Majesty

Chapter 1: Majesty

My[b] mother's silver scissors hover over the base of my neck. Snip, she cuts it, and golden locks fall to the wooden floor, around my black boots. Every month, my mother cuts my hair. Where my mother, father, brother, sister, and I live, there is a required style for us. We live in Scarlet, one of the coteries. Scarlet is the group with fashion and love, and requires its citizens to look glamorous. I'm wearing a pink tank top with a glossy, white satin skirt and Scarlet's signature red bead necklace, but my mother is in a hourglass dress, her suit for seriousness. "All right, Sarah," she says. "Are you ready for the choosing?"

I nod, not because I am ready, but because I enjoy pleasing my parents. Actually, I don't know which coteries to choose. My father, with his navy tuxedo, quickly kisses my mother on the cheek and hurries out the door, swinging a businessman suitcase. He must get to the choosing ceremony to make sure everything is in place for the fifteen and sixteen year olds to choose. We choose when we are ready. Like me, and my siblings who barely made the cut. I must belong in Scarlet for fashion and love with their heart symbol, Flaxen, for the charming and cunning with a teardrop, Viridescent for helpful and smart people with the leaf, Azure for those who are peaceful and innocent and who never lie with a plus as their logo, and Pearl for those pure and gentle with the circle. Oh, and there's Majesty, but no one knows what goes on there. Their color is a royal purple and they have a pair of wings, but unlike the others whose name the color of them. Fastening a clip in her dark brown hair, my mom scowls. "Go on you three, it's time for choosing!"

My younger twin, May, and older brother, Tom, file out of the door with me, bidding goodbyes to our mother. Our Scarlet neighborhood contains large, white houses with neat gardens, and my siblings and I raise our heads with our coterie's pride. We stride out of the Scarlet section, and enter Main Street. Citizens from each of the seven coteries meet and this is where the city, Eminence, has the ceremony. Eminence is made up of the coteries meet, but outside it is a mystery. I feel the knot in my stomach tighten, and I resist the urge to bite my nails. The people of Scarlet are not trained to be planners. Sneaking a glance, I see May biting her lip and twirling her brown hair, and Tom ruffling his hair, the same color as May. I turn away, trying not to remember that I stick out in our family. Father, Mother, May, and Tom are the same, with dark hair and bright green eyes. I, on the other hand, am fair with large cerulean eyes, but with a hint of purple. The three of us enter the Kismet Building, and look around the large room. Rows of seats are set up, and in the center of the room is the stage where we will choose. On the stage is a table with a knife. We will carve the symbol of our new coterie into the back of our hand.

"C'mon, guys," says May. She leads the way to the choosers and waves to Father and Mother who are in the audience. The seats are filling up, along with the chairs for choosers. May hugs Tom and I and walks over to her friends, chattering happily. They will become Scarlet for sure, the way they dress and act. I also overheard them one day agreeing to be Scarlet together. Tom turns to me, frowning. He is too smart for our coterie, so I think he will become Viridescent. Too nervous, I hug him and turn away, fighting tears. "Sarah," he says, facing me, "What's the matter?"

"I- I don't know what to choose," I sputter. "What about you?"

He hugs me and rests his chin on my head. "I'm... I'm going to choose the one that I feel in my blood."

I look at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He looks at me seriously. "Choose the one that you think you must choose." And he left without another word. What? What was that supposed to mean? I start to walk after him, but the official blows a horn and I sit down next to a girl with flaming red hair. What to choose? What to choose? I look in the audience for my parents, who are whispering behind hands.

The official starts to read a long list of names. May is called first. I see my mother and father turn their heads to their youngest daughter as she walks up the stage's steps. May's hair swings gracefully behind her, and she stands up straight. But I see her fists tightening on the long dress, and know her distress. May holds her left hand in front of her with the palm down, the knife in the other, raised over it. Both hands are shaking, and she wait for a few seconds before making up her mind. The tip pierces her skin, and thin lines of blood dances before my vision. Slowly, May drags the blade into a shape and hold it up for the crowd to see. It's a heart. I clap along with everyone else, and look for my parents again. It was expected. They are whispering again, not even clapping. Next Tom is called. I watch the back of his gray suit as he climbs the steps confidently. Twirling the knife in his right hand, he expertly carves a shape. I hold my breath. But why? I know he will be Viridescent, right? Tom hold his hand up to the light. It is a teardrop. I gasp, but my parents are still whispering. Azure? Becoming a government official? But the worry only lasts for a moment, before my name is called.

I stand up, and slowly walk up the steps, watching my boots peek out from underneath the skirt. Straightening, I trod to the table and pick up the knife. On it is stained blood, and the handle is wooden and scratchy under my manicured hands. What to choose? What if I choose the wrong one? What will my parents say? There is no going back after you've chosen; the quitters are thrown into a jail somewhere under the city. Hand shaking, I examine the knife, close my eyes, and dig it into my skin. I feel droplets of blood rise along with a stinging sensation, but squeeze my eyes tighter. My hand does the work of its own and carves a path on my skin. It is done, and I open my eyes. A pair of wings. I gasp and hold it up for Eminence. The audience echoes me, and I shake my head, seeing Mother and Father looking at me stunned. What have I done?