Divergent; The Rarest Flower

Chapter One... Meet Your Heroine

     Every morning, I wake up, put on one of my best yellow or red dresses and run to my moms room to give her a hug. It's been that way since as long as I could remember, even after my little sister was born. Every morning, of every day, my mom leads me to her small flower covered vanity a smile lighting up her face.

     I sit on the stool before her mirror and my mom stands behind me with her favourite sunflower painted brush in hand. I glance around at the walls that have slowly filled with my sister and I's art as the brush slides through my hair. The strokes of the brush are soft as she hums a song about dancing, one she has made herself, with my crimson strands between her fingers. She seems happy playing with my hair, a shade which neither of my parents have. My mom has told me that her mom once had this hair, but I would never know if she was just trying to make me feel better or not. We have nothing to show the kin that have left us. Which of course makes me feel a little sad. This is why it's so important that I make memories with my family every day so I never forget a detail of them.

     When she's nearly finished, she pulls my hair away from my face and twists it, pinning it away from my eyes. I study her, curious about her thoughts as she smiles at her work. I wonder what she could be thinking about with such a soft look in her eyes. She always seems so carefree and peaceful. I can't help but hope I will be like that when I'm her age.

     I take a look at my reflection while my mom is still busy setting my hair neatly around my face. In my reflection, I see a heart shaped face, wide, round eyes, and a short, thin nose—I still look like a little girl, though sometime in the last few months I turned sixteen. My mom was delighted when she remembered she could make a cake just for me. She was like that every year. Birthdays were special here in Amity, everyone's was celebrated. It was another reason to spread joy.

     "Perfect," she says when she pins my long bangs into place. Her eyes catch mine in the mirror and she smiles at our reflection. I give her a sheepish smile as I fought the desire to pull my bangs over my right eye again. I'd prefer to hide behind it. I knew this made her happy though and I'd do anything to make sure my family was happy.

     "So today is the day," she says as I begin biting nervously at my lower lip.

     "Yes," I reply with a quick smile.

     "Are you nervous my sweet?"

     I stared into my own eyes for a moment. Today is the day of the aptitude test that will show me which of the five factions I belong in. And tomorrow, at the Choosing Ceremony, I will decide on a faction; I will decide the rest of my life; I will decide to stay with my family or abandon them. My choice, only mine. I look at my moms face in the mirror and a dark thought goes through my head. The choice is supposed to be mine, as is the thought, but what about the thoughts of others. Isn't it cruel to change factions? To leave the friends and family you've known all your life? To say it's a choice....

     "No," I say shaking my head slightly with a giggle as I shove away the dark thoughts. "What do I have to be nervous for when I have my friends and family waiting here for me?"

     "You couldn't be more right." She grins before patting my shoulder. "Let's go eat breakfast."

     "Thank you mummy, for helping with my hair." She nods slightly with another smile to me.

     "Of course my love. It's my favourite part of our mornings." I couldn't help but agree, sometimes she would tell me stories. Things she's seen or stories her mother would tell her when she was a little girl. Stories of a different world, of a different girl... A girl who did something more than tell stories and sing songs. A girl much braver than I could ever be.