Here in Amity, promiscuity is often frowned upon. So when I shimmy into a figure-hugging, low cut red dress I am not at all surprised when I get more than one questioning glance from the people I pass on my way out of my dormitories. This dress doesn't belong in Amity. But then again, neither do I.

~ • ~

Yesterday when I walked these halls, I had no idea of the stress I would soon be under. Then I assumed that I would take my aptitude test and that would decide everything for me.

I walk down the hallway with a slight bounce in my step, characteristic of most people raised in Amity. As I pass my lifelong best friend Ember, I hook arms with her and pull her away from the boy she was talking to.

"Brielle!" she exclaims. "Do you have any idea who I was talking to?"

"No, actually," I say. "Who was it?"

"Brendan Walters..." she whines.

"Oh," I mutter. "Sorry Ember."

Suddenly her cheerful demeanor is back. Ember is Amity through-and-through. "Don't be sorry!" she chirps. "It's no biggie."

I laugh at my friend's sudden change in mood and pull her down the hallway. "So," I start. "Are you nervous at all for the aptitude test?"

"Nah," she says. "What's there to be nervous about?"

"Oh, nothing really," I answer with faux nonchalance. "It only decides your entire future for you."

"Please," she says, faking exasperation dramatically.

I laugh. "So do you think you'll be staying in Amity?" I ask, pretending not to already know the answer.

"Maybe," she shrugs. "I don't know, actually."

I am actually shocked at this, but I try not to let it show on my face. The last thing I want to do is make her rethink leaving Amity.

"What about you?" She asks, quickly changing the topic of conversation away from herself. How Abnegation of her. "Where do you think you'll end up?"

"How do you know I won't be staying in Amity?" I demand, kidding of course.

"C'mon Brielle," she says. "You're about the most un-Amity person living in this compound."

"Should I take offense at that?" I ask her.

"No," she says. "In fact I think it could be taken as a compliment. Everything in Amity seems so fake. You're real."

I don't know how to respond to that, so I just nod and hop into the bed of a truck with a handsome young man behind the wheel. Ember climbs in beside me and waves at the boy, who I then realize is her older brother.

"Carter, it's just Brielle and I today!" Ember says, which I believe is a lie, because I don't recall Stephanie or Melanie saying they wouldn't need a ride to school today. I suppose Ember won't be transferring to Candor.

Without question Carter starts the car and brings us to school, where we will have a half-day of classes. After that all of the sixteen-year-olds will gather in the cafeteria and wait to take their aptitude tests.

Once we enter the school I bid goodbye to my friend and set off down the hallway to my literature class.

When the bell rings to dismiss me from my history class, it is all I can do not to sprint to the cafeteria.

I drop into an empty seat at one of the Amity tables and save the seat beside me for Ember.

My best friend drops into the seat beside me soon after and grabs my hand under the table. I guess something must have happened to change her mind about being nervous.

"What's wrong?" I whisper, softly enough that no one else at the table can hear.

"Nothing," she says, her eyes darting back and forth, but never meeting mine. "Nothing."

Definitely not a Candor.

"Okay," I say, deciding to just drop it for now. She smiles gratefully and I can't help but to think that she'll tell me when she's ready.

A woman comes out of one of the testing rooms and rattles off nine names. I start to relax but the tenth name on her list catches my attention.

"Brielle Thayer."