I do not own 'Divergent' or anything related.

Two girls, each in a different house, were in front of a mirror. It was the only mirror in their house, and it was only ever used on the second day of every third month, the day their hair would be cut. Neither girl looked like the other; both had the same thin face and blond hair, but that's where the similarities ended. One of the girls was paler and of a more slender build compared to the other who was shorter. Perhaps their most distinctive difference were their eyes; the shorter one had blue eyes, whereas the slender one had grey. Both girls chanced a glance in the mirror, only to be caught while doing so.

"Cassandra," The mother of the blue-eyed girl, who looked in the mirror out of curiosity, chided.

"Ivy," The mother of the grey-eyed girl, who looked in the mirror to admire how she looked, warned.

"Sorry Mother," Cassandra apologised, "Thank you for cutting my hair."

Ivy, however, said nothing.

After breakfast, Cassandra walked out of the house, at the same time Ivy next door walked out of hers.

"Hey Ivy!" Cassandra waved to her cousin and best friend, smiling. She knew that wasn't the correct the way of greeting, but sometimes she found the Abnegation rules so stifling, even if she believed in their ideals. Ivy just looked at her and nodded. That was the correct Abnegation form of greeting.

They walked towards the bus stop together. On the way, Cassandra saw a factionless man in tattered clothing sitting on the pavement nearby.

"I'll catch up," She told her cousin.

"Cassandra, we'll be late for the bus," Ivy warned her.

However Cassandra went to the man's aid anyway. Ivy had to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. This was typical of her cousin, helping anyone she saw in need. Even though Abnegation was expected to help others, what annoyed Ivy was that she suspected that Cassandra didn't need the excuse of being in the faction that valued selflessness to help everyone she came across.

Cassandra bent down in front of the man.

"Hi there," She greeted, "Can I get you anything?"

"You wouldn't happen to have any water, do you?" The man asked in a raspy voice.

"Here."

She took out from her bag a plastic bottle of water, and gave it to the man. He downed the drink as if he had been in a desert. He offered the bottle back to her with still some of the water at the bottom. Cassandra smiled.

"Keep it. You need it more than me."

"Such a kind girl."

At that point the bus arrived.

"Cassandra, the bus is here," Ivy called.

"Can I get you anything else? Some food, maybe?"

"Hurry up, Cassandra, or we're going to be late," Ivy said louder.

The man laughed.

"I'm not completely helpless, young lady. It's an important day today, isn't it? The day they tell you where you ought to be?"

"Well, yes, the aptitude test."

"Well I wouldn't want to keep you or your friend waiting. You go on now."

"Are you sure?"

"Cassandra," Ivy said more sharply.

"You go on, now, and remember to choose wisely."

Cassandra got on after Ivy, not forgetting to apologise to the bus driver for keeping him waiting. They moved to the back of the vehicle, with Cassandra apologising to everyone she passed. As the bus drove on once they sat, Ivy gave her a stern look.

"What?" Cassandra asked defensively.

"You know what."

"What was I supposed to do, just ignore that suffering man?"

"You know Cassandra, I know we're meant to be selfless, but that doesn't mean we have to be gullible too."

A fire lit up in Cassandra.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She tried to keep the temper in her voice steady.

"Oh come on, that man was obviously waiting for some poor Abnegation to give him something. I mean, don't we give them enough?"

"So what I'm just not supposed to help out anyone just because there's a chance of someone taking advantage of my kindness?"

"I'm just saying you need to be more careful as to who you give out your belongings to, and be a bit more smart too."

Cassandra moved closer to her cousin, now speaking to her in a whisper so that no one could hear her.

"Well maybe if you offered a hungry person something to eat now and again I'd take your advice more into account because I don't think you'd help someone if they really were suffering or not."

Ivy glared at her. They didn't talk for the rest of the journey, and considering Abnegation were not supposed to draw attentions to themselves, that suited Cassandra just fine. She was right though, Ivy thought to herself. Whereas Cassandra willingly gave out help to anyone in need, Ivy just didn't care. She didn't see the point, despite being raised in Abnegation, did not seem to have a single selfless bone in her body. It wasn't because she necessary felt her own needs were more important than those around her. She just felt no empathy to a bunch of strangers.

"Excuse me?"

The girls looked up. An elderly woman had walked up to them.

"Do you mind if I sat down?"

Cassandra at once knew that she meant if they could switch sits.

"Oh."

She instantly sat up.

"Oh, of course, you have no need to ask!"

"Thank you, young lady."

Ivy gave her cousin a look that said 'Told you'. 'Shut up!' Cassandra glared back. The woman's friend smiled at Ivy, expecting her to give up her seat also. Cassandra nudged Ivy as if to say 'Go on'. For a moment, Ivy was reluctant.

Oh well. If my faction expects it of me.

She got up for the other woman.

"Thank you. You're so kind."

Ivy said nothing.

The two girls held the railings as the remaining journey jostled them to and fro as the bus drove along the bumpy road. Even though it wasn't pleasant, Cassandra took comfort in the fact that at least she had made someone's life more comfortable.

Terrific, thought Ivy. Now I have to spend the rest of the way to school threatening to be thrown to the ground!

Once the bus had reached the school, Cassandra and Ivy got off. Before she could, the bus driver grabbed Ivy's arm.

"Maybe you should do well to help out those in need like your friend there," He told her.

Ivy stared at him, before pulling her arm free and getting off, wondering what his issue was.

The first lesson they had together was Faction History. When they arrived at the classroom, three Erudite students were already sitting at the front, reading books. Cassandra and Ivy took their seats at the back, as Faction rule dictated in order not to draw attention to themselves. Ivy took out her books and pens, laying them neatly on her desk. Cassandra noted that her cousin was far more organised than her, having just stacked her books on top of each other and letting the pens roll. Soon, the loud sounds of laughing and shouting were followed by others students filing in, six Amity girls and six Dauntless boys. There wasn't anyone from Candor in this class. The Dauntless students also took their seats at the back, although Cassandra suspected that unlike Abnegation who did so in order not to be noticed so that it was better to forget themselves, Dauntless did it so that it was harder for the teacher to spot them doing anything they shouldn't be doing. As she watched the two different groups chat and laugh together, Cassandra had to fight down the urge to join the conversation, to be part of the fun. When someone looked in her direction, Cassandra quickly looked away. She noticed that Ivy had her eyes fixed ahead, her hands together on the desk. She had no problem not being tempted by the company of others. Soon the teacher came in.

"All right, settle down, settle down!"

The noise died down, with students turning their desks towards the front. The teacher decided to recap the whole history of the factions, how devastating wars that wrecked the country known as the United States of America led to the formation of the factions in order to make sure that war never happened again, each one blaming a certain failing trait for conflict. While the teacher was explaining, something flew into Cassandra's eye. She looked to her right. A Dauntless boy, named Tony, smiled as he continued to flick pieces of rolled up paper at her. She tried to ignore him and the bits of paper impacting her face, keeping her eyes focused at the front. She had known everyone in this classroom all her life, ever since she started school, but she doubted any of them knew her, or at least knew her name, and this particular boy was always picking on someone. It was worst for her, as Abnegation upbringing taught her not to fight back, even though the image of punching him in his smug face came to mind. No. She shouldn't think like that. Part of her wanted to switch places with Ivy, knowing that she was better at dealing with abuse than she was. But then, Cassandra couldn't ask Ivy to put her own needs before her cousin, so she just had to endure it. Besides, this was the last day of school, and she would likely never had to deal with the likes of Tony again.

When leaving the classroom, someone deliberately tripped Cassandra over, causing her to fall to the ground, her things spilling everywhere.

"Oops," Said Tony, "Sorry, Stiff," Even though he didn't sound sorry at all, laughing.

Cassandra heard another boy join in the laughter, although she didn't see who it was.

"Hey, watch you do that for, Tony?" Another boy demanded, as Cassandra gathered her things.

"Here."

Someone offered one of her books to her. She looked up. Were it not for the fact that he was wearing all black, you wouldn't have taken this boy to be Dauntless. Whereas most Dauntless were tall and broad shouldered, this one was small (at least compared to those of his faction) and skinny. He also didn't have the typical tattoos or piercings found on most Dauntless, at least none that Cassandra could see. Perhaps the only other thing that gave an indication to his faction beside his black attire was his ridiculous hair style that reminded her of a bright yellow porcupine.

"Um, thank you."

Cassandra took the book from him.

"Do you need a hand?"

He smiled at her, offering his hand.

"Oh no, I can get up all by myself."

Cassandra forced herself up. Lucas, thought. His name is Lucas, although she was sure that he didn't know her name. Abnegation members tended to keep to themselves. Lucas continued to smile at her. It was most unusual to make conversation with someone from a different faction. She continued looking into his face, his round face containing amber eyes full of compassion looking at her.

Feeling herself about to blush, Cassandra ran for it and caught up with Ivy.

It was times like these she hated the Abnegation lifestyle. By all means she believed in helping the less fortunate, putting others before herself. By why did that mean she couldn't do anything for herself, when it didn't inconvenient someone else? She wished that she could stare at her reflection as long as she liked without feeling guilty about it, wished she could let her hair down and have it as long as she liked, that she could open up and talk to anyone regardless of what faction they belonged to, like Lucas could, and not take abuse from people like Tony, not act like such a wallflower! Besides, she always hated the colour grey.

But then again, that would all be self-serving, and that went against everything her faction taught.

The tests began after lunch, aptitude tests that will give an idea of what faction to belong to. Cassandra and Ivy sat next to each other on the Abnegation table in the cafeteria, waiting for their names to be called out. Eventually an Abnegation volunteer appeared to read out the next round of names. from Dauntless;

"Lucas Summers, and Kane Storme."

Lucas and his friend, who was short with his blond hair sticking upwards, stood up. From Erudite;

"John Einstein, and Leon Abaddon."

A short student (though taller than Kane) and a rather obese Erudite (Which Cassandra always found odd to see from someone in a faction that valued logic), both spectacled, followed. From Amity;

"Tara Stone and Martha Wood."

A huge girl who looked rather surly for someone from Amity and a girl whose hair looked like a bush stood up. The volunteer then called the names for Abnegation;

"Cassandra Waters and Ivy Snow."

Before calling out names for Candor. The two got up. Cassandra felt sick, although Ivy was composed. When they went their separate ways, Cassandra wished her cousin good luck. Ivy just nodded. Cassandra walked in the room.

"Ah. Welcome," The man greeted, putting his hands together. He had a thin face, brown hair and narrowish eyes, but there was something off about the man. Typically faction members wore distinct colours found only in their faction; grey for Abnegation, red and yellow for Amity (although any bright colour would do), black and white for Candor, black for Dauntless, and blue for Erudite. This man, however, wore some kind of brown suit.

"My name is Eric. Please make yourself comfortable."

Ivy walked into the room, greeted by a dauntless volunteer, being told to sit down in the chair.

Cassandra sat in the dentist-like chair.

"Don't worry," Eric assured her, "This won't hurt a bit. Here, drink this."

Cassandra was given a vial of clear liquid.

"What happens if I drink this?" She asked.

"Can't tell you that," Eric tutted, waggling his finger.

Cassandra drank the liquid.

Ivy drank the clear liquid without question before closing her eyes.

"Now then, try to respond as truthfully as possible please."

The volunteer smiling at her was the last thing she saw before Cassandra closed her eyes.