Lost Truths

Just A Test

In walked six people in dark blue outfits with white undershirts. Five of the people were walking behind the sixth person, who was walking with an air of confidence that seemed unshakable. The leader was a woman with shoulder length, perfectly cut blond hair. She seemed to be one of those all work no play people, as she walked in with a serious look on her face.

My group of friends and I watched her walk across the room to Mr. Holmes. She never took her eyes off of her end goal, and her colleagues followed suit.

When she reached Mr. Holmes, I finally noticed Mr. Holmes' expression. It was shock, anger, horror, and disgust all rolled into one. He obviously knew her, but how I was yet to find out.

"Nicholas," she said.

Mr. Holmes did not bother with the niceties. "What are you doing here? I thought I made myself quite clear when I told you I never wanted to see your face again."

"I wonder if I might have a private word with you?" she asked with no change in expression.

He stared at her for a moment before relenting. He gestured to a corner of the room free of students with his head. "After you."

She nodded stiffly and walked into the corner after signaling to her colleagues to stay where they were. The conversation was between Mr. Holmes and her. No one else. Not that all the students in the room weren't trying to listen in.

I strained to listen, but I could only hear bits and pieces of what was being said.

"...never again!" Mr. Holmes hissed.

"Chicago.....science......understand?" she hissed back.

"If you harm my students..."

"Nicholas....know me better....?"

Their whispered conversation went on like that for another few moments before Mr. Holmes and the woman seemed to come to a compromise.

"Alright guys listen up!" Mr. Holmes said, coming back up to the front of the room. "This is Jeanine Matthews and some of her associates." He said her name with disgust, like there was something rotten in his mouth. "She's a scientist of sorts, and she has asked my permission to use this class for her experiment. It's a poll or something.....?"

Jeanine stepped up, "Yes, as he said I am a scientist and your teacher has agreed that you all can be used in my experiment. I will call you up in groups of five. When your name is called, you will follow one of my associates into one of the soundproof rooms used to practice your instruments in. They will administer a test and you'll be done in less than ten minutes in most cases."

She paused and then added, "This is no reason to worry. It's just a test."

I turned to see my friend's reactions. They all looked a bit uncertain and worried.

She started to call names, and I watched as my friends disappeared, one by one, into the soundproof rooms. They came out fine, but I was still anxious. I couldn't help but think of my dream in which it was said everything would change in my life. This qualified as different, was it what the dream was talking about?

"Aurelia Lockwood." The sound of my name, my full name at that, startled me out of my daze.

I walked with five other students up to the front of the room. From there we separated and went into five different soundproof rooms.

I walked into a room, following the woman in front of me.

"Sit," the woman said tonelessly.

"What is this testing?" I asked tentatively, sitting down.

"None of your business. It is my job to administer the test and it is your job to take the test. End of story."

"Rude much?" I muttered under my breath.

The woman took a needle off the small metal table beside her. My palms became sweaty and I licked my lips slowly to bring moisture back to them. I do not do well with needles, or doctors in general.

"Wh-What is that for?" I managed.

She smirked, "The test."

Without another word, she pushed the needle into the vein in my neck. I tensed up immediately. She took it out of my neck and looked at something, a screen smaller than my palm, on the needle.

Her face scrunched up and she left the room without saying anything.

I was tempted to get up and see what she was doing, but I held my position in the chair. Lucky I did too, because a second later she came back with Jeanine Matthews.

Jeanine took the needle and looked at it. She did something and then injected me with another needle, then looked at it. Shaking her head she plastered on a smile that I couldn't read.

"It seems the test did not work on you," she stated.

"Well then you can add that to your poll and I can get back to class," I replied.

"It's not that simple. The test only fails on people who are a problem. We call them Divergent."

I sighed, "Look lady, if you think I'm a problem then you can keep that opinion to yourself. I really don't need to hear that. You want to call me Divergent or whatever, go ahead. I'm not staying in here any longer though."

Her face hardened. "I'm not stopping you from leaving this room, but I may talk to you later."

"Do what you want," I said. With that, I stalked out of the room with a frown.