I'll Be Good

2

All the sixteen year olds are standing on a circle in the big hall where we shall choose where we're going to spend the rest of our lives. I look over at Ross. He'll have to choose before I do. I hope my mom won't think I only chose dauntless because he did. I stretch my back, I didn't sleep well. Jeanine calls our names one by one and we have to step forward. Jack Kang will give us a clean knife. Everyone gets a new knife to represent a new life.
I wait for the first one to transfer. It's a dauntless boy who chooses erudite. There is cheering but also angry yelling. Then it is Ross's turn. He lets his blood drip onto the coals like it's the easiest thing on the planet. I look at his family. They look extremely shocked. I look over at my parents and see their mildly shocked faces. My mom locks eyes with me and I swallow before I look away. There are a lot of teenagers who have to go before me and after me there aren't many left. It feels like it takes forever before it's my turn, but on the other hand time goes too quickly. And then the time has come.

'Feather, Ellis,' Jeanine calls with a small smile at me. My dad works close to her and I know that she'll be frustrated when I leave. My dad is going to kill me when I'll meet him again. I walk up to the bowls. My hands are shaking like crazy. I take a knife and press it into my palm. Because of the adrenaline I can't feel a thing. For a second I start to think that maybe it wouldn't be that bad to stay in erudite, but then I hold my hand above the dauntless bowl and my blood falls onto the black coals. I hear cheering and also a weird silence from my right. I'm the second Feather child who transfers to dauntless. I walk up to Ross and he pinches my shoulder softly.

The choosing ceremony is finished and the dauntless don't even wait for others to pass by and start running. Ross pulls me with him and when I'm finally really running he lets go off me. We run down the stairs. My heart pounds fast in my chest and I start breathing heavily. I'm not that good of a runner, but I can't give up now. We leave the building and run toward the train tracks. The dauntless in the front start climbing up and we all follow. Climbing is hard when you're wearing a stiff erudite jacket. I hear people yelling and screaming, but all in a happy way. When I'm up and have a nice sight over the streets I sigh. I never thought something like this would happen to me. I never thought I had the guts to choose dauntless instead if erudite and here I am. Maybe this is a sign that I'm dauntless.

I hear the train coming and everyone starts running. I run with them and when the train comes closer a guy grabs the handle and opens the door. People start jumping in. Ross grabs the handle with one hand and with the other he grabs my arm and pulls me in with him.

'Ross,' I say irritated and out of breath.

'What?' He says, leaning on his knees with his hands to calm down.

'I could have done that myself,' I tell him.

'Sorry, I thought you might needed a little bit help.

'I chose dauntless because I am dauntless, alright? Let me go through it myself.'

'Alright,' he says with his hands up in the air and turns away from me. 'Suit yourself.'

I look around to look at the other transfers. I see that some of them have already started making friends. I never was the best at making friends. I always had Ross and he just dragged me to social stuff. I was the wise one by the way. I always stopped him from doing something stupid. Now it's time for me to step up and find friends myself and not just because they live next door by accident. I look around for someone who looks approachable. Nope, I can't do this. I walk to Ross, who's sitting next to a girl with fire red hair and sit down. He pokes me one time with his elbow

After a while, someone starts calling: 'They are jumping off!' Everyone stands up and look outside. I see people jumping out of the train onto the roof.