Authors Note: This is my first fan fic. If its dreadful let me know and save me the embarrassment of continuing. Hope you enjoy :)
Disclamer: I don't own divergent or any of the characters, settings or anything made by Veronica Roth. I did sort of make Julia up but she is mentioned once in insurgent but she wasn't given a name.
Chapter 1
"So how'd it go?" Cara smiles, I'll miss her if I have to leave. Her golden hair is held in a loose bun and she begins to look insistent. Tonight may be my last night in this compound. My results have made it unsafe to be here. I ask myself if I can trust Cara, she has been my best friend and favorite cousin for years but the Abnegation woman said not to tell anyone.
"Julia you can trust me. Plus, I can look it up if you don't tell me."
It's true, she can but it will just say Erudite even though it's not true.
"Well there were a few difficulties with the test and - " I stop. She's gone plaster pale.
"Don't say it, what are the options." How does she know about it, is she like me? "Candor, Amity or Erudite." I can't believe I just told her, the woman said they might kill me if they find out.
Cara stands and grabs a notepad from her desk. On it she draws the five faction symbols, the Abnegation hands, the Candor scales, the Amity tree, the Erudite eye and the Dauntless flames.
"Okay then well we're going to go through these one by one, whichever has the most for and the least against are what you can choose." I'm guessing her results would have been plain Erudite, as she immediately does the most logical thing.
"Abnegation first," She spits out the name like poison, tension has being building between Abnegation and Erudite for a few months now since they restricted the food coming into the Erudite compound.
"Well I don't have aptitude for it, I don't like them and you would kill me." She smiles and I know I gave the correct answer.
"Candor next," She smiles and I almost would think she wants to join them herself. "Well I have aptitude and I agree with their manifesto but it would mean leaving you and everything I know." That's why I'm so unsure; I don't know whether I could manage without my family." We can look at their initiation process in a minute but let's check the others out first." She smiles trying to be reassuring.
The sound of her laptop booting up plays and we move onto the next column, Amity.
"Well I have aptitude, they seem pretty laid back, I like their clothes, and it would be a pretty casual life but I don't know if it's for me."
"It's definitely the safest option and they wouldn't make you speak of your divergence but if you're unsure then it's probably best not to." She starts typing something into the computer and I move onto the next column.
"Okay dauntless is out, there is no way I'm leaping off trains to protect a fence and the thought of killing someone or even being in such a populated faction is not my idea of fun.
"Well I don't think you'd suit it either so at least that rules out another option." Cara draws a line through Abnegation and Dauntless and then we both look down at the next column, Erudite.
"You won't be safe if anyone finds out your aptitude results, and they'll be able to see that it was entered manually, but you would also definitely get through initiation and be able to have a successful career."
"I don't think it's worth the risk. I'll miss you but you'll visit me on visiting day right?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Julia, you're the sister I never had, I'll be there whenever you need me." I smile and Cara leans in and gives me a gentle hug.
"So Amity or Candor, I'll look into initiation for Candor if you go and get food."
"Deal, I'll be back as soon as possible." I close the door behind me and walk down towards the lift.
The lift is empty, but not as empty as I feel. When I woke up this morning I was confident and happy but now I'm confused and unsure of who I am. I was born and raised here, my life is here but…do I even belong? Would I cope without my family? The lift arrives at the third floor and I walk towards the buffet. I go towards the snack bar and enter who the food is for before I am dispensed with two boxes, some of the older Erudite are studying food choices at different ages and how it effects daily life. If I stay here I think I will start a study project on how food affects the choice of faction at sixteen.
As I return to Cara's room my chaotic cousin Will sprints past me, "William! What on earth are you doing?"
"Can't talk have to run!"
"William, stop right now if you continue rampaging through the halls I will take you straight to Aunt Karen and she is not in a good mood today."
He stops and thinks before he continues running down the fire stairs, feeling slack I let him go and return to Cara's room.
Cara's not there when I get back but she's left a note;
Jeanine called, be back in ten
-Cara 7:50
Work always comes first with Cara especially since she got accepted into Jeanine's elite research group. They are working on simulation transmitter range and permanent receivers. Of course, it is supposed to be all top-secret, but Cara tells me everything anyways.
I leave a note underneath saying that I can't be bothered to wait so I'll see her tomorrow. As I'm making my way down the corridor I think to myself, will I? Tomorrow I'm expected to be up early and what happens the day after? Where will I wake up? I don't think I'll be wearing blue.
I struggle to sleep and when I finally do its filled of nightmares, Jeanine attacking the other factions and confessions of divergence in front of everyone. All of the nightmares end in me being shot, usually I can control my dreams but today I just don't want to fight. Too frightened to return to sleep I walk down the hall to Cara's room. I knock on the door knowing she won't answer but as I turn away the door slides open and Cara looks like she's been awake for hours.
"What's wrong?"
"Couldn't sleep."
"And you thought you'd come and wake me up?"
"You look like you were already awake"
"I was but still next time you mightn't be as lucky."
"Fine well can I come in or do I have to stand in the middle of the corridor?"
"Get in we'll sort this out."
We return to our chart checking the initiation processes for both Candor and Erudite, no one really knows about Amity but as far as we know you learn a few songs and just laugh around picking fruit. Cara is already an erudite initiation expert that initiates can come to if they want to learn about simulation serums. The initiation process here is simply pick a topic, write a detailed essay about it and the better the essay the better the job.
The web page loaded showing the candor initiation process and as soon as I read it I felt sick.
Initiation length: Three Weeks
Assessment type: On going and Final Test
Initiates will face lie detector test throughout the first two weeks and in the last week they will learn more about the faction and its customs. The final test will consist of a 'truth serum reading' where the initiates will be asked questions that they can only answer the truth to.
"So if you choose erudite they'll know and if you choose candor they'll know."
"Well if they find out here you might 'have an accident' but who knows what they'll do to you there." She pauses, "what about amity?" I give Cara my best you're a complete idiot stare then when I actually think about it, it does make sense. "It is the most logical option and the safest so alright amity it is."
I glance at the clock and realize I need to get ready. Cara smiles and a tear rolls down her face. I am one of the only people to have seen her cry.
"I'll miss you but you'll come visit me on visiting day right?"
"Of course, wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiles and as I leave the room I hear her sobs.
I put on my cleanest blue dress and pull my hair to the side but don't pin it, it's a small thing but when I leave I want to look comfortable so that I can blend in with the amity. I walk silently to the lobby where my mother is waiting, my father has work and that is always the priority here. Everyone else my age seems solemn. I wonder how many are going to return.
We arrive at the hub and file into the elevators to get to level ten. When we enter the layout is different to when I was last here. The last time we came was a happy time it was the time we watched Cara choose to stay with us, I almost wish we could have that happy time again but I know it wont happen. The room is arranged in a semi circle with the five metal bowls in a line at the front. We line up alphabetically behind the bowls and once everyone is in the ceremony begins.
This year candor is hosting the ceremony so the speeches are kept short. Jack Kang walks up to the podium with a woman and begins, "today is the day where our descendents decide whether to abandon you or to stay. This is the day where the phrase faction before blood comes into action." The man pauses and a woman takes over.
"Years ago our ancestors realized that it was not religion, politics or ethnic groups that caused the worlds problems. They realized that it was the weakness in human personality. The war stopped and human kind as we know it began. They then split into factions sort to destroy the qualities that the blamed for the worlds problems.
Jack Kang returns to the mic and begins to read out people's names. One by one the others make their choice beginning their journey to becoming members of the faction they choose. There's three people before me and then it will be my turn. "Lara Fitzgerald" Lara used to be in my class but she never seemed to fit with the erudite, as she takes the knife I'm not surprised when her blood drops onto the stones. The erudite give her death stares as she walks behind the abnegation and then there's only two people between me and the podium.
The next person chooses to stay and the second leaves candor for amity. Caught up thinking about the other transfers I hardly hear my name. "Julia Fung" I walk up but I can't think I draw the blood and as its about to drop on to the dirt I move my hand.