The Daughters of the System (Divergent ff)

Chapter 1; Choosing is for Smart people

There I stood at the choosing ceremony, but I couldn't choose. How ironic. A choosing ceremony. I couldn't do the one thing they wanted me to do. Typical Andy, just a dumb girl with nothin in her head but sawdust.

"Star, you'll have to choose any time now." Jeanine smiles at me. She's nice. I've always liked her better than my parents.

"Then," I glance down at the small pool of my own blood on the floor "I'm terribly sorry." I say to her.

"You were like a mother to me." I mumble, only Jeanine intended. The fizzing burn of blood on hot coal follows quickly afterwards.

"And you're like a daughter to me," Jeanine whispers back, then sternly exclaiming Dauntless to the rest of the room.

With one last firm nod from Jeanine, loud cheering from Dauntless erupting in my eardrums opposed to the deafening silence just moments ago, I sit down at my new faction. 

I told myself I wouldn't check, but my eyes quickly darted to my parents whom looked distraught to say the least. As does my sister. She's called next by Jeanine.

"Amalthea Jones."

Amy stands up and doesn't spare a glance at our parents nor Jeanine before she's already dramatically slicing the knife into her palm and choosing Erudite.

Jeanine had always favoured me over Amy. So to see a last disgruntled glance from Jeanine intended for me only to notice relieved my worried mind. She doesn't hate me and I doubt she ever could. I like that about Jeanine.

"Erudite."

Erudite applauds, but this time I force my eyes to the floor. The look they were giving Amy right now would surely hurt me more than never knowing.

I get a pat on the shoulder by a —let's just say he was not ugly— guy. He makes the smallest gesture to lean towards him. "Hi there, my name's Zander." He whispers.

"Hello Zander, I'm Andy."

"Say, was that Amalthea girl your sister perhaps?" He asks, akwardly trying to start a conversation during a ceremony.

"My twin, yes." I correct, a fake smile wrinkling up my face.

"Oh my god!" Zander squeals like an old lady as he reaches out to touch my face "Your smile is so adorable."

"Thanks." I say, backing up as he tries to come closer. It went on for so long that eventually Zander was stretched across my seat and I was fully laying on the skinny girl next to me.

Noticing the compromising situation I find myself in I push Zander back in his seat and sit back in mine. "Sorry." I say to the girl, just then noticing the skinny girl was a boy. He was definitely from Amity.

"No problem, I'm Vincent." He introduces himself.

"Andy, again, I'm sorry Vincent." I say, earning a little chuckle from him.

I turn back to look at the ceremony and link eyes with Jeanine. She smiles at me. I smile back, though it doesn't calm my nerves like it used to.

After the last name's called Dauntless immediately leaves, running out of the building. The adrenaline comes rushing into my veins. The biggest smile plastered on my face as I run ahead and —alongside the first few dauntless— climb the poles.

We arrive at the train tracks and I knew one thing for sure; I had never seen the train stop for someone to get on. Knowing this and that Dauntless people were in fact crazy we are most likely getting on the train while it's still moving.

When the train comes in sight I start running, just like the people around me. A dauntless woman steps on a slit on the train and smashes her hand against what I can only assume to be a button, opening the doors. She pulls me in before I can do it myself.

"Thanks." I only glance at her for a second before quickly looking away from her shameless stare. As I step aside she winks at me and continues to help people onto the train.

I don't chat with anyone and force my eyes down at the floor. I don't look up. I don't move. I just stand there for what had to average around thirty minutes at least.

"Get ready." The dauntless woman from before says; from the volume she has to be within close range. A glance to the left shows her shoes. The doors open once again with a smack against the button. The wind smacks me in the face. I lower my head once more and stare out over the edge of the train. We're pretty high up.

Once I feel footsteps beside me I look up. People are sprinting past me and jumping out of the train onto a rooftop across a gap at least 4 feet wide that goes down several floors —enough to kill you I'm sure.

I look at the distance between the train and the rooftop, step back a few feet and sprint out of the train. Mid-air the wind hits my legs harder than the rest of my body, forcing me to throw myself completely around to stop myself from landing on my head. I just manage to land on my feet and remain standing as I do.

A crowd has formed around an older woman, so I dust off my pants and walk towards the crowd standing by a hole in the roof.

Once the train has far passed our building she starts her speech. She introduces herself first and foremost as Kennedy, one of our leaders. Her proud smile despite her towering height and strong arms then falters. "If you want to enter Dauntless, this is the way in. And if you don't have the guts to jump, then you don't belong in Dauntless." She announces, glancing back to what seems like an endless pit of death.

"Is there water at the bottom or something?" An Erudite transfer questions.

I guess you'll have to find that out for yourselves." Kennedy smirks. "Someone's gotta go first. Who's it gonna be?" She then asks, her smirk shifting to an impatient grin. I decide rather quick I'd prefer to not see her turn more impatient and step forward.

"I'll do it."

"Wonderful." Kennedy says, her proud smile along with her smile lines returning. I take off my long jacket and throw it on the floor before I make a run for it. I place my hands on the ledge and push myself off, somersaulting if you will before giving into the endless fall.

I look down at the darkness that seemed to look an awful lot like cement and laugh. I just laugh. Maybe it's my body's last hooray before it's spread across a slab of cold hard cement. It felt almost euphoric. Instead of cold hard cement I feel a netting snap against my limbs as I bounce up and down a few times. Sliding to who knows where I land on the cement, though just my feet touch it.

"Name?" the man who pulled me to the floor and snapped me back to the real world asks.

"Andy." I grin, sucking the last joy out of my high.

"First Jumper, Andy." he announces. One prideful cheer comes from a woman stepping out of the shadows. After it's quieted down another person lands on the net, he looks like he's just shat his pants in fear.

With sweat across his forehead and twitching eyes he lands on the floor. Net guy calls out the second jumper's name; Vincent.

I wave Vincent over and he waves back. Quickly and with his head down he heads over to me. Time and time again another initiate lands on the net, sharing one of three reactions; Joy, Panic or Relief.