Logic before loyalty.

Chapter three: Shock

chapter three- shock

Swiftly I walk up the garden path to my parent’s pristine home. Gravel crunches beneath my feet, making my presence audible as I take more steps. I reach the door and ring the modern styled doorbell. A sweet sounding tune signals and my dad comes to the door. He smiles wirily, the signs of old age approaching. He welcomes me in as he would with any guest and sits down on the sofa; he beckons me over to sit beside him and I do without hesitation.

“It’s good to see you again Jeanine,” he says warmly. I smile at the thought of being home and reply

“Yeah, it’s good to see you to dad”

“So what brings you back here? Shouldn’t you be studying?” he questions.

“Uh yeah but its visiting day so I thought I would pay you a visit” I look down sheepishly, not knowing how to proceed with what I want to say. Finally, I come up with the courage to say it, already knowing I might as well face up to the fact that I need to talk to them about my problems. I rub my sweaty palms against my skirt and clasp them together, hoping it will make me feel a bit more confident and calm.

“Look… Dad I want to talk to you about something. I need your advice,” I say quietly, ashamed of what he may think of me.

“Well I’m glad you asked me instead of bottling it all up like you used to” he says patting my shoulder. He stands up and walks over to the staircase.

“I’ll go get your mother, she should be in the office working again but if something’s bothering you I’m sure she will have plenty of time to listen to your worries and help you”

“Uh thanks” Is all I can say. I am nervous about telling them and I cannot help but bite my nails. It is an old habit I cannot get out of and I must learn to stop doing it at some point in my desolate life. My dad leaves the room and it seems like ages until he returns. Curiously, I turn around to face him and as I do so, I see my mum’s elegant but stern figure walks down the stairs. She has sharp features and a regal posture, which shows her authority and character on a whole. She sits down beside me and my dad sits on the other side of the open spaced room.

“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” she says calmly.

I look over to her and try to regain my confidence to tell her.

“I have something to tell you but I’m worried about what you might think,” I say pitifully.

“Look you can tell us anything. You know that and we won’t think any differently of you because we love you” She smiles heart warmly.     

I sigh and tell myself not to worry.

“Okay, well I found out I have an aptitude for more than one faction, the test administrator named it as being Divergent. I’m confused and troubled as to what it means” Just after I said that the room falls silently. I scan my parents faces for signs of a response but all I see is the sheer shock and profound devastation at the news I have beared them.

“Mum? Dad?” I question, feeling a pang of regret and disappointment with myself. My parent’s faces are bereaved with a completely different emotion I cannot figure out. I know it was wrong of me to say but I need to know what to do. Perhaps I will never be able to sort it, I should never have told them.

 Eventually my mum says something.

“Are you sure that’s what she said? Are you sure it isn’t a mistake?” She says slowly, trying to get used to the idea.

“I’m sure mum. I swear I am not making this up if that is what you are thinking, I know this may be hard for you to get used to but I need your help. Please just try to help me.” I plead, sounding desperate for a chance. Nothing is more important to me, at this current time, then this. I need to know what to do.