Skylar didn't quite care that she hadnt seen her mother in weeks. Nor did she really care that she had been basically living alone for the past few months while her mother pretended she didn't exist. At least thats what she'd been telling herself over and over again in hopes that maybe she would start to belive it. But this, not showing up to sit with her on choosing day, was absolute bull shit. Skylar had been waiting on the edge of her seat for nearly 30 minutes.

Rumor had it, and rumors in Candor were the truth 99.9% of the time, that Kang was the reason her mother was perfectly content with leaving her dependent on her own for half of her last year at home. Supposedly sher mother was living with the Candor leader now. Surprising thing since his ex-wife, who had passed away two years prior from a rare illness that couldn't be cured, had been her best friend since they were children. Her mother had always been promiscuous, but now there were rumors that their intimate relationship had began years before his wife had passed.

Skylar had finally given up hope once she saw Kang show up alone and prepare to make his speech. Since it was Candor's turn to lead the ceremony this year, he hadn't had to show up until shortly before its beginning to help the other factions set up. So, despite her hopes that her mother would at least say goodbye, the ceremony was about to begin and Skylar was on her own.

"Psst," Skylar sighed, ignoring the whisper behind her she kept her gaze on the stage. "Psst, hey. Skylar!" She shook her head and continued to ignore the boy speaking behind her as she watched Jack speak to a fellow Candor leader and a few Erudite while organizing his papers on the podium in front of him. Kang suddenly lifted his head and caught her eye. Skylar kept his gaze for a few seconds, wondering what it was that her mother saw in him.

"Skylar," the loud whisper came from behind her again. She knew that is was Jonathan, an annoyingly nosy boy that would be transferring to Amity today. "Jonathan leave the poor girl alone, you dont need to ask her to know that he mother wont be showing today. She is probably still in Jack Kang's bed," Jonathan's snappy mother said to him. Skylar rolled her eyes and mentally thanked Jack for starting the ceremony.

Skylar barely listened to his speech. And although she tried to listen when she heard Dauntless's roaring cheers, she could barely focus to the names as she watched each person called walk to the stage and choose where they would be spending the rest of her lives. Her nerves seemed to be getting the best of her, despite how prepared she was to leave the hell-hole of a faction that prided themselves on honesty.

Skylar had known for a long time she would be following her older brothers to Dauntless. It was where her father had grown up, and his stories of adventure from his childhood had always piqued each one of his five children's interests since each one had definitely inherited his unruly wild side. He had died in a fire when she was 10. So had her twin brother, Shade.

"Skylar Sophia Smith." Skylar stood before Jack had even finished saying her first name, and was at the bottom of the stairs by the time he said her last. Many people in the crowds around her chuckled at her swiftness, not a single person in Candor expected her to stay but she could see why her quick march to the stage to would be humorous to the others factions.

She continued her brisk walk to the stage, snatched up the knife, and cut her hand without hesitation. It was probably deeper than she wanted it to be, but she barely felt it. Her entire body was numb as she walked toward the roar of the Dauntless crowd.

Skylar didn't waste her time bothering to glance back at the empty seat she had spent the past hour in, nor the one next to it that should hold her mother. She wasn't her family anymore and hadn't been for a long time. Her family was in Dauntless, her life was in Dauntless, she was Dauntless.