Guilt and excitement course through my veins as I stare down into the Dauntless bowl, my fresh red blood sitting on top of a sizzling coal. I turn back around as an Erudite leader ushers me off the stage and my eyes instantly land on my parents who seem all but devoid of emotion. I feel guilty for leaving them, but there seems to be a certain understanding behind my mother's eyes. Hopefully my father will understand, too.
The Erudite man leads me to where the rest of the Dauntless are seated, a few of them look my way - some with curiosity and some with distaste. I ignore them and hold my head a little higher, hoping to convey to them that this is where I belong - not Abnegation.
"Niall Horan."
My heart rate begins to pick up again as I watch the familiar blonde walk onto the stage. He doesn't seem hesitant as he walks confidently to the front of the auditorium and firmly grabs the knife - almost like he already knows what faction he's going to choose. Abnegation, I'm sure.
He presses the knife into his palm and clenches his fist before extending his arm out over the Dauntless bowl. My eyes widen in shock as the rest of my new faction erupts into cheers again, like they did for me.
My jaw hangs open at the thought of Niall becoming Dauntless. He never liked the way they always seemed to risk their life for a thrill. He always said how he was too afraid to jump off a moving train because of his bad knee, and now he will have to.
The Erudite man leads him over and he takes the empty spot next to me.
"What are you doing? I thought you were going to stay in Abnegation," I say, trying to mask my anger under a hushed tone.
"I couldn't let you go alone," Niall says simply.
"Why? So you could protect me?"
"Well-"
"I don't need protecting," I spit, crossing my arms over my chest before he can even finish his sentence. "I can protect myself."
"I know you can, but Dauntless is lot different than Abnegation."
"I know. That's why you should've stayed."
"I couldn't stay there knowing I'd never see you again," he says, reaching for my hand, but I pull away. "Besides, that's what we're taught in Abnegation - to put others before ourselves."
I turn away from him to face the stage again where an Amity boy has just chosen to stay in Amity. I ignore Niall's pleading to look at him and to talk to him, too enraged by the fact that he thinks I'm still a child who needs protecting.
The last of the names get called, and now everyone has a faction - some new and some old. Gwen returns to the stage to congratulate us on our new faction (or for moving on to the next stage in the same faction) and dismisses us.
The Dauntless leave first, through a narrow hallway that leads to the back of the building. The wind whips my face as I step outside and I can hear the nearby train approaching. Niall tries to grab my hand again, but I pull away yet again to focus on the older Dauntless boy standing at the front of the group.
"I'm Zayn and I'll be one of your instructors. Your first test as a new Dauntless member is to make it onto the train-"
"What if we don't want to?" a boy chimes in. I turn around to face the source of the noise and recognize him as one the Erudite transfers.
"Then you can stay here," Zayn says coolly, "but you'll become factionless."
The boy visibly gulps, but eventually nods. The only thing scarier than jumping onto a moving train is becoming factionless.
