Yes finally a chapter! Hope you like it! So who do you ship? Free and Sam or Free and Jake?
I woke up on my hard mattress. Someone was shaking me. Sam.
"What do you want?" I said rubbing my eyes.
"Breakfast."
I heard my stomach rumbling. I'm starving. "Finally."
"Come on get up." Sam said pulling me by my hand up. I felt my cheeks get warm.
"Thanks." I smiled. I let go of Sam's hand.
"Will you guys shut up?" A woman on another mattress mumbled.
"That's Willow. Don't get her mad." Sam whispered. We walked out of the room.
"Good morning!" Ruby ran towards us. She opened a door to a room filled with mats and old, worn out furniture. There were about 20 people sitting on the mats and another 5 sitting on furniture. They all had a bowl of cold chicken noodle soup sitting on their laps.
"Why don't you eat the stuff you grow?" Sam asked.
"We're not allowed. All our hard work goes to faction factories. Lion gives us canned food every week, though." A factionless man said.
"Oh." Sam said disappointed.
"I thought there'd be more factionless." I said. Everyone looked at me as if the answer was obvious.
"Guys she's new. Give her a break." Ruby said. "We've been sending 2 people with an escort each night out this city. We don't want the government suspicious."
"Ruby, have you ever been, you know, outside?" Sam asked. Ruby smiled. She looked like she was remembering a sweet memory.
"Yes. Yes I have."
"What's it like?" I asked grabbing a bowl of soup.
"Forests. Lots of forests. Some are dead, some alive. A part of it looks as if it's still trying to get over an event of destruction. Then you have the side that recovered. Beautiful. Charming."
"Why'd you leave it then?" I asked. Ruby sat down on one of the pieces of furniture.
"I wanted to help others see that beauty. And home is where the heart is." I sensed a lie. I learned how from my Sharp teachers at school. That's not why she left and I know it.
"Is everyone here yet?" A man sitting on furniture asked. There was a murmur of agreement. I saw Willow sneaking in late.
"Then let's begin." The man said. "For the new people, I'm Richard Eaton. Beside me is Kendra Prior." He pointed to the woman to his left. She looked like the smart kind. "I'm sure you all know Ruby Wright. Over there on the sofa is Alex and Mary. We're the leaders of the factionless. I'll bet you're wondering how some of us know our last names and others don't. Here's why. We were born before the whole 'not knowing your parents' thing. We didn't live with them but we were told who they were."
"Enough." Kendra said. "We'd take you young fellows out with us but it's very dangerous leaving now days. Especially since..." She seemed hesitant to say.
"Kendra…" Richard warned.
"They deserve to know." Alex said quietly.
"He's right." Kendra said. "Since the government started hunting any Genetically Pure, better known as Divergent, that could get in their way." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The government we had been taught to support hunting down other Divergent?
"Thank you, Kendra. Now, initiation lasts for 2 weeks. In exactly a week, 2 initiates from each faction will be joining us. Then 2 more the week after. It is all our responsibility to make them feel comfortable because they will most likely be very disappointed they failed initiation." Richard said.
"Jake, come up here." Ruby called. Jake stood up. He was sitting at the very back of the room. He walked towards Ruby.
"This is a tradition to do whenever new people join the factionless. Most of you already know what's about to happen so you can continue eating." He began. "A year ago, I failed Sharp initiation. I was devastated to be kicked out but I knew I had to carry on." He pointed to Ruby.
"24 years ago, I heard about the Allegiant. I had always dreamed of leaving this city and exploring the unknown so I Iet my blood drop on to the ground." She looked at Richard.
"36 years ago, I faked my death and ran from my faction, Lion. The government was just started hunting down the Divergent and I didn't want to be caught in that mess. I now know I made the right decision. Mary?" Richard looked proud of himself. Sharp behavior. Mary got up but didn't walk to the front.
"2 years ago, I was living outside of this city. I was alone. My parents had kicked me out. When the Allegiant found me, they offered to take me with them back to the city. I fell in love with this city. I couldn't be happier here. And now, Alex." Mary sat down again as Alex went to the front of the room. Immediately, everyone started cheering. He must be a much liked leader.
"Thanks everyone! 18 years ago, I was born here. I was hidden here by my mother, may she rest in peace. She died 4 years ago on an important mission to steal some information from the government. My mother's bravery will always be remembered. Finish us up, Kendra." Alex sat down.
"I lived with my father, Jacob Caleb Andrew Prior, who works with the government. He was very angry with me when I ranked low in Sharp initiation. Thank god I failed initiation 10 years ago. I would hate to still have to see his face." Kendra smiled. Jacob Prior… I remember hearing that name.
Flashback
"7498! Behave! We have a government official here today!" Mike hissed at me.
"Who?" I asked.
"Jacob Prior. He's the one who makes all the decisions."
Page Break
"First lesson; how to harvest carrots." Alex said.
"I thought you grew corn." Sam asked.
"We grow everything. Back to the lesson. You hold on to the leaf and wiggle it until it's easily pulled out." He demonstrated.
I tried to pull out a carrot but I pulled to hard and fast. I looked at Sam holding a carrot in his hand.
"You'll get the hang of it." He grinned. I pushed him on to the ground.
"Whoa there. You're factionless, not a violent Lion." Alex said. Sam pulled me down with him.
"If I fall, you fall too." We laughed. Alex rolled his eyes with annoyance. I got up brushing off the dust on my clothes.
"Your task is to harvest all the carrots. And no fooling around." Alex smiled.