She walked through the noisy hallways of the largest building in Candor toward her father's office. She had no clue why she'd been called there, what could he possibly want? She hadn't seemed him in days, nor did she intend on seeing him until the choosing ceremony the following day. With only an hour until her test too! She walked quickly, her heels clicking on the marble floors.
God did she detest heels! Her father insisted that it was professional, most of the females wore them for work. Some of the girls still in school were expected to wear them, and she was one of them. It bothered her; they didn't think politeness was necessary but looking presentable was? It was just silly, and of course, once she was in Erudite she knew that Jeanine would expect it most of the time too. Erudite prided themselves on politeness and looking professional, as it was a form of intelligence to show such respect.
As she reached the counter where her father's assistant was she was told he was in a conference room on the top floor. She jogged toward the elevator pushing the button multiple times, impatiently waiting for the doors to open. She considered that he might want to speak to her run this morning since had reprimanded her the previous month for running during hours that were not deemed "safe." She shrugged off the thought, as it was an unnecessary conversation to have considering she would be leaving the next day.
"Oi, Natalia! Wait up!" She turned to see her good friend Nolan jogging toward her. "You're walking the wrong way, our tests are in the building next door. The elevator doesn't go to the bottom floor!"
She sighed and explained that her father had asked to see her before her test, and told him she would walk with him after. He took that as an invitation to follow her upstairs.
They continued in silence when on the elevator, she could tell he was nervous since Nolan was always talking. He was also always so happy. He apparently noticed that she felt nervous too, as they neared the top floor he looked at her and asked, "how can you tell if someone is going to be Erudite?"
What an odd question, she smiled and replied, "Nolan you aren't worried that you aren't amity are you? You know you are, and you have a choice in the matter."
He laughed nervously, "I suppose you are right, but it must be easy for you.. you know you are meant to be in Euridite," he told her as they stepped off the elevator.
She stopped suddenly, annoyed at first with the thought that is was easy for her, she knew he didn't mean it in a bad way though. That was impossible for him.
She had always enjoyed Nolan's company, he was kind hearted and, he didn't ask her questions. He enjoyed to talk anyways so their friendship blossomed in large part to that. He compensated for some of the qualities she didn't have. Although she could never be amity she, didn't want him to be nervous for something she thought he was destined for. They had been intimate a few times, but it never sparked into more than their friendship. She was grateful to have him in her life.
She remembered what she had read in a book when researching her anxiety, that distracting someone could help ease nervousness and panic. She almost laughed in thinking of the phrase "laughter is the best medicine."
She turned to him with the cheesiest smile she could muster and replied, "do you really want to know how? Matthew told me how he thinks they test for Erudite" He grinned cheerily and nodded. "I want you to do something for me." he nodded again. She pointed to the right with both of her thumbs while saying "I need you to look left for me."
He looked to the right. She couldn't help but laugh as he came to the realization that he had looked the wrong way. He joined her in laughing and put his arm around her as they walked toward the conference rooms at the end of the long hallway.
"You know, you're kind of great when you aren't being so serious Talia!" he told her. "I'm going to miss you." She pushed him away and rolled her eyes, oh yes, she would definitely miss Nolan. He as the only one she knew well enough that would laugh at such an awful and terrible joke.
She walked to the main desk for the largest conference room. "Hello Ben, where is my father?" she asked one of the assistants for the floor. He looked up at her from the desk and replied "in a faction meeting, he just wanted you to sign these forms. They are for your medications to be transferred to your future faction."
She didn't bother containing her annoyance, she hadn't even taken the test yet for gods sake!
"This really couldn't have been done later? What meeting, the factions are all preparing for initiations." She mentally smacked herself; she knew better than to be curious, it just left people open to asking her questions that she hated to answer.
Ben looked up to reply as she moved the forms to a lower counter blocked from his view. She bent over to sign them, but he had stopped his reply when the door to the largest conference room opened.
She quickly handed him back the forms and began to walk away as leaders dressed in all different colors excited the room. She stopped and stood straight as she saw her father emerge with Jack, another leader of Candor with Jeanine and her assistant Jeremy in tow. She considered running toward the elevator; Jack could be nosy. With Nolan next to her she didn't bother. He would just slow her down, and he always had to make a point of talking to people, hell, she would probably have to drag him away.
"Hello father," she spoke curtly, standing straight. He replied to her quickly, "Natalia, I thought you would have already been gone. Your test is soon so you should hurry that way." She felt her jaw clench, of course, that was it; she didn't expect more.
Why did she feel a sharp pang in her chest? She began to turn, reaching to drag Nolan away but was distracted when she heard a high but firm voice. "
Natalia! How are you today, I'm sure you are beyond excited that this day has finally come! Now I haven't met your friend here," Jeanine spoke to her yet looked at him.
She looked at Jeanine directly, noting that her assistant Jonathan and another leader Rosanne were right behind her, as always. She replied firmly and professionally as she normally did when speaking to the Erudite leaders. Perhaps that is why her father hated her, because he conveyed every emotion possible on his face when speaking and never bothered to be polite to other leaders.
"This is Nolan Bright. Nolan meet Jeanine Matthews."
She didn't bother answering the other question, she didn't know why people bothered asking her how she was if they really didn't care. Maybe she didn't agree with the full amount of politeness after all, but just respect? Or maybe she was just annoyed from functioning on such little sleep.
She watched Jeanine shake Nolan's hand; he smiled at her "It is really great to meet you, I am beyond excited to take my test today!" Of course, he was, he was excited about everything, like a freaking puppy. "I can't believe this day has finally come!"
Jeanine looked at him and glanced back to Natalia. Natalia wondered if it was because she was curious as to why she might be friends with someone who was so happy, when Natalia normally was not, or because she somehow knew that at one point Nolan and she had attempted to be more than friends. Matthew could have easily told her, although Natalia didn't believe that he would have. He wasn't as close to his mother as most thought; Jeanine was far too busy.
As if that mattered, though, Jeanine should be used to such things; the rumor was that Erudite was the most curious faction. And by rumor, she meant she knew it was a fact because she spent more time with the Erudite kids in recent years than the Candor.
The crowd of leaders in the hallway grew as did the noise from the conversations. Natalia noticed that Nolan was glancing at the amity leaders who were speaking to the Abnegation as he listened to Jeanine explain to him about the importance of the aptitude test and how this was "such an important day in their lives."
She stopped listening as she noticed the factions speaking to one another respectfully. Things had been better in recent years as the factions were finally beginning to get along with one another. Erudite was no longer hunting Divergents due to Max, the lead Dauntless leader putting his foot down in the matter, no longer wishing to be run by Erudite. The other factions were notified of the testing and Jeanine's strive for control, and both factions had been on a sort of probation ever since.
"I hope that you have an idea of what your test results may be. It is enlightening to know that most people already know what faction they belong in well before taking their aptitude test."
She smiled at Nolan, about to say more but was interrupted by Natalia's father, "they should go so they aren't late Jeanine." Jeanine nodded to him, her eyes are not matching her smile.
It was an interesting sight, as Natalia rarely saw her aunt and father converse.
As they turned to leave Natalia realized a man standing with the Dauntless leaders was staring at her. Well, glaring was a better word for it. She recognized him as the same man she had run into that morning; in the light, he looked even more intimidating. She watched as his eyes glanced back and forth between her and the people she had been conversing with.
She knew who he was, but had only seen him a few times. Probably why she hadn't recognized him in the dark. He was a Dauntless leader; the youngest one they had ever had. She didn't remember his name but knew that he had been the one that Jeanine worked with in Dauntless when she was researching for the Divergent. That would explain why he was giving quite an awful look toward her aunt, or perhaps he was as ruthless and nasty as the rumors said.
She looked at him with the same expression she had given her father, quickly noting the eyebrow piercings, large black earlobe piercings, and lip piercing. She saw now that the tattoos peeking out of his collar were the ones that marked him as a leader. His sleeves were rolled to his upper wrists, and she saw that arms were covered as well; she doubted that they didn't continue under the rest of his clothing.
She glanced back to his eyes, regretting it instantly. She was almost positive that he could burn a hole through someone with this dark eyes. She clenched her jaw again, such a bad habit. Quickly saying goodbye she turned toward the elevator.
She heard Nolan tell them that he enjoyed meeting them and jogged after her. He smiled to her as they got in the elevator, mentioning that they had been friends too long for him not to have met Jeanine until that moment. She returned his smile and answered shortly as always. She couldn't shake the thoughts of the intimidating Dauntless leader who had just looked at her as if he could see her soul.
