Living in Laurels

by MyOwnEndings

This is the untold story of Tessa Magdaline and her life in the country of Laurels. DISCLAIMER: I have called this a crossover, but it's really just a story that I invented, though it has many references to other books such as Matched and the Selection trilogy, and I do not own the stories or characters of the Selection trilogy or Matched. Please read, comment, share, & enjoy.

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

My world is like no other. You would think that it's one of those "classic dystopian societies" that every story seems to be about, but my story is unique, never been told, and strictly forbidden.

I live in a town called Emmzmica, named after a famous actress who grew up here, in a province called Nicole, and in a country named Laurels, which is comprised of the many islands of the Caribbean. Each province of Laurels is a former island of the Caribbean, and there are seven provinces. The remaining islands that aren't provinces are each used for various purposes, but no one really knows what they are used for. We only know what the government tells us. We are not sheltered from the truths of our history, but in all honesty, we don't know a lot of the truths of our society. My province, Nicole, was once known as Jamaica. The other provinces are Alexander, formerly Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Elizabeth, formerly Puerto Rico, Evan, formerly the Bahamas, Paul, formerly Turks and Caicos, Dawn, formerly the Virgin Islands, and Nathan, formerly the Cayman Islands. Each province was named after an original member of the royal family, however we don't have monarchs, we have a President and a Governing Body. Though these positions are "elected", the members of the same families are always voted into the same positions.

My family was once one of these rich families in power, but no longer. We are now but poor subjects, obeying the laws of the governing body instead of creating them.

I may as well introduce myself. My name is Adriana Teresa Magdaline, but I just go by Tessa or Tess. Even just telling you my name is dangerous, let alone my story. I never quite understood this, not until I found out for myself. This is the story of why it's so dangerous to tell your own story. It is my story. The story of a teen, a contest, a country, conformity, love, and the truths of life in this society.