Dauntless: A Divergent Inspired Story

Chapter 1

"Hey bitches!" I yelled to my friends as I approached them. While many people in Erudite think that foul language is the mark of a low class human being, I happen to think its a great way to express yourself.

"Hey girl!" my best friend Thalia responded as I strutted over to her.

A wolf whistle rang in the air and I turned to face the culprit only to see my close friend Luke giving me the elevator stare (up and down).

"God damn Sasha you look hot! How the hell did you get your parents to let you wear that out of the house?" He asked

Luke and I have been friends since birth. Luke is probably the biggest flirt I know, but he's also the best person I know, so it's not really weird to me when he blatantly checks me out or flirts a bit, thats just his personality, I know he doesnt have any feelings for me.

"Who said they knew?" I responded smirking.

"That's the Sasha we all know and love" said Marcus chuckling as he swung an arm around my shoulders.

Thalia, Luke, and Marcus are my three best friends. We've all been together since the beginning. Hell, we were all born in the same month in the same year, and we all live right next to each other, I don't know how much closer than that you could get.

"Do you guys realize that we're taking our aptitude tests tomorrow?!" Asked Thalia

"Yes Thalia we know, we're just not as hyped for it as you are" I responded, a bit of a bitchy edge flitting from the edge of my tongue.

I promise, I'm not a complete asshole. Thalia is hands down one of my best friends, my personality and the way I talk is just hella bitchy.

"Why wouldn't you be hyped? Because of this test we will all get the Erudite result and finally become full fledged members of Erudite!" Thalia said excitedly.

Thalia has always dreamed of becoming an official member of Erudite for as long as I can remember. Even in grade school she would talk about her dreams to become a Botanical Scientist like her parents.

"But what if you don't get Erudite?" asked Marcus.

He said it, but Luke and I were thinking it too.

"Shut up Marcus" Thalia retorted. "Us four have the highest grades out of the entire school. Sasha with her 100 average, me with a 99.82 , and you and Luke with a 99.7. There is no way we won't get Erudite."

"But you do realize that the test isn't over how smart you are, it is supposed to examine your personality, who you are as a person, and who you will be. Helping an old woman cross the street could be a sign of Abnegation, planting a garden in your backyard could be a sign of Amity, snitching on someone could be a sign of Candor, and even sneaking out of your house at night, which all of us has done more times than I can count, can be a sign of Dauntless. Yes there is a high chance we will all get Erudite, but there is also a possibility we all don't," I spoke.

"I guess" Thalia muttered a bit of anxiety creeping its way into her voice.

"Guys" Luke spoke to get our attention. "Promise, that no matter what, after we get our results we meet up and share our test result and what faction were picking."

"It's not like Sasha has to come" Marcus snickered, "No matter her result she basically HAS to pick Erudite."

I pursed my lips into a tight smile pretending to laugh along with her friends, I know Marcus meant it as a joke, but that statement was terrifyingly accurate. My father, Charles Wellington is the leader of Erudite and my mother, Diana Wellington is not only in a leadership position as well, but also Erudites most renowned and respected scientist. It would look horrible for them if their only daughter defected. It would also hurt so many people. Since my parents were the highest ranked members in Erudite, I basically grew up under the scrutinous eye of all of Erudite. Since I was raised so publicly I had to suppress my personality in public, and become exceptional in every way. For every mistake I made, no matter how small, there would be a headline in the citywide paper about it the next day. Because of all this I had become a part of Erudites reputation. As much as I wanted to laugh along with my friends at Marcus's joke, I couldn't. At the choosing ceremony I will have to pick Erudite, for my parents, and for the sake of Erudite reputation. However, as much as I loved Erudite, I know that I wouldn't be happy here. That's why i'm not excited to take my aptitude test. I'm terrified that it'll tell me to leave, because I don't want to let down my family, but I am even more terrified that it'll tell me to stay. That it'll tell me that I was meant to live the rest of my life in a boring lab coat, biting my tongue, and not being happy. That was the truth. I love Erudite, they're my family, but I'm not happy here.

The sharp sound of the school bell snapped me out of my thoughts and I hustled to class murmuring a quick goodbye as I left my friend, feeling more anxious about tomorrow than I did before.