Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 8

                Numb. That’s the only way I could describe how I felt after I’d heard what the nurses had said. It was impossible for anyone to resist the serum. Yet here I was, completely lucid and without the haze of false contentment. Was I overreacting? Were they overreacting? Who was right and who was wrong in these circumstances?

                Somehow, my body on autopilot, I made my way to the lunchroom. I had no appetite, how could I when I’d heard such cryptic things? My stomach was in knots and I was sure that anything I’d try to swallow would just come right back up. Ignoring the long line, I pushed past the crowds until I saw the familiar black and white of my faction.

                Though Danny and I were oddballs, always talking and generally making friends with anyone regardless of faction, we were still governed by the silent laws of society. Intermingling with other factions was fine if you were forced into a classroom or if you were in the hallways, but to voluntarily do it during free time such as lunch or outside of school was socially unacceptable.

                Of course I constantly broke those rules, but it was always with cause; whether it was to defend someone, or to break up a fight. With my candor friends mostly accepting of the way I was, I felt it was only fair to follow the rules when it came to ‘lunchroom etiquette’. Sitting in the empty space next to Danny, I tried to push away my troubled thoughts, only to find it was nearly impossible.

                While Danny was busy scarfing down his food, I noticed a movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to look. Grace and her group of amity friends sat at the table to our left. She grinned widely and waved again before her eyes took in my face.

              Her smile instantly disappeared and I could see her body stiffen as she stopped herself from rising; faction over blood, faction over friends, she would not betray the amity to come and bear support for me, a candor boy who was supposed to be the innate rival to her way of life. I understood, and so I gave her a reassuring smile and a slight nod; it was fine.

               A little line appeared between her eyebrows and she bit her lip. Turning to her friends, I saw the way their words traveled like a wave; from one person to the next until the whole group had at one point or another turned quickly to glance at me. Pshh, and they thought the candor were the only ones who couldn’t’ keep their mouth shut. No matter, I didn’t care what gossip they came up with to explain my injuries, I knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

                 Sighing, I stole a roll off of Danny’s plate only to get a death-glare in return.

               “Get your own,” he complained, sliding his tray closer and out of reach.

             I chuckled, amused by his food hoarding tendencies, and shook my head. I had to eat something or I would regret it later. Ripping off little bits of roll and slowly chewing them, I took the time to really examine the lunchroom. After tomorrow, I’d probably never see any of these people or places again. Following the Choosing Ceremony, our factions would be the ones in charge of finishing off our studies and teaching us all we had to know in life.

                The tables were clearly segregated; with the differences between the factions obvious and unmistakable.

               Nearly invisible in a sea of grey, as their faction intended them to be, the abnegation always sat in the back corner of the lunchroom. Not one person stood out as an individual; rather they all seemed to form a part of a single living organism. They ate quietly, staring at nothing other than their plates, and once they were done, clasped their hands in their laps and waited for the bell to excuse them to class.