Faction Before Love

Faction Before Love Chapter 10

Leon sat down in the section designed for Dauntless and scanned the room. After he and Trinity had kissed, they had run home. He hadn't gone to the fence the night after for fear of being caught again. He hadn't been confronted by anyone so maybe they didn't know it was him.

His faction was seated in front of Erudite and Leon was right in front of them.

Two teens sat behind him. A boy and a girl.

"You have nothing to worry about, Andrew. You will get Erudite. We both will."

"What if you're wrong, Jeanine?" The boy, Andrew, asked.

Jeanine laughed, "Oh come on. You know I'm never wrong. And when I become Faction Leader you will be right there with me."

Leon turned around, "Your pretty sure of your future."

Jeanine smirked, "I'm smart enough to know what I want. My whole faction is."

Leon knew what he wanted, but he couldn't say that out loud.

"What are you hoping for?" Andrew asked.

"Me?" Leon was surprised that this Erudite actually seemed nice. "Dauntless I guess."

"Of course." Jeanine scoffed.

"At least we're not stuck up snobs." A girl beside Leon put in.

Jeanine turned to her with narrowed eyes, "At least we're not insane. Your faction is so worried about being thought of as weak that they will do anything to prove themselves."

"Are you talking about Dauntless or Erudite now?" The girl smiled.

Leon didn't miss the smile that formed on Andrew's face but quickly disappeared when Jeanine looked at him.

The Dauntless girl and Leon turned back around.

"I'm Natalie." The girl said to him.

"Leon. I didn't know you were my age."

"It's alright. I tend to fade into the woodwork. Not a lot of people know me."

"What are you hoping for?" Leon asked.

Natalie thought for a moment but before she could answer, an Erudite woman stood up at the front of the room and began talking about the Aptitude test.

Then groups of five are taken away.

That was when he saw her. She stood with a group and her eyes searched the crowd until they found his. It was only a split second glance, but it was all Leon needed.

Before long, it was his turn. He followed Natalie down a long hallway and stopped in front of a door. Natalie looked back at him and smiled before going into room six.

"Well, come on." A Candor man says.

Leon took a deep breath and entered the room.

"Sit there."

Leon did as he was told.

"I'm Jake. I'll be administering your test."

"Hi, Jake." Leon smiled.

The Candor man looked at him as if he had grown two heads and Leon realized he had just been uncharacteristically nice to him. "Just nervous I guess." Leon said as an excuse.

"...okay." Jake said slowly before handing m a cup filled with a strange liquid. "Drink this."

Leon didn't say anything else. Just tipped back his head and let the odd liquid run down his throat.

***

Trinity looked at the mirrors around the room but she couldn't focus. What if she had gotten Leon in trouble? What if they were just waiting for the right time to pounce on them both?

"You don't have to be nervous." Said the Dauntless woman behind her.

Trinity turned to look at her, "Yeah. We're just deciding the rest of our lives."

The woman laughed, "Wow. In Amity with an attitude?"

Trinity gasped, "I didn't mean to be disrespectful."

The woman smiled, "It's fine. Just come sit." She patted the chair.

Trinity took her seat and looked at the woman's tattoo of a skull on her shoulder. Did Leon have a tattoo? She had never even thought to ask.

"I'm April by the way." The Dauntless woman said.

"Nice to meet you."

"Drink this." She handed Trinity a glass.

Trinity made a face at it's smell.

"Bottoms up." April laughed.

***

Leon stared at Jake in confusion, "Inconclusive?"

Jake looked as white as his jacket, "Instead of ruling out all factions except one, your test only ruled out two. The factions left were Dauntless, Erudite and Amity."

Leon's heart was racing. He had always assumed he was meant for Dauntless. But now. "So what do I do?"

Jake went over to his computer, "I'm putting in Dauntless as your end result." Jake turned back to him, "But it you who has to decide which faction you will join tomorrow."

Leon put his head in a hands. He shook all over. "Am I okay? Is there a name for this?"

***

Trinity sat back in her chair, "Divergent?"

April sat in front of her, "It means that you can't be controlled."

Trinity was shaking from head to toe. "So I could fit in perfectly in Amity, Abnegation or Dauntless?"

"Not exactly." April shook her head. "You're not designed for any faction. But you must choose one. And choose one where you won't be discovered. Divergent isn't a very big term nowadays, but there was a time when people who were Divergent were hunted."

Trinity wrapped her arms around herself. What did the future hold for her now?

"Go home. If anyone asks, you got sick from the drink."

Trinity nodded and stood up slowly.

"And be careful." April said sadly. "I once knew a girl who was a Divergent."

Trinity left the room and walked out the back door. When she rounded the corner, she broke into a run. She didn't stop until she reached her house. She leaned against the front door to catch her breath before entering.

"Trinity! How did it go?" Gran asked.

Trinity hugged her tenderly, "I got Amity."

Gran smiled and cupped Trinity's face, "Is that what you wanted?"

The question took Trinity by surprise. But she smiled back, "I couldn't be more happy. Now let's celebrate." She said heading for the kitchen.

"Yes." Gran chuckled, "Let us celebrate that you got Amity."

...and Abnegation and Dauntless, Trinity thought worriedly.