ASSURGENT

Chapter 1

Sometime in 2276

James had joined us for dinner. That's what Jamie had preferred to be called when he entered Dauntless. The table was quiet, just as it had been before James' Aptitude test. I let out a small sigh at the memory. Was he as nervous as I am? He didn't seem so at the time, but he'd always been good at covering his emotions. I on the other hand, was not.
I placed my knife and fork down with only a half a hamburger gone.
"Not hungry?" Dad asked finishing is hamburger, it made me feel sick just watching him eat. I looked down on my lap to avoid looking at food. "No." I answer. "It's normal to feel nervous before your test." My mother explained, placing her cutlery down. "I'm not nervous, who said I was nervous?" I asked. I knew they saw right through me.
Mother lent forward on her chair raising her eyebrow. "It's fine to be nervous." "Well I'm not!" I snapped. I was being irrational, but did I really care in the moment? "No one here believes that for a second." James said, suppressing a smile. It made me linger over the edge of my mental cliff. "Stop smiling James this isn't funny!" I yelled at him. "Chiara stop yelling at the table." Dad said firmly. I turn to him. "What are we, Abnegation? 'No yelling at the table'!" I mimic.
That's exactly the kind of thing they would do, no talking at the table, no yelling ever. It wouldn't be acceptable there. I don't know if I could stay sane if I couldn't speak my mind.
"What's wrong with that?" Mum asks, a hint of warning in her tone. "They're boring-" I started. "Watch your tongue young lady." Dad warns. "They think they're in charge of everything just because they run government-" "I'm warning you-" "-and majority of the time people transfer there is because they don't belong anywhere else, or they're too cowardly to risk not making it through an initiation!" I state.
Everything was silent.
"How dare you. HOW DARE YOU! Abnegation people are brave, they care about others because they are selfless, they feel as others are to be put before themselves. They deserve respect. They have saved many people, more people than you would ever. Because you are a selfish girl Chiara Eaton, I have NEVER been more ashamed!" Mum was shaking with fury. I had never seen her like this, no matter the circumstances. I had to admit it took me by surprise. I took a deep breath in, with nothing else to say I got up and left the table hastily.
That escalated quickly.
I opened the door to my room and closed it with a bang behind me. I let out a soft sob. I quickly covered my mouth. What was I ten? I don't cry. I'm Dauntless and I'm strong. Holding in the tears and lifting up my chin defiantly, I walked over and plonked myself into bed. I needed an early start anyway.

————<Time Skip>————

My clock read 12:23 am. I woke to the quiet chatter of my parents.
"Was I too harsh on her?" I hear the voice of my mother. "No, I warned her to stop and she didn't." My father said.
I sat up listening.
"I don't know why she said those things..." Mum sighed. "She just wants to know her place in the world." Dad replied. "She was crying. I did that." My mothers voice was filled with guilt. "She can't go around talking about other factions like that. She had to be told off." Replied Dad.
I rolled over sighing. They heard me cry, lovely. I reached over for my glass of water I keep on my bedside table, only it was missing. I laid back down. I had to go out there, where my parents were discussing my outburst. What the hell.
The door creaked open louder than I would have liked. The talking ceased and I knew they were waiting for me to come around the corner. I walked out towards the kitchen sink avoiding eye contact with my parents.
The time felt excruciatingly slow.
I turned around to head back to my room, drinking from my glass, my eyes passing my parents whom were staring at me, probably expecting me to say something. But I keep my mouth tightly sealed and start to walk away. "Chiara..." My mother tries, I ignore her.
I plonk myself in bed with the empty water glass I finished on the way. I hear a soft creak outside my door and feel my mother's eyes burning into me, but I remain still, falling asleep.