CHAPTER ONE; everything was blue
It wasn't the way of Erudite to dislike or dread the idea of going to school and, usually, Davina Todd would've conformed to that, the want to devour knowledge and learn as much as she could. But, today, she didn't. Because today was the day she was meant to take the aptitude test, to see what faction she was supposed to be in.
They would make their choice tomorrow, Davina and all the other sixteen-year-old citizens, at the Choosing Ceremony, where they would choose a path that would change their lives forever. She supposed, in a way, the aptitude test was pointless. The ultimate outcome was up to them, regardless of what their tests came back with.
She knew this, so she supposed her nerves were illogical, in a way. She had to be logical, that's why she wore blue all day, every day, a symbol of her faction and how they worked. How they were expected to work. Davina worked like them, she always had, but with a hint of something else that peeked through more than it should've.
"Get up," a firm voice cut into Davina's sleep and her messy morning thoughts, followed by the zing of the blinds being whipped open.
"No," Davina hissed back, her voice muffled by her pillow as she squeezed her eyes shut against the golden light spewing in from the now-open blinds. She even went as far as to roll over to place her back to the beams of light.
"We are not going to be late today, you hear?" Viviane Todd said, shrilly, as she ripped the covers from Davina's body. The brunette girl groaned and cracked her eyes open to see her fraternal twin sister staring down at her, hands on her hips. Sometimes it was like looking in a mirror, Davina's facial features almost matched by her sister, framed by significantly lighter hair than Davina's own.
"Can we, though?" Davina whined, rolling over so her tired eyes could look at her sister without needing to move her head or sit up.
"No." Viviane rolled her eyes like a mother with a child. Davina sighed dramatically, blowing a strand of her dark brown hair from her lighter-brown eyes.
"Fine," she drawled, swinging her legs out of bed and standing up, stretching and cracking her joints loudly as she went. The Todd sisters shared a room, despite the offer to have separate ones since the age of twelve, they had made the choice to stay together. The spare room had long been turned into another study space for the numerous skills they were expected to learn.
The Todds lived in a good part of the Erudite sector, in a white, modern house typical of their faction. It was just large enough for a family of five, plus the two recreational rooms that the three Todd children were encouraged to use regularly to continue to learn and build on their skills, old and new.
Speaking of, Nicholas Todd, the youngest at fourteen, darted into the twins' bedroom, looking a little frantic, his head of dark hair spiked up at odd angles. He was already dressed in a blue shirt and lighter blue pants, a combination that made Davina scrunch up her face.
"Are you two going to take any longer?" Nic huffed, eyeing his two older sisters. Despite the Erudite custom of avoiding nicknames, Nic had rarely gone by his full name during his life, and while a majority of the Faction called him by his full name, there were a few who still called him by the preferred nickname.
"Hey, don't look at me, it's Davina," Viviane said immediately, holding up her hands in defence and gesturing to her sister.
Davina let out a mock gasp. "Uncalled for."
"Come on guys, I have a chemistry test in, like, two hours," Nic complained, and Davina felt him; the need to get the best result on a test, the best score, the best show of knowledge. It was how they'd been raised.
Viviane clicked her tongue, looking a little annoyed. "You either have it or you don't."
Nic furrowed his brows. "You're older than me, not smarter than me."
"You used the word 'like' wrong, what was I supposed to do?" Viviane said, a hint of exasperation in her voice. Davina rolled her eyes from behind her sister, more than used to her two siblings having a go at each other for their smarts. Davina rarely did. She valued knowledge and placing high when it came to academics, but she rarely felt the need to 'compete'.
"Not correct me?" Nic responded. "I'm not stupid, you know. I have a higher overall score in mathematics than you," he added, crossing his arms.
"I beat you in English by far," Viviane scoffed.
Nic smirked, "Even though I'm, like, two years below you?"
Viviane raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Oh. Now that was uncalled for."
"Not denying it," Nic chanted, and Davina stifled a laugh.
Viviane crossed her arms. "Okay, now just a minute–"
"What's going on?" a cold voice interrupted. The siblings paused and turned to the door to the Todd sisters' bedroom, seeing their mother Callista standing there with her own arms crossed. She looked more like Viviane, with light hair and eyes, the strands often pulled back tightly to show her gaunt face that rarely held a smile.
Davina spoke first. "Viviane was being a bi–"
"Davina," Callista snapped. Davina closed her mouth, holding back her scowl as her mother fixed her eye on her.
The brunette girl took a small breath before reiterating. "Viviane was bullying me." Said-girl gave her sister an unimpressed look while Nic looked like he was fighting back a laugh.
"Ha, if only you were Candor you may actually be believed," Viviane finally said with a barking laugh.
"As if I'd be a loudmouth," Davina scoffed immediately, while Viviane just raised her eyebrows.
"I can see it," Nic piped up.
Davina set her gaze on him. "Okay, y'know what, screw you." Nic opened his mouth to retort.
"Enough." Callista's voice wasn't raised, but she spoke with such clarity and force that even her quiet words would silence her children, as they had for years. The three Todd children turned back to their mother. "Viviane, Davina," she addressed, "neither of you are dressed and we are meant to be leaving in just under fifteen minutes so that you may take the test to determine your future." The sisters exchanged glances. Callista fixed her gaze on the youngest. "Nicholas."
"Nic," he corrected.
"Nicholas, you have an academic test in two hours. Why aren't you reading over your notes? You need to improve on your eighty-eight percentage from your last test, remember?"
"Vividly," Nic said, in a bitterly polite tone, before he fled the room, Davina watching him leave.
"We'll be down in two minutes, mum," Viviane informed Callista when it became clear Davina wasn't going to speak up.
Callista's eyes lit up. "Splendid." And then she, too, left, closing the door behind her to leave the twins to get dressed and ready.
Davina let out a dramatic sigh once their mother was gone, and while Viviane looked at her in amusement, she didn't disagree. The two girls began to get ready in silence, both their movements heavy with dread. It didn't need to be spoken to know that both of them were nervous for the test. It couldn't be studied, or predicted, or prepared for. They had no logic or prior knowledge going in, nothing to base facts or action on. And, to an Erudite, that was terrifying.
Viviane threw Davina a dark blue jacket which she easily caught. "Are you nervous?" Viviane finally spoke, breaking the unusual silence in their room.
"Honestly? Yes," Davina admitted, never one to hide herself from her twin. She pulled a shirt over her head, it's shade of blue so light it looked almost white. Davina looked up to see Viviane looking unsure. "But, what's the worst result you can get, really? It doesn't affect your actual choice. It's called the Choosing Ceremony for a reason," Davina continued, applying logic to the situation as best she could, pulling her jacket on and flipping her dark hair from the collar.
"I suppose," Viviane murmured. They continued in silence, Davina's words hanging in the air as she finished getting dressed in a skirt and boots, all varying shades of blue. "Hey, do you have the lip gloss?" Viviane broke the silence again, as if it made her uncomfortable. Davina didn't say anything as she took the peach-coloured tube from atop her dresser and threw it at her sister, who caught it nimbly. "Thanks." More silence. "How much bacteria do you think's on this?" The blonde asked as she capped the lip gloss and puckered her lips.
"Take a walk on the wild side," Davina finally responded, a hint of amusement in her voice as she braided one side of her head in the mirror, fingers moving clumsily. "Yeah, fuck this," she sighed, unravelling what she'd attempted to do and instead pulling all her hair back into a single ponytail on top of her head.
"Ooh, yes, risking bacterial infections. Fun," Viviane replied in mock joy. Davina rolled her eyes in the mirror, knowing Viviane could see her.
"You're not dead yet."
"Lucky for you." Davina finished with her hair and turned on her heel, placing her bag onto her bed, glancing at the clock to see they had taken far longer than two minutes. Viviane cleared her throat and Davina looked back to her sister, who'd actually been able to braid her blonde hair. "But, seriously, what if we get…Abnegation?"
"Take it as a compliment. Just don't go with them?" Davina suggested. A beat of silence passed at the thought of Abnegation, the plain and simple grey-coloured Faction that the Todds' own had been attacking in the news reports for months.
Davina only kept up because of her parents, otherwise she couldn't care less. Abnegation had never been in the cards for her, but she felt no reason to attack them. Question them, think of them negatively, but physically take action seemed illogical and pointless. The world had worked just fine under their current leadership, and what better leadership then people willing to give up everything in their power for the greater good?
Viviane scoffed. "God knows you won't be a Stiff."
Davina faltered, wondering how far her sister had aimed that. It was no secret amongst their family that the brunette girl was beyond Erudite. While she had accepted the ways of learning and valuing logical thinking and knowledge, she sought thrills, experiences. A burning curiosity lived within her, and had taken over more than once, when she had combined impulsiveness and thrilling decisions with careful planning and logic. Her sister had joked she had the heart of a lion but the mind of an Erudite. It was a lazily disguised metaphor.
Davina was nothing if not Erudite, but it didn't mean that was all she would ever be.
"Ha. Funny," Davina deadpanned, falling back into herself, as she finished packing her bag for the day. They would only have half the day before the test was taken after lunch. Davina swallowed against the lump in her throat, and glanced at Viviane who was turned away from her.
Davina wondered if she was having the same internal conflict as she was, thinking over all her actions from her sixteen years of life, pinpointing its origin, the cause, and placing it with a faction. Viviane had gone along with Davina's antics all her life, but did that mean anything other than sisterly loyalty? And if so, would that loyalty carry over to the Choosing? To a life without the other?
Viviane turned around and Davina ducked her head. "C'mon. Mum looked like she was ready to drag us out by our ears if we weren't ready in time," Viviane told her, swinging her own bag over her shoulder. Davina turned their digital clock around so the time didn't show.
"Wouldn't be the first time," she said as the two sisters left their room together.
"You guys are late," Edward Díaz chastised as the Todds stepped onto the curb, having been driven to school by their mother.
"By a minute and forty-five," Viviane immediately retorted.
"Still counts," Edward said.
"Well, good morning to you, too, Ed," Davina mused.
As they continued into their school building, Nic broke off for his grade and friends, while Edward and the two Todd girls went inside. There was a kind of mania in the building Davina noted, as kids dressed in every Faction's colour moved about. Davina rarely interacted with those in other Factions, largely because she saw no need to, and Erudites in particular were branded with thinking they were better than everyone else. Davina agreed.
"Where's the girlfriend this morning?" Viviane piped up, referring to Edward's recent lover. In the ten years that he and Davina had been friends, she had seen many girlfriends come and go, but Myra seemed pretty permanent. Davina didn't care, she had never seen Edward as anything else than an older brother, and while she saw less of him now, they were still best friends. Viviane didn't have such a high opinion of him, but with the amount of time he'd spent at their house she'd gotten used to his presence.
"Early music lesson," Edward answered, as Myra was the musical prodigy of their grade. Davina had no such interests. "We still on for tonight, Davina?" Now that was something she was interested in: the study of martial arts and self-defence.
It had been Davina's idea to try it out when they were only ten years old, as she was bored and needed something new to try, and Edward had agreed. Viviane had been roped into it many times, but she wasn't as dedicated to the sessions Edward and Davina had as much as five times a week. Today, however, was different.
"Nope," Davina replied, shrugging. "Want to take some time to think after the test," she explained, truthfully.
"Training could help you focus," Edward pointed out.
Davina narrowed her eyes at him. "Or I could take my emotions too far and give you a black eye."
"Again," Viviane chimed in.
Davina rolled her eyes. "Is this 'attack Davina at all opportunities day'? Because I am not having it."
"Well, you'll be missed," Edward told her, swinging an arm around her shoulders. He was taller than her, much taller, and his act of affection caused him to basically hunch over.
"You won't be saying that when you return home and can still see out both your eyes properly," Viviane teased, playfully pulling on her sister's ponytail as she hurried on ahead. Edward let out a laugh as Davina glared at her sister's receding back.
"Okay, it was one time."
The tests began after lunch. Davina was sat at the Erudite table in the cafeteria, with Viviane on her left and Edward and his girlfriend, Myra, sitting across from them. Viviane held a book in her hand, exchanging words with one of her friends, while Myra and Edward held hands on top of the table. Davina was deep in thought, chin resting on her palm, zoned out to the rest of the world.
All she could think about were the test administrators at the front of the room, ten of them, calling ten names in rounds, to test them for their future. Davina knew she shouldn't be afraid, as she glanced at the other tables in the large room. Each table was alive with its own energy, and Davina couldn't help but feel envious of how easily some fit in. Viviane was right, she was too selfish to be a Stiff.
Myra's name was among those in the next group called up, and kissed Edward before leaving. Davina had a bet with Viviane that Myra would go to Amity. Viviane disagreed and said she'd stay in Erudite.
The girl gave away no signs of anything as she returned to her seat beside Edward, their hands finding each other again. Davina wondered, briefly, if their close relationship would affect their choice. She had already gone over the thought of leaving those she knew, multiple times over the years whenever she had stuck out like a sore thumb in Erudite, and it no longer phased the usually unemotional girl. She had enough to worry about without thinking of others when making her choice.
Seeing Viviane get called next, however, formed a hard lump in Davina's throat.
Eventually, the words "From Erudite: Davina Todd and Edward Díaz" were announced, and Davina got to her feet, exchanging a look with her friend across the table. Myra looked more nervous now then she had for her own test, and Viviane just gave Davina a weak thumbs-up.
Davina and Edward headed for the exit, walking close together as if for comfort. Anxiety clutched Davina's insides, no matter how much she tried to think her way through the feeling. Outside the cafeteria stands a row of ten rooms, used only for the aptitude tests every year. They were separated by glass, and Davina felt even more sick as she walked up to one of the doors able to see her reflection.
Momentarily, she glanced across at Edward, who gave her a smile. "See you on the other side." The remark brought a smile to Davina's face at least, as she walked into one of the rooms. Mirrors lined the walls of the small room, making it impossible fir Davina to avoid her reflection, and white light glowed from the ceiling, showing off a reclined chair in the centre of the room. It reminded Davina of the dentist.
"My name is Sarah Grayson and I'll be administering your test today," said a woman, and Davina finally focused on the administrator in the room. She was from Amity, wearing a yellow top with red pants, and she looked young, maybe a few years older than Davina herself. "Take a seat, please."
Davina obliged, sliding into the chair and reclining backwards, moving her head until it was comfortable in the headrest. To the right, Sarah was busying herself with a machine, one of her hands holding wires.
"So, how're we feeling today?" Sarah asked good-naturedly as she attached an electrode to Davina's forehead. It was cold but she ignored it.
"Okay. All things considered," Davina answered, as honestly as she could with someone she barely knew. Sarah just hummed and attached another electrode to Davina's forehead.
"You won't feel a thing, okay?" Sarah assured her as she pressed the next electrode to her own forehead. Davina furrowed her brows, wondering what it could mean for the aptitude test.
"I'm not worried about that," she told the woman, as Sarah began to attach more wires to herself, Davina and the machine to the right. If Davina wasn't so convinced that if the test hurt or was dangerous they wouldn't administer it, she would've been panicking from how it appeared so far.
"Worried about failing?" Sarah asked, a teasing note to her voice. Davina didn't answer. "You Erudite hear the word 'test' and I swear it activates your fight or flight mode," Sarah mused, and Davina couldn't help her lip turning up slightly.
Sarah finally seemed satisfied with her work and handed Davina a vial of clear liquid. Davina stared at it cautiously. "Really?" she asked, unable to hide the disappointment from her voice. The aptitude test was just drinking something?
"You'll see," Sarah told her. Davina narrowed her eyes and accepted the vial. She held it up to the light, as if that would help her figure out what it was. "You're supposed to drink it."
Knowing if she waited any longer she'd lose her nerve, Davina downed the suspicious liquid before closing her eyes, falling into a world of the unknown.
Davina came to with a gasp in the chair, senses still on high alert from the simulation. She had heard plenty about them, but being in one was a completely experience. The phrase about it being a test you couldn't study for seemed almost amusing to Davina now.
She looked in one of the mirrors, being able to see Sarah, and waited for her to say her result, but the woman had gone stiff and Davina sensed something was wrong. She began to silently remove the electrodes from Davina and herself, and her increased silence only made the brunette more anxious.
"What?" she finally snapped. Sarah didn't even blink at her hostility. "What is it?" Davina hated the desperation in her voice as she sat up in the chair. Had she failed the test?
Sarah sighed and wrung her hands in front of her. "Your results… are inconclusive."
Davina didn't register it at first, having been too focused on hearing whatever Faction she said she belonged it. "What does that mean?" Davina asked. "And not the textbook definition. What faction does it say I'm supposed to be in?"
"Erudite," Sarah answered. Davina let out a small sigh of relief. It was a homely result. "And Dauntless," Sarah added, and Davina furrowed her brows in confusion. "You…you have equal aptitude for both."
"Why?" Davina questioned immediately, her need for knowledge and understanding coming forth. "I thought that was impossible?"
"No. It's– it's very rare," Sarah responded, her voice hushed. "Listen, you can't tell anyone about this. Especially anyone from Erudite." It sounded more like a warning than advice, and Davina was still confused.
"Uh, why?"
Sarah's eyes were wide as she spoke. "You're considered dangerous."
Dangerous? "Okay… what does that mean?" Davina asked, slowly, trying to process what had happened. This wasn't normal, she wasn't normal. Her result was split in two.
Sarah just shook her head. "If anyone else finds out about this… I'm sorry. I'll log your results as Erudite." The word of her home Faction, the safe option of the two, brought a surprisingly bitter taste to Davina's mouth. Hadn't she been the one to say the test didn't matter? That the results were just recommendations that didn't affect her ultimate choice? It suddenly didn't feel that easy.
"But–"
"Why don't you head back out?"
"You can't just–"
"Doesn't class start in half an hour?"
"No, b–"
"There's still dozens of–"
"What am I?" The desperation in Davina's voice seemed to bring Sarah to a halt, as the brunette girl stared at her. From the look on Sarah's face, Davina expected a remark about how Erudite had to know everything, but instead she spoke softly.
"They call it Divergent." Davina's face shifted at the word, enough so that Sarah was prompted to ask, "You know?"
"Almost nothing," Davina replied, keeping her own voice quiet. "But my parents have talked about them before. They're…a danger to the system?" She had no idea what that meant, but the tones her parents had used during those few conversations were severe enough that Davina feared this… Divergence being discovered.
Sarah nodded, and Davina swallowed against the lump in her throat. "You can't tell anyone about it." Sarah's voice was as desperate as Davina felt, and she got the feeling it surpassed the whole 'don't tell your results before you choose' general rule. "Do you feel alright to return or do you want to go home early?" Sarah's voice was gentle now, and Davina saw the Amity in her.
"And draw attention to myself being different? No," Davina said, immediately. Be smart, she told herself, while another voice told her that facing the world after how she felt now was to be brave. The bitter taste in her mouth didn't go away.
"Clever girl," Sarah said, a hint of pride in her voice. Davina just frowned. "Now, go."
The girl slipped off the chair and patted down her skirt and adjusted her ponytail as she headed for the exit. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see Sarah watching her with an unreadable expression. She still knew as little about herself as she had when she entered the room.
"Thanks for nothing, I guess," Davina said without thinking, before leaving the room before she could be reprimanded for her harshness.
A/N: back at it with another fic oh god. but welcome to clandestine!
so yeah davina is a divergent, however i have aimed to write her differently from tris' experience with it (and just a completely different character/person overall) and also included it for plot reasons, not just because it's cool.
this is a planned trilogy for each book of the series so hopefully it goes okay. it's also an eventual peter x oc because i like complex characters like that and i personally believe veronica roth neglected to add depth to him but whatever,,
i also made the conscious choice not to include the aptitude test simulation BECAUSE the full version of it is not known as tori had to keep altering it for tris so we will never know what it really is, and plus davina is a different combination of factions than tris so i felt if i wrote it it would not be accurate. is it lazy? yes. omission narrative device? yes. sorry not sorry.
anyway, please, please let me know your thoughts and if you enjoyed this chapter, consider following or favouriting (may as well say 'like and subscribe and turn on post notifications' at this point) and thank you for reading and i'll see y'all in the next one! xx
*this chapter is currently unedited. it will be reread and edited in the near future*