Abandonment (A Divergent Fanfic) ✔

Choosing Ceremony

Nessa's pov.
Today was the even bigger day.

Two words: Choosing Ceremony.

I was pretty sure that I was going to choose Dauntless. I mean, if that's where I belong, I should go there right?

As we stood in the line waiting to be called up, I snook a look at Johanna. She looked kind of worried.

I waited for the city leader to finish his speech. And then the choosing began.

Johanna's pov.
Nessa didn't have to wait long to be called, as her surname began with S and they went in reverse order.

I watched her walk to the platform, calm and at ease. She stared at the bowls of stones, water, earth, glass and lit coals. She picked up the knife, debating for a moment. She ran the knife over the top of her lightly tanned skin, so that just a drop fell out. Positioning her hand over the coals, she let the blood fall.

She chose Dauntless.

I shouldn't have been surprised. I even told her that I wouldn't be surprised. But for some reason I was.

Nessa's pov.
I ran outside with the other Dauntless initiates, shouting and screaming. I wondered where Dauntless HQ was, but I knew that I'd find out very soon.

We travelled by train. But instead of getting on and getting off, we jumped on and jumped off onto a rooftop. I felt adrenaline rush through me each time. But it was nothing new. I'd jumped out of a window after all.

Standing on the rooptop, I felt happy. I guess I was braver than I thought.

"Alright!" a man shouted. "Listen up! I'm Max, one of the leaders of Dauntless. Now, who's gonna jump first?

Jump? Again? Hadn't we done enough jumping?

Max looked around at us expectantly, his dark eyes like black holes. He stopped at me.

"What about you?" he said. "You wanna go?"

My head said no, but my heart said yes. And people say to follow your heart.

"Yes," I replied quietly. "I'll jump first."

"Ha," scoffed an Erudite boy. "An Amity? Go first? Never."

I decided I'd show him. I stood on the ledge of the roof calmly and looked below. It was just a hole, getting darker nearer the bottom so I couldn't see what I'd land on. I breathed in, then out, slowly. I could do this. I looked forwards, put one foot in front of the other, jumped...

...and hit a net at the bottom. I laughed and rolled over onto my tummy. A young man was standing next to the net, and he reached his hands out to me to pull me out. I stood up and climbed out of the net and onto the floor. As I looked at the man's face, I recognised it from somewhere, but that was a time I didn't really want to think about.

But still, as I stared at him, I couldn't help thinking about it. I looked down at his hands, and remember them cupping my face.

"Eric?"

He looked at me, then pulled me to him to kiss me, but I push him away.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asked, sounding hurt.

"You," I replied. "You're dead. I went to your funeral. How can you be here now?"

Eric laughed. "Babe, there's such thing as faking your death."

"Whatever," I said. "And don't 'babe' me."

I stormed off. I couldn't be near him now. He pretended to die. He hurt me. I mourned for him. I heard Eric shout as I walked away, "First jumper: Vanessa!"