The Other Prior: Candice Prior || Divergent Fanfiction

Chapter 1: The Aptitude Test

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It's my turn to make breakfast. Lebby and Bea, my younger siblings who are two and almost 3 years younger than me are helping. Breakfast, like it always is when it's my turn, because I am incapable of making anything else, is slightly burnt toast, and under-cooked omelet. We don't have jam, pepper, salt, or even fresh eggs, because apparently having any kind of flavor in food is "self-indulgent". And Abnegation are supposed to be selfless. I feel like a fraud.

Our society is built upon the factions: 5 Factions. It is said that the factions were created when our ancestors couldn't decide on which trait is evil. Those who thought ignorance was evil formed Erudite, the faction of knowledge. Those who thought aggressiveness was the evil formed Amity, the peaceful faction. Those who thought untruthfulness was the evil formed Candor, the truthful faction, and those who thought that above all, fear and cowardice were the evil formed Dauntless. I've always envied the Dauntless I see them at school, on the streets, jumping on and off moving trains that circle around the city, wild and free. I'm not one of them, no matter how much I wish to be, my gray shackles hold me in place.

Abnegation. The selfless faction. My faction. All of Abnegation's rules avoid "self-indulgence". No mirrors, no flavor, no colour. The only colour they can't rob me of are my eyes, although I'm sure if they could, they would try. I can't complain, or at least, I shouldn't. The faction system has worked for centuries. Each faction provides individuals who are best suited for their professions. Erudite providing knowledgeable teachers, media and professors, Amity with kind and compassionate counselors, farmers, and therapists. Candor with truthful judges, Dauntless with brave guards and Abnegation with selfless leaders. A perfectly working society.

"Candice!!! The bread is burning" Lebby calls, pulling me away from my thoughts. My brain takes a moment to process what he said, along with the smoky smell now floating in the room. By the time I realize what's happening, the bread is far gone. "Lebby, take the bread and throw it out, Bea take of the omelet before it burns too." I say, putting another piece of bread on the pan. We don't have a toaster, or an oven. My instructions are carried out by my siblings and heard by my father, which earns me a reprimand.

"Candice, you know nicknames are considered self-indulgent." He says, sitting down at the table. I put two pieces of toast and an omelet on his plate.

"Okay dad." I say slowly, trying not to sound exasperated.

He eats his bread and heads out the door to meet Marcus Eaton, one of the Abnegation council members. I stuff some bread in my mouth, seeing that I'm late for school, take Caleb's plate and wash it, telling both him and Beatrice to grab their bags. It feels weird saying "Caleb" instead of Lebby, and "Beatrice" instead of Bea. My mother walks down the stairs, to kiss us goodbye for school. She sends 14-year-old Caleb, and almost 14-year-old Beatrice on their way first. Then she turns to me. My mom had me two years before Caleb was born, and Beatrice 10 months after him. They both are in the same year because they aren't quite a year apart. She tucks a strand of loose hair back into my low bun, fixes the gray abnegation approved dress I'm wearing and whispers in my ear:

"Good luck with the test Di". This makes me smile despite the dragons that are flying in my stomach. My mom has called me 'Di' ever since I can remember, our secret. I turn on my heel after thanking her for the luck and walk out the door looking more confident than I'm feeling.

On the way to school, I think about my family. Natalie and Andrew Prior, the perfect abnegation couple. Caleb and Beatrice Prior, the perfect abnegation kids. Together, the perfect abnegation family. But where does that leave me? I have never been an abnegation. Things that come almost without thinking to my parents and siblings: giving up a seat on the bus, helping our neighbors with grocery's, even the formal greetings, never came easy to me. I've always pretending. Pretending to be selfless, pretending to be an abnegation, pretending to belong. The gray clothes, the hair tied back into a bun using a gray ribbon, the gray room, it's all a charade for me. Even my features don't look like that of an abnegation. Abnegation are supposed to be easily forgettable. Everything about my face is striking. Everything about my life for my 16 years a lie. At least I know I can't be in Candor, lies come too easily to me. I would never say this out loud, I love my parents too much to hate on the faction they chose, but Abnegation, is, and always was suffocating.

I'm scared my aptitude test will not say abnegation, giving me a reason to escape, leaving everyone I love behind, but I'm even more terrified that the test will say abnegation, giving me every reason to secure my spot in this gray fortress.

The aptitude test I'm supposed to be taking today is taken when children reach the age of 16. The age that all of us, the youth of this city, get to make a choice that will set the path for our entire life ahead of us. Because once we choose a faction, there is no turning back. Until we come of age, we follow the rules of our parents' factions, but at 16, we get to choose. The aptitude test is meant to tell us which faction we have an aptitude for. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it doesn't make the decision for us. We have to choose at the choosing ceremony.

+++

I sit up with a start, my heart pounding. I'm in a mirror covered room, sitting on a gray tilted chair much like the ones at the dentist. My aptitude test was administered what seemed like a few minutes ago. My administrator, a dauntless named Tori, had explained to me how the test works before injecting me with a needle that would start my test.

"It's pretty simple," she said shrugging. "The serum inside this tube is going to induce a hallucination, which is your test. The liquid has a small microprocessor in it, which will allow me," She gestured to herself, "see what you're seeing."

I had nodded, although not understanding what she had said, and she had plunged me into the simulation. I knew it wasn't real, but it was disturbing, nonetheless. I vaguely remember my test involving a dog, a girl, and a bus. The simulation was hazy and vague. After my test, she ran out of the room, and has yet to return. My heart is pounding harder than I ever thought it could, as I wait in silence in the room of mirrors. I feel sick to my stomach, although I'm not entirely sure it's because of the suspense or because of serum side effects. I was finally about to get up and move to the trashcan when Tori walked in.

She glared at me as though I had done something wrong.

She finally speaks, "Your test results were inconclusive."

Her voice is in a monotone, and her face tells me nothing, so I gather the courage to ask, "What does that mean?" My voice comes out like a croak, but she understood, because she answers.

"It means you are divergent"

Tori continues talking about procedure, danger, safety, and something about 'death if I'm not careful'. I probably should listen, but I don't. My brain refuses to take in the information.

Divergent? What does that mean? I ask myself, even though deep down I know it means I don't belong. I don't belong in abnegation; I don't belong anywhere. All this time, I could convince myself that even though I knew I didn't belong in abnegation, I would belong somewhere. But I don't. I feel like my last safety net, keeping me from feeling totally alone has snapped, and I'm falling into the abyss.

Tori finally says something my brain, even in its broken state, can understand. "I'll delete your real results and log it in the system as abnegation."

My brain does a double-take. Abnegation? "No." I say, my voice coming out stronger than I expected. "Not Abnegation." She gives me a quizzical look. She doesn't say anything, but I can feel her eyes asking me:

"Are you sure?"

For that split second, for that one moment my mind is made.

"Log it as something else. Anything else." I say

For that moment,

I am free.

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