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.
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.
