CHAPTER 3

FOREWARN: A CRAPY CHAPTER COMING ITS WAY! I face palm myself so many times while writing this. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

'So, Tris Prior.'

As I expected, I'm cornered after school by my four friends, all with that same evil grin plastered on their faces.

'You and Four, huh?' Christina pokes me in the rib jokingly.

I groan, 'there's no "him and me", okay, guys? This is so absurd, we've known each other for like, what, two days?'

'Yeah but two days say a lot of things.' Christina groans like me, and the other three nod in agreement.

I laugh sourly, waving my hands up in surrender, 'okay I'm done with this. There's no "him and me", and there's no "us", so, leave it!' I flip my hair and march away.

Behind me, I can still hear Uriah mutters, 'I bet you anything there's something going on.'

I chuckle under my breath. Let them think what they want to think.

*PAGE BREAK*

The party is going to last, like, all day. I woke up late just now, so now I'm trying to rush everything. Putting on one of my black t-shirt and dark blue jeans, I quickly slip on my black high-heels. I don't bother with makeup and I know this is gonna freak Christina out, but I push that thought out of my mind when I rush out of my house.

Still, I'm five minutes late.

'Where were you?' Christina demands right after I show up on her doorstep. She doesn't give me time to answer that question, 'and what happened to your makeup?'

See?

'Ugh Tris come with me.' She drags me into the house, which is already filled with loud music and the smell of alcohol.

I wrench my arm away, 'Chris I don't want any makeup on, okay?'

She catches my expression and frowns, but seconds later she burst into a huge smile, 'fine, but you're gonna make it up for me later!'

She bounces away, leaving me dumbstruck. Whatever idea she has for me to make up for her, it won't turn out to be good.

'Okay so here you are.' A voice calls from behind me, sending shudders through my body. I turn and see Four, smiling just a tiny bit, 'c'mon, everyone is in the living room. We are playing Truth or Dare, or as Uriah calls it, Candor or Dauntless.'

I grin. I've read the school introduction several times, so I find 'Candor or Dauntless' really suitable.

'Uriah's a genius.' I say, nearly wholeheartedly.

'Yeah course I am!'

Uriah jumps out of nowhere as I enter the living room and I freeze, my near-wholeheartedness vanishing in mere seconds.

'Uriah you scare the hell out of me!' I yell at him, 'and no I've changed my mind, you are not a genius!'

He pouts at me, but I turn away from him with a smirk on my face and unconsciously sitting down next to Four.

When everyone finally stops laughing, Christina points to the boy on her left. He looks strong and sturdy, but has a kind face, and unlike Peter, his eyes are kind too.

'This is Al, Tris. And don't bother to introduce yourself, he knows you.' She says before I can even open my mouth.

'Hi!' I smile at him. He smiles back, but not looking me in the eye. This guy is so shy.

Chris clears her throat, 'as I'm the one to hold this party I'm gonna start first.' She scans the whole room and her eyes land on Uriah.

'Uriah Truth or Dare?'

'You should ask Candor or Dauntless.' He grins.

She waves her hand impatiently, 'whatever. Just answer the question.'

His grin fades into mock seriousness, 'Dauntless.'

'Okay. Go put these on and dance around us for the rest of the game.' Christina holds out a white dress and a wig.

I've never seen something this ridiculous. When Uriah comes out of the bathroom the whole living room immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter. Zeke is rolling on the floor, clutching his stomach while howling with laughter, and even Marlene is shaking so hard from laughing. I can feel tears pooling in my eyes from laughing too much and my cheeks are sore. Slowly, I choke myself back to seriousness. But once Uriah starts to dance like Marilyn Monroe, everyone is laughing again. Even Four can't seem to control himself this time. We sit so close to each other that I can feel his body shaking with laughter.

I've never seen Four this carefree.

'Tris, Candor or Dauntless?' Uriah asks suddenly.

I hold my chin high, 'Dauntless.'

Christina bounces out of her seat and hurries to Uriah's side. She whispers something into Uriah's ear and I can see the horrible sly grin on both of their faces.

Uh oh.

'Chris, no way, this is so unfair!' I shout at her, but she smirks at me.

'This is the result of not wearing makeup tonight, Tris. You said you're gonna make it up for me.'

This. Is. So. Not. Good.

'Tris, I dare you to kiss Four for ten seconds. Not just touching lips, real kiss.' Uriah says, his face somehow manages to stay serious.

I glare, and turn towards Four, my face-I'm so sure about it-is blushing like mad.

'Tris-' Four begins.

I put one hand behind his head and growl under my breath, 'don't bother.' And press my lips to his.

Electricity shoots through my veins. Distantly I can hear them counting the seconds but all of a sudden I don't really care. I can feel him stiffens, and then relaxes.

'Five, four, three-'

Then I feel him kissing me back.

'Two, one.'

I pull apart, slightly out of breath and stare wide-eyed at him. He just shrugs.

The others are wolf-whistling, but I barely hear them. All I want to do now is to drag Four outside and ask him why did he kiss me back.

'Tris! Your turn!' Zeke yells at me.

I brace myself.

'Christina-'

I don't get to ask the whole question because she yells, 'Dauntless!'

'Okay. I dare you to do what I've just done, with Will, for fifteen seconds.'

My words instantly wipe the wide grin on her face. My grin, however, is growing wider.

Ah. Sweet revenge.

The rest of the game includes Zeke dancing around like Uriah, Al kissing his favourite girl in the room-which, to my great shock, turns out to be me-and Shauna and Marlene's drinking contest, me sitting in Four's lap, and Marlene's seven minutes in heaven with Uriah which saves him from more dancing.

When the real dance comes, I just sit by and watch. Not that no one invites me to dance, more that I don't want to dance in jeans and a t-shirt.

I watch Marlene and Uriah on the dance floor-a wide area behind Christina's home-and get a drink for myself. Just as I am about to sit back down, Four shows up beside me.

'Wanna dance?'

I shake my head, astonish as to why he is asking me. There are lots of girls here, and they are nothing short of beautiful.

'Well then.' He sits down next to me, holding his own drink. 'Wanna talk?'

I look at him, 'why kiss me back?'

Oops. I never meant to ask this so blatantly.

'Why can't I kiss the girl I like?' he throws back another question, equally blatant.

I turn my head away from him, my face hot.

'Y'know, I still think my childhood friend is here, somehow.' He says quietly.

I don't respond. This is not right. He likes me because he thinks I'm his friend from his childhood, but how can I be? I mean, wouldn't I be able to remember him, if what he says is true? But I just can't conjure any picture from my mind that has him in it. None.

A girl walks up to him and asks him to dance, but he declines it coldly. I really admire that girl's courage, because as we all know, Four is always cold, and never talks to anyone except his friends.

*PAGE BREAK*

The party ends at nine in the evening. When I leave, Al offers to walk me home. I see Four staring at us as we walk out onto the pavement, a hint of jealousy in his eyes. But it's gone before I can fully register it. I shake my head slightly. Maybe I imagined it.

Halfway home, Al says he wants to take me somewhere. I sneak a look at my watch. It reads 9:10. Still early. So I nod and follow him around a corner, opposite from the one I usually turn to reach home. He smiles shyly at me.

This place is so quiet, I can even hear my own breathing. Al and I walk in silence, but I really want to ask him where we are going. Before I can open my mouth, however, a voice makes my brains stop functioning.

'Well well well, see who we have here?'

Holy crow.

Peter.

A/N: ugh. I'm never writing Truth or Dare scenes AGAIN! EVER! This is crazy. This chapter took me two whole days because it was just SO DIFFICULT to write.

And to my dear , things will figure themselves out. There will be explanations. All in good time:)

I know it's crapy but please review!

-Isabelle