Home of Faye

Official blog site of Katherine Faye Bainbridge.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

Mother and Father are quiet at dinner after the aptitude test, and they aren’t very talkative the next morning either. I wear my best dress. Light blue, with buttons to my waist and three dark blue stripes on each upper arm, it hits me in the middle of my thigh….

[officialjamiewilleaton]

I suck in a deep, shaky breath as I step out after Faye and Alex. My mind is fixed on my test results - I was told I was definitely part of Amity. My mother falls suit beside me, Dad behind her. Mom reaches and squeezes my hand, giving me an encouraging smile. Dad ruffles my hair and we sit in our assigned seats in the room.

[officialdominicandrewfrost]

I force a smile to the boys and glance over at the other factions as I sit down in my seat and gaze down at my black clothing, my hands twisting together. My tattoos are covered, my hair is slicked back, and my typical hoop earrings are dulled down to light stuff. My knee shakes. Maybe I AM afraid…

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

The Candor leader takes the stage and he waits for the crowd to settle down before reading each factions manifesto. He goes over the important things: how important making the right choice is, faction before blood, and all of that. He starts calling names in reverse alphabetical order. Mother holds my hand and Father hugs me from the side.

[officialalexanderhughes-blog]

It takes a long time, but he Candor man finally calls my name. Faye smiles at me from where she sits, moving her legs so I can get by. The entire room is watching me. Amity and Erudite both smile at me. Abnegation look at me with plain faces. The Candor watch, interested, and the Dauntless quietly make bets on which faction I will choose. I stumble a little as I go on to the stage. The Candor man smiles at me. I take he knife, looking at the Amity soil as I slice my palm. It takes several seconds for the blood to plop down. The room applauds, but I hear the Erudite scolding me with their looks. I catch Faye’s smile and know it will all be fine in the end.

[officialdominicandrewfrost]

Dominic Andrew Frost

My name is called. I suck in a deep breath and shove past the other Dauntless, thoughts of my test results running though my head. I pick up the knife and gaze at my reflection, noticing finger prints here and there. I bite my lip and press the blade to my palm and watch as the blood trickles out. My eyes search the bowls in front of me before I hold my bleeding palm over the Amity soil and squeeze. A single drop falls in and I hear one of the men yell Amity. The room fills with clapping. I wipe my palm on the bottom of my shirt before walking to the Amity crowd.

[officialjamiewilleaton]

Choosing Day

I watch as Alex walks off, then my eyes lay on the Dauntless boy. I notice his graceful moves and note he has cut his hand deeper than needed. I notice him smile when he enters the Amity seating. And then my name is called. I stand and look back at Faye and kiss her forehead in that friend way I anyways have. Then, I hug my parents and walk to the take. I cut my palm and, without hesitation, let my blood drop into the soil. The man up front yells and I walk to Amity, ducking my head.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

Amity.  Erudite.  Amity.  Erudite.  Divergent.  Amity.  Erudite.  Divergent.  Dauntless.  Candor.  Amity.  Abnegation.  Erudite.  Divergent.  Divergent.  Divergent.

I am so lost in my thoughts that my father has to shake my shoulder before I realize they are waiting for me.  Erudite.  I swallow, once, and stand up as I wipe my palms on the skirt of my dress.  Amity.  I can feel it.  Erudite.  Divergent is plastered on my forehead, I know it.  Amity.  The Candor man stares at me as I walk unsteadily, tripping over my own feet.  Erudite.  I curse myself inwardly.  Amity.  I grab the knife shakily.  Erudite.  Biting my lower lip, I drag the sharp edge against my skin.  Amity.  I can feel it tearing.  Erudite.  My mother and my father are watching me, scrutinizing my movements.  Amity.

I hover my hand between the pinkish water of the Erudite and the soil of the Amity with a depression of blood in several places.  The Candor man is smiling at me.  I shift my hand to the right, letting my blood drop on to the soil.  It's almost as if I can hear my mother's heart breaking, my father's gasp of shock.  That's what hurts the most.  Applause shatter through the room, and I take one of the napkins to clean my hand.  An Amity woman greets me with a smile and a soft hug.  Jamie and Alex are grinning like fools.

There are only a few people to chose after me.  I lean on Alex as their names are called.  No more people join us in Amity.  I scan the others.  The majority of the initiates are transfers.  That surprises me.

Amity.  Erudite.  Amity.  Erudite.  Divergent.  Amity.  Erudite.  Amity.  Amity.  Divergent.  Amity.  Erudite.  Amity.  Divergent.  Amity.  Amity.  Amity.  Divergent.  Divergent.  Amity.  Divergent.  Divergent.  Divergent.

I am Divergent.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

Mother and Father are quiet at dinner after the aptitude test, and they aren’t very talkative the next morning either. I wear my best dress. Light blue, with buttons to my waist and three dark blue stripes on each upper arm, it hits me in the middle of my thigh….

[officialjamiewilleaton]

I suck in a deep, shaky breath as I step out after Faye and Alex. My mind is fixed on my test results - I was told I was definitely part of Amity. My mother falls suit beside me, Dad behind her. Mom reaches and squeezes my hand, giving me an encouraging smile. Dad ruffles my hair and we sit in our assigned seats in the room.

[officialdominicandrewfrost]

I force a smile to the boys and glance over at the other factions as I sit down in my seat and gaze down at my black clothing, my hands twisting together. My tattoos are covered, my hair is slicked back, and my typical hoop earrings are dulled down to light stuff. My knee shakes. Maybe I AM afraid…

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

The Candor leader takes the stage and he waits for the crowd to settle down before reading each factions manifesto. He goes over the important things: how important making the right choice is, faction before blood, and all of that. He starts calling names in reverse alphabetical order. Mother holds my hand and Father hugs me from the side.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

We wait in the cafeteria of the school after our morning classes.  I watch the other factions' 16 year olds as a few of the boys from my faction discuss a book they read last year for school.  The Amity are making jokes with each other, and one of them sits apart from the others.  The Abnegation sit silently, hands in their labs or crossed on the table.  None of them looks any different from the other.  They remind me of cookie cutter shapes.  The Dauntless are yelling at each other happily, one of them standing half on the table.  Two of them are locked in an embrace.  The Candor are talking to each other quietly, no doubt discussing something.  Finally, my name is called over the noise.

"Katherine Bainbridge."

I stand up, smiling at Jamie and Alex before going to one of the rooms.  The entire wall is mirrored.  Those rooms are used only for aptitude testing, so I have no idea of what to expect inside.  The door opens of its own accord and I enter, shutting it behind me.

An Abnegation man is standing beside a reclined chair in the middle of the room.  I notice the four mirrored walls, watching myself as I walk to the chair.  Once seated, I don't glance at myself again.  The man hands me a small glass, blue liquid in it.  "Drink," he says.  His voice is soft.

"What will happen?" I ask him.

He grins.  "Just drink it, dear."

I drink it, handing him back the glass and letting my eyes shut momentarily.  When I open them again, the chair is positioned in the middle of the cafeteria.  I stand, wary.  A voice sounds from behind me, demanding that I choose.  I turn to look, but see no one, and turn back to face forward.  Two shallow bowls now stand before me on platforms.  In one is a blob of cheese, as yellow as an Amity girl's shirt, and in the other rests a knife.  "Why should I?" I ask.  The voice demands again that I choose.  After a moment of hesitation, I lift the cheese from the bowl.

Growling sounds behind me, and I turn.  The dog is large, its hackles raised ferociously.  I glance at the cheese in my palm and bend down halfway, holding my hand out towards the dog.  Its growling and barking stops.  Happily, it prances towards me.  Just in reach of the cheese, it vanishes.  The cheese goes with it, and I stand up straight.  I stand on the edge of a beach now, a glass bottle at my feet.  Stooping down, I lift it and pull out the cork.  Inside the bottle is a message.  "You are never getting off of this island.  Would you rather have fresh drinking water or a friend?"

I laugh a little.  "Drinking water," I say aloud.  Just as quickly as the room appeared, it's gone again.  Books surround me.  An older lady in Erudite blue is sitting at the table.  She looks up and smiles at me.  Her fingers tap the cover of the book as she shows it to me.

"Have you read this book, sweetheart?"  Her gaze is as hard as iron, and I know that confirming my knowledge of the book will result in nothing good.

I shake my head.  "Never seen it before.  Is it any good?"

She scowls.  "You're lying."

"I'm not," I tell her.  "There isn't a lie anywhere on my tongue."

As soon as she stands up, the library is gone.  I stand in the middle of a crowded bus.  Quickly, I take the empty seat beside me.  An old man in yellow and red boards the bus.  His eyes scan the group, landing on me.  I look away from him.  The bus eventually begins moving again.

I open my eyes with a start, bolting up right.  The Abnegation man is frowning.  "What is it?" I ask.  "What were my test results?"

"Um."  He scratches his head.  "Erudite and Amity."

Two?  "That's not possible."

He nods.  "I know.  But you got both.  The machine crashed half way through, though, so I'll record your results as-"

"Erudite.  Record them as Erudite."

Looking at me, he nods a little.  "Remember, do not discuss your test results with anybody."

I leave the room, my head aching.  Erudite and Amity  I sit down beside Jamie again and join in on their conversation the first chance I get.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

I wake up before Mom and Dad, my heart pounding.  The sun is barely leaking in through the window.  I take a moment, breathing in, breathing out, then begin to get dressed for the day.  Today we take our aptitude tests.  This might be the second to last morning I will wake up in my own bed, if the tests say I’m not Erudite.  I pull a dress over my head, pulling down the hem that hits me three inches above my knees.  The sleeves of the dress are fitted and light blue, while the body and skirt of the dress are a darker blue with two brighter blue stripes around my waist.

Dad wakes up when I’m done making breakfast.  He smiles, still fixing his hair, and takes a plate as he kisses my forehead.  I fill another plate for myself and sit to the left of him at our circular table.  When my mother joins us, fully dressed in dark blue slacks and a so-light-it’s-almost-white-but-really-it’s-blue blouse.  If you were to draw lines from us to the center of our table, it would be divided in to thirds.

Fifteen minutes later, I am downstairs and boarding the bus to school.  I sit beside my friend Alexander, our shoulders bumping together as we travel over the uneven road.

[officialalexanderhughes-blog]

I smile at Faye when she sits down beside me.  ”Sleep any good?” I ask her.  She is staring at the top of my head and I blush a little, realizing that my hair must be sticking up crazily.  I barely made it out of the compound in time, throwing my blue blazer on over my almost-white button up as I ran out of the doors.  Faye, however, still looks as pretty as she always has.  Not that I would ever tell her that to her face.  Her light brown hair, cut to just above her shoulders, gleams warmly.  She smiles with her eyes instead of her lips.

[officialfayebainbridge-blog]

"Not really," I tell Alex as I plop down.  The bus makes me knock against him.  Jamie, our good friend, is sitting in the seat across the aisle.  I turn to him.  "Hey, Jam," I greet.