Chapter 4
I reach street five minutes before I usually do, according to my watch. It has a black band and a glass face. If I tilt it right, I can almost see my reflection over the hands. The houses on my street are all multiple sizes and shapes. They are made of bricks or wood, with few windows. Their lawns are multicoloured and their mailboxes are black and white. To some the sight might be repetitive, but to me their colours are comforting. I sit on the front step and wait for Will to arrive. It doesn't take long. After a minute I see Black and white-suited forms walking down the street. I hear laughter.
"Chris!" Will says.
"Hey, Will." He is with Drew and Molly, and Drew is giving me a strange look, like I am a different person than the one she knew this morning. I shrug. I try to smile. Will narrows his eyes at me, the way he does when he suspects someone of duplicity. "Did you two take the bus today?" I ask. "Our father had to work late," Drew says, "and he told us we should spend some time thinking before the ceremony tomorrow." My heart pounds at the mention of the ceremony. "You're welcome to come over later, if you'd like," Will says politely.
"Thank you." Drew smiles at Will.
"You too Chris".
"OK, I'll be there."
"Cya" I say as I turn and walk to the door. I can feel Will's eyes on the back of my neck, and try not to look back at him.
He runs after me, and I turn to him. His dark, straight eyebrows draw together so that a crease appears between them. Then he frowns, I hate upsetting him.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asks softly.
"The truth is," I say, "I'm not supposed to discuss it. And you're not supposed to ask."
"All those rules you bend, and you can't bend this one? Not even for something this important?"
His eyebrows tug together, and he bites the corner of his lip. Though his words are accusatory, it sounds like he is probing me for information—like he actually wants my answer.
I narrow my eyes. "Will you? What happened in your test, Will?"
Our eyes meet. I hear a train horn, so faint it could easily be wind whistling through an alleyway. But I know it when I hear it. It sounds like the Dauntless, calling me to them. His eyes stay on mine for a few seconds, and then he nods.
I want to go upstairs and lie down. The test, the walk. It exhausted me. But it's my turn to cook. I breathe deeply and walk into the kitchen to start cooking.
A minute later, Mum joins me. I grit my teeth. She helps with everything. What irritates me most about him is his natural goodness, his inborn selflessness. She was cut for Abnegation, not Candor.
Mum and I work together without speaking. I cook peas on the stove. She defrosts three pieces of chicken. Most of what we eat is frozen or canned, because farms these days are far away. My mother told me once that, a long time ago, there were people who wouldn't buy genetically engineered produce because they viewed it as unnatural. Now we have no other option. By the time my father gets home, dinner is ready and the table is set. My father drops his bag at the
door and scowls at me. Other people see him as an opinionated man—too opinionated, maybe—but he's also loving. I try to see only the good in him; I try.
"How did the test go?" he asks me. I pour the peas into a serving bowl.
"Fine," I say.
My mother places a napkin next to each plate on the table. We sit at the table. We always pass food to the right, and no one eats until everyone is served. My
father extends his hands to my mother, and she extend her hands to him and me, and she gives thanks to God for food and work and friends and family. Not every Candor family is religious, but my mother says we should try not to see those differences because they will only divide us. I am not sure what to make of that.
" Well, I've got to go. I promised Will I would meet up at his house with Drew and Molly." I say taking my plate up to the bench and tucking my chair in.
"Have fun." My mother says smiling.
and I grab my bag from upstairs and head off to Will's.
*Knock, Knock*
"Come in!" Will's voice says from the inside.
"Hey Will" I say.
" Hey Chris" he says in reply.
I nod to Drew and Molly, politely and they nod back.
"You know what would be fun?" Drew asks. "If we play a game of dare."
"What's that?" Molly asks, with a look of utter confusion on her face.
"It's a game that the Dauntless play, you have to dare someone, then they do the dare, and it's then their turn to dare someone else, and the games goes on till someone chickens out."
"Why don't we give it a try?"Will says looking at me with his questioning eyes.
I nod and give in to his look."yeah why not?"
We all move around to sit in a circle. And Drew starts.
"Molly, I dare you to tell me the name of you first crush."
Molly just blushes and looks at Drew, there is a moment of silence, then Will breaks the silence.
" , I dare you to tell me that name of your first boyfriend." He flashes me a cheeky smile and winks.
"I haven't had a boyfriend before." I say.
Will just looks at me and I look away, breaking the eye contact.
"OK, Will, I dare you to have 7 minutes in heaven with…..Chris." Molly says and cracks up laughing and Drew joins in and it just gets awkward.
I sigh and stand up and drew just claps in slow and mock amusement as I head to the broom closet which is quite small and we are pushed up against each other.
"We don't have to do anything." He says.
"I know" I say, and I look into his eyes.
He looks back at me and we sit there staring into each others eyes. Then he starts to lean in slowly and I lean in towards him, closing my eyes. When Molly opens the door and says.
"Time's up!" And we pull away quickly and rush out of the room.
Drew and Molly just stare at us and I decide to break the tension.
" Well I better head home, big day tomorrow."I say leaning into hug Molly, then Drew and I go and kiss Will on the cheek and turn around.
"In case I never see you again."
And I head towards the door and turn to look at them, for what might be the last time. Then I close the door behind me and head back home.