DESTINY

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

 Diverse occupants give me smiles and sideways glances as I walk to the end of the line. I'm not the first occupant to switch, so I am behind other division occupants that switched. A boy stands in front of me and keeps looking over his shoulder at me. He wears clothes from Pandora Division. I guess he didn't like what they stood for, but liked the lifestyle enough to commit to Diverse. 

 Victorian Division is last to commit. As I stand in line, not paying attention to the occupants committing, I start shaking. But I'm not shaking because I am scared or because I am worried about my family. No; I am shaking because I am excited about what my life now has in store for me. The looks the Diverse occupants gave me when I entered their space was a welcoming, happy-to-see-you look. Even though I am just standing here and I haven't even met anyone, I already feel like I have a place. I made a good choice to commit to Diverse Division.

 But still, no one really knows what goes on inside their division compound. Maybe I have gotten into a bad thing disguised as a good thing. I don't know for sure, but I guess I'll find out. 

 "Thank you for your commitment." Everyone says around me. A girl from Victorian Division with a bright red, almost carrot colored hair walks near Diverse Division. She goes past the columns to stand in line, right behind me. I watched the girl as she walked behind me. She didn't walk with much grace and her posture wasn't perfect like the others. I guess in every division there are occupants that never fully fit in.

 More occupants are called, which means we are one step closer to this being over. I'm not sure what we do afterwords. If I had committed to States Division, I would be meeting my parents to go back home. Kitty would not be able to meet mom, dad, and me. She would be with her new division. What will my parents do now that neither of their daughters will be coming home with them? The ride home will probably be silent or filled with tears from my mom; maybe even a few sniffles from my dad. I've never seen my father cry. I've seen him get angry, like when a vote is overruled or like when he yelled at Kitty, but never cry. 

 "Occupants, I ask that you welcome your new occupants, to give them a happy and amicable home." Winston says. Everyone, not just one division, welcomes the new occupants.

 "Thank you for your commitment." They say as one. Winston then announces the Divisions Commitment to be over. People begin talking and standing from the bleachers, forming a great exodus to leave out the big doors. I look around, wondering what we are supposed to do. The other divisions are doing the same thing as my new one; we are standing here, waiting. The seven diplomats in the center stand around speaking to one another. Winston lets out a big laugh, followed by the others laughing as well. Then, they separate, walking towards their division columns. 

 Emanuel stands in front of us now, one hand across his upper body supporting the other hand to be at his chin. His eyes scan over all of us, landing on me and moving to the girl behind me. Then he smiles and lets go of his hands to clap them together and hold them; he is satisfied. "Well, as some of you already know, I'm not a man that like to say a lot of fancy hellos and give speeches. But for the ones that don't know me well enough, you will, believe me. Anyway, what do you say we skip this introduction and get a move on?"

 The original diverse occupants smile at each other and whoop their hands in the air a few times. Emanuel  smiles at this response, his response making me feel a little on edge. What have I gotten myself into?  Emanuel leads the line to the back of the room where a smaller door is. It blends right into the wall, so that's why I didn't see it. Since I am second to last in line, I can't see what is going on in front. 

 I guess Diverse Division believes in Lead and Follow. The ones in front lead the ones following behind, the 'newbies', to show what to do. They are literally jumping whole staircases and leaping off of the wall to turn around, ready to face the next set of steps. I look behind me at the old Victorian occupant girl. Her eyes are wide, shocked at the diverse occupants.