Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 5

             The following morning I awoke groggy and in a stupor from the lack of sleep. I’d tossed and turned all night long; thoughts of the impending aptitude test and my mom’s odd behavior had plagued me and kept sleep at bay.

              Still blinking sleep from my eyes, I ran a hand through my mussed hair and after peeking in the mirror that hung in my room, deemed it acceptable. Like a zombie; I stumbled along while I got ready for school. I dressed without much contemplation wearing my usual attire of black pants, black boots, and a simple white t-shirt.

             Shuffling along the hallway and into the large bathroom, I splashed water on my face and brushed my teeth absently. Every once in a while I’d find myself analyzing my reflection, I felt different, but I looked the same; messy black hair, bronzed skin, and dark brown eyes.

               My mind kept replaying my mother’s expression and her words from the previous night. As I’d been taught all my life, I instinctively searched for signs of dishonesty; had she blinked too much, not enough, had she began to sweat, twitch nervously, pick at her nails, or avoided eye contact?

                What was I doing. What was I doing? Why was I trying to analyze my mother as if she were someone untrustworthy? I was repulsed by my actions; if there were ever someone I should never doubt, it had to be my mother. I was a poor excuse for a son. Pushing my chaotic thoughts aside, I vowed to never think that way of her again. Surely, the stress of what loomed in my future had made me see things that weren’t there.

            “Sage, damn it! Get out of the bathroom, I’ve got to use the shower!” Mara pounded on the bathroom door.

            “In a minute!” I shouted back, not because I actually had anything else to do, but because I hated to be rushed, and what kind of younger brother would I be if I didn’t get on Mara’s nerves every once in a while.

               “What are you doing in there?” she growled impatiently.

         I chuckled and eyed the open medicine cabinet. “I’m considering flossing my teeth, or swabbing my ears, hmm, or maybe giving these whitening strips a try?”

                “Are you trying to be annoying on purpose?” she demanded as she jiggled the doorknob.

                “Actually yes, yes I am.”

                “Well congratulations, mission accomplished you little cretin. Now get the hell out, I have a tight schedule to keep!”

             Snickering, I opened the door and darted out before she could land a good punch on my arm.

               “Love you too Mara!” I said as I grabbed my backpack and leather jacket.

               Slamming the door, I rushed to the elevator when I saw that, once again, I was bordering on being late. For an instant, I felt mildly bad that perhaps I’d kept Danny waiting. However, as the doors slid open on the second floor, I saw that I hadn’t been the only late riser.

                “That’s a surprise, usually you’re the one who’s up slightly earlier,” Danny noted, letting out a huge yawn as he spoke.

             “Needed a little more beauty sleep, you know?” I joked, trying to keep a straight face; it’d become a sort of game we played each morning to see who would crack first.

               He smiled and nodded. “Oh yeah man, me to. Gotta’ keep up these good looks somehow.”

              “Dude I know, people always assume it’s easy to be this handsome. They don’t realize the trouble we go through to stay this way.”