Chapter 1:

I left the simple school building in Carolina, not wanting to leave, for it was the only place I could actually stay away from my own thoughts. But I let my feet guide me away from my safe house to home. Although it has been 6 years since the Selection, I could not stop myself from thinking about Maxon. Or rather King Maxon now, who is happily married to his beautiful wife, Kriss. A little boy bumped into me as I walked along the street to my apartment, an eight from one glance for sure. The castes were still in place, one thing I despised most of all, knowing that Maxon had protected my from his father on my point of view on them. But yet he did nothing to resolve of them.

I took a few dollars out of my back pocket to give to the boy, one who needed the money more than I did. Once he saw the money, his eyes gained that puppy dog look. I laughed slightly at this. "Here you go." I said handing him the money. Hastily grabbing it from my hands, and holding it behind his back, he looked back up at me. "Thank you." He said and quickly running off.

I opened the door to my apartment, hanging the keys upon a hook near the door. Closing it, I went to the kitchen and started warming up left over pasta over the stove. Once it was done, I sank into the couch. The jeans I had on were from the Selection. I don't know why I still kept them, but I could not get rid of them. Luckily, it was a day where the review was not on for it still pained me to see Maxon. But of course my day had to get just that much better.

There was a crash downstairs, right below me. Getting up from the couch, I made my way to the door and opened it slightly. "Hello?" I called out, my voice meek. I grabbed a flashlight from the drawer in the desk beside the door. I lived in an apartment building that was on top of small shops. It was great when you needed to go shopping since everything was so close by. Right below me was a pottery shop, the owner bright-eyed and kind. So I was not as careful as I should have been when I was walking down the stairs.

"Hello?" I called again into the shop, finding nothing broken. I continued walking along but a the speed of a snail afraid as if there were mines everywhere and one was going to blow up in my face. Which one pretty much did.

I made my way up to the front of the store when I found the owner lying on the floor, dead. Blood splattered all around him, but mostly around the back of his neck which was where he was killed. In the soft spot right under your head. I was still in shock and was looking down at the floor, to horrified at what I saw to see the knife lying on the counter right next to me.

Bright lights filled the space about a minute or two later. I had started to clean up the area and moved him into a position that they would be able to carry him of in. But, I didn't look like I was helping out. Instead, I had the shock of my life. "You!" a voice shouted from behind the light, making it impossible for me to see who it was. "I pointed to myself making sure I was the one being spoken to. "Yes you girl." I could just hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Now, put your hands where I could see them!"