A/N: so this is my first contest entry, it isn't very good because I was stretched for time. I also didn't get a BETA for it, but it's done and here it is.
Wind tore past the gleaming sides of the train and made my hair flap about wildly.
"Whoohoo!" Someone further ahead hollered, hanging out of the train.
"Come on Sam, look like your excited. Where's your Dauntless streak gone all of a sudden?" Tyler entwined his fingers in mine and I held on tight, felling like if I loosened my grip I would lose him forever.
"Oh come on, I'm allowed to be nervous about the aptitude test. Even if I am Dauntless, plus it's school, have you ever seen me excited about school?" I tried to act a little more bubbly, to keep him smiling. I'd lose him today, his test would tell him to pick Abnegation or Amity. Mine, Dauntless. And we would be separated, my best friend would leave and I would stay.
"That is a good point. So are you just going to think about it all day?" He raised an eye brow at me
"Nope, I'm going to sleep through Math, annoy the Erudite girl who sits next to me in Faction history and stuff. You know, typical Tuesday." I poked tongue out at him, the silver stud that pierced it glinted in the light
"Weirdo" he sounded almost surprised about the stud that he knew was there
The sudden sound if the shrieking horn alerted everyone that we were approaching the hub. Reluctantly I pulled my hand free of his, I couldn't hold on to him while I jumped out of the train but God knows I wanted to.
"Come on Sam, you're Dauntless and you'll probably die Dauntless. You have nothing to worry about" Tyler locked his soft brown eyes on my sharp blue and I wished that that moment could last forever.
It's not my test I'm worried about. I thought as he turned and jumped out of the train. Taking two steps back I took in a couple of sharp breaths and lunged at the gap, as soon as I left the carriage I pulled myself into a roll so my landing would be soft. I nailed it. Just like every other time.
After sitting through a morning of school it was finally lunch, for which I dreaded. Dauntless chatter filled the cafeteria, a game of cards was being played, Kings and Arse Holes I suspected by the racket.
"Oi! Deal me in next round" I said, clipping the boy nearest to me around the head, annoyed they hadn't bothered to wait for me. The people organising the test called ten names at a time, one for each of the rooms, two names from each faction. Most of the people who volunteered to administer the tests were Abnegation, no surprises there, but there was always one each from Erudite and Dauntless to administer the tests to the Abnegation, you weren't allowed to be tested by someone from your faction. I slid into the seat next to Tyler, observing the other factions. Amity, dressed in yellow, were laughing and chatting happily, the girls were playing hand games either standing or sitting on the floor. Erudite, dressed in blue, were reading books and swapping information between themselves. The Candor, dressed in black and white, were having a lively debate, some of them standing and gesturing to prove their points. Then there was the Abnegation, dressed in grey, they weren't doing anything, not even talking with each other much, just sitting there.
"They called my name" Tyler stood up and squeezed my hand, smiling down at me, I held on a bit but then let go
"Good luck" I forced a half hearted smile onto my face before he headed for the door to take his test.
"Right, deal me in" I smacked the table when the round had ended
"You have to come in as the A!" The boy dealing smirked at me
"I'm the arse hole? I thought that title belonged to you since birth" I lent in and grabbed my cards as the table 'Ooooohed' at the boy. It took several rounds before my name was called for me to go have my test, I hadn't noticed that, unlike the others, Tyler hadn't returned to the cafeteria. I quickly jokered the hand that was being played and put down my cards, slowly I stood up, glancing at the other Dauntless who had be called up with me.
"Get out of my way" he shoved past me and walked towards the door
"Jerk" I murmured under my breath as I walked past the Abnegation table to the door, clacking the stud in my tongue on my teeth. There were ten doors in the hall, each numbered, I could hear the other Dauntless behind the door marked '1', so I turned the nob on the door marked '2', not at all surprised to see an Abnegation woman standing at the screen in the mirrored room. Abnegation women wore very simple grey, shapeless dresses and always wore their hair in a neat bun. For the first time in my life I felt very self-conscious about what I looked like, I was wearing tight fitting black pants, a low cut shirt and tight jacket which all clung to my figure. I had recently dip-dyed my lose blonde hair blue and I had more than two piercings in each ear, not to mention other places.
"Hello, my name is Margo. Please take a seat" Margo gave me a quick once over with her eyes, making me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was.
"I'm, uh, my names Samantha" I introduced myself awkwardly while I walked across the room and pulled myself into the recliner chair. Without saying anything Margo pressed two electrodes to my forehead and one to her own
"Drink this" she told me, handing me a small flask with a strange liquid in it
"What is it?" I asked suspiciously swirling the liquid around for a bit
"I can't tell you, please, just drink it" Margo nodded reassuringly at me.
"Okay" I shrugged, downing the liquid in one gulp and closing my
eyes.
Light filled my eyes and I sat up in the chair, so quickly one of the electrodes fell off. Margo was frowning at the screen, she turned to me and removed the other electrode.
"That was fascinating." She said walking to the door "I will be back in a minute"
"But what was my test res..." I was cut of by the door banging closed behind her as she left. I waited silently in the mirrored room, you couldn't fail a test like this could you? Did I do the wrong thing?
"Sorry to worry you, Samantha" Margo returned about two minuets later
"What was my test result?" I demanded before she could say anything else
"It was inconclusive, I could only rule out two of the factions, but.."
"Two?" I stood up quickly to face her "but thats impossible! It's unheard of! It is said that the test was designed so it was difficult to get more than one result, how could have I got three?"
"I could only rule out Candor and Erudite, but I believe that you are very smart. I can sense that your response to the dog was not entirely Amity, but fuelled by Erudite thinking. You clearly showed some kind of aptitude for each of the other three, possibly Erudite as well." She paused quickly for a breath and continued "It's called Divergent, you must not tell anyone. It is very dangerous, not even your friends and family can't know."
"But, how did I get Dauntless and Amity?" I pleaded, I had to know what I had done to get this kind of result
"Your response, to try make peace before war that made you take the cheese is the main reason. Among others. You should go home, you have a lot to think about before tomorrow." She made a lose gesture towards a door on the other side of the room.
"No, I'm not leaving. I got Dauntless as one of my results, I am staying with my family." I walked to the door I'd come through and opened it
"Sam, you should give it more thought. Another Dauntless got a Divergent result, he left because he needed to think about his choices" Margo stopped me in my tracks, I knew who else got told that they wouldn't ever fit anywhere
"Tyler." I muttered under my breath, then I looked directly at Margo "thank you for your time, but I know who I am" and I closed the door. While I walked back out into the cafeteria a thought struck me, did I really know myself? Up until my test I was positive I would get Dauntless, but now I wasn't as sure as I had been. My mind fogged with doubts, worries and questions I'd never had before.
After school had ended, I pulled myself onto the moving train like everyone else, but I didn't get off at my normal spot. I stayed on the ever moving train, I was riding alone for about three-quarters of an hour until it came to the edge of the city, slowly a familiar high rise came towering into view, that was my destination. Wind whipped past me as I launched myself off the train onto the roof of the building next to the high rise, when I got my breath back I scalped the huge building, not really surprised to see Tyler already there.
"Dude, you bailed out on me! Where'd you go?" I breathed heavily from my climb up fourteen stories.
"I was given the opportunity to come home to think about what faction to choose" he didn't even look at me, he just gazed out towards the sun which dipped low towards the horizon
"I came to say goodbye" I put my hand on his shoulder, an crouched down to look him in the eyes
"Come on, we could make it work" Tyler's eyes clouded while looking looking at me
"Maybe, but I'm staying. I need to be top of my game to get through Dauntless initiation and get my desirable job." I hugged him tightly "I'm sorry, goodbye. I'm going to miss you" sucking in a breath I let go of his tense body and began the descent to the train tracks
"Goodbye! So will I!" Tyler watched me as I raced along side the moving train and grabbed hold of the handle, presses the door opener, slide in and closed it behind me. It felt like I was losing part of myself, but I was determined that letting him go was the best thing to do.
The next day Tyler and I barely talked, I avoided him at all costs. Somehow it was easier that way. He even jumped in a completely different carriage of the Dauntless train on the way to the choosing ceremony. When we arrived, we all climbed into our seats. Amity was chatting and laughing, Erudite chatting quietly, Candor was mostly quiet except for a couple of rowdy arguments, Abnegation was pretty quiet except a couple of murmurs, Dauntless was shouting and yelling to each other overpowering the noise of the other factions. After today I would let Tyler disappear into a fragment of my memory, I honestly didn't think much about him all day but now a knot of anticipation was playing jump rope in the pit of my stomach. Tyler's name was called before mine, I watched him so intently my eyes hurt. He slit his palm, raised his hand and I closed my eyes tightly, then a cheer went up. From Amity. 'Goodbye' I mouthed and gave a weak little wave. I held my head down till my name was called. Confidently I strode up to the faction bowls, without a moments hesitation I pressed the blade against my palm and thrust my bleeding hand over my births factions bowl and three drops of crimson blood dripped onto the burning coals and sizzled violently in the heat. A massive noise erupted from Dauntless as I went back to my spot in the line of Dauntless born initiates who stayed. I was one of the last names to be called. When it was over, Dauntless broke into a run. We ran as one, a massive sea of people in black -with a couple of colourful transfers amongst the throng- we all charged towards the raised tracks. Being a Dauntless born I scaled the support beam with ease, but behind me I could hear others struggling, I pretended not to care. The shrill noise of the trains horn blasted loudly over the Dauntless loud chatter, I joined the others shouting and laughing as we raced along the sleek sides of the train, hoisting ourselves into the carriages, huffing in puffing from the mad sprint. Holding onto the handle I lent out of the train to see an Abnegation boy with a determined look on his face struggling to keep up with the train.
"Give me your hand!" I yelled at him, bracing myself to grab him
"I don't need your help" he gritted his teeth
"I know you don't, but you can't run forever and that platform doesn't go on forever either. Give me your hand" I grabbed hold of his now outstretched hand and helped him into the train "you be careful alright? My names Sam"
"Moses" he replied nodding at me "thanks for that"
"You looked like you could be Dauntless material, couldn't let you be gone that fast. I..."
"Their starting to jump!" A girl from Amity squealed, I grabbed her arm.
"Listen to me, you're small and sturdy. When you jump, and you will, pull your legs up and do a roll" I patted her shoulder and looked at her reassuringly and she nodded, more confident now "same goes for you Moses"
"I'm not a Stiff?" He looked a bit confused because I didn't use the slang for Abnegation like the other Dauntless would have, wether or not they new his name
"You're Dauntless now, and you're not stiff, you're like spaghetti" I laughed as I launched myself out of the train onto the rooftops outside. The ones who made it this far gathered together in front of a Dauntless leader who I wasn't very familiar with.
"So who's going to jump first?" She repeated after the questions had stopped from the first time she asked that question.
"Me." I yelled from the back of the group and pushed my way to the front of the group. I climbed up onto the ledge and without thinking about it for a second I jumped off and plummeted towards the hole. Somewhere, Deep inside me my heart still grieved for Tyler, the friend I'd lost because of this crippled society. I am Strong, I am Brave, I am Dauntless but I am more than just one thing, I am Divergent.
Yeah so that's it, I am pretty proud I finished it. I think it's okay, but whatever. If your reading this, and are not part of Froggyclan and want more chapters, I am fine with that! Even though it's a one-shot.
Thats all I have to say. Bye!
~ Angel