Chapter Text
Today is the day of the choosing ceremony. Everyone aged sixteen has just made a choice that will define their future. Each teen will choose their faction. Some will remain in the safety and comfort of home. Others will follow their hearts into a new faction and a new lifestyle. This story starts with a brave girl who chose herself over her family.
Sasha has finally come to terms with leaving Amity. She stared out of the train door and thought back to last night (was it only last night?) that she had sat down with her family after dinner.
“So you know how the choosing ceremony is tomorrow and that I’m not really supposed to talk about my decision…” Her parents nodded but her brother looked confused. “Well, I figured I should tell you now that tomorrow I won’t be choosing Amity.” Her parents nodded again, tearing up a little. Her brother on the other hand, looked completely shocked. His eyes accused her of betrayal. Before she could say another word in her defence, Jason leapt out of his seat and ran into his room, slamming the door behind him. Her mother sighed.
“Love, the only thing we want for you is to find peace in your heart. If you stay here and the whole while your heart has been aching to leave, then we would have failed you as parents. We still love you.” She said calmly, tears dampening her cheeks. She opened her arms, beckoning Sasha into an embrace. She crawled into her mother’s arms even though she was much too big to be coddled. She knew it was more for her mother’s benefit than for hers, but she took comfort from the shared embrace. It eased the guilt she was feeling for causing their tears. Her father put a hand on her arm to get her attention.
“We will always love you. And I must say we’ll miss you. But missing you and knowing you’re happy is a thousand times better than seeing you every day and knowing you’re miserable.” Sasha started to cry as she reached to pull her father into the hug.
“I love you both. I just hope Jason will be able to see it that way.” She sniffled, trying to put an end to waterfall.
“He will darling. He will. He’ll be making his own decision in four years and he’ll see just how hard this is.” Her mother comforted. They sat together for a while embracing, crying silently and sharing ‘I love yous’. Eventually Sasha disentangled herself from her parent’s arms.
“I should go talk to Jason.” Her parents nodded. She got up and walked down the hall. Taking a breath for courage, she knocked gently on her brother’s door. “Hey Jay… I wanna talk to you.” He didn’t answer but she heard the rustling of his bed sheets so she knew he was awake. She went in anyway, not caring if he yelled or cried or completely ignored her.
“Why do you have to go?” He sniffled. He was taller than her by a good two inches but his voice sounded so small.
“I don’t belong here.” She said quietly and perched on the end of his bed. His feet were sticking out from under the covers and she had the most ridiculous urge to tickle them.
“But you fit right in. You have lots of friends and your plants always grow…” he sniffled again. God, she really hated tears. They made her feel so guilty.
“Remember how I had to spend an entire day in the quiet room because I got into a fist fight and gave Lavender a bloody nose?” He nodded. “Or when I’d yell if you touched my herbs that I left to dry?” He nodded again. “Amity people aren’t supposed to be nearly as hot-headed and stubborn as I am.”
“You are pretty stubborn. Like a donkey.” He grinned.
“See? I don’t really belong here. It’s not because of you or mom or daddy. It’s all me and my donkey-ness.” He snickered and sat up to give her a hug.
“Can you tell me a story?” He mumbled into her shoulder.
“I haven’t told you a story since you were six.” He pulled away, crestfallen. “But I can try.” He smiled as they lay down side by side. She told him a story of adventure and seeking new places with new challenges and new friends. She talked of danger and daring until he fell asleep. Then she kept talking. She talked about how scared she was about tomorrow. How she wasn’t sure where to go. The only thing she was certain of was that she couldn’t stay in Amity. She talked until her voice was hoarse and every word she said came out as more of a croak than a whisper.
She thought of her words now as she stood on the train headed to Dauntless.
“Just like an adventure.” She whispered to herself. She turned to face the wind blowing in from the open door. She planted her feet firmly, allowing her tall frame to push against the wind and her brown untameable curls to be teased into an unruly mess. She could almost forget what lay behind and before her, as if the wind were pushing all of her doubts from her mind. That is, until a particularly strong gust knocked her back into reality… and a rather tall Candor guy.
“Watch it Amity!” he growled and shoved her away. Sasha’s first instinct was to apologize and keep the peace as an Amity girl. No, she thought, I’m Dauntless now. I don’t have to apologize for existing. She stepped away from the asshole that had gone back to snickering with his cronies and crossed her arms. She couldn’t wait to get to Dauntless and leave Amity behind her.
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Peter was thrilled to be headed to Dauntless. His choice was easy. He knew where he belonged and it was definitely not in Candor. He knew he lied because it was so much easier to get his way when he did. Lying was an art form he had perfected over the years. It was definitely an asset when he got into fights as a child. He assumed fighting would be a part of the new Dauntless lifestyle he had chosen, and he was ecstatic.
Peter leapt from the train onto the building after he saw the Dauntless initiates jump. He even managed not to fall when he landed. He smirked; proud that he had set himself apart from the other transfers. Especially that Stiff who was brushing gravel from her sleeves. She’d never make it.
They all congregated around the intimidating Dauntless leader. That’s who he wanted to be when he was through with training. He wanted to look down at the weaklings before him and know that he had absolute power over them. The older man looked at them now from the edge of the building. It was unclear whether it was disgust or appraisal he saw in their eyes.
“Listen up! My name is Max. I am one of the leaders for your new faction!” Max yelled from his place on the building. “Several stories below us is the members’ entrance to our compound. If you can’t muster the will to jump off, you don’t belong here. Our initiates have the privilege of going first.” Jump, they had to jump off of a building.
“You want us to jump off a ledge?” An Erudite girl asked, shocked. Max smirked, like her disbelief amused him.
“Yes.”
“What’s at the bottom?” a foolish (or brave) initiate asked. Max looked even more amused.
“Who knows?” Max said, smirking. “So who will be the first to jump?” He asked surveying the crowd. Peter wanted to go. He wanted to prove himself. Somehow he couldn’t force his legs to work or his voice to speak. He opted to pick at a hangnail instead, trying to seem confident.
“I will.” A girl’s voice called from the back of the crowd. The Stiff came forward. Max stepped aside to let her up. Peter saw her hands shaking and smirked to himself. Not so brave, eh Stiff? He thought. She was fumbling now with her shapeless outer shirt. When she had finally managed to undo it, she turned to Peter and with a glare, threw the ball of fabric at him. It hit him squarely in the chest and he let it drop to the ground. Surprised, he just stared at her and let the others catcall and shout behind him. Breaking eye contact with him, she turns back to the task at hand. He saw her hesitate a moment before she jumped and disappeared from view.
The crowd burst with some cries of disbelief and shock. She had actually done it! Christina, a girl also from Candor, rushed forward to see what had become of Tris.
“Are you next?” Max asked with a smirk. With grim determination, Christina stepped up and with a deep breath, went over the edge. I could hear her screams and shuddered. No matter what, he would not scream. Peter made a move to go next but someone else was already up there. It was the big Amity girl that had bumped into him on the train! Was every single girl out to get him going to be braver than he? Peter clenched his fist and gritted his teeth as the Amity girl turned to face them. With a cheeky wave, she leaned backwards and fell, her screams sounding more exhilarated than fearful. Determined now, Peter rushed forward before anyone else could. The building he stood on formed a side of a square with three other buildings. Where ground should be, there was a deep dark hole in the concrete. With a quick glance at Max who nodded his approval, Peter leaped off the ledge and plummeted towards the nearing darkness.
His mouth clamped shut to stop him from screaming, he dropped. The wind blew threw his short hair and caused his skin raise in goose bumps. He crossed his arms over his chest and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop his eyes from tearing. In mere seconds he hit something solid that gave way beneath him. He let out a surprised yelp as all the air was pushed from his lungs. He bounced up on what he assumed was a net, his arms and legs stinging from the impact. When he stopped bouncing, he put on a cocky grin. There were a few outstretched hands reaching for him but he ignored them in favour of crawling off himself.
“That wasn’t so bad.” He commented to the pretty girl with dark hair and three eyebrow rings standing closest. She smiled, knowing better and rolled her eyes.
“If you say so. What’s your name, fourth jumper?” He grinned flirtatiously,
“Peter, yours?” she just shook her head and called out
“Fourth Jumper- Peter!” The crowd cheered and clapped as he walked away from the net and into his new home.
“Welcome to Dauntless.” A tall member said, grinning. Peter smirked Welcome to Dauntless indeed.