A Different Divergent: A Better Tomorrow

~thirteen~

Chapter 13

"Stella, Zander! Oh, my God! What's wrong?" I ask, ushering our friends into the apartment. Stella's red-rimmed eyes are puffy and tear laden while Zander is pale and tense. I've never seen the pair look like this. They're always so pulled together.

"It's Avery," Stella mutters.

"Avery?" I ask, shocked.

"What's wrong with Avery?" Tobias asks with a concerned look on his face. We're both troubled by the news that it's sweet, levelheaded Avery who is causing her parents this degree of distress, it's usually the twins.

"Remember when I interrupted you in the middle of the night when Asher was arrested?" Zander asks. How will we ever forget? We learned so much that night ... and revealed a lot, too.

"Of course," Tobias says. "Come on. Let's have some coffee and talk." Stella and Zander trudge over and sit down side-by-side at the island, their hands clasped tightly together, their knees touching. I pop a peach cobbler into the oven that I had frozen for just this type of situation while Tobias starts a fresh pot of coffee. When I'm done, I sit down on a neighboring barstool and reach out for Stella's hand, which she grips tightly.

"What about that night?" I ask, trying to remember if Avery's name was even mentioned when I suddenly remember. Zander suspects his daughter is Divergent just like his wife.

"In order to get you to trust me, I told you some dangerous family secrets," Zander says.

"I remember," Tobias says as he puts a mug of hot coffee in front of each of our guests and then slides one in front of me before sitting down himself.

"Thanks," I tell Tobias then turn my attention back to our guests. "You told us that you suspect Avery is Divergent."

"I think she's going to choose a different faction on Monday," Stella chokes. My arms automatically encircle her in a hug while my heart tightens for her. That has to be one of every mother's greatest fears, having your child leave the faction they grew up in. I know Tyler has 14 years before his Choosing Ceremony but I fear that day like it's going to happen tomorrow.

"Why would you think that?" I ask after I let her go.

"I know we aren't supposed to interfere with the choosing process in any way but we needed to make sure that our daughter is safe," Zander says somewhat defiantly. "Stella and I sat her down and told her that we think she's Divergent. She had heard the word before but was confused by its meaning. She thought of divergence as an urban legend." That sounds familiar. Christina's mother used it as a scare tactic with her and Rose growing up. I wonder how many other parents do that.

"We explained what being Divergent meant and told her how dangerous it was for the outside world to find out because there's a huge misconception that hopefully one day will be laid to rest," Stella says, continuing for Zander. "We told her how to hide it not only during the aptitude test but during the simulations but I think we scared her more than we meant to." Tobias and I sit in shocked silence. Two very good friends just confessed to breaking a fundamental law of the city. You don't intervene when it comes to your children's choosing. No one is ever supposed to talk about their test result or how they come about their choice. It's done, obviously, but people don't share that information freely.

"Stella, Zander, you know it's her choice whether she wants to stay or go," I say. I'm surprised how much that statement hurts my heart. Over the past few months I've come to love that girl. I can't imagine this place without her. "She hasn't even had the aptitude test yet. Maybe you're worrying for no reason."