The Ring Pt. 1

A/N: Hey peeps! I am bored as hellllllllllllllllllllllll and want to start Drifting Away ASAP cuz I promised you guys like months ago. Plz review so I can know if this is decent or completely hot garbage. I don't want to get in too deep about the background info, so I'll give you a more descriptive summary from my profile. Cuz I get pretty carried away easily. This will be part of a chapter as a chapter. Chapterception.

Song(s) of the Chapter: Cannonball by Kiesza, Lucid Dreams by Juice Wrld (Explicit) Pity Party by Melanie Martinez (yea I no about the Heller assault thing but i simply do not care)

I OWN NATHANG AND NAWANE. ENJOII

Background story or whatever

Tris Prior and Tobias Eaton were best friends and no more than that since elementary school. But Tris had this huge crush on him and it never went away. She thought that he was kind, nice, helpful, and extremely handsome. But to her, she was just some short average girl who had the dullest hair and eyes in the world. No one told that to her, but she surely thought that. Of course, Tobias thought that she was beautiful. He thought her hair looked like strands of gold. He thought that her eyes were a gorgeous mix of grey and blue. But he didn't think any more than that. Sure, he thought she looked beautiful when she wore dresses to the dances she agreed to go with him and admired her long lashes whenever she looked down at his paper to help tutor him or when she blushed when he complimented her. But it was nothing more. They only went to dances together as friends, or because they were the odd two out at a couples event. To most people, Tris was friend zoned. The last thing you want in a best friend relationship. After the two graduated high school, the two went their separate ways. Tris when to med school in New York, and since Tobias graduated college two years earlier, (A/N: I haven't been to college befour so sorry four by bad description). They barely keep in touch due to Tris' unavailability of free time. But when Tris is about to graduate, the gang decide to meet up to congratulate Tris. And this is where we start.

Tris' POV

May 15, 2018

I laugh as Christina tells me about her experience of handling kids.

"The kid just said no! I legit did not know what to do. What do you do when a kid says no to you? I didn't want to let the kid cry but she wouldn't do anything!" Christina says embarrassed but amused.

"Well, you certainly don't threaten her by "telling" Santa to not get her anything four her!" I counter. Christina has always been super honest and open.

"Well, what was I supposed to do, Tris? Say okay and let her on her merry ding damn way?" Christina argues playfully.

"Touché," I say, lifting my fingers up off the steering wheel as a sign of defeat. Christina smirks. I roll my eyes and focus on driving.

We have a little more small talk and get to our destination quickly. We're all going to meet at this fancy brewpub called Band of Bohemia. It's hella expensive, but apparently, I'm that important that we needed to go to such a pricey place. I've tried reasoning them into going into a cheaper place, but everyone insisted. Well, except Tobias. I haven't seen him in a long time. I heard he's gotten a new girlfriend. He's probably moved on. But thinking about it just makes me not even want to be in a 50-mile radius.

I push those thoughts into a side of my already crowded and busy head. I smooth down my black jumpsuit and lay my jacket over my shoulders as I walk out of the car. It's only May, but it can get pretty damn cold at night. I check my watch and realize we're 10 minutes early. Whoops.

"Goddammit, Tris. You made me have to do my hair and makeup in 20 minutes, and we're ten minutes early," Chris grumbles.

"20 minutes is plenty of time Christina," I defend myself. I can just brush my hair out, put some eyeliner and mascara on, add a tint of lip gloss, and boom.

"Says the girl who is a makeup prodigy," Chris mumbles. I laugh at this. Me? A makeup artist? Definitely not. I mean, putting on eyeliner is pretty easy. Most people can do it. Right?

"Says the girl who practically does makeup every single day and is a manager at a Sephora," I retort.

"Damn Prior, you're good," Chris mutters. I smile in victory.

I walk to the hostess.

"Table for two?" the hostess asks professionally.

"We already have a reserved table from Zeke Pedrad," I reply.

"Oh, okay. Good choice. It's pretty crowded," the hostess jokes. I chuckle in reply. As we get to the table, I see Zeke and Shauna sitting and talking. Shauna stands up and gives me a tight hug as she congratulates me on graduating. Zeke gives me a nod and laughs as Shauna squeezes me tighter than necessary.

"Shauna," I manage to get out. "You'r- kinda- squishing m-" Shauna immediately let's go.

"Sorry," Shauna apologizes. We sit down and catch up on things in life, which you would normally do if you've only talked by text by about 1 ½ -2 years and never seen them in person.

We talk a bit more and Will shows up, looking around the restaurant. Chris waves to him as he smiles and tells the hostess his reservation seat. Chris greets him with a peck as he sits down to the left of Chris.

I notice that everyone's wearing a form of formal clothes, due to the fact that this is a pretty classy pub. Shauna and Chris are wearing short dresses, while I feel a bit underdressed in just a jumpsuit. Will and Zeke are wearing some form of a collared shirt.

Lynn and her girlfriend Valerie show up next, also quite fancy but with Lynn wearing a simple navy ruffled shirt that is something Lynn would not wear on a daily basis. I presume Valerie dragged her into it. I wave to her as she walks to our quite large table.

"Hey guys," I smile as they sit down.

"Hey, Tris. Congrats on your graduation," Lynn replies. She's a bit of a lone wolf, well until Val came along. She still doesn't talk as much.

I see Uriah and Marlene walk in soon right after. I see something on Uriah's neck. Is that... a bowtie? I smile at them as they sit down. I'm doing a bunch of smiling and waving, but it really shows the amount of gratitude I have four them celebrating this event even if we could've just stayed home.

As we're talking and catching up with each other (more of me trying to know what happened the last two years), I hear the restaurant front door open. My eyes widen.

Tobias. With Nina. No, I think its Nita. Yeah, Nita. He walks in, scanning the restaurant looking for us, then asking the hostess probably sick of people asking four "Zeke Pedrad's Table". I look towards the group, avoiding eye contact with Tobias.

"Tris?" I hear behind me.

Damn it.

I turn around.

"Hey, Tobia-" I get interrupted by a snotty, high-pitched voice.

"His name is Four, now, Trish. Only one person is allowed to call him that, right Toby?" Nita sneers. What does he see in her?!

"Mhmm," "Four" says uncomfortably as he sits down, not after pulling out Nita's seat.

Great. This night is going diddly ding dang great.

I notice Four is wearing a plaid collared shirt and Nita wearing a quite revealing halter dress. I gag mentally.

Why do I care so much anymore? He doesn't like you, so get over it.

PAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

BREAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

As we eat, we talk. A lot. I don't try to acknowledge Four's presence, so I avert from looking at him. I know he wants to talk to me, but I don't want to start crying at my own party. This night is going well and I don't want to ruin it. I have no right to be mad at him, but having a crush on your best male friend, getting friend zoned, and finding out he has a girlfriend, isn't something you recover from easily nor quickly.

I hear Four try to make an announcement/toast.

"I would like to make a toast, everyone," Tobias bluntly hiding his obvious excitement.

"Congratulations Tris, for graduating. I always knew you'd go far," Tobias smiles at me. I actually return the smile back four once. And the fact that Nita's pouting like a 3-year-old.

"Nita and I are getting married in August! Isn't that exciting, guys?!" Tobias exclaims excitedly as Nita holds up her hand. My smile drops. There's a large, shiny ring on her ring finger. My heart stops four a second. I look around at the gang. Everyone is shocked with their eyes open. Everyone knows about my crush on Tobias. All but Tobias. I tense up. Please not a panic attack right now, please.

"That's great four you two!" I say with a fake smile plastered on my face. Tears are forming in the back of my eyes. I can't stay here.

"Look, I'm not feeling too good right now, guys. I'll catch up with you guys later," I say standing up from my seat. Everyone nods in understanding except Tobias and Nita.

"But we haven't had dessert yet, Tris?" Tobias says surprised and slightly desperate. I'm not surprised. If you don't see each other four a year or two with no communication whatsoever, you would probably want to catch up with them. But how are you supposed to do that if you had (and possibly still have) a crush on them, finding that they're getting married?

"It's okay, T-Four," I see Tobias flinch as I call him Four as Nita gives me a dirty look. I was one of the only people who called him Tobias, but now since Nita has taken my place as his best female friend and is now his fiancée, I guess that name has shed.

"Eat a piece of cake for me, eh?" I say as I put my jacket over my shoulder and pick up my purse.

"Oh. Ok. Well hope you feel better, Tris," Tobias says disappointedly. Nita gives me this smirk. She probably feels accomplished.

"I'll come with you Tris," Chris says standing up as she grabs her purse. She kisses Will goodbye and waves to everyone else. We walk to my car.

"I'll drive," Chris confirms. I'm too sad to refuse, so I just nod.

We get in the car. The tears start coming out. Christina pats me on the shoulders as we drive home. My face is stained with mascara. But I don't care. I hope I never see him as long as I live.

A/N: OOF. This is one of the most emotionally dramatic chapters I have written. Damn, I'm so close to 2k. Must reach it... lol I have included timestamps so you can keep track of everything. I had this story originally planned in May, but here I am. Typing it in August. That's why the timestamps line up so naicely. I have Tris' clothes on my bio if you are interested, and PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW. I don't use the review section four fishing four compliments, but more if this is decent or hot garbage. I also thank the peeps who actually read my A/Ns, because I usually tell you peeps how I feel about the story so far or random crap. And the more you peeps review, the more chapters I can plan out and release faster. Also, the Band of Bohemia is a real pub in Chicago that is hella expensive. Ok I have school tmrrw and I need to sleep lol bai