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Disclaimer: Most of the plot belongs to Veronica Roth, and Richelle Mead owns all the characters!

Chapter 3: Divergent

I jerk back into the testing room, covered in sweat, and gasping.

Confused for a moment, I looked around wildly, jumping a little when I felt a hand on my shoulder.
I looked back to see who it was.
Alberta.

She looks tense. Her lips are pursed, eyes emotionless. Silently, she takes off the electrodes, as I sit there, awaiting her response to my performance.
Did I do well? Was there even something like 'doing well' on a test as unpredictable as this one? I didn't know.
I shift in my seat, wiping my palms on my slacks, staring at Alberta, trying to get her to say something. Anything.
"That was..." She pauses, and shakes her head slightly. "I'll be right back."

Oh no.
Fear grips me. What could possibly have happened that made Alberta react like that? What if I ended up without a response?
What if I ended up Factionless?

My hands start shaking slightly. Factionless. My mother once told me that we can't survive all alone, but even if we could, we wouldn't want to, without a faction. Factions were our purpose and reason to live.

Calm down, Rose. I told myself. It can't be that bad.

Suddenly the door opens, and Alberta walks in.
"Sorry about that. I hope I didn't worry you." She looked a little concerned as she spotted my shaking hands, but just as quickly as it was there, it was gone.
"Rose," She began, looking pale. "Your test results were inconclusive."
My heart stops. No. Factionless...
"Usually, the test rules out each faction one by one, until there is just one left. But in your case, the tests have ruled out only two."
"Two?" I croak.
She nods, her eyes looking slightly distant. I clear my throat, and her gaze jerks back to me.
"Your response- ignoring the cheese- rules out Amity, and ignoring the dagger would rule out Dauntless, except, you didn't run from the dog. A Dauntless response."
Seeing my confused look, she continued. "You refused to tell that man the truth, so that rules out Candor."
I cringe at the mention of the man, remembering how I outright refused to hep him.
As if sensing my distress, Alberta smiled grimly. "Don't worry, only Candor tell the truth in that one."
I sigh, gesturing to her to continue.

"Lying to the man should also rule out Abnegation, except, you jumped on the dog to help the girl. Her life before yours. Sign of Abnegation."
"Also, your intelligent response to the situation with the dog indicates Erudite. That's the most of what I could make out of your responses."

I gasped. "So what you're saying is..."
"Yes, Rose. You're result is that you display equal Aptitude towards Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite."

I was shocked. Absolutely stunned.
"I...Is this normal?"
"It's not exactly what I would call 'normal', but there have been other recorded cases of this happening. People who get results like this..." she hesitated, glancing around nervously, and lowered her voice. "People with this kind of result are called...Divergent."
The last word was a whisper, and I almost didn't hear it, but when I did, my mind was almost overflowing with questions.

Divergent. Divergent. Divergent. What is Divergent? What will happen to me now?

Alberta kneels down next to my chair, and gives me a stern look.
"Rose...no one should no about this. You're not telling anyone."
"I know. We aren't allowed to tell each other our test results."
"No, Rose. No one should know. Ever. Divergence is dangerous. This secret should be kept with your life."

Secret for Life. Dangerous. Divergent.

I gulped, standing up from the seat.
"Rose," Alberta calls my name again as I'm leaving the room. "Go home. Don't go back in there."
"But Eddie..."
"I'll let him know where you are."

I nod, my head a jumble of the same thoughts playing over and over.
Abnegation. Dauntless. Erudite.
And the one word that is the reason for all this.
Divergent.

Stumbling out of the back gates, I decide not to take the bus.
I'd rather walk home, figure out my thoughts, decide upon my actions.
I watch the streets, filled with a mixture of old and new buildings, the faint yellow lines that mark the boundaries for cars to move on the road, the stoplights hanging precariously over the roads, unused.

When did my life change so much? I had always found the work of my faction beautiful, so much in harmony, that it made you forget about it's restrictions.
When we all did what we had to with no one asking, or arguing, I felt so much at peace, I fell in love with Abnegation all over again.

But there were some times when Abnegation...just didn't feel right.

It was as I was lost in thought, that I almost bumped into a Factionless man standing on the corner of the street.
He was dressed in rags, his skin dull and sagging.
"Excuse me, miss," he looked at me with pleading eyes. "Do you have something I can eat?"
"Um..." I looked away from the man, prepared to walk away, when the Abnegation side of me surfaced. "Yes, wait a minute."
I reached into my bag, and took out the bag of apple slices I always kept in there. Always be prepared, my father would say.
I offered it to the man. "Here you go."
The man reached for the apples, but instead of taking them, he grips my hand. Tightly.

"Hey, let me go!" I struggle against his hold. For someone who looks like him, he is strong.
The man continues to stare at me. "Such beautiful eyes." he says. "For a girl so young."
"I'm sixteen." I get out. "Now let me go."
"Ah, so tomorrow is the day you choose?"
I nod.
"Well..." he just looks at me, a small smile on his face.
I see it now, my elbow striking his face, him falling back, the bag of apples lost to the ground.
I am about to carry it out, when he lets me go.

"Choose wisely, little girl. Choose wisely."

I run away from there, looking back one last time, as I turn around the corner.

That infuriating smile is still on his face.

That's that! Next chapter coming up soon! R&R please!