Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 13

                     I jerked awake with a start, swiveling my head every which way. I’d spent the whole night on the couch? That could only mean.

                “Mom?” I mumbled, still trying to wake myself up.

                “No, I’m Danny. Your mom and Mara already left to go get a good seat. Now hurry up and get dressed.”

               I got up and stumbled to my room, quickly going through my morning ritual. I dressed quickly and without a great deal thought, wearing my standard attire of black pants, combat boots, and a plain white t-shirt. I was about to grab my favorite leather jacket, which had actually belonged to my father, but hesitated at the last second, instead grabbing my somewhat dressier black blazer.

               Once I transferred to dauntless, I wanted my mother and Mara to have something to remind them of both me and my father when I was gone. It was customary for initiates to get rid of their old faction’s clothes, and I didn’t want my father’s jacket to perish. I took a moment to breathe in the familiar scent of the worn leather, then I folded it into a neat bundle and placed it on my bed.

               “We gotta’ go!” Danny reminded me from the living room.

                I gave my room a final glance, and then at the last moment took a pen and wrote a note on a pad of paper I had on my desk. I’d have no time to explain anything to my mother afterwards, so it was best to leave her something now.

                I’m sorry. I had to do it. I’ll be fine, don’t worry. I love you and Mara. Stay strong, love Sage. I tucked the folded slip into my dad’s jacket pocket and then closed the door to my room. I’d never see this place again.

               We took the bus to get to the Choosing Ceremony. It was packed with people from every faction. Through the windows, I watched as the Hub got closer and closer with every passing minute.  It was the tallest building in the city and I often found myself gazing at it through my bedroom window at night. Would I still be able to see it in the dauntless sector of the city?

               The bus came to a stop and Danny and I wasted no time, sprinting to catch the next elevator that was heading up to the twentieth floor. The crowd was thick and pressed together like sardines in a can, and for a moment I considered if maybe I wasn’t slightly claustrophobic. I could feel my pulse steadily rising, and my hands were getting clammy. The air was dense and it felt like everyone was trying to smother me on purpose.

               I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to imagine I was instead in an open field, outside, under the sun, and free. I had to keep my cool, though it was easier said than done.  I was just beginning to considering getting off on the next floor and climbing up the stairs with the abnegation, when the little bell above the door dinged and the doors slid open.

               An abnegation man held the door open and we all filed in, excitement in the air as we took our seats. The room was arranged in a circular fashion; in the center, there were neat rows of chairs designated for the sixteen-year olds, followed by the section where the families got to sit, and then the outer part for faction citizens that wanted to watch the ceremony.

               The whole area was also arranged in five sections, so that each faction had its own wedge assigned to them. The crowds were segregated; with the reds and yellows, grey, black and white, blue, and just black marking where each faction stood. I glanced up and caught sight of Mara and my mother. Danny’s father was also sitting next to them, and I nudged Danny to point him out.