Divergent: Peter's Tale

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING BUT CATHY AND A FEW OTHER CHARACTERS!! THE REST IS VERONICA ROTH'S!

Sorry, I felt like doing that ;)

Peter's P.O.V.

I walk slowly towards my compound, not looking back. Questions were playing out in my head. Why had she hesitated? Had she hesitated? And is it possible she doesn't match what I think of her? All of these questions can only be asked to her and the next time I'll see her is tomorrow, at school. Not that I'll have any time to ask them, anyway. Our factions aren't the friendliest so we mostly avoid each other at school.

I have to go past almost all the factions' sectors to get to Candor, since I'm on the other side. I wish I could just hop on a train like the Dauntless, instead of having to walk all the way home.

I leave Amity behind me. They value kindness and believe that aggressiveness led to the wars of the past. Cathy's in Amity.

The grey buildings of the Abnegation loom ahead. The ones who wear grey in order to avert attention from themselves, the ones who value selflessness.

I brace myself for the walk through the factionless sector, those who have been rejected by their chosen faction, not good enough to stay in it, they failed or left initiation. They say that to be factionless is worse than death.

I have no idea where the Dauntless compound is. They value bravery, hence why they jump on and off trains all the time. It must be really cool being in Dauntless, risking your life every second.

The last faction on my two-hour-long walk is Candor, my own. I didn't choose Candor, or not yet anyway according to my parents. Our faction values truthfulness, and I can honestly say that I hardly ever live up to that. I can't wait for my Choosing Ceremony, for a chance to get out of this good-for-nothing stink hole. Only two years and two days away, I think.

It's not that I don't love my family, I do, it's just... I get kind of tired of my expectations. I mean, it helps in some ways. Because the adults assume that I tell the truth all the time means that I'm never told off. Say, I beat this guy who insulted Meg, my little sis, up. I just cry and say they started the fight and Bob's your uncle.

Dad opens the door, "Hey there, son. Good to see you!" He says cheerily.

I smile and step inside. The familiar black-and-white furnishings are just the same. Us Candor try to see everything as black and white, lies and truth. I seriously don't care about that load of twaddle. Who should care? Not me, not Cath. That's all that matters.

I half throw myself onto the sofa. Dad sits carefully down next to me then wraps me into a hug. "I love you, son. Always remember that, won't you?"

I nod and smile. I have a lot on my mind at the moment, so I just ask, "How's mum?"

He sighs. Mum is a sore subject ever since she fell ill. The doctors don't know what it is. The top doctors. The special Erudite ones. I hear Luke and Meg upstairs, arguing. "I'll see what that is." I volunteer. I can tell he doesn't want to carry on this conversation. She's probably worse. That's all the news we ever get: "I'm very sorry, Peter, but your mother has got worse. She's not going to be able to hang on much longer..." Those doctors treat me like a four year old.

I trudge into Meg's room sadly and immediately see the problem, "Luke, that's Meg's dinosaur thank you very much. Please give it back."

"But I found it!" He whines.

"In Meg's room you did." I snap. I wrestle the toy from his grip and give it back to Meg, who's in tears. "Shhh..." I try to calm her down.

She nods and I tell Luke to go to his room. And stay there. He knows better than to mess with me.

I head for my room. It's rather plain, but in it contains the only non-black-and-white object in the house: a bright yellow vase from Cathy. I adjust it slightly before laying on my bed and trying to fall, slowly, to sleep.