"Quiet please!" The woman says into the microphone.

It becomes silent almost immediately as all eyes become fixated on the woman. She's short with long blond hair, red glasses, and she looks to be in her early thirties. She has an excited expression on her face and she seems to be searching the crowd for someone, probably a son or daughter.

"I bet you are all very excited aren't you?"

A loud cheer echoes through the room.

With a smile she continues, "This year is a special year! Not only is it the next fiftieth year in line but it is the one thousandth year in total! To celebrate that, we will be adding something very special, something our scientists have been working on for quite some time!"

Everyone starts murmuring about what this 'special thing' could be, and I find myself pushing forward a bit to get a better view of the stage.

I'm almost ten feet from the stage when a hand stops me, "Where are you going, stranger?" A familiar voice asks.

I turn around quickly and come face to face with my cousin, Jennifer. Her long red hair is In a neat Dutch braid, and her brown eyes are lined with black eyeliner, like mine.

"You're back from Florida!" I exclaim, giving her a hug.

"What? You think I'd miss this for a beach, some palm trees and a big, million year old Disney castle?" She grins as we walk back to our group of friends. I'm reluctant to leave the closeness of the stage, but I do want to see my friends reactions when they see Jen again. We were all so upset when she told us she was going to miss the Choosing.

The woman starts speaking again, "As most of you should know, the people whom are chosen are taken for up to a year of training to be able to properly use the Abilities! Of course, these will not be able to be kept forever, as that is dangerous to society..."

The room bursts into applause.

She continues, "Well I won't bother you will the details! Oh! Except for one special person that is. That one person will be crowned the title of 'Infinite' and will be able to keep their chosen skill forever along with the ability to LIVE forever!"

Excitement fills the eyes of all in attendance at the sound of those words.

Would I really have the skills to become the infinite? Will I be chosen? Thoughts, wonders and 'what if's' fill my head. I divert my attention back to the woman as she finishes the speech, "..and now we can begin choosing!" More cheers erupt, even louder than before.

"As usual we will begin with age twelve and work our way up," she says, opening up the envelope in her hand.

She beings reading off names. I listen intently for Hanna's name, my face falls when she announces that she is moving onto the Thirteens. Hanna runs over to me with tears streaking her face. This was what she had been waiting her whole, short life for.

I hug her tight saying, "Hey it's okay Hanna. Me and you can train for whatever you wanted to learn. We can be just as good as any initiates, even better! We don't need science and technology to make us amazing! Who needs superpowers?"

She smiles up at me and says "I love you Aria. I'll go home and watch the rest on TV okay? I don't want anybody else to see me cry."

I tell her I'll see her soon and that I love her too as she walks toward the exit and out of sight. I listen half heartedly as the woman keeps listing names and waiting for that excited person to run up onstage. I keep thinking about what it would be like to be chosen, when I realize she is already on the fourteen year olds. I look over at Anna's face which is clearly showing her excitement and hope. I wait to hear her name called, but it doesn't happen. She turns away from us and starts to walk towards the door. An organizer stops her on her way out, but I'm not sure why. She walks over through the hallway to another room, where I can see a few more people are. Why aren't they in here to see if they get chosen?

"Thousands of teenagers dreams crushed in one day. What an accomplishment," Carrie mumbles, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I dread when they would soon call out all the sixteen year olds and I surely wouldn't be among them. I know how disappointed I will be when it happens. More anger boiled up inside me when I saw Laura's face after she hadn't been chosen. Out of all of us she had been the one who never stopped talking about it. She was even more excited than Jen, which seemed to be impossible. I wanted to walk out that exit after her without waiting and not come back; Sadly that's not allowed.

Now, something unexpected happens.

"Jennifer Blake?" The woman says, looking through the crowd to find her.

"Oh my gosh Jen! You got chosen!" I squeal, forgetting my bitter thoughts towards the whole thing.

She hugs me and runs up on stage, with a look of shock and excitement. She stands behind the woman with all the other 16 year olds that were chosen so far.

I'm bursting with happiness for Jennifer but am still upset that Laura, Anna and Hanna were not chosen. I stand with Carrie and watch as more people go up on stage. I can't help but be jealous of my cousin. She looks to proud to be up there, yet humbled to have been chosen for such an experience.

My mind starts to wander until I hear, "Aria Parker." My head shoots up and I turn to Carrie to see if what I heard was real. Her eyes are wide with shock and she pushes me toward the stage. I walk slowly up the stairs, suddenly feeling very shy. I take my place next in line, a shocked look still on my face. The woman finishes with the Sixteens, and starts on the Seventeens while we are escorted inside another room. Everybody who was or will be chosen today are supposed to be in this room.

A man walks up to our group and says coldly, "You will all wait here until all the chosen from today are in this room. Don't talk please just.. wait," He then walks away.

"He was friendly," I say dryly.

The guy behind me laughs. I turn around and say he says "Hi, I'm Nate."

"Aria." I smile.

"Mr. Brooks and Ms. Parker please be quiet!" The man snaps. I glare at him. And how does he memorize our names so fast? We literally were chosen two minutes ago.

"I don't see why we should be quiet," a girl with blond and green hair says, interrupting my thoughts. "We're just waiting for more people to get here."

I'm about to respond when the doors open again. A group of people flood in, obviously the Seventeens. A familiar high pitched scream fills the room.

"ARIA!" I turn around stunned to see Carrie standing there with the other chosen Seventeens. I can't believe it. My best friend got chosen. My cousin was chosen. I was chosen! My head is spinning. Too many emotions for one day!

"Ms. James, quiet please!" The man yells at Carrie.

"Gosh, what's his problem?" Nate mutters.

A woman in a skirt suit and black high heels walks into the room. "Alex!" She snaps. "Would you leave these poor children alone!"

The man, Alex, curses under his breath. I turn back to Nate. He is taller than me, has light brown hair, and bluish green eyes that look like the ocean. He has a sharp jawline and a barely noticeable adam's apple.

He smiles at me while I study his face. Geez, I'm awkward. "Aria, tell me about yourself"

I open my mouth to speak but then think, what is there to tell? I'm not very interesting.

"Well." I start, trying frantically to find something intelligent to say. "I'm sixteen, but um I guess that's pretty obvious."

He laughs.

"I have a little sister named Hanna, she's twelve. I like reading and watching movies a lot. I love superheroes and mysteries. Also I'm first in my gymnastics class."

I cringe after saying it. Did that sound like I was bragging? It wasn't supposed to.

Thankfully he doesn't seem think so and instead smiles and says "I think you and me will get along pretty good then."

He looks like he's about to continue when the woman who walked in earlier says, "Now, you're all here. My name is CeCe Williams and I am one of the people in charge here. If you are not already with the group of your own age please go stand with them."

A few people walk back towards their groups.

"Thank you." She smiles. "Stay in your groups until the train arrives please."

She walks away without explaining anything more.