Divergent: A Retelling

Faction Before Blood

I look around and see no one. My stomach still stirs, and I feel nauseous. I walk towards the bus stop, wringing my hands. The wind picks up a little and flows through my jacket. I decide to walk home back to Amity. Taking the bus might just make me throw up for real. On the road back home, I see an Abnegation girl a little ahead of me. I kind of recognize the back of her head. I know she's in my Faction History class, but I don't remember her name. Eventually, the roads split, one towards Abnegation, the other towards the Amity farms. I walk and when I'm almost home, the bus passes me. I look up and see a bunch of Amity kids staring at me. I see Catherines face in the back window. Our eyes lock and there's a flutter in my chest.

When I get home, my mom is still out in the field, so I go straight up to my room and lock my door behind me. I flop onto my bed and stare at the ceiling. I am Divergent. What am I supposed to choose?

Obviously I can't choose Erudite. It would be suicide. I can't choose Abnegation or Candor either. I got a very small percentage in both. I could stay here, in Amity. That's the best option for me, and the safest. Amity is known to harbor Divergents. No one would have to know. But I'd feel more trapped than I do right now.

I feel the bile rising in my stomach. I quickly get up and run to the bathroom. I get to the toilet and throw up my lunch. I cough as the bile leaves a sour taste in my mouth and throat. Tears are in my eyes because of the taste. I brush my teeth and go back to my room. My safest option is Amity. But I don't belong here. I could handle a life of picking fruit and reaping corn, but at what cost? My sanity? I could choose Dauntless. It's dangerous, but my highest percentage. And I remember what Dean said. Divergence is Dangerous.

In the morning, my mom and Sam accompany me to the choosing ceremony. I dress in the same outfit as I did yesterday. Same yellow overalls, same orange shirt, same long yellow jacket with army style boots.

This is one of the few times my mother will ever put makeup on me. Not that much though. Enough to make my eyes standout. When we get to the Hub, the building where the choosing ceremony is, there's a long line of sixteen year olds from each faction. I walk up, holding Sam's hand, my mom trailing behind us. This is where they leave me. I hug Sam, and he squeezes me. "See you on visiting day." he whispers. I hug him tighter, and he kisses my head. It startles me when he says that. Does he think, or know I'm leaving? I say goodbye to my family as I go to stand in line with the Amity kids.

I feel a pang of sadness and guilt as I watch them walk away. Will switching be harder than I thought? I look behind me and see a Candor picking on an Abnegation. It's Peter. I walk over to them and Peter is pushing the Abnegation boy, who is surprisingly short. I tap on his shoulder and Peter turns around. His eyes widen and he smiles

"Hey Sunshine, I guess they found a place for you after all."

He smirks as I look up at him. "Leave him alone." "Why should I do that? The stiff's not gonna do anything about it." Says Peter, nodding to the Abnegation boy. "He won't, but I might. Besides, do you think your faction will accept your Dauntless tendencies? I mean, if they don't turn you away," I say, arms folded. Peter's smirk disappears and his eyes narrow.

Before he can say anything, the line begins to move and I turn my back on him "Be careful Sunshine! I'll get you one of these days!" Peter yells as I walk away. I roll my eyes and follow my faction to the elevator. The elevator is full of Abnegations. I recognize two of them. One of them's the girl I saw on the road yesterday. Now I remember her name. Beatrice. And next to her is her brother Caleb. He usually walks to the library with me when I go to drop off my books, holding a few of his own.

Caleb, in true Abnegation fashion, offers the elevator to us Amity kids so he and the Abnegation kids take the stairs. I personally wouldn't have done that because you'd have to climb twenty flights of stairs. Maybe that's why I have so little Abnegation in me. I do admire Caleb though, it must be exhausting.