The Set Up

This has got to be the longest basketball game in history.

Tris shifts yet again, trying to find a comfortable way for her to sit in the tiny blue bleacher seat, and curses herself. This is why you never agree to set ups by Christina.

Over the past week or so of texting and Facebook instant messaging, Tris had thought Peter seemed nice and that was the impression both Christina and Peter gave off. Funny. Genuine. Normal. When Peter suggested going to a basketball game for their first date, Tris reluctantly agreed. Basketball isn't really her thing but it could be okay. And, as far as first dates go, it would probably be better than staring at each other in a restaurant after they run out of things to talk about before their entrees even arrive.

Plus, when Tris texted back that she didn't really know anything about basketball except what she remembered from high school, which wasn't much, and Peter responded that Tris shouldn't worry about her lack of knowledge and that he'd teach her a thing or too. The text came off flirty with a gentle bit of teasing with a 'winky' face emoticon to boot. Tris remembers smiling a little at that time. This guy could be fun. Plus, how bad could a basketball game really be?

The answer, of course, is horrible. Painful. A never-ending train wreck that is officially the worst first date of her entire life.

In person, Peter isn't flirty or funny or even nice. He's more than a little rude and self-absorbed and just mean. Also, when they'd been texting back and forth, Tris thought it was sort of considerate, in a way, how quickly Peter responded to her. He wasn't one to leave Tris hanging or let the conversation stall but now Tris knows that the reason for the quick responses is that Peter's got his phone permanently glued to his palm. It's four minutes into the second quarter of this horror and Tris is pretty sure Peter has spent more time looking at his phone than paying attention to the game, much less his date.

At least in restaurants you can make conversation with the server or talk about your meals when the conversation goes to hell. At a game, it is just the two of them (or three if you want to count Peter's phone) sitting there with nothing to talk about watching sweaty men run around in circles playing a game that Tris only barely understands.

Tris is debating how truly awful it would be if she just said she was going to the bathroom and took off (would Peter even notice she was gone?), when the guy on her other side bumps her knee into hers. They've been doing that all night. Silently negotiating their shared armrest. Shoulders knocking together when one of them shifts in their seat. Their hands brushing when Tris hands over a beer to the guy from a beer vendor. At her glance, the guy murmurs a "Sorry" under his breath and then shoots Tris a wink after a quick glance at Peter on her other side. Tris swallows and looks away, unsure what to say. Really hot guys never wink at her. The guy tilts his head to take in the whole picture of Tris, Peter, and Peter's phone on the worst date ever and then leans over to whisper for Tris' ears only. "Let me guess. First date?"

Tris gave him an amused glance with a half grin, "What gave it away?"

The guy chuckles a little at that and continues. "Set up?" Tris gives a small, embarrassed nod. "Son of your mom's friend?"

"No," Tris says, forcefully enough to make Peter glance up from his phone but Tris doesn't notice this, too busy glaring at the guy to her right. Her mom doesn't set her up with her friends' sons. Not yet anyway. "Coworker of a friend."

The guy smirks again. "I wonder how he's still single?"

Tris shrugs with a soundly laugh as the guy continues. "Speaking of—how are you still single?" At that, Tris can feel the blush rising in her cheeks and looks away, hiding a grin. "That sounded a lot better in my head," Tobias' ears turn a slight tinge of red and Tris smiles. Since when do hot guys wink and flirt with her? She needs to start coming to more basketball games. "I'm Tobias by the way," Tobias says and holds out a hand.

"Beatrice, but my friends call me Tris." Tris shakes and they hold onto each other's hands on just a beat too long. "So we know why I'm here but why are you here?" She questions.

"Honestly, I love the game."

"Really? You don't seem like the type," Tris says, completely shocked. Then she realizes what she just said. "Oh God. I'm sorry—No offense—I didn't mean it like that—I don't mean to— Well, you look more like you're into something like hockey or football. Not really basketball."

"Relax. I'm kidding," Tobias cuts off Tris' horrible blunder of an apology. "Sorry but I couldn't resist. You're cute when you blush." Tris just barely resists the urge to cover her face with her hands and wonders if the Grand Canyon is a large enough hole for her to fall into right now.

"Hey." Tobias nudges her shoulder and Tris glances over. "See that guy at the end of our row?" Tobias leans back to give Tris a clear shot of the man. He's loud and large and boisterous, wearing a suit at least a size too small with sweat dotting his brow and a beer clutched in his meaty grip. "That guy is like my firm's biggest client. Every so often he picks one or two of us and drags us out to use his season tickets for the night as a thank you."

"That's nice," Tris says. "What'd you do to earn the honor?"

"We got his moron of a son off for a traffic violation," Tobias explains in an undertone so it won't carry, gesturing to the woman sitting next to him. "And it would be nice if the guy wasn't a total ass. See that girl next to him?"

Tris glances over. The woman on the other side of Tobias' coworker is beautiful and at least twenty years younger than the man she's with. "Daughter?" she questions hopeful for the girl's future.

"Nope," Tobias says and they both shudder. "Plus, I have to just nod along with most of what he says because saying anything else would get me fired."

Tris nods in sympathy and understanding. She's got a few of those at her office too. "Makes for a long night."

"Normally, yeah—but tonight isn't turning out too bad," Tobias says almost shyly and they grin at each other. "So I'm talking way too much. What do you do?"

They chat for the rest of the second quarter until Tris starts feeling really guilty that she's been ignoring her date. It doesn't really matter that her date started ignoring her first, that's no excuse for being rude. She and Tobias finish up their conversation with a polite nod and each turn back to the people they arrived with. Tris tries to engage Peter in any topic of conversation and Tobias resumes talking with his coworker.

During one of the many lulls in her conversation with Peter, Tris overhears the woman say, "We agreed to suffer through this together Tobias. We weren't even halfway through before you left me hanging to flirt with some girl."

Tobias' hushed response of "What do you expect Shauna? She's cute and entertaining." makes Tris blush again.

The halftime show is just finishing up when Tris gives up attempting to talk to Peter anymore. With Tris 'wanting a relationship' and Peter already in one with his phone, it's clear that this really isn't going to work out. She's trying to figure out a polite way to bow out of the rest of the game with Peter as the Kiss Cam starts up.

Tris watches as an older couple smiles in recognition upon seeing themselves on screen and turn to kiss through giggles. The next couple starts shaking their heads as soon as they pop on screen, each pointing to the people sitting next to them. As the crowd starts booing a little, they turn to each other and give a little shrug of too bad before turning away to kiss the people they actually came with.

It takes Tris a beat to recognize that the couple now on screen is her and Peter. Shocked, she turns to Peter to see that the man is still just staring at his phone. Tris nudges him with her shoulder but Peter only gives a grunt in response and doesn't look up. Bewildered, and more than a little embarrassed, Tris turns to Tobias with her mouth slightly open in shock. Can you believe this?

Tobias takes this as his opportunity to make a move on Tris.

They both lean in though. The kiss is soft and warm and makes Tris' stomach feel jittery –but a good kind of jittery. Tobias lifts a hand to cradle Tris' cheek and slips his tongue between Tris' lips as Tris balls a hand in Tobias' shirt to pull him just a little closer. Well aware that thousands of people are watching them, they eventually break away and share a grin while the crowd around them cheers.

They glance back up at the jumbotron just as the next couple comes up. This pair starts enthusiastically making out as soon as the camera is on them and the picture quickly changes to another couple. As the Kiss Cam continues, Tris and Tobias stay leaning into each other, Tris' hand still holding Tobias' shirt with one of her hands resting on top of it.

The final couple that comes on screen is none other than Peter, still just looking at the phone, and the woman sitting opposite him. She instantly starts shaking her head and the crowd laughs. Peter looks up from his phone and glances at the screen just in time to see the woman turn to kiss the woman sitting opposite her. The then crowd laughs again at Peter's bewildered expression when he finally sees his date cozied up to some other guy.

"This is bullshit. I'm leaving." Peter stands, the tone of his voice obviously showing a bit of embarrassment. He attempts to get to the aisle by walking past Tris but Tris doesn't shift so Peter can slip by. After ignoring her all night does this guy really think Tris is going to move so he can walk out on their date? They glare at each other for a half a second before Peter turns to walk out the other side of the row.

Tobias and Tris are silent as they watch Peter walk out. "Good riddance," Tris says and Tobias chuckles.

"Agreed. Plus, now it won't be so awkward when I ask you out for a drink after this."

Tris smiles and looks down at their joined hands on the armrest. "Just so you know, I don't normally do this kind of thing." At Tobias' raised eyebrow, Tris continues. "Flirt with other guys when I'm on a date. This isn't like—a usual occurrence or anything. I'm… not like that."

"I didn't think so," Tobias says. "Plus I make it a point not to play on my phone on a date so no worries about this happening again on our first date."

"First date?" Tris is confused. "When did I agree to a first date?"

Tobias blushes full on now. He never expected to be so flustered by few words from a girl. "I kind of... assumed?"

"Relax, I'm kidding," Tris grins at him. "I was kinda hoping that I'd get your number either way."

"So, besides tonight being the unofficial event if Shauna tags along, where would you want our first date?"

"Anywhere once it isn't a basketball game."

Fin.