͏𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 || 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐬

ONE

《︎𝘈𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯》︎

Trust the test. That's all that's running through my mind as I stand in the Candor line. The test will tell me who I am, where I belong . Am I smart? Kind? Honest? Selfless? Brave?

I don't even know who I am, that's why I need this test to go well. My nerves are most definitely shot at this point, they have been ever since I woke up this morning.

My brother wants me to choose Candor tomorrow, no matter what results I get today. Adrien took his test three years ago. He chose Candor. He fits in well. I am blunt but I tend to keep to myself. It's been that way since I was a kid. But just because I have the main characteristic this whole faction is based on doesn't mean I belong here. My father was Candor-born but he chose Dauntless. Of course that made his relationship with my mother quite weird since she'd chosen Candor but they somehow made it work.

Until he got hit by that train of course.

"Hey. So, all the food that we're not getting, you guys are giving away to the Factionless." I look to my right and see Peter Hayes harassing a group of scared Abnegations. They nod in response to his statement. "You're a liar. Why are you lying to me? Everybody knows you keep it for yourselves. So why don't you just admit it? Huh?"

Peter Hayes. Best way to describe him? Smart mouth, blunt, rude, hateful, mean, super cute. He's Candor as well. He's the main reason why I'm known as Ghost. Don't know why he gave me that stupid nickname, but it's stuck. He's been pestering me for years. But I'd rather take it from him than my brother any day. At least he seems to know when enough is enough.

"I'm talking to you. Are all you stiffs deaf or somethin'? Hey!" He continues to pester the Abnegations.

Did I mention he's really cute?

A train can be heard approaching. I look to see Dauntless jumping from the train, heading our way. It's crazy to think that they're all just like my dad.

Strong, fearless, brave, something I'll never be.

*******************************************

"One hundred years ago, after the war, our founders created a system they believed would prevent future conflict and create lasting peace. Today, aptitude testing based on your personality will assign you to one of the factions. While it is our belief that choosing the faction indicated by your test is the best way to ensure success within the faction system, it is your right tomorrow at the choosing ceremony to choose any of the five factions, regardless of your test results. However, once the choice has been made, there will be no change permitted." We rise from our seats and wait for them to call our names out.

They take us back in groups of five. We're led down the hall, an amber light bounces off the walls. It was relaxing in a way. Until you see the doors to the testing chamber.

My shoulder gets bumped at a boy walks past me. "Oops." He turns to face me. Peter. Of course. "Sorry Ghost. Didn't see ya there." He smirks.

I stay silent as we turn to face the doors. They slowly open making my eyes widen and my heart drop to my stomach. I hear Peter laugh lightly. I look back at him for a moment. "Good luck." He says smugly before walking into his room.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I repeat in my head before walking in. There's a wall of mirrors and testing equipment on the other side of the room.

"Sit down." I look to the woman. "I'm Tori. I'll be administering your test." I sit in the recliner like chair. "You'll be offered a series of choices to test your aptitude for each faction until you get one result. 95% get the faction of their origin, and judging by your silence I think it's safe to say that you might not get Candor." Tori finishes.

She holds out a cup "What is it?" I ask.

"Bottoms up." She crosses her arms. I sigh and gulp it down.

*******************************************

"Choose." A voice booms in my head. I open my eyes and look around. It looked like I was in some sort of court room. I slab of meat and a dagger. What in the world?

"Now. Before it's too late." The voice becomes louder. I quickly grab the dagger. I don't know what's about to happen, better safe than sorry. I hear a dog barking aggressively behind me. Oh no. I look to the knife in my hand. Do I really have to do this. I glance over my shoulder and see the dog running towards me. I drop down and swipe at the slobbering beast, making an incision on his side.

"Puppy!" I turn to see a startled little girl. "You hurt him!"

"H-He got what was coming to him." I whisper.

"Help him!" She cries.

"I can't. It's too late." I panic.

*******************************************

I gasp for air as I'm pulled out of the test. "Get up." Tori whispers. "We're going out the back door before a supervisor comes."

I give a look of confusion. "What happened? What about my result?"

"You're going to tell your family that the serum made you sick and that I sent you home. All right?" She moves around frantically.

I grab her wrist and squeeze it. "What was my result?"

"Dauntless... and Candor." She mumbles.

"But how is that even-"

"Your results were inconclusive." She ushers me out of my seat. "It's extremely rare. They call it "Divergent." You can't tell anyone about this. Not even your family. As far as the world is concerned, you received a Candor result because that is what I manually entered."

"But the choosing ceremony?-"

"Look the test didn't work on you! You have to trust yourself. Now leave!" Tori exclaims. I rush out the door and into the streets. How can this be? I'm a nobody. I can't be a Divergent.

*******************************************

I enter into our rundown apartment. Adrien sits at the table looking at his tablet. Living up to my invisible persona I try to sneak upstairs to my room.

"Hello to you to." His low voice booms, making my skin crawl. I turn my body to him. "Back so soon?"

"I-I got sick after taking the serum. Tori sent me home." I rub my arm up and down trying to soothe myself. It isn't working too well.

"What were your results?" He finally asks.

"You can't tell anyone about this. Not even your family." Tori's voice rings in my head like a bunch of bells. She's right.

"I got Candor." I smile. Gotta sell it.

"Great. I'm glad you'll be staying here with me."

"I don't know about that." I mumble.

He snaps his head in my direction. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing.." I gulped, he quirks a brow at me. "I mean what if I don't want to stay in Candor. I have been given options for a reason so I was thinking-" he storms towards me making me talk faster. "- maybe I could join Amity or Dauntless." I shriek as he grabs me by my neck and slams me against the wall making a few pictures and knickknacks fall down.

"Now why would you want to abandon your family like that." He bellowed as he started to slowly squeeze harder. "That would hurt me very much Aria." I claw at his hands. "You want to leave? Like mom did?" Of course he's trying to guild trip me into staying. I furiously shake my head hoping he'll let go of me. He releases my neck then knocks my legs out from under me. What little oxygen I had left in my body was knocked out as I hit the ground. Adrien leans down to speak one last time. "I suggest that at tomorrow's choosing ceremony you make the right choice and stick with me. No other faction would want you anyway." He sneered before kicking me hard in the side. I groan out in pain.

Can't wait for tomorrow.