benjamin (POV)
I'm sitting patiently waiting for my mother to finish cutting my sister Caylee's hair. I want to urge them to hurry but that would be selfish of me. I must force myself to resist lashing out and try to be more like Caylee. She is the perfect Abengation; selflessness comes naturally to her. Sadly I am not yet perfected in my skills of masking my boredom found in the monotony and tediousness of our plain, selfless lifestyle. I would never express this to anyone in my family though. I watch as my mothers face remains placid, though she indulges Caylee in murmured conversation. My parents are models of selflessness: Nathan and Andrea Prior. Sadly those genes must have skipped me.
When we are on the bus on our way to school I cannot help but be trembling with nerves thinking about our aptitude test that will be taking place at school today. They will tell us which faction we are best suited for, where we should spend the rest of our lives. The thought of my entire future resting on the results of a simple test terrifies me. What if I get Erudite, betraying my family and going to the enemy faction. What if I am Candor, blurting my inner thoughts for eternity. Amity, forever smiling, singing and skipping all day long. Dauntless, the thrill seekers, crushed because of my weakness and small size. Or Abnegation, forever meek and selfless, becoming a doormat for all of the other factions to walk over for the rest of my life. My musings distract me from noticing a Candor man board the bus and Caylee shoots me a reprimanding look, obviously upset at my display of selfishness. "Sadly, dear sister, these things will never come as easily to me as they do you," I think sadly.
We arrive at school and I immediately bow my head hoping to block out all of the insults being hurled at my fellow grey clad faction members. Before I know it we are in the cafeteria anxiously waiting for our turns to take our aptitude tests. "Benjamin Prior," the woman reads my name from the list and I shakily stand and enter the room I am directed towards. I enter the room and see a metal chair that seems to be taunting me with its aura of impending doom. A dauntless man is standing in the room preparing my test. "My name is Tony, and I will be administering your aptitude test today. Please have a seat," he directs me and seems to be pushing me with is piercing stare. I sit in the chair and drink the serum he hands me. ( I don't feel like typing out the entire aptitude test because its super long but you can read it yourself on pages 13-18 if you need a refresher).
I wake up gasping for breath, hands trembling. I grasp the edge of my shirt until my heart rate drops from extreme panic to just above sheer terror. Tony looks at me with a strange look on his face that i cant place but he quickly moves towards the computer and begins rapidly typing, while muttering under his breath. I begin panicking and am about to ask him what is wrong but one look from him and my mouth is clamped shut.
"Listen kid I need you to remain calm and silent," he practically growls, but i just nod rapidly hoping he takes it as submission and not fear. "Your test results were inconclusive. You had an equal aptitude for three factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite. Your dangerous. They can't control you. They call it Divergent. You can't let them find out about you. I manually inputted your results as Abnegation, and I'm sending you home because the serum made you sick. Got it? And don't you dare tell anyone, no one is trustworthy."
I can tell that he will not be answering any of my questions so I quickly exit the room and head home. When I get there I sit on the front steps, breathing deeply and forcing myself not to panic. Caylee gets home and immediately looks relieved, explaining how Rebecca and Simon Black had informed her that I had been sent home sick. I can see her blush when she mentions Simon and can't help but mentally shake my head at their pathetically obvious crushes on each other. After dinner I lay in bed thinking about each of my choices. Erudite is out of the question, my mother vehemently despises the Erudite and there is no way I could ever consider betraying my family and current faction so cruelly. I think about my future in Abnegation, married to Rebecca Black and quietly working in the government along my mother. Then I think of Dauntless, the word just gives me thrills. Living reckless and free, doing whatever I want.
I hear a soft knock on my door and see Caylee peek her head inside my bedroom. Though we will both be choosing tomorrow she is still older than me and clings to her role of guiding her pathetic excuse for an Abnegation through his childhood. She looks at me and looks at me before hesitantly speaking. "Benjamin, tomorrow when we choose, we must think of our family, but we must also think of ourselves." Before I can respond she is gone. I fall asleep thinking of her words, and me choices. Erudite, Abnegation, Dauntless.
*TIMESKIP*
I stand in line anxiously waiting for the ceremony begins. I watch as the Erudite leader, Jackson Matthews, mounts the stage. He begins his speech reminding us how those who blamed violence formed Amity, Johan Reyes smiles. those who blamed selfishness formed Abnegation, our leader, Marceline Eaton, nods. those who blamed dishonesty formed Candor, Jacqueline Kang closes her eyes seems to be swaying to the words. those who blamed ignorance formed Erudite, and he says it with such pride it is obvious there is an underlying superior tone. And those who blamed cowardice formed Dauntless, their fierce leader Max stepping forward and then back, her ponytail swinging from the abrupt movements. And the ceremony has begun.
I hear my older sister's name ring out around the room. My selfless sister, perfect in every Abnegation standard, walks confidently to the five bowls and sends me a fleeting look before her blood has hit the water. She is Erudite. My parents look shocked, anger burning in my mother's eyes. "Benjamin Prior." I step forward and take the knife. I know what my choice is. This is where I belong. The word rings out filling my ears. "Dauntless." Shocked murmurs fill the room as I make my way to the screaming mass of black. I see the disappointment in my parents eyes but I can see, pride, in my father's eyes.
Soon the ceremony has concluded and the Dauntless run screaming out of the building and to the train tracks. The rush is exhilarating as I jump onto the train. I can see other initiates sitting around the train car. A Candor boy approaches me and sits next to me in the swaying train car. He is tall and dark with dark hair and eyes accenting his handsome features. "I'm Christopher," he says shaking my hand.
"Benjamin," I reply.
We are about to continue our conversation when a cry rings out across the car. "They're jumping."
Christopher looks at me panicked as we watch the Dauntless born jump out of the train and onto the rooftop. We look at each other and silently agree to jump together. Thankfully, we both safely make it onto the roof. We see Max standing on the edge of a huge hole in the roof.
"I am Max, a Dauntless leader. If you are here that means you have successfully made it to the first part of Dauntless initiation," she says, a twisted smile on her face. "Now, who will jump first?" she asks, reveling in our shocked expressions. I hear stupid questions and protests until I finally step forward and say, "I will."
"Oh, the Stiff is jumping first, so brave," a sarcastic voice sneers from behind me. I ignore the comment and step onto the ledge. I take a deep breath, and jump.