Disclaimer: I do not own Lorien Legacies or the Divergent Trilogy
This is my first story, so forgive me if it's terrible. Constructive criticism welcome! Hope you enjoy the story!
Maren's POV
I woke up to a bright light pouring into my tiny bedroom, flooding the room in a intense, blinding light. I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position, slumping against my scratchy bedcovers. My eyes slowly adjusted to the harsh light, rapidly blinking.
"Maren! Get ready for school! You have your aptitude tests today, remember?" my mother called from downstairs.
I bolted upright. Of course, my aptitude test, I forgot! I raced around my room, pulling on my Abnegation rough grey dress. I already know I will not go to Abnegation, I think about combat and fighting more than that. I know I will get Dauntless.
As for my brother, Caleb, I'm sure he'll get Abnegation, always selfless the way I never could be. I'd start a fight over a seat in the train, whereas Caleb would happily give his seat away for someone else, then give me a lecture when we got home.
As I race downstairs, I catch a glimpse of myself in my frazzled state in our only mirror. Straight raven hair, stormy grey eyes, medium height. I sigh, everyone always asks me why me and my parent, even my brother really, look so different.
Caleb inherited our mother bright green eyes and brown hair, and my father nose and eyes. Me, on the other hand is the ugly duckling, the odd one out.
I run down the stairs panting, and Caleb immediately says, "Maren, you shouldn't be running down the stairs." Yup, even running is selfish.
I shoot him a look that thankfully my parents didn't see, then ask him, "You worried about the aptitude tests?"
Caleb ignores my question and asks me, "Are you?"
I am, of course, but I don't let Caleb know that. "Not one bit," I reply confidently.
I grab my school bag from my chair and swing it over my shoulder.
Caleb follows behind me as we walk to school, deep in thought.
Caleb and I walk to school everyday with our neighbor, John Smith. He's the same age as me with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. I already know he'll be going to Amity or Abnegation. His kind smile and twinkling eyes full of laughter prove it.
"Hey, Maren, Caleb," he greets us as we stop by his house on the way to school.
"Hi, John," Caleb says excitedly and begins talking animatedly about his project at school, and asking John for his input eagerly. Caleb was always really enthusiastic about school projects, always the model student I could never be. In fact, I'm pretty sure he's never gotten anything below an A before.
When you turn 16, you must take a aptitude test and attend the Choosing Ceremony, where you can decide if you stay with your old faction, or switch factions, never seeing your family again, aside from the once a year Visiting Day.
I've already made my decision, years ago, really. I decided to transfer to Dauntless, where I can run and play freely and finally learn how to fight properly. My smile widens as I envision playing with my friends on a grassy meadow, racing each other, and never having to worry about being selfish again.
My smile must've been too obvious, considering I technically never smile, because John suddenly asks me, "What are you so smug about? Oh my god," he feigns shock, "did you get an A in history?", he turns to Caleb, "We need to plan a celebration! Can you imagine, Maren Elizabeth Prior, 16 year old, finally got an A in her history class! It would be on the news!" he jokes teasingly.
I stifle laugh and send him a glare, and he backs off immediately, "Geez, don't kill me, then you would really be on the news!"
I decide to ignore John, for now, as the school comes into view in front of us, a small two story red brick building surrounded by scraggly bushes and trees, a train track running along the side.
I longingly watch the Dauntless-born laugh as they leap out from the moving train passing by. Two more days, I think, just two more days, and I'll be there too.
Stanley's POV
"Mr. Worthington?", the teacher's sharp voice yanked Stanley out of his thoughts. It was the day of the aptitude tests. He had no idea what he would get, but he knew for sure it wouldn't be Erudite or Candor. He lied too easily, too much. And as the current situation proved, he wasn't smart at all, quite frankly the opposite.
Stanley looked up at the teacher with an innocent look, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be doing your worksheet!"
Stanley said smoothly, "Yeah, well if I could get anything I want, I would've made you and this entire school disappear, and seeing that we're here, I guess not all wishes come true," he sent the teacher a fake sympathetic look.
The teacher fumed silently, then seemed to make up her mind and pulled out a yellow slip. Stanley grinned, he'd never felt happier to get a detention slip.
The teacher handed him the slip and he smiled innocently at her, sending her into another silent fit of rage. Instead of giving him another lecture, she marched up to him and said, "Mr. Worthington, go solve the problem on the board, you weren't listening so I take it you already understand the concept, go on, go on."
Stanley groaned, great, he though inwardly, because truth be told, he had no idea what the question was about.
He walked up to the board.
Blanked out.
Heard several sniggers from the rest of the class.
Continued staring as if deep in thought.
The teacher coughed, "Mr. Worthington, give the marker to someone else, and maybe you'd better study next time," she smirked victoriously.
15 minutes of class, he thought.
Time passed slowly, dragging by like a snail.
10 more minutes.
8 more minutes.
5 more minutes.
ARGH! Why couldn't the stupid bell ring faster!
"Alright class, remember to finish your homework tonight!"
Oh crud, he had no idea what the homework was.
Mr. Rosenberg was the teacher in charge of detention, and he always talked slowly, like he was about to fall asleep.
When Stanley reached the classroom, he found the teacher slumped on the desk snoring. Inside there was no one else, except a girl with raven black hair, grey blue eyes, and a glare on her face.
"Hi, Sweetheart," Stanley said, grinning as he sat down beside her. "Looks like we're the only ones here today! I'm Stanley, who're you?"
She turned slowly and glared at him, "My name is Maren, and call me sweetheart again and you'll wish you were never born to see this day."
He blinked. Woah, didn't see that coming. "Ok, sweetheart," he smirked.
She ignored him.
He tapped his pencil on his table without getting out his homework.
She turned from her worksheet and glared at him.
He stopped.
She turned away.
He started again.
She glared at him again.
He stopped.
She turned away.
He started again.
She let out a sigh, "Could you please stop?"
"Sure, sweetheart," he replied.
He started again.
She turned and slammed his pencil down forcefully.
"Ow! Sweetheart, I only have so many beautiful fingers, they're not easy to get, you know," he whined.
She sent him a death glare, and he backed off immediately. "So, you taking the aptitude test today?"
"Yeah, why?" she said, far too quickly and tensely.
" Ooh, is someone nervous? Worried you won't get Abnegation?", he taunted.
"Nope, don't want Abnegation anyways," she replied.
He took this as a huge shock. Only 0.01% of the population didn't choose their former faction. "Why?" he asked her.
She glared at him, seeming to remember something. "You and your Erudite buddies, always nosing around," she muttered.
Oh, right, that's what it was. Erudite and Abnegation sorta, well, not sorta, really hated each other right now, and Stanley couldn't help but feel like the Erudite were being unfair. He knew they were angry because the Abnegation made up the government as they were considered "incorruptible". He knew the Erudite thought they should rule because they were smarter. Oh well, not as if his opinion counted. He was the dumbest Erudite ever.
He finally got a chance to look at her, and noticed her long, straight nose, straight black hair, stormy eyes, and... the death glare she was giving him. Oh well, she looks pretty either way. Wait, what on earth was he thinking? He had a crush on an Abnegation?
Maren's POV
I was just sitting there, minding my own business because the teacher had to report me for cursing and running in the hallway, when some random dude decided to pop in and start annoying me.
Then I noticed his clothing. He was an Erudite. I was talking to an ERUDITE of all people. Abnegation were constantly attacked by the Erudite, by that I mean on newspapers and such, not an actual battle. That's why I want to go to Dauntless. To learn how to fight so I won't be some pleading, sobbing, defenseless Abnegation.
The boy is blushing furiously now. Must not have noticed I was Abnegation. Huh, not very smart of an Erudite.
I wait.
He acts like I'm not here, and stares off into space. Must be thinking about something really important, hint hint, like how I'm Abnegation.
"Hello, you in there?" I say, my voice harsher than intended.
He jerks his head up, "What? No-"
"Realized I was Abnegation and decided to ignore, did you?" I say, dropping the pretense of being nice. Like I said, not meant to be an Abnegation here.
"Huh?" he certainly isn't very smart for an Erudite. "Oh, I was just thinking about something..." he trails off, then grins at me cockily. "So, if you aren't going to Abnegation, where you going?" he asks.
"Dauntless," I reply casually. He's going to be surprised, I know it. Never heard of a Abnegation switching to Dauntless before. No, we're too selfless to leave family behind at all.
Unsurprisingly, his eyes widen. He tries (unsuccessfully) to hide his shock, then says "I didn't expect that. Why?"
"I know you didn't, you aren't great at hiding emotions. But the one thing you did get from Erudite is curiosity, surprising, cause you didn't get the wits."
He looked upset, and turned away, to actually do his work, unlike what he was doing before.
"Sorry," I say, "I didn't mean that,"
"But you did," he says.
"Fine," I sigh, why do people have to be so hard all the time? "I did, but I wasn't trying to insult you."
He grins cockily at me at once.
I groan. I knew that was the wrong thing to do. Note to Self, never apologize to a arrogant, cocky, and annoying person. It'll come back to haunt you.
I decide to avoid that. "So, what are you hoping to get?"
"I don't know, Dauntless or Erudite, I guess."
I half snort, and cover it with a cough.
He looks at me oddly, then says, "You're not like most girls, you know."
"I know," I reply, trying to sound casual though it's singled me out from others my whole life. "You're not like most Erudite either."
"I get it, Sweetheart, too handsome to be Erudite, aren't I?" he grins at me.
I check my watch, 4:25. "Well, as nice as it was talking to you, I need to go for my aptitude test now."
He looks confused for a second, and I realize he must've forgotten about it.
"I can give you a ride you know, if you want to," he says.
"Thanks, but my brother's picking me up, we're both going for the test," I say, but feel a odd longing to go with him instead.
"So? I'm going too, plus, isn't he home already? You know, cause we're at detention," he says, practically begging me to go.
I check my phone again. "Fine, I guess, I need to tell my brother first though."
I quickly type out a message to Caleb. He'll be grateful to not have to pick me up from school. Immediately, my phone rings. Geez, Caleb sure checks his phone a lot.
Who's picking you up?
Remember to go to aptitude test. (As if I would forget)
See you soon!
I ignore the questions and quickly rattle off a quick, see you! and turn my phone off.
"C'mon," Stanley gestures for me to come out. Mr. Rosenberg woke up and left a long time ago, so no one will know we left ten minutes early.
I grab my bag and swing it over my shoulder, following Stanley out of the school, an odd feeling of happiness bubbling around inside me.
Please review to story! Constructive criticism appreciated!
And yes, John may have a teensy crush on Six/Maren. Well, actually a big one, but no, they will not end up together.
Also, this will be a Nix story, just saying.
