Chapter 2

Just yesterday we'd gone to the Hub for our Aptitude Test. The test helps us decide which faction we should choose to be in. They inject a serum in to a vein in your neck which puts you in to an unconscious state and activates a simulation in your mind that one person can evaluate for you once you've woken up.

Getting to the Hub was normal. Emily and I walked to school, passed the factionless huts and arrived at the base of the Hub. Students from each faction lined up with their factions by designated doors and I found my friends.

Bella was out of breath from jumping off the train. How she manages that every time without breaking something will always bewilder me. Anna was comforting Sadie who was having an anxiety attack. It's always terribly sad to see the Amity cry. All of us were nervous. Today was the last day we'd see each other unless we all ended up in the same faction somehow.

"Guys?" I said quietly. The girls looked at me as I threw my thick, curly hair up in to a sloppy ponytail, Sadie finally calming down. "There is something I have to tell you all." They nodded and listened intently. I took a deep breath and let it out. "It's been four great years with you girls and I'm lucky to call you my friends. I know the chance of the four of us being in the same faction is pretty slim, but should two of us be together, we always remember each other. If something happens to any of us, if we become factionless," Sadie shuddered at the word. Some people believe that if they're not in a faction, they should be dead. Sadie felt that way about the factionless too, "we always look out for one another." I eyed Sadie, "That means that if you become factionless, no killing yourself." Anna smiled and Bella laughed. I smiled at all of them while Sadie just glared at me and I winked back at her. "I love all of you. I hope you all succeed in your factions and things go well for you." I smiled again at all of them, watching tears well in their eyes, pushing back tears of my own.

I turned to Anna first, wrapping my arms around her. Since she was Abnegation, she wasn't used to the physical contact and jumped a little when Sadie and Bella joined in.

We split up and went to our faction lines. Just minutes later, we were ushered through the double doors and sat down at tables. One person from each faction at a time. Each name was called mere minutes apart from each other.

"Emily Sparkwood. Erudite." My sister. I looked across the table at her as she stood and was escorted to a small door at the back of the room. She looked over her shoulder back at me, our eyes making contact. I gave her a silent good luck and she left the room.

I turned back to stare at the wall next to our table. The rest of the Erudite were talking about science or studying. Behind us was the Amity, loud and obnoxious as usual. Behind them was the Candor, talking quietly amongst themselves. The Dauntless were at the next table. Kids were sitting on top of the table and lying in each other's laps. I shook my head and looked past them. The Abnegation, on the other side of room, sat quietly, hands in their laps and looking down at them. A few of their eyes wandered, looking longingly at different faction tables.

Emily came back moments later. Just as she sat down, my name was called and I was escorted down the small aisle way between the tables to the door. I passed Sadie and let my hand land on her shoulder. She jumped a little and relaxed when she saw it was me.

"Good luck, not that bad!" she whispered as I walked away, dragging my hand back to my side. Hearing her words made me relax some. She'd already had her test.

I was walked through the doors and was escorted down a hallway and in to a small, square room. At the center was a chair, one that let you lay down without fully lying down and two boxy fabric squares. Next to the chair was a computer hanging from the ceiling and a woman in orange in red.

"Hello! My name is Reyna and I'm here to give you your aptitude test." She smiled and gestured for me to sit. I walked cautiously to the chair and sat, swinging my legs up on to it.

"You're Amity? They don't always let Amity give these tests I thought..."

"It's a volunteer thing," she moved to her computer and let her hands hover over her keyboard. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

I pulled my hair tie out of my hair and let it settle on its own. "Elina Sparkwood." I leaned back in the chair and turned my head slightly to look at her.

"What a pretty name." She tapped the keyboard multiple times, stood, put on purple rubber gloves and picked up a syringe full of clear blue liquid. "Okay sweetie pie, this is going to pinch a little bit." She pulled back my hair, out of the way of my neck, and injected the serum. "You've got a lot of hair!" She exclaimed. I smiled and laughed quietly.

"I get that a lot," and I let my head fall to the side. I felt heavy, like lead. My eyelids felt like boulders weighing over my eyes. I closed them for just a moment.

When I opened them, I was in a room full of mirrors. I looked for a second at my reflection and looked away immediately. I turned around and saw three things set out on three different tables.

On one table was an uncut, uncooked piece of steak. On another was a gun with bullets next to it while on the third was a leash. I reached out for the gun and hesitated. I must have hesitated too long because the items disappeared and I was left in an empty room alone. I turned at the sound of claws on the floor and faced a vicious looking dog. Judging by his teeth, colors and stature, I recognized it as a German Shepard. Dauntless guards occasionally use them to take down armed factionless criminals.

I stood completely still, holding my breath. The dog barked and threatened to charge at me. I kneeled to the ground, slowly, and held out my hand for him to sniff. I waited and the dog only snarled at me. I shifted my feet and the dog barked, taking off towards me. I drew in a sharp breath and ducked, covering my head with my arms and felt adrenaline course through my veins. Something hit me, only it wasn't painful. I sat up to see the dog again, happily panting and waiting for me to pet it. I set my hand on its head and rubbed its ears.

A young girl appeared. She looked a lot like my sister only she was wearing a mix of Abnegation and Erudite colors. "Can I pet your dog?" She asked. The dog growled and I rubbed its ears again. He snarled but didn't growl. The girl walked forward and held out her hand for the dog to sniff, then proceeded to rub its ears as I had. The dog snarled again and this time, I expected an attack. He nipped at her hand and she jumped, crying out. I jumped between the dog and the girl just as the dog jumped for her.

Then I woke up.

Reyna stared at the screen and then glanced at me. "Is everything okay?" She blinked.

"That was.. Something... that's for sure." She typed furiously on her keyboard. "Your results are Erudite, Dauntless and Candor," She sighed, "There is something that you should know, Elina. There's this term. It's called 'Divergent'. Very few people are considered Divergent and you, unfortunately, are one of them."

"What do you mean, 'Unfortunately'?"

"I can't say much. All I will tell you is that you can't tell another soul about this." Her tone was hushed, urgent almost. I sat back, bewildered. "I'll have to enter your results manually. Hopefully, the results will only be skimmed. I'm putting you in as Dauntless since that was the first result that appeared. What faction you end up actually choosing is up to you. Go back to the tables, but I will have you take the back way. Just say you went out the wrong door and I hadn't noticed. Be brave, Elina."

With that, I was ushered out the door and down a dimly lit hallway. I looked around the corner as Reyna walked hurriedly back to the test room. I found the man who walked me to my test room and he asked where I'd come from. I told him what Reyna had told me to say and he nodded, walking me back to the tables.

I sat down and looked at the tabletop, avoiding eye contact and twiddling my thumbs. When it was time to go, I hurried ahead of Emily and took the long way home, around the Hub and past factionless homes. I should have said goodbye to the girls but I was too wrapped up in my choices that I forgot to.

Dark clouds were rolling in and there was the occasional flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, but nothing that scared me much.

I bumped in to a younger girl, maybe a year or so younger than I am, knocking her books to the ground. She wore Abnegation grey and her hair was pulled back in to a tight bun.

"Oh! Sorry, kid." I said, bending down to help her pick up her things. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Beatrice Prior." She responded.

"Ah, the Priors. I shouldn't say this, but I'm a big fan of your dad." I winked at her and handed back her books. "Im Elina Sparkwood, Erudite." I held out my hand for her to shake and she gingerly took it, shaking it lightly.

"Sorry for running in to you, Elina. It was my mistake and should have watched where I was going."

"Don't sweat it, Beatrice. It was honestly my fault. I have to be going, my mom will be done cooking dinner soon." I said, stepping away slowly, "It was a pleasure to meet you Beatrice, and let your dad know he's a great guy!" I called, now a few yards away.

"Thanks, I most definitely will!" She called back.

I took off running past factionless huts and old buildings, not stopping until I'd reached Erudite
HQ. I loved to run, but I never was able to being a part of a faction that values knowledge and not athleticism.

I ran, jumped, skipped and cartwheeled down the alleyway; apologizing to the factionless people I'd scared or bumped in to. I slowed down as I reached the Erudite HQ and passed the last of the factionless huts. At one particular one, I saw a woman with golden blond hair. It was straight and long like Abnegation but styled like Erudite. She was wearing a black, cut shirt and grey slacks, Dauntless and Abnegation colors.

She bent down to pick up an old, worn basket full of cans, both opened and unopened. I made my way towards her and began helping her pick up the cans. We worked together silently, in unison, until finally she broke the silence.

"What is your name?" Her voice was clean, like a bell nearly. I picked up the last can and looked at her. She had brown eyes and thin lips. She looked a lot like Jeanine, only not as frail.

Spinning the last can between my fingers, I responded, "My name is Elina Sparkwood, Erudite." I set the can in her basket. "Would you like some help carrying that to your home?" She shook her head.

"You seem more Abnegation, or even Dauntless, watching you run and jump the way you were moments ago!" She chuckled. I felt my face grow warmer. I blushed and looked at the ground.

"I'm not so sure, to be honest." The silence hung between us again, only this time, it was less comfortable.

"I'm Evelyn." She set the basket down and shook my hand. "Former Abnegation."

"Abnegation? You look like Jeanine Matthews, head of Erudite."

She spat at the road and shook her head. "I would never want to be associated with her!" She let go of my hand and picked up the basket again. "And these aren't for me. They're for the other factionless."

"Why not keep some for you?"

"I do, but only on certain days. I have a specific schedule for when I eat. My job in the factionless is to protect the kids, the elderly, those who can't defend themselves."

"Wait, you fight too? I thought you said you were Abnegation."

"I was. But that doesn't mean I'm justnice or 'selfless', being a former Abnegation doesn't make me just one thing." She turned to enter her hut and left me out on the back alley all alone. Rain started to leak from the clouds, dripping lightly on my skin.

Her words echoed in my head. "Just one thing..." What did she mean by that? Does she know what Divergence is?

I pushed the thoughts aside and walked the rest of the way home. By the time I'd reached the apartment, I was soaked with rain. The thunderstorm was nearing closer and closer.

My mom let me in but told me to go straight to bed. I'd missed dinner and I was very hungry. She let me off with a banana and sent me to bed. I tiptoed quietly in to my shared room with Emily. She was rolled over in her bed, covers pulled over her shoulders. She was breathing evenly, so I assumed she was asleep. I quickly changed in to a white tank top and navy blue sweatpants. I crawled in to my bed and lay, staring at the ceiling. Lighting occasionally flashed and thunder was scarce. The word, "Divergent" was rolling around in my thoughts. Annoying as it was, I let it stay there.

I was nearly asleep when Emily called out to me in her sleep.

"Lina! Lina..." I stood and crossed the wooden floors to her bed. I sat on the edge of it and examined her face. She was beet red and sweaty. I reached out to feel her forehead. She was on fire! I pulled her covers off of her and shook her gently. She mumbled something I couldn't hear and swatted my hand off of her shoulder.

"Emily? Please wake up." I shook her again and again until she finally opened her eyes.

"What?" She said groggily. I sighed in relief.

"You were having a nightmare. You kept calling my name." She sat up in her bed and held her hands out behind her.

"Oh," She said. There was a flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder. She shuddered. "I hate thunderstorms. They're terrifying." I nodded and she looked at me. "Where did you go after the test? You left as soon as they opened those doors."

"I just wanted some time to think. I took the long way around," I looked out the window. We had a view of half the city, the dried up river, the Dauntless and Candor compounds, each on opposite sides of the window. "Oh, I bumped in to Beatrice Prior. You know them, right?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I told her I was a big fan of her dads work..."

"You're really not very good at being Erudite. Most of the Erudite hate him." I looked down at my knees, feeling guilty. "But the good thing is, I'm no good for Erudtie, either." She smiled and leaned forward, wrapping her arms awkwardly around my shoulders.

I turned to her and wrapped my arms around her torso. She was wearing a black cami, just like mine, and navy blue sweats.

"Hey, you know, whatever happens tomorrow, whatever factions we choose; just remember that I love you."

"What about 'Faction before Blood?'"

"It's a stupid rule. I'd always put my family before my stupid faction. I'm not related to Jeanine. I'm related to you, and mom and dad."

"Good to know, Em." I chuckled. "I'm super tired," I sighed and let go of her. "I love you too, by the way." I stood and lay down in my own bed, leaving the shades open for the lightning to light up our room every now and then.

"'Night Lina." Emily called, pulling the sheets back over her shoulders.

"'Night Emily." Moments later, I was out like a light.