Aunt Taylor's Library

Chapter 5 (Lily)

(Lily)

I could tell Kylie was upset about her scores, but I had no idea why. Wasn't she excited? We were literally inside our favorite book. She was the one who got excited in the first place, so what was wrong now?

I had trouble sleeping that night. Not only from excitement, but Kylie kicks in her sleep. I ended up grabbing my pillow and sleeping on the floor, which wasn't comfortable.

Kylie and I were the stragglers in the mass of Abnegation climbing the stairs. By the time we reached the top, I was about ready to die, but Kylie dragged me into the Choosing Ceremony room. We sat down next to Caleb, in alphabetical order. Our last name is Prior, and no one found it odd that we were sitting there, so maybe there was more than one Prior family in Abnegation.

Abnegation had the responsibility to conduct the ceremony, I remembered. A man who could only be Marcus was standing in the center of the room, ready to give the opening address. I instantly hated him. Knowing what he did to Tobias, I was ready to punch him in the gut. Kylie probably felt the same way, if she was even paying attention to him. She kept glancing around at everything, trying not to hyperventilate from excitement.

Everyone found their seats, and the room got quiet as Marcus started talking. He began calling names in reverse alphabetical order. Each kid would take the knife Marcus offered them, cut their hand, and sprinkle the blood into the bowl of the faction they chose. Briefly I wondered about blood poisoning, and what if someone had some sort of disease? But those thoughts quickly left my head.

It seemed like forever before he called my name. I was half expecting my name to not be on there, and Kylie and I would be apprehended as intruders. I guess it's part of the "magic," as Kylie would say.

I briskly walked towards the bowls, trying to look confident. Marcus handed me the knife, and I quickly cut my palm, then walked over to the Dauntless bowl. But I hesitated. I looked longingly at the Candor bowl. I loved the idea of Candor, truthfully. I still do. Maybe I would do better in Candor. Kylie was always the brave one. But one glance at Kylie's horrified face brought me back to the present. I couldn't leave her. I quickly turned my palm over the bowl and watched my blood sizzle on the coals.

The Dauntless stared at me skeptically, but I ignored them. I smugly sauntered over to join the other Dauntless initiates. Kylie soon joined me.

Now was the moment of truth. Caleb Prior betrayed his family, just like in the book. Beatrice's hesitance showed a lot more than I had thought it would. She stared at the two bowls, Dauntless and Abnegation. It would be so exciting to be a Dauntless initiate with her! She held her arm out, and, she chose... selfless?

Kylie looked like she was about to pull her book out and hit Beatrice in the head. I just stared, open mouthed. Had we somehow affected the story?