Diversity

Today's the day Astrid thought happily as she brushed thru her long brown hair and donned her red flare pants and yellow tunic. Today was the aptitude test. The day someone would finally say she didn't belong in amity red but rather erudite blue. For years she knew she didn't belong in the fields working her life away, she loved learning too much to find the manual labor anything other then necessary. She often thought of her predicament as bittersweet, she loved her parents but she knew she didn't belong. She was nice as all amity were but she tended to be cynical and a little vain. Both traits not encouraged by her faction but welcomed by the bookish eruditess. She knew she'd feel welcomed and not so alone in her own world. She brushed her cloths down and looked at her reflection in her mirror as to somehow illustrate the point. The girl she saw was tall and had toned arms, wide shoulders and a large bust. Her braid hung low to her mid back, her lash rimmed eyes a sort of honey brown, and her nose a litte too long but upturned. Her lips plush but not necessarily big. She thought the face held a sort of practical  beauty. She turned from the mirror satisfied with what she saw and made her way down the hall.

She quickly smiled as she walked into the kitchen where her mother most often times was and was happily surprised to see her father because he was usually already at work. Even though they were both well into their fifties they worked almost everyday. Her father more so, even though he was the picture of health, all muscle and glowing skin he was aged well beyond his beyond his years. Yet another reason she didn't relish the idea of work in the sun.

"Hello mother, hello father." She chimed.

"Well don't you look happy, I suppose I needn't even ask if you're nervous." Her mother said with an equally bright smile.

"Well I wouldn't say I'm not nervous, I'm just too excited to feel much anything else."

"You know which ever faction you choose we will still love you, you know that right?" Her father said in a tired but loving voice. Her equally tired looking mother nodded beside him. It seemed like they knew if she had her way she wouldn't return to their humble home. Despite knowing she would leave both of their faces held a sort of sad peacefulness.

"I know papa. I know. I love you both too-" She gave a sidelong glance at the clock growing more worried that her daydreaming made her inexcusably late. "But I'm gonna be late if I don't leave now I have twenty minuets to get there." And with that she hurriedly hugged and kissed her parents. She had three older brothers that lived not far from the house they were raised in but she didn't havethe time, and she knew they'd understand.

After running as fast as she could towards her destination she stopped at the back of the Amity line in a huff and looked around at the other expectant faces before she focused on a small commotion in the throngs of people. Quickly she sought out the noise and sure enough it was in the line next to hers, there was a Condor boy baiting and taunting a boy from Abnegation. It only took a moment to figure out what the one sided argument was about. Astrid felt light pricks of anger as her legs seemed to propel her in the direction of the two, she believed it was wholeheartedly unfair to target people who would not and could not stick up for themselves.

"You're upsetting him, and because I know that your people value the truth, I can truthfully say you're upsetting me. How bored must you be to try and start a fight with an abnegation? You know they aren't confrontational. My suggestion to you Condor is to be quiet and not cause any more issues. I don't think it's wise considering what today is." He angled himself towards her and looked her up and down in a leering way. She felt like he was trying to intimidate her but it wasn't working very well.

"Well look it here an Amity, speaking of people that are supoosedly non confrontational and peaceful." He smiled down at her. Astrid looked to her right and saw the curious eyes of an abnegation girl. Strange.

"Peacefull yes, non confrontational no. What you're doing is wrong, you're being a bully, and not even a good one. You think you're so clever for repeating what you read in a paper, do you know for a fact that they are hoarding away food? And so what if they feed the factionless you seem like you're eating very well it shouldn't bother you that they're getting our extras. Now please for you're sake and my sanity go back to your line and be quiet." She turned and caught the eyes of the boy she was defending and smiled lightly.