Aberrant

Chapter 1

The alarm clock goes off next to my head. I roll over to see what time it is. 6:00. “Ugh, I can spare a few more minutes,” I think to myself hitting the snooze button. I drift back to sleep, and soon the alarm is going off again. I relent and drag myself out of my bed. I look out of my window in my room, and the sun isn’t up all the way yet. I shuffle to my closet and flip on the light switch next to it. The room floods with pale bright light, and I squint until my eyes adjust to the sudden burst of light. I open the doors to my closet, and I look through my assortment of various shades of orange shirts that go with my Sector.

I belong to the Sector called Benevole. It used to be called Benevolence a long time ago, but they decided to shorten it. It’s one of four Sectors that our Community is split up into. In our Sector History classes, they teach us about how our predecessors split up into groups according to what they valued or what they seemed to excel in. As time had worn on, the leaders renamed the groups to be called Sectors. They named their Sectors after the values they all shared in common. Our Sector values kindness above all else, but an old Sector that didn’t last very long combined with ours years ago. They valued selflessness so we have that thrown into our morals as well. Each Sector has their own school to teach and educate their children so we end up not having a lot of contact with people from the other Sectors. Every person in the Community is required to take a Penchant test to determine what Sectors you would most likely fit in. After a person has completed the tests, they get two days to reflect and decide which Sector they will belong to for the rest of their lives. The day that everyone that has turned eighteen in the past year, and graduated from high school, chooses their Sector is called Decision Day.

I eventually decide on a vivid orange t-shirt, and luckily our sectors don’t restrict us to just one color. I just might go crazy if I saw one color all the time. I pair my t-shirt with a pair of jeans. “It’s not like I have anyone to impress at school,” I think to myself, “I’m already friends with most of the boys at school anyway.” I sigh and go to the bathroom I share with my cousin-sister, Elise. I’ve lived with her and my aunt, Jody, since my mother died when I was five. Elise is already there in a loose, pale orange top with a jean skirt and putting on the smallest bit of makeup that our Sector will allow because putting on too much of it wouldn’t be kind or selfless. I never bother with it so I don’t have to deal with it. Elise is combing through her short, curly, light-brown hair when I walk in. “Typical,” I snort pulling my t-shirt over my head.

“Did you say something?” she asks getting closer to the mirror to pin her hair back with pins.

“Nope. Just came in to get dressed, that’s all.” I quickly finish dressing before she can respond, and throw my long hair into a hasty ponytail. I’m almost out of the bathroom when Elise stops me.

“You know, Sierra . . . maybe if you actually tried to look nice once in a while for school, you might actually have a boyfriend,” she teased jokingly.

“And what makes you think that I want one right now, Elise? If I put on as much makeup as you, I’d feel like a doll! I don’t have to impress any guys because I’m friends with them, and I certainly don’t need my little 13 year old sister’s approval either! ”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try, but whatever. It’s your choice. I’m just trying to help you out that’s all,” she paused, “I mean, it’s not like you’re ugly or anything, but you just DON’T try! You’re 16 years old Sierra, and you’ve been single for God knows how long!”

“Whatever, Elise!” I holler back as I trot down the stairs to the kitchen. I notice that Aunt Jody has already left for work. Her shifts as a part-time nurse at the Savant hospital is a little rare as far as the Sectors go because each Sector generally produces certain jobs that correspond with their specialties. Our doctors and teachers usually come from Savant, and Benevole makes farmers for the most part so it’s a little out of the ordinary for a woman from Benevole to be a nurse. I don’t know which Sector she came from originally because most people don’t talk about whether they transferred on their Decision Day. It’s commonly known as D-Day by teenagers, but the adults don’t like the term very much though. Oh well, we use it anyway.