I shuttered. It was not cold in the room, but shivers crept their way up my spine when I thought about the aptitude test. Divergent. The word seemed to seep into my thoughts whenever the room fell silent. Today is the day. Today I decide if I choose faction over blood.

I slip out of my bed and pull out a dress from my closet at random. When I put it on I look into my mirrored closet door. My fiery red hair clashes horribly with the pink dress, so I sigh and switch to a red clashy, but doable. I pin back the top layer of my hair and the rest hangs barely past my shoulders. I glance over my small frame and tighten the bow behind me. I slip on silver flats, then hug my arms as I would fall apart any second, emotion toppling over emotion. Divergent. It's amazing how much that one words changes everything.

I hear my mother's shoes click on the smooth wooden floor as she enters my room, smiling at me. It seems to be a sad smile, as if she already knows my decision. perhaps she does, she has always been a perceptive woman. I manage a smile back, then walk out past her toward the kitchen. I hear she sigh as I leave, creating a dent in my heart as I sit at the table for what will most likely be my last meal with my family. My father winks at me over the morning paper and my little brother Malcolm giggles. Immediately I smile back, because he is the one thing that always seems to be able to lift my spirits, because Amity blood runs through his veins, not Dauntless. He claps his chubby hands together, and my heart sinks. How can I leave him, while I risk my life jumping off trains? Can I even do it? leave him to grow up without a sister? The answer is simple: I have to, and I will. Because I have no choice. Dauntless, or Abnegation, and I sure as hell don't want to become a Stiff.

So that's how I found myself at the Hub in one hours time. I stand with my parents in the center of all the Amity who laugh and smile together, excited for todays events. I wonder if I'll miss it, then I shift my gaze across the room to the Abnegation, who stand still like one giant gray wall. The sight of them is nowhere near inviting. The Dauntless, however, send a thrill of excitement through me. Their black clothes and tattooed bodies to me, look like freedom. They too laugh amongst themselves, but somehow it differs from Amity. They choose to laugh and choose their friends. So do Amity, but something about it is just- different. I heard a Dauntless say once that they thought there was laughing gas in our food. I didn't doubt it.

I give my parents one last weak hug, then step forward to stand by my friends. My best friend turns to me excitedly, her face spread into a wide smile. She jumped up and down while holding my forearm, her long golden curls bouncing around her thin face.

"Aria! I'm so excited! Aren't you? It's such a big day! I can't wait to-" She stopped,then giggled girlishly. "I forgot we are not supposed to tell!" then she turned to the girl on her right and spoke so quickly that I couldn't understand a word of it.

I knew of course what she was going to say, she's been talking about it for months- meeting the new initiates. It is obvious to me that I will probably be the only Dauntless initiate from Amity, because not many leave, and if they do, it's for Candor or Erudite. Not many of us became Abnegation, in fact the only transfer from Amity was my sister, who left two years ago, the day before Malcolm was born. It broke my parents hearts,but they never really spoke of it around me. I suppose they didn't want to spoiul my happiness. Because my sister's absence didn't hurt me at all. Of course not.

Sweet starts to collect on my back as I hear the names beginning to get called. Clara gives me strange look.

"You okay, Aria? You didn't applaud after the speech…" she asks in concern.

I nod mutely, watching the Candor as they step forward to make the decision that is so simple for most, but will change their life forever. My heart pounds as the Candor are finished, it seems so soon for them to already be sorting the Stiffs. I am aware enough to notice that one of them, a boy with blond hair, transfers to Erudite, which I know is rare, I just can't bring myself to remember why. I am surprised once again as the next gray form steps forward and hesitantly chooses Dauntless. As the blond girl walks over to join the black clad, I picture that being me. Leaving my family, friends, and my faction, in front of so many people. Before I know it, they are calling up Amity.

"Clara Oswin" I hear a voice call.

Clara grins proudly and without a second thought she steps forward and easily draws blood with the knife. As I and all my friends predicted, she walked over to the basin with the plant. She drips her blood into it and practically skips over to the other Amity-born initiates.

"Aria Deeter"

I hear my name, and without looking back I step into the center, and slice open my palm without feeling it. I feel myself stumble over to the Dauntless basin, I know there is no turning back. My blood drips onto the sizzling coals.

I am now a Dauntless initiate.