Dauntless

chapter 3

Yesterday, Michelle had come back from her test, shaky and pale, she grabbed my hand, and wouldn't let it go until the end of lunch when she had to go home because she didn't have any more lessons.

"You go home, get yourself a cup of something hot to drink then have a rest, don't worry about helping out with the cooking, I'll do it tonight." I said when Michelle was leaving. I know I sounded motherly and non-dauntless, but I was protective over my sister because she wasn't so Dauntless, and she was too kind to stand up for herself.

"Yeah, ok." She nodded and walked away to the bus stop. I watched her go, then turned around to go back to class.

********************************************************************

Today was choosing day,all the kids were allowed a day off school in case they wanted to watch, most of them only went if they had family choosing though. I went and Ella said that she wanted to come with me, none of her family came, just her.

We walked into the room and found places where we could sit, my parents were on one side of me and Ella was on the other. We waited nervously for Michelle's name to be called out.

I didn't listen to any of the other names, but when Michelle's name was called, all my senses came to life, I sat up straight in my chair and leaned forward, eager to find out which faction my sister would choose, and somewhere, deep inside me, I was hoping she would follow her heart and not choose Dauntless.

Michelle walked to the middle of the room, surrounded by the silver bowls, and as someone passed her a knife, she cut down into her palm, not even flinching, she looked around her at the silver bowls. her eyes rested on the fiery coals, and I clenched my fists, silently shaking my head, then her eyes wandered over the other bowls, landing on the Amity one. She turned to look at me and I smile flickered over my face, I nodded and she turned back to the Amity bowl, with the blood pooling in her hand, she let it drip in the dark brown earth.

There were gasps and loud murmurs, my parents stared, open mouthed.

Michelle seemed upset, ashamed, and I didn't want to see her like that. a cheer escaped from my mouth, and heads turned in my direction.

"woo! Go Michelle! Yes!" I cheered, standing up and clapping my hands together. Suddenly I was joined by Ella, she jumped up and started cheering along with me, pumping her hand in the air. We cheered louder and then were joined by at first wary claps, then they got louder, and very soon after the whole room was up on their feet, clapping and cheering.

Michelle smiled at me and I smiled back, cheering even louder.

This was usually something really shocking, a fearless Dauntless transferring to the peaceful Amity. But here, for my shy sister, the whole room was alive with cheers.

When everyone had chosen, they all filed out in their factions, and when my sister passed by with her Amity friends, I waved and shouted,

"Bye! I love you Michelle! I'll see you on visiting day!" She waved back, she looked so happy. When Michelle had turned around the corner, my dad said,

"Are you sure?" I turned around really quickly.

"What?" I asked, staring at my dad.

"She is a disgrace, why would we shame ourselves even more by visiting her?" He looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Why are you thinking about yourself? It was her choice, she is so brave to transfer from Dauntless to Amity! She's not a disgrace!" I stared at him in disbelief, how could he?

"listen, I don't want an argument ok? We aren't going to see her, and that's final." He grabbed my arm and attempted to pull me out of the room, but I resisted.

"NO!! Let go of me!!" I screamed, "Why do you always think about yourself!? You coward! You traitor!!" I pulled my arm of of his grasp and stood glaring at him, he glared back at me.

"She is the traitor not me." He whispered, it would have been so much better if he had shouted.

"Now come on." He said, grabbing the back of my neck.

"NO!!!! YOU COWARD!!!! I WILL NOT BETRAY MY SISTER!!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!" My screams echoed through the building, but no one would help, no one would go against a Dauntless man, no one.

Once we got outside my dad turned around to Ella, who had been watching on in horror.

"You find your own way home, you're not coming with us." He shouted over his shoulder.

"What!!? She can't go home on her own!" I protested, trying to turn back to Ella, who stood there, not sure what to do.

"Darling, maybe we should let Ella-" My mum tried to suggest in her soothing tone, but she got interrupted,

"No, what I say goes, and if she calls herself a proper Dauntless, she will be able to get home on her own." Said my dad. I glared up at him as he shoved me along, but he pretended he didn't notice.

********************************************************************

I got pushed into my room, and I ran back at the door, trying to get through, I pushed open the door but my dad raised his hand and planted it on my cheek with great force, he pushed me back into my room, and this time I didn't get back up. I fell on my stomach and heard the door slam behind me, from downstairs, I heard my mum shouting at my dad, it was the first time she had even raised her voice towards him.

He didn't slap her, he would never so much as touch her in a violent way, ever. But he shouted back at her, and the argument ended by a slammed door that made the house shake.

I sat up and touched my stinging cheek, it was sensitive and I flinched away. I opened up a crack in the door and looked around, no one was there, so I sneeked into the bathroom. I looked in the mirror at my cheek, it was red and a bit of skin had been lifted up by his nail. I ran cold water into my hand and pressed it against my cheek. I did that a couple of times, then I brushed my teeth and crept back into my bedroom. I put on my pyjamas then I got into bed, burying myself in the covers, but leaving my throbbing cheek uncovered because it would hurt if anything touched it.

When I was just dropping off to sleep, someone came into my room, it was my mum, she touched my cheek with her cool hand, and I didn't flinch, she leant down and kissed my temple.

"Night night sweetheart, you go to that visiting day if you want to, don't let your father stop you. Let your sister know I love her ok?" she whispered, stroking my hair.

"Don't worry, I will." I managed to say before I dropped off to sleep.