Chapter Text
I was five years old when I first realised that there was more than just one type of person in this world; there were I learned, in my sudden jolt to consciousness, precisely five.
Our city, what was left of the once beautiful Chicago, was encased by towering walls. Inside the cavity of these lay our whole world. We had everything we needed; schools, agriculture, a government that kept the balance, and above all, protected us from what lay beyond the locked gates.
My name is Amy. Well, Amelia Joan Garner if you want to get Candor about it, but hardly anyone wastes that many syllables on me unless they're my mother and I'm in trouble.
I was born in Erudite to an almost spotless Erudite lineage, and have devoted the entire fifteen years of my existence to fitting it's perfect mould, everything from the consistency of my grades to the meticulous creases I keep in the front of my trousers are something I try to be proud of; expectations I'm desperate to maintain.
My parents and I live in the northern-most corner of the Erudite district, one of the furthest blocks from both the school and the laboratory my mother and father worked at; They shared a car and I walked myself to the train platform every day. Most of my classmates were dropped and collected from the front of the school by their parents in their gleaming chrome vehicles but I liked the peace and quiet that the long train ride provided; unless of course the Dauntless were on board. Otherwise, between the repetitive drone of the tracks beneath me and the sprawling city views it was nice excuse to switch my brain off for a while.
It was on that same train that he first spoke to me.
Our house was identical to those all around it, a white concrete cube centred on a square lawn; with the same perfect little paths that lead up from the street to every front door.
I'm days away from starting my final year of general school. In a little over twelve months my classmates and I will undergo the Aptitude exams and then participate in the Choosing Ceremony where we would decide our futures after our biological aptitude would determine whether we should stay or if we should leave our faction behind.
As we were all still under sixteen and dependant, general school was integrated between all five of the factions, mainly we split into our specialized classes. Erudite schedules are science heavy; with a considerable emphasis on chemistry, advanced mathematics and computer technology but for an hour a day all five districts were combined for Faction History.
Even though at school we were social enough, Erudite children never really formed true friendships. I suppose because we were raised to believe relationships got in the way of progress and knowledge, but it really did have the tendency to be lonely.
There's one girl in my class, Sonia, who would have to be my closest thing to a friend. Her parents are scientists like mine and we sat together in all the same classes and during breaks. Sonia is what everyone would refer to as the "perfect Erudite specimen".
She's impeccably put together, polite, well spoken, faultless grades; it's practically been common knowledge that Janine Matthews has had her eye on her for years.
It makes me feel awful about myself whenever I compare myself to Sonia and even worse when my parents do.
"We're so proud of your test results Amy, I bet Sonia did fantastic too!"
"You should invite Sonia around more often!"
"Did you hear Sonia has already been recommended for the leadership apprenticeship program?"
There was no way I could compete with that, so I always just kept my head down and mentally kicked myself for not being smart enough; throwing myself even harder into my school work.
One day after school I climbed onto the train, still frowning about the B I'd just received in Biology; Sonia had gotten an A naturally so I was mentally preparing myself for the disappointing undertones in my parents voices when I’ll have to tell them. I make my way down the aisle and plonk myself into an empty seat, kicking my bag roughly under the chair in front of me.
I turn out the window and prepare myself to stare into space the whole trip home. My mind wanders to the next few years when I'd be no longer dependant and I cringe. Would I be smart enough to work alongside my parents in the laboratory? Or would my sub-par grades catch up with me and I'll be left with no other options than to be a receptionist for someone like Sonia. Even worse, I could be too stupid to even pass Erudite initiation after the Choosing ceremony and even my own faction wouldn't want me.
Even though I know its a whole year away and there was still plenty of time for extra credit and harder study, the weight settles uncomfortably in my stomach and have to I shake the intrusive thoughts from my mind.
"Is this seat taken?"
I jump, startled by the sudden voice right beside me. I look up and there he is. One of his hands grips the back of the chair in front of me and the other clutches a stack of books tightly to his chest.
Eric Coulter.
He raises an eyebrow impatiently and I have to quickly collect myself enough to slide closer to the window; he says nothing as he drops down into the newly emptied aisle seat.
Eric was our next door neighbor's son. A year older than I, he'd be only days away from his Aptitude Test and final exams. Eric had always been a quiet boy; for as long as I could remember he stuck mostly to himself and despite living just feet away from me, I don't think we'd even exchanged more than two sentences in our entire lives. He was almost stronger than Sonia when it came to being a text-book example of the perfect Erudite and I knew after his Choosing Ceremony he'd be bookmarked for big things after initiating into our faction.
He kept his sandy blonde hair combed neat, smoothing down the waves that threatened to escape at the nape of his neck. Today he wore a meticulously ironed blue button-up which only highlighted his rigid, lean frame.
The train has started to build up speed as he straightens the textbooks on his knees and stares ahead, I return to the blurry city-scape out of my scratched window; suddenly extremely conscious of the carriages movement as it brushes our shoulders gently together.
A few minutes into the trip and I notice that I still haven't quite managed to relax. I'm being so careful of any movement I make with him in such close proximity that I must have been sitting as stiff as he was.
After a few refocusing breaths I feel brave enough to sneak a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He's still looking boredly straight ahead and I have just enough time to appreciate the strong lines of his jaw as it brushes against his starched collar when suddenly his grey eyes flick directly towards me and I know I've been caught.
I hastily shift my gaze out the carriage window beyond him and do a very poor impression of as if I'd been looking at something interesting on the other side of the train. His eyes are still on me and his brow furrows; I mortifyingly pull my gaze back to my own window.
I feel his attention linger on me for a moment longer before mercifully, he turns back away.
Angry at how quickly the embarrassment had burned its way into my cheeks, I find myself starting to get irritated by his coldness. Like it wasn't uncommon in Erudite to be a little... unfriendly but the energy Eric was putting out was something else; not so much rude, intimidating maybe?
My stop is approaching and the train begins to slow.
Our stop, I realise far too late as I glance beside me and he's already on his feet, leaning on the headrest of our chair. He jerks his head impatiently to imply I should stand up and join the exiting queue in front of him.
I try to shift my surprised expression into something that resembles gratitude but I'm pretty sure I just blush again. I gracelessly pull myself out of my seat and grip the side of the chair in front of me, waiting desperately for the train to finally slow to a stop so I can just end this weird interaction. I can actually feel his breath warm on the back of my neck beneath my ponytail and I shudder.
After what feels like hours, the whine of the breaks eases as the train finally jerks to a standstill and the crowd of Erudite begin to file off. Once we hit the platform, the mass of blue-clothed figures begin to split off down the streets, some in groups and some walking alone in the direction of our homes.
I start walking toward my street when I'm suddenly aware that Eric is right beside me again.
"See you tomorrow, Amelia." He says so quietly I almost could have imagined it but when I glance toward him his eyes are locked with mine; there's a hint of something in them but I just can’t pick it. Before I can even put together a response, he strides right past me and continues in the direction of our street without looking back.
I have to take a second to collect myself, barely able to stop the frown from forming on my face before I follow his path and start walking; careful not to close too much of the distance between us.