𝑰𝑰: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒚
𖣔☼᯽☼𖣔
The Choosing Ceremony takes place today. After I had fallen asleep last night I woke up only a few hours later. My brain was clouded in thoughts of what faction I should chose and how am I going to keep it a secret that I'm fucking Divergent.
Once everybody got up in the Prior household and got ready the five of us left to go to the ceremony. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was absolutely terrified of what was to come.
I tuned out most of the walk from the house to where the ceremony was taking place.
Bea and I were in the back behind Caleb, Natalie, and Andrew. When we were just about to sit down an Erudite woman came up to us. I recognized her as Jeanine Matthews.
"Morning, Jeanine," Andrew acknowledged the Erudite.
"Good morning, Andrew. How is Marcus holding up?" Jeanine taunted. What a bitch.
I noticed the tick in my Uncle's jaw, "As well as can be expected." I'm kind of disappointed he didn't say something better, but then again Abnegation is his faction.
"Mm. We need to find out who's behind those rumors," the Erudite taunted some more. Part of me actually wondered whether the rumors were true or not. Did Marcus mistreat his son? Sooner or later we'll probably find out.
Jeanine kept a smug look on her face throughout the conversation, "If it's someone from Erudite, I promise I'll find out who."
Witch Bitch then looked towards me, Bea, and Caleb. She looked back over to Natalie and Andrew, "These are your children."
"Not me," I pointed to myself.
Jeanine just nodded taking the new information in, "I didn't know they were in the choosing today," she turned her attention towards Caleb, "what's your name?"
"I'm..." the Prior boy hesitated, "I'm Caleb." They shook hands with one another before Caleb spoke again, "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Jeanine Matthews," she introduced herself.
She looked expectantly at Beatrice, "And you two are?"
Instead of answering Beatrice and I just looked at her, so Caleb spoke instead, "This is Beatrice, and that is Olivia."
"Mm. You both have a big decision to make today. I'm sure Natalie and Andrew will support whatever choice you make," Jeanine told us.
"I thought it wasn't supposed to be a choice. The test should tell us what to do," Bea sort of snapped at the Erudite. I made a mental note to high-five her for talking back to Witch Bitch.
Jeanine had a sickly sweet smile, "You're still free to choose." That might have been the only piece of advice I might take from her.
"But you don't really want that, do you?" I asked, smiling innocently.
"Olivia," Caleb scolded as if he was my father. Sadly mine is dead along with my mother.
Before I say anything Jeanine spoke, "I want you to choose who you truly are and where you truly belong. Not on a whim, not because you wish for someone you're not, but because you honestly know yourself. I want you to choose wisely. And I know you will."
She smiled at me and turned toward the stage. When she left I muttered, "Bitch." Bea must've heard 'cause she let out a small chuckle.
Jeanine waited for people to quiet down and for them to be seated before addressing the crowd, "The factions system is a living being composed of cells; all of you. And the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place. The future belongs to those who know where they belong."
She then sat in a front row spot in the Erudite section, which was covered in a royal blue color.
Marcus then stood from his chair and started his speech, "When you leave this room, you will no longer be dependents, but full-fledged members of our society. Faction before blood."
"Faction before blood," the crowd repeated the leader.
"Jonathan Ziegler," Marcus called out the first name. A boy, Jonathan, got and walked on the stage and in front of him was a table with five bowls and a knife on it.
I knew that each bowl contains a substance that represents one of the five factions, gray stone for Abnegation, water for Erudite, earth for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor.
Everyone watched as Jonathan cut his hand with the knife and put his bloody hand over the Erudite bowl. His blood dropped in and the Erudites' began cheering as Jonathan stalked towards them.
"Erudite," Marcus announced. He began calling names again, that's when I spaced out till he called, "Caleb Prior."
I watched intently as Caleb made his way onto the stage, cut his hand, and raised it over the Erudite bowl. The crowd of Erudites' clapped and Caleb sat down in their section.
Honestly that was a shocker. I never thought he would be able to ever leave Abnegation. Turns out I was wrong, which I'll never admit.
"Quiet please," Marcus requested the crowd, "Beatrice Prior."
Bea got up and walked down onto the stage. She looks at the five bowls for a moment before taking the knife to cut her hand, she holds her hand above the Abnegation bowl but doesn't allow her blood to drop, finally she allows her drop into the Dauntless bowl.
"Dauntless," Marcus called out. The crowd cheers for Bea. When I looked over at her parents they had a look of surprise and disappointment mixed on their faces as Bea went to join the Dauntless crowd.
A few more names were called till Marcus said, "Olivia Miller."
I walked down confidently towards the stage. I picked up the knife and dragged it across my palm forcing my bright crimson blood to slightly scatter on my hand. I thought for a moment about if I should go to Abnegation, that was a hard pass. Erudite, with Jeanine, I'd rather die. So I took my bleeding hand and raised it above the Dauntless bowl.
When my blood hit the coals, they let out a satisfying sizzle. "Dauntless," Marcus announced. Cheers erupted once again from the Dauntless as I made my way over. I sat by Bea and another girl with short brown hair, dark caramel colored skin, and she was wearing a black suit with a white tie. She was a Candor.
𖣔☼᯽☼𖣔
Once they finished calling all of the names and choosing, people began leaving. The Dauntless crowd ran wild into the street, climbed to the top of the train tracks.
It felt so free to me as I ran and climbed with the others. The Dauntless-borns began running after the train passed, which I took as a run and jump on the train or get left behind. I was right.
I managed to jump on the last carriage with Bea and the Candor girl from before. The girl smiled at us, "You guys made it." We returned the smile. She held out her hand, "I'm Christina."
"Beatrice," Bea informed Christina and shook her hand.
Christina then held her hand out to me and I shook it, "I'm Olivia."
"Is it just me or are they trying to kill us?" Christina asked me and Beatrice. The Dauntless-born were lining up by the edge of the train where the open doors stood.
One Dauntless woman yelled, "Get ready!"
I went over to the edge of the train and saw the Dauntless faction begin jumping off the train and onto a rooftop.
"They're jumping." Bea said in disbelief. She looked at me and I just nodded with a solemn look on my face.
As the rest were jumping off the train it became Bea, Christina, and my turn. Christine held her hands out for us to grab, "Together?"
We nodded and moved back to get a good running start. "One, two, three!" Bea counted and once she said three we ran and jumped. I closed my eyes after I felt my feet leave the ground, and when I opened my eyes I landed safely on the rooftop.
A man with piercings and tattoos came into view, "Alright, listen up. I'm Eric. I'm one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in." He pointed towards the huge hole beyond the edge of the roof we were on. "And if you don't have the guts to jump, then you don't belong in Dauntless," he added on seeing the fearful looks worn by all the initiates.
"Is there water at the bottom or something," a boy, I recognized as Will, asked Eric.
"I guess you'll find out," Eric replied before adding, "or not." Nobody raised their hand or called out. It was silent and a smirk grew on the Dauntless man's face, "Well someone's gotta go first, who's it gonna be?"
"Me," I stepped forward past the rest of the initiates. I made it to the edge and looked down at the gaping hole.
I took off my jacket and a boy that I knew was Peter said, "Yes, give. Take it off. Put it back on."
Eric rolled his eyes, "Shut up." And then I jumped straight off of the edge of the rooftop.
It was amazing, the feeling of being free and floating consumed my body. It felt as if I were flying. It was short-lived as I felt myself hit a net. I laughed to myself in relief.
Suddenly I felt a pair of hands wrap around my waist and pull me out of the net. At the sudden force I almost fell, but the person held onto my waist securely so I wouldn't.
"What, you get pushed?" A deep voice asked me, it was his hands that pulled me off the net, but they were still on my waist, which I wasn't complaining at all since he was hot.
"No, I jumped," I informed the man.
"What's your name?" he then questioned me. I was hesitant to answer because I didn't feel completely connected with the name Olivia and the man must've seen me hesitate because he then told me, "Is it a hard one? You can pick a new one if you want, but make it good. You don't get to pick again."
"Liv," I said with a smile on my face. Whenever Beatrice called me that it felt more like myself than 'Olivia' ever did.
He returned the smile, held up arm and announced, "First jumper: Liv!" He looked back down at me, "Welcome to Dauntless."
𖣔☼᯽☼𖣔
Second chapter up. I kind of hoped Liv would've met Four in chapter four because why the hell not, but I'm hoping to get this book done before the end of Spring Break, so it didn't happen. Hope you enjoyed it.
-A