I can hear the footsteps of my fellow faction members surrounding me; pattering of feet in a rhythm, never differing, equal, even, perfect. I try to step in time with them, keep the pattern that was set so many years ago, designed for me to follow. I grasp my younger brother's hand in the crowd as we walk together towards the bus stop.
"Stay next to me, Chuck," I tell him in a low voice, and he nods his curly-haired head in response. I help him onto the bus, holding my hand out for him, as my faction would instruct. I offer a seat to him at the back of the vehicle, while I stand up.
"Are you nervous for today?" Chuck asks, and I pull my lip between my teeth. Today is the day when I take the test to determine which faction I belong in, which faction suits me. It's the day that tells me if I should stay in Abnegation with my brother and father, or to move to another faction, another life.
"No, not at all," I lie through my teeth, relaxing my muscles as I look out the window into the grey sky, the same colour as my jacket and pants. Abnegation grey, the standard uniform for my faction.
The bus jolts to a stop in front of the school, and I pull Chuck back to let the other students off first. I let Chuck walk out before me, just as I should. I bite my lip again, and feel a pang of regret as I realise that I'm only doing these selfless deeds to appease my faction and its members. I would much rather run out of the trains with the Dauntless, laugh cheerfully with the Amity, smile insightfully with the Erudite, or debate with the Candor.
Sometimes, I would rather be anywhere but here with the Abnegation, with their stoic faces and tight-lipped half smiles. Sometimes, the only thing attaching me to this place is the face of my twelve year old brother, his red cheeks and twinkling eyes that look so out of place in the sea of grey.
Tightening the grey band in my (h/c) hair, I release Chuck's hand. "Meet me at the bus stop when school goes out, okay, buddy?" My hands ruffle his brown hair and he jerks away, trying not to grin. He struggles to walk away without running, his feet lifting in an uneven pattern on the pavement. Sometimes, I think that maybe he's not cut out for the monotonous Abnegation, either.
I keep my eyes on my brother until I lose him in the crowd, before heading into the Upper Levels building myself. The school's made of glass and steel, like most buildings in the centre of the city. Of course, I'm unlikely to ever walk in this school again; after the Choosing Ceremony, we won't have an education here again.
I pass a large group of sixteen-year old Amity on my way to Classroom A5, where I have Advanced Science. They're all laughing and smiling, arms around each other, despite the impending aptitude tests in just a few hours. I notice a boy with blond hair limping slightly behind, looking vaguely out of place and uncomfortable, his red jeans and yellow shirt sagging on his lean body, his mouth lowered in a frown.
"Shuck!" I mutter, and immediately cover my mouth as I crash straight into the Amity boy. l scramble to pick up the notebooks and pens I dropped. As the boy bends down to help me, I notice a tired half-smirk on his thin lips.
"Never heard an Abnegation say 'shuck' before," he says, and his pleasant accent surprises me, and I attempt to shrug nonchalantly as he hands me a pencil.
"Never seen an Amity frown before," I retort, and he holds a hand up to help me up. His hand is calloused, warm, and I'm somewhat disappointed when he lets go.
"See ya 'round?" the boy says, though his smile doesn't quite reach his chocolate eyes.
"Sure," I say, even though I doubt I'll ever see him again. The Abnegation and Amity don't coincide much. I blush as he hands me my satchel and runs his fingers through his medium length blond hair.
He turns and gives me a final wave as he runs towards the rest of the Amity, and a surprising, but not unpleasant, warm feeling spreads through me. I shake it off as I walk into Classroom A5 and take my seat quietly, folding my hands over my lap, the image of Abnegation perfection.
It takes me half an hour into the science lesson to realise that I didn't even learn the Amity boy's name.
YOU ARE READING
The Transfers of Dauntless | Newt x Reader
Fanfiction(y/n) (y/l/n). A girl from the selfless faction of Abnegation. She lives under the control of Abnegation with her father and younger brother Chuck. She has always imagined her future as one in her original faction, but finds she begins to doubt her...
