Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.
Alice Brewster sees herself as more than a member of the council. She is an arbiter of justice, an educator of children, an important authority in Abnegation. No, she doesn't rank as high as Marcus Eaton, but that doesn't matter when most of the youth look at her with respect. She is a force, and she'll use her power for good.
Like now, when she is to decide Tobias Eaton's punishment. Not much is known about Marcus' reclusive son, except that he can't stay out of mischief. Now he's been accused of disrupting the peace and disrespecting his father, among other things. It's up to Alice to put him back on the right path.
She trains her eyes on the youngster, who's currently slouched in a metal chair. He is tall for his age, though no one would know that, looking at him now. The chair, normally occupied by adult offenders, is so imposing that Tobias' feet dangle several inches above the floor.
"Tobias," Alice begins, her voice razor-sharp, "you broke the rules by running away. Are you aware of this?" She pauses, raising an eyebrow.
Tobias gulps. His eyes flit about nervously, probably looking for help. But he won't find it here, in Alice's office. The only other person inside is an Erudite boy named Eric, the kid who was enough of a tattletale to turn Tobias in, but not enough that he was willing to name Tobias' accomplice.
Finally, the guilty party speaks. "Yes, Mrs. Brewster," he stutters.
Alice is about to begin her lecture, then Eric cuts in. "Don't bother talking to him," he sneers, jabbing a finger at Tobias. "He doesn't even know what's going on."
Unexpectedly, Tobias starts to laugh. He tries hard to hold it in, but even with one hand clamped over his mouth, he can't stop the snickers from escaping.
"See?" Eric is reveling in Tobias' humiliation. "This kid's -" He says a word, an extremely offensive one that has since been banned in Abnegation. But, Alice figures, the Erudite may still scorn those living with an intellectual disability.
Alice smiles a little. "Very well," she says to Eric. "The term you used is inappropriate, but you are correct. We certainly can't have the same expectations of kids like him." She gives Tobias a sideways glance. The child finally falls silent. Thank God.
"But wait," Eric pipes up, his voice spiked with urgency. "There's something else." He points at Tobias again. "I heard him tell his friend he's gonna skip school tomorrow. And he skipped today, too."
"Is this true?" Alice bears down on the Eaton boy, not caring that he now looks like a deer in headlights. "Answer me, Tobias."
"Yeah, it's true," Eric goes on. "So, I propose we punish him… by making him go to school over the weekend." He sounds eager, like he's glad to be of assistance to Alice. At least she's no longer burdened with the task of coming up with a punishment.
Alice pats the Erudite child on his head, smiling warmly at him. Normally, she can't stand the sight of anyone from Erudite. But she's feeling generous today, thanks to Eric and his irresistible offer. She might even take him up on it, as long as her superiors don't find out.
Eric turns to Tobias, and for a brief second, Alice thinks she sees him wink.
"Awesome!" As soon as the door slams behind Eric, he jumps and cheers and wraps his new friend in a hug. "I can't believe it worked."
"Well, you saved my butt, that's for sure." Tobias wears a triumphant grin.
They're not out of the woods yet, Eric thinks. Feeling a need to keep his friend safe, he touches Tobias' shoulder. "You're gonna be okay? Your dad's not gonna go after you?"
"Nope," says Tobias, and he sounds so sure of himself, Eric's immediately convinced.
"Good," he declares.
A moment later, he hears the screeching of brakes from outside. He takes a quick peek out the window and instantly spots his mother's car. Dang. I lost track of time, he thinks. He'll be in loads of trouble for sure, but it'll be worth it when he sees Tobias again.
"Let's hang out tomorrow," Eric suggests. "Meet me after school?"
Tobias doesn't even hesitate. "Yeah, I'll be there," he says, beaming.
"See you around," says Eric, just before he turns and hurries down the stairs. No, he's not looking forward to the scolding from his mother, but in the grand scheme of things, what does it matter? His life's about to get so much better, now that he has a friend by his side.
"Yes!" I race into my bedroom, pumping my fists. I'm so full of excitement, I could pop! I feel like a coiled spring, all this energy inside me, desperate to be released.
I want to dance and sing and praise God. More than anything, I just want to process what happened. I still have difficulty believing it was real. A kid from Erudite found me, and instead of ratting me out to my dad, he became my friend? He must be the rarest type of Erudite.
My cheeks throb from me smiling so much. I have to tell someone about my day, but my dad isn't someone who's safe. So I go to the next best person. I crouch down next to my bed, then I pull the ancient wooden trunk out from under it.
Inside are two of my most treasured possessions. One is an old photo of my mom, taken shortly before she passed. She looks so strong, so dignified in the picture. Like the queen of a powerful kingdom. Her dark eyes stare at some point in the distance, but the look on her face is full of hope. That's how I like to remember her, as a person who held out hope for the future.
I caress the picture gently, my fingers touching the image of my mom's face. "Mom, I have a friend now," I tell her. "His name's Eric."
After a minute, I set the photo back down, making sure not to wrinkle it. Then I pull out the other cherished object, a clay sculpture that Mom and I made together. No one knows this, not even my dad, but Mom loved to create art in her spare time. She had to do it in private, though, since the Abnegation believe that art is a waste of time. I'll admit, I used to think that, too.
I remember when Mom first showed me her collection of sculptures. They were amazingly true to life, each one depicting a different person or animal. One was of me as a baby, sleeping in my bassinet. Another was of the stray cat that used to wander around our neighborhood. Another depicted Mom as a young woman, her gray robes hiding how beautiful she was.
I asked Mom what the sculptures did and how they were useful. She said they didn't do anything obvious, but they might be able to do something "in my heart". Back then, I had no clue what she meant. Now I understand.
The clay sculpture is, on the outside, pretty simple. Mom helped me shape the clay to look like a pair of hands, each one reaching out for the other. Like the symbol of Abnegation. But to me, the finished product is so much more than that. It represents the love between my mom and me, the bond we share that only deepened after hours spent together. Every mark I left on the clay was left with Mom's guidance, every rough edge made smooth by a combination of Mom's and my fingers. Having the sculpture is like having a little piece of Mom with me.
I'm feeling nostalgic all of a sudden. I hold the sculpture closer to my face, and as I do so, my eyes fall on a strip of tape stuck to one corner. Squinting, I read Mom's message -
Your dad says art of any kind is sinful, so keep this hidden!
I frown. Remembering how violent my dad's temper can be, I quickly shove the sculpture back inside the trunk. Then, after flipping the lid shut, I slide the trunk back under the bed. There's no way I'm getting caught looking at forbidden objects.
It's gotten dark outside. I need to be in bed before my dad gets home, or I might get yelled at. I climb in between the covers, pulling them all the way up to my nose.
Still, nothing can block out the sound of my dad storming through the front door. His shoes thump against the floorboards, so loud, it's like a stampeding horse is downstairs. I hear my dad shouting at someone over the phone. It's definitely not Mom, but all I can think of is him screaming at his own wife, threatening to kick her out of the house, or even kill her.
My smile has long since faded. Why does my dad have to ruin everything? It's really unfair.
The peace and happiness I felt briefly, when I hung out with Eric, is long gone. Once again, I'm reminded of how powerless I am. I'm a nine-year-old kid in Abnegation, where, no matter how virtuous the adults claim to be, children are expected to be seen and not heard. I'm confined to this house, where the air feels like it'll suffocate me, and I'm trapped with a monster for a father.
And I can't fight back. I can't do anything about it. Even after making a friend, I'm still stuck where I am.
Feeling completely, utterly hopeless, I cry myself to sleep.
AN: Wow, that was dark, wasn't it? Next chapter will involve a time skip. Stay tuned for it, and don't forget to leave a review!