The Fourth Eaton

Chapter 2 🔪 Choose

The first thing I do when I wake up the next morning is check on Tobias. I sit on the edge of his bed and watch him sleep for a few minutes. When my big brother is asleep, he looks almost peaceful. That's an expression I've never seen on his face when he's awake.

I would let him sleep more, but we both have to get to the Choosing Ceremony. And it's not going to be pretty if we're late. Marcus left before I woke up, because, as one of Abnegation's most influential leaders, he has to be there early. In the years when he has to conduct the ceremony, he leaves even earlier.

The raindrops gently pitter-patter against the window as I shake my brother's shoulder, careful to avoid the fresh wounds on his back, from last night. He groans. "What is it, Cam?" He mumbles into his pillow.

I laugh. "If you don't get up right now, Toby, we're going to miss the Choosing Ceremony."

He must be too tired to register that I just called him Toby, because he just rolls over and reluctantly sits up, grimacing as he does it.

"Thank you for last night, Tobias." I say, as I look into his blue eyes.

"No, thank you." With that, he gets up and walks to the bathroom with his clothes that I put there last night.

I change into another gray outfit. The good thing about our plain, monotone, boring, repetitive outfits is that nobody can see the bruises that cover both our bodies. I go downstairs to begin breakfast. Before long, Tobias joins me. We prepare a small breakfast of pancakes in silence.

Once we finish, we lay out the table for two and serve ourselves pancakes and milk. We have butter to put on our pancakes, but nothing else. I've heard that other factions eat pancakes too, only with stuff like jam and syrup on top. Abnegation doesn't have those, no matter how much I wish it did.

Tobias sends me a small smile. I smile back. We eat our breakfast quietly, making only idle chit-chat. We both refuse to acknowledge the tension in the room. It's so thick, I could probably cut it with a knife. But it's not between me and Tobias. No, it's the kind of tension that fills the room whenever Marcus and Tobias and I are in the same room. Even though Marcus isn't here, I can feel his presence pressing onto Tobias' back, his voice in my head as he spoke to Tobias. "Remember what you are going to choose tomorrow."

We finish eating, and drop our plates into the sink. As I turn away from the sink, I feel Tobias' arms wrap around me in a hug. I hug him back, trying to portray all my emotions in my hug. We both stand there, hugging each other, as we try to gather the courage to face our own personal demons.

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Tobias and I clamber onto the crowded bus. As soon as we get on, the doors behind us close, and the bus begins lumbering off to the Hub. We're the last ones on, so we have to stand. I grip the handle above me tightly. My brother and I glance at each other, uncomfortable. This was a bad idea. We're both claustrophobic, thanks to Marcus, who used to lock us in the closet as punishment, sometimes after he was done beating us.

The people pressing into me from every side takes my mind back to the closet. I spend a few seconds lost in horrible memories, unable to break away, until Tobias' voice brings me out of my trance. "Cam, you okay?"

I nod. "Yeah. I'm fine."

We pass by rows and rows of identical Abnegation houses, until we finally reach the edge of the factionless sector. From there, it is only a few minutes until we reach the Hub. We exit the bus and walk into the grand building.

The Hub is the center of government activity in our city, and it's also where the Choosing Ceremony takes place. As soon as we enter the building, we veer off to the staircase. The other faction members will take the elevator, but, being Abnegation, we are supposed to let them on before us. We join the other members of Abnegation in marching up the endless flights of stairs.

By the time we reach the room in which the Ceremony will be held, my legs are burning with exhaustion. Water is dripping off my hair. The room is arranged in concentric circles, and on the edges stand the sixteen year olds that will be choosing today. To become full members of the faction they choose, they will have to pass initiation.

My brother grabs my hand, squeezes it once, then lets go, walking to his place in the line. Right before he steps into place, he turns and waves to me. I wave back, then go look for my father. He's sitting in the front row of the Abnegation section. I walk over to him, and he greets me with a 'good morning'. His mask is on.

This year, it's Amity's turn to lead the Choosing Ceremony. When Johanna Reyes, the representative of Amity, steps up onto the podium at the front of the large hall, the crowd falls silent, except for the occasional cries of a young child, somewhere.

Johanna gives her speech, the same one that has been spoken at the Choosing Ceremony for as long as anyone can remember, and then it's time for the sixteen year olds to choose. She begins calling out the names of the teens taking part in the Ceremony, which are organized by last name in reverse alphabetical order.

The first person to choose is a boy named Chase Yates, from Candor. He chooses to stay in his home faction. One by one, each sixteen year old walks to the podium, accepts a knife from Johanna (who doesn't look comfortable with a blade in her hand), cuts their hand, and drops their blood into one of the five bowls that represent each faction, as everyone watches. The gray stones symbolize Abnegation, the water represents Erudite, the glass is for Candor, the soil means Amity, and the lit coals represent Dauntless.

Finally, after many picks, it's Tobias' turn. When he walks to the podium, he looks almost calm. But I can see his legs shaking, just slightly, as he takes the knife from Johanna. He cuts his hand and holds it up. Then, he hesitates. Tobias turns his head so he is looking directly at me. I give him a slight nod, urging him to escape, to be free.

He turns back to the bowls, and I'm not sure if he saw my nod or not. He holds his hand over the gray stones. I feel my breath catch in my throat. Was it not enough?

Just before his blood drips off his hand, he shifts so it's over the crackling coals. The blood falls, sizzling.

The crowd begins murmuring, a soft sound full of accusation and confusion. An Abnegation transfer to Dauntless is unheard of. Particularly, the son of the most influential Abnegation leader. Well, they don't know what goes on behind closed doors, behind drawn curtains and quiet lives. I can feel Marcus beside me, as tense as a statue, his presence radiating anger. I keep my eyes on my brother as he walks over to the Dauntless section, where he is greeted with high fives and slaps on the back.

My brother is the bravest person I've ever known. He belongs in Dauntless. And now he is.

Tobias isn't Abnegation anymore, quiet and unassuming.

He is dauntless.

A/N: I told you it would be shorter! Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will take place a year later, when it's time for Camilla's aptitude test.

Byeee!