Five

The Sister

The first thing I notice from my spot are footsteps hitting the foot path and I smile slightly, knowing who it is. The door doesn't open yet and I know what he is doing. My mother taught me and my brother to steal moments, moments of peace, though she didn't know she taught them us. We would watch her take them, slipping out the door after dark when father was asleep, and sneaking back into the house when the sun began to rise behind the buildings. Me and tobias use to sneak behind her, sitting on the stairs, waiting for her to return. He was the only one who could stay up until she came back in. Normally I would fall asleep and wake up in my room, knowing Tobias carried me. She would also take these moments when she was with us. Leaning against the sink, eyes closed. Sometimes she wouldn't hear me or my brother when we spoke to her. But she also taught us that moments of peace had to end.

I sit up straight on the stairs as the door opens, tobias appearing at the threshold. His eyes dart to father as he sits in his chair, paperwork around him. I watch as tobias stands tall, quietly walking towards me sat on the stairs. Father would scold us for slouching. I got into trouble a lot for it when I was younger. My eyes watch my brother as he comes towards the stairs, which is where I have been waiting for him for the past ten minutes. Maybe father will let him go unnoticed today. But I doubt it, today was a big day. Tobias took the aptitude test. Every 16 year old in every faction takes a test to tell them what faction they should choose. But you are able to choose any faction in the choosing ceremony, but most go for the faction they got in the test or the one they are raised in. After the choosing ceremony, you would start initiation, when you pass, you become a member of the faction. If you don't pass, you become factionless. Even the thought of becoming factionless sends a shiver down my spine.

But I know tobias's test was tampered with. Father told him everything about it, everything about what to do to get textbook abnegation and I'm sure when next year comes, he will do the same for me. But I'm not sure if I want to stay here. If I can stay here. With him. But If tobias chooses abnegation, I don't know if I could leave him. He is my big brother, my best friend. My only friend.

"Tell me about your aptitude test." Father speaks up as he points to the sofa. Tobias carefully makes his way over and sits right on the edge of the cushion. I continue to watch from my spot on the stairs, my hands on the wood that holds up the banister, my lip caught between my teeth.

In normal situations, you are forbidden to talk about your test results with anyone. But this situation isn't normal.

"Well?" Father removes his glasses and looks at tobias, tension in his voice. He had a difficult day at work and even I know to be careful. When I came in from school, I went straight to my room, not even looking in his direction as I recognised the signs of stress around the house.

"What was your result?" Father presses on.

"Abnegation." Tobias states.

"And nothing else?"  Tobias frowns at the question and all I want to do is run and drag him away. He shouldn't frown.

"No, of course not." He replies and father frowns at him.

"Don't give me that look." Father says and tobias corrects hits mistake, letting me relax. "Nothing strange happened with your test?"

I can see something swirl inside my brother and I hold my breath as my eyes flick to father, stress visible as it brews like a storm.

"No." Tobias says and father grabs his arm tightly. I hold in a whimper, feeling the pain on my own arm as tobias looks anywhere but him.

"Don't lie to me." Father sneers and my grip tightens on the wood. I hate seeing father do this to tobias. Even though he is the older brother and wants to protect me, I will always swap my life for his. He gets it even harder then me from father.

"I'm not." Tobias says, not seeming fazed by it. But I can see through that. "I got abnegation, just as expected. The woman barely looked at me on my out of the room. I promise."

Father releases tobias and he nods, pleased with the answer.

"Good." He says, clasping his hands as he leans back. "Im sure you have some thinking to do. You should go to your room. Don't forget to say hello to your sister."

"Yes, Sir." Tobias crosses the room again, his voice sounding slightly relived. Before he can go any further, father speaks up.

"Oh, some of my fell council members are coming over tonight, so you and Faye should eat dinner early." He explains and tobias nods.

"Yes sir." With that, he walks up the stairs, a smile on his face when he sees me. I quickly stand as he pulls me into a hug.

"You shouldn't be eavesdropping." Tobias whispers in my ear so father shall not hear. I giggle slightly as we pull apart and walk up the rest of the stairs to his room.

"I couldn't help it. I didn't want him to hurt you." I reply as I rest my hand on his wrist. Tobias sighs as he closes the door to his room behind him.

"I'm meant to be the one protecting you." I shrug in response before I sit on the edge of his bed. His room looks the exact same as mine. Plain and boring. He sits with me and I rest my head on his shoulder.

"No matter what you choose, I will stand by you. I promise." I lift his hand and begin to fiddle with his fingers, something I seem to always do when it's just us. His long narrow fingers similar to mine, except my hand is quite a bit smaller then his. I take more after my father's side with my features. I have a button nose, full lips and a more rounded face, and the dark blue eyes. But I have my mother's colouring, black curly hair with olive skin, and shape of body. While tobias has more of mother's facial features and father's colourings with the same dark blue eyes I have.

"Thank you." He kisses the top of my head and I hear the smile in his voice as I continue to intertwine are fingers and separate them before scrunching tobias's fingers up and then unfolding them.

"No matter what, you will always be my little sister." He whispers and a smile spreads on my lips at his words. Faction before blood is the main motto for every faction. It means that your faction will always come before your family, no matter what. I don't believe in it, but that's only when it comes to tobias. I would probably go against my faction to do anything for him.

"Never forget that." He whispers and I nod as he pulls me into a hug, his hand running through the black strands of my hair. I never will.