JAX [1]

•Chapter 2: The Ceremony•

(Time Skip)

I walked into the house and closed the door behind me. Carlos ran up and hugged my waist.

"Hey, honey." My mom said walking over.

"Hi, mom." I said.

"Why are you home so early?" She asked as Carlos pulled away.

"The serum they gave me made me sick, so she sent me home." I said. "I'm sorry, mom."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart." She said. "It happens to the best of us." I nodded.

"Mi hija!" My dad said running over. He hugged me. I hugged back. We pulled away and he picked up Carlos. "So, what'd you get?" They all looked at me with excitement.

"Amity." I half lied. They cheered and hugged me. I gave a fake happy smile, but they didn't notice.

(Time Skip)

I was getting ready for bed when my mom walked in.

"You ready for tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yup." I lied.

"You're not nervous or anything?" She asked.

"Nope, I'm good." I lied. She walked over to me and hugged me.

"I will always love you, Jacquelyn." She said. I hugged back. She pulled away and booped my nose. "Get a goodnight's sleep, okay?" I nodded. She smiled and walked out, closing the door behind her. I sat down on my bed and laid down, sighing. I rolled over onto my side, putting my arm underneath my head. What was I gonna do?

(Time Skip)

Me, my mom, my dad, and Carlos walked into the choosing room. Every one of every faction was in there, trying to find their seats. I saw Beatrice with her family, talking to a blonde woman. Beatrice looked at me. I waved and she waved back. I looked around and noticed 5 big bowls on the table on the stage. One was smoking. I probably didn't want to know what was in that one.

"Factions, please gather in your assigned areas." A man on the speaker said.

"Oh great." My mom muttered.

"What?" My dad asked.

"Jeanine is walking over." She said. The blonde woman Beatrice's family was talking to was walking over to us.

"Oh no." My dad said. My mom looked at us.

"Just smile and act like your excited to be here or we'll never get her off our backs." She said. We nodded. Jeanine walked over to us.

"Hello, Aine." She said.

"Hello, Jeanine." My mom said with a fake smile.

"How is everything in your faction?" Jeanine asked. My mom chuckled.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" My mom said. Jeanine fake smiled too. She looked at me and Carlos.

"These are your other children." She said. "I don't believe I met them at the last ceremony your oldest was in." She looked at Carlos. "What's your name?" Carlos hid his face in my dad's leg. My dad chuckled, nervously.

"He's shy." He said. "This is Carlos."

"Hello, Carlos." She said. "I'm Jeanine Matthews."

"Carlos, can you say hi?" My dad asked. Carlos didn't answer.

"It's fine." Jeanine said. "The youngest are always sad when their siblings are leaving." She looked at me. "And you are?"

"Jacquelyn." I said and she shook my hand.

"Jaquelyn." She repeated, letting go of my hand. "Are you choosing today?" I nodded. "Well, you have a big decision to make. I'm sure your parents will support whatever choice you make today. But remember, you are free to choose whatever faction you want. You don't have to choose what the test gave you. You have to want whatever choice you make. Okay?" I nodded.

(Time Skip)

I was sitting next to my mom, my brother next to her and my dad next to him.

"The faction system Is a living being composed of cells...all of you." Jeanine said from the stage. "And the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place. The future belongs to those who know where they belong." She walked away and Marcus Eaton, from Abnegation, walked up to the front of the stage, looking at all of us.

"When we leave this room, you will no longer be dependents but full-fledged members of our society." He said. "Faction before blood."

"Faction before blood." We all said. Of course, I didn't believe that crap. I will always put my family first. And that's a promise I made to myself as soon as I first heard that sentence.

"Johnathan Ziegler." Marcus said. A boy from Erudite walked up onto the stage and over to the table. He picked up a dagger, cut his hand and put the dagger down. He put his hand over a bowl and let a drop of his blood land in it. "Erudite." Erudite clapped as the boy walked back over to them. "Jeffrey Yates." A Dauntless boy walked up and did the same as the last boy but in a different bowl. "Dauntless." Dauntless clapped as the boy walked back over to them. "Morgan Stokes." A Candor boy walked up and did the same but over the bowl on the right. "Amity." We clapped as he walked over and sat down in the front. I looked over and saw his parents crying. "Claire Satron." A girl walked up and did the same. "Candor." Candor clapped as she walked over to them. "Sam Robertson." A boy walked up and did the same. "Abnegation." Abnegation clapped as he walked back to them. "Caleb Prior." I looked over and saw him walk down to the stage and over to the table. He picked up the dagger, cut his hand and held it over a bowl. "Erudite." I looked over at his parents to see they were shocked. Erudite clapped as he walked over to them. "Beatrice Prior." I looked over and saw Beatrice walk down to the stage and up to the table. She picked up the dagger and cut her hand. She put the dagger back down and held her hand over a bowl. We waited. She moved her hand over to another bowl. "Dauntless." Dauntless clapped, cheering for her. I looked over at her parents. They were shocked. I couldn't image what they were feeling. I mean, I wasn't shocked when Mateo chose Candor because he told us from the beginning that he wanted to be Candor. But this was crazy. They went through several more kids. I never thought I was gonna be called until I heard my name. "Jacquelyn Cruz." Everyone looked at me. Me and my parents stood up. I hugged my mom.

"I love you, always forever." She said. "No matter what. You will always be Amity and my daughter." We pulled away.

"I love you too, mom." I said. I walked past her to my little brother. I bent down and hugged him. He hugged me.

"Please don't go up." He said.

"You know I have to." I said. "But I love you, Carlos."

"I love you too, Jackie." He said. I pulled away and walked past him to my dad. I hugged him. He hugged me.

"I love you, mi amor." He said.

"I love you too, mi papi." I said. We pulled away and I walked past him. I walked down the steps and over to the stage. I walked up it and over to the table.

"Choose wisely, Miss Cruz." Marcus said. I nodded. I picked up the knife and cut my hand, wincing. I put the knife back down and looked at each of the bowls. What will I choose? Who am I? Am I Amity? Am I Candor? Am I Erudite? Am I Abnegation? Or am I Dauntless? I looked down at my hand and closed my eyes. I remembered what Vicky said. Choose what my heart needs. Not what my head wants. I opened my eyes and held my hand out over a bowl. A drop of blood ran down my hand and into the bowl. A sizzling sound was heard. "Dauntless."