CHAPTER 9
FOUR POV
I wake the next morning to Charlie jumping up and down on my bed.
"What are you doing?" I moan. I hate being woken up and Charlie has so much energy.
"Four are you leaving today?" she asks.
"No I couldn't leave you Charlie," I say.
"Are you sure? You're not going to leave me like mummy did?" she asks with tears in her eyes.
"No Charlie I am staying. Plus you have a better mummy now. Sasha loves you lots you know," I say.
"I know and I'm going to be a big sister soon, just like you're my big brother," Charlie says, now with a smile on her face. I can see where Charlie and I are alike. We both seem to jump from one emotion to another quite quickly.
"That's right. You will have to look after our little brother or sister and give them lots of cuddles, just like I do for you," I say. The one person I don't mind touching me is Charlie. I am fine with dad and mum but Charlie is the only one I will willing let close to me.
Charlie jumps into my arms and I give her a big cuddle, "do you want to get some breakfast?" I ask.
"Yes, let's go. Mum and dad are waiting for us," Charlie says.
I get out of bed and give Charlie a piggy back ride into the kitchen where mum and dad are sitting eating breakfast.
"You ready for today son?" dad asks me.
"I guess," I say. I don't have a problem with choosing I know where I want to be. It's the ceremony that I am having trouble with. What if he is there? What if he recognises me? What if. My thoughts are broken by my dad putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Stop worrying about it. I doubt he will be there. Dauntless are officiating this year. So I will be there for you the whole time," dad says.
"Who won't be there daddy?" Charlie asks.
"Never you mind pumpkin. Are you going to go and stand at the net with mum so you can say hi when we get back?" dad asks Charlie.
"No, I'm going to Becky's house to play. I know Four is coming back, he promised he wouldn't leave me," she says.
Dad laughs at this. I know he has been worried about my decision. Not that he doubts that I love Dauntless. I think it's just with everything that has happened over the years he is nervous that I may change my mind. I see his shoulders relax a little as Charlie mentioned those words.
"Well you better go get ready Four. We are meeting Zeke and Amar at the train tracks in half an hour," dad says.
I get up and walk into my bedroom. I am going to miss this room. I wonder what type of apartment I will get when I finish initiation. I am going to miss living with my family. Probably not first thing in the morning. I won't miss Charlie jumping on my bed in the morning but I will miss her giggles as she runs through the house.
We are the last to walk into the Choosing Ceremony. Dauntless are always the last to be ready for any official event in the city. It always drives the other faction leaders crazy. Dad says he likes to do it just to annoy them. They rely on us for their protection so they can just damn well wait. He knows that none of them will say anything to him or the other Dauntless leaders; they are all too scared they will get punched in the face.
Dad walks ahead of us and up to the podium. Zeke and I go and find our seats. I keep my head down. As much as I want to see if Marcus is here there is also a part of me that is telling me to keep a low profile, don't make myself noticeable just in case. I feel sick; I can't wait for this to be over so I can go home.
I love my dad but the garbage he has to sprout to everyone is so boring. We all know the history of the factions they made us all study it at school. At least dad is giving a brief rundown. When Candor or Erudite officiate they reckon the ceremony takes at least two hours more with all that they carry on with.
Finally they are starting to call names. Dad calls out Zeke's name and it is no surprise when he cuts his hand and lets his blood hit the Dauntless coals. There is a huge cheer and lots of clapping as Zeke walks back over to us. They are getting closer to my name. I hear my name called and I walk up to dad and take the knife out of his hand.
MARCUS POV
I am sitting here watching the ceremony. It is tearing my heart apart knowing that Tobias should be here, he should be choosing today. I know they said a factionless man killed him and Evelyn but I know the truth. I know it is my fault he isn't here, but it's not really my fault. It's that slut of a woman I called my wife. It is all her fault that he isn't here. He would have been here if she hadn't been whoring around with who knows what.
The events of that day have always been blurry. I had drunk a lot of alcohol that day. Not something that we do in Abnegation ever. But I had just beaten Tobias and locked him in the cupboard. I was waiting for the whore to come home; it took five days for her to come home. By then I had been drinking for five days straight. I know I got angry when she got home but she deserved it. I know she said something about leaving me and taking Tobias with her. I was never going to let that happen. He was my only son and she was not having him.
I was so drunk I forgot that he was in the cupboard. I was slumped in my favourite chair when someone came in and started beating on me. Andrew told me later that Max and some Dauntless had found me like that. They had had a tip off from some informant that a factionless man had been bragging that he had killed me and my family. It probably would have been better if he had killed me. I am glad Evelyn is gone she was horrid to have to live with. But Tobias, I only hit him for his own good, to make him a better person. I didn't want him to turn out like his mother.
I am taken from my thoughts with Max calling out the name Four. Who the hell would call their child Four? Is this some sort of joke? I look up and see it is a Dauntless born. Of course it would be someone from Dauntless, that or it would have been someone from Amity. Those kids in Amity have ridiculous names sometimes; Orchard and Oasis come to mind.
I watch the young man, Four, from Dauntless walk up to the bowls. There is something familiar about this boy. I don't know what it is but I can't take my eyes off him. He walks with such confidence. He isn't bulky with muscle like the normal Dauntless; he has a thin frame but has more muscle than someone with his frame usually would. He looks strong and powerful. He doesn't hesitate he cuts his hand and puts his hand straight over the bowl for Dauntless. He turns to walk back over to the other Dauntless. The Dauntless section has erupted like never before, they are always bloody loud but this time the noise is deafening. Just as he has turned I get to see his full face.
I would know that face anywhere, those eyes are my eyes. Those lips are Evelyn's lips. I go to stand I want to grab him and bring him back to me but all of a sudden my world goes dark and there is nothing.
FOUR POV
I am walking back over to the Dauntless; I have a smile on my face. The noise from our sections is extreme to say the least. I don't think I have ever heard the Dauntless so loud and they are loud all the time. As I am walking there is a commotion in the Abnegation section. I turn and I see him, I am frozen I can't move. All I can see is Marcus lying on the ground with people trying to help him.
Amar grabs at my arm and motions me to come and sit down. It is then that I realise that I am still standing half way between the bowls and my faction. I still can't seem to move. Dad comes over and says, "Four go and join Dauntless, now."
This seems to get me out of my daze and I walk back over and sit with my faction. I watch as they rush Marcus out of the room on a stretcher. I know he recognised me, I am sure of it. All I keep thinking is please let him be dead. Please don't let him have known it was me. I know there is nothing that he can do to me now I am Dauntless but there is also a little boy inside me who is filled with terror at what he could do to me.
