Will
The hallway is long and rather dark even in the sunlight. My shoes make a gentle tap as I walk down the hallway and I feel rather out of place. I continue walking and hope I make it to dinner before everyone else and all the good food is taken. However, I already know that all the good food will be gone. As I turn the corner and go down the flight of stairs I can hear the sound of voices fill my ears.
I push the door open and the voices briefly quiet before they return to full force whispers about me. I have been a member of the Candor for the past 4 years but people still look at me strangely and whisper things about me. I cannot be mad because what they whisper is true. They whisper about my mother and my father "four." They whisper about my siblings which I miss dearly. They talk about Jeanine and their hatred for dauntless. They whisper about how much they hate me and they whisper about our faction leader.
Peter Hayes was appointed faction leader by Jeanine. They hate that he was allowed into their old faction but what they hate more is that he was made leader. It was a power play so that Candor would always align with Erudite but they are unaware that Candor has slowly stepped away from them. It was obvious that when Peter had been made leader his loyalties had somehow shifted. Many people didn't know which way they shifted but the shift was obvious.
Will knew that Peter had shifted away from Jeanine and his loyalties lied with returning their world to how it was originally was with some modifications. Peter was Will's caretaker. Peter was scary. Not in a way where you were afraid that he would hurt you but rather in the way that he isn't afraid to show people their place. He is ruthless if he needs to be but no one can deny that he is an excellent faction leader. He is also the one that convinced the other caretakers of my siblings that we should be allowed to get to know each other. He is the reason that I get to see my sister and brothers, I will always be thankful for him.
As I walk down the rows I keep my head low and bite my tongue so I say nothing. Silence is often an Abnegation trait and I like to think that I have a little bit of every faction inside myself. It is a dangerous thought. I walk down to where the food is and decide not to grab a plate. All the good food is gone. I walk to the table that Peter sits at and sit down silently.
"Where were you?" His voice is fluid and calm.
"Thinking," I say as I slide into my seat next to him. No one sits with us, but then again Peter doesn't like having people sit with us. I do not care.
He hums gently to himself before glancing at me and his dark green eyes pierce into me. He can always tell when I'm lying or choosing not to say anything. Instead, he places a plate in front of me and I smile, It has all the good stuff.
"I know you were thinking of leaving."
I stutter, trying to find an answer that doesn't prove that what he said was right.
"You think that I don't know you. It is obvious that you don't belong with the Candor. Perhaps you don't belong anywhere, but you belong with a family. I have tried to be the best that I can for you, but I know you don't feel like this place is home. Your home is with your brother and sister. Your thinking about joining them even if you have to leave everything you've ever known."
I stare at him dumbstruck and nodd. I push my light brown hair out of my face and look at Peter. He doesn't look angry, he is thinking. Fear pools inside me because I can't imagine my life without Peter. He is the person who raised me after whatever happened to my parents. He is the one that convinced Caleb and Marcus to let me see my siblings.
He looks at me gently which is an expression that never crosses his face but it is there staring at me. Almost hesitantly he hugs me and a large wait falls off of me. He is a man that killed people. He is a man that helped destroy the factions. He is a man that raised me. He already knows I plan on leaving and he is okay with it.
"Whatever you choose I'll support you, and I'll make sure to visit on visiting day."
I hug him tighter and I feel better about my decision to leave.
