Hey peeps!
Chapter 6, and can I just say to the one guest reviewer who wrote about the random acts of kindness to the nerds – THANK YOU SO MUCH! That is like, the best idea, and is definitely be included. How he comes to that realisation you will have to see….
Even though this story is rated T, I would say that this chapter is a T/M, mainly because there is a fair bit of abuse and referencing in in.
TRIS POV
I walk through the streets with Al, occasionally dragging him into a newsagents to buy snacks for tonight. I'm surprised that we are both not obese based on the amount we eat, and don't burn off. I guess we are just lucky. With our shared money we buy multiple fizzy drinks, and quite a few bags of crisps and sweets.
"Tris?" Al asks. Oh dear, this will probably be something bad. That is the only reason that Al would be speaking in that nervous voice.
"Yes?" I ask. I'm quite worried now about he's going to question.
"When you forgive Four… are you going to forget about me?" Anger bristles inside me. It seems stupid, but I am really annoyed at Four for making Al feel that way.
"When I forgive him, which, by the way is a long way off, we would only be friends. You're much better than him, Al." I growl. Al should not feel threatened by Four.
"But you seemed more relaxed around him earlier…" He says, and I detect some envy in it.
"Yes Al, that's because you were there." My tone gentler. "I feel so much safer with my best friend right by my side. Also, Zeke and Uriah, I sort of forgot about their asshole-ness because I got caught up in their jokes before I found you." It's all true.
Al visibly relaxes, and breathes a sigh of relief. "So when do you think you'll forgive Four?" I frown. Why is Four the main topic of every conversation?
"Honestly I don't know. It will take a while." I say. "But can we move on from Four? He's not as important as our friendship so please let's talk about something else." But Al doesn't budge.
"If I were horrible to you would you drop me? Never forgive me?" I am now getting a bit pissed off.
"Al, I don't know. Please, if you want to see, why not give it a try? If this is still about me forgiving Four, wait, are you on his side or something?" My voice grows more irritable my every word. Al fervently shakes his head.
"Never." He growls. "What he did to you was completely wrong." I couldn't agree more. "But maybe you should give him a second chance? But not now, I mean, but not as far off as you suggest."
I don't know what to do. There is my anger at Four, and then there is him himself, asking for my forgiveness. And then there's Zeke and Uriah, his best friends, who I became slightly friendly with today. Surely I can't befriend them without befriending him? Of course then there's Al, saying that I should forgive him sooner than I think, but not now.
Why is this so confusing?
"Ok. Al, I'll forgive him sometime, but not for him. For me, because I don't like being angry. But for now, let me just be as pissed off at him as I like." He snorts.
"Knowing you, that's not a lot."
"I'm offended. I can be very mean if I want to." He raises his eyebrow at my comment.
"I doubt you can, but whatever. Now, lets just have fun." I smirk when he says this.
"You do realize how utterly perverted and pedophilic that sounds, right?" He brushes this off easily.
"Then you will have to make to with a pedophile for your best friend." He smiles at me creepily. We reach my house and I let us in, and put everything on the table.
"So, what to first, Mr Pedo?" I ask. He laughs maliciously.
"The bedroom, obviously." He says in a spooky voice. I follow him up the stairs and into my room. He looks around.
"Ooh, new artwork!" He speed walks over to my desk and picks up the water colour picture of the swing set.
"What's this from?" He questions. I shrug, and lie my way out. I don't want to tell Al that Tobias and Beatrice had a secret spot too.
"Oh nothing really, I saw it somewhere and was inspired." He nods, but I can tell he doesn't believe me.
"We could work on the art homework? The one inspired by someone close to you?" I nod my head, showing that I agree.
I go over to my desk and grab two pieces of watercolour paper. Al isn't bad at art at all, so I trust him with my special paper.
I hand out the paints, and bring over the water I used this morning. It's still usable, not dark or murky. I get us some paintbrushes and we lie on my floor.
"Let's get started." He says, and we do.
Working on my favourite drawing I planned in class, I start to roughly sketch the outline of a game controller. Al loves to game, so I think this will be one of the main parts. Once I have satisfactorily drawn it, I move on, having a few paintbrushes sticking out the side, the tops hidden behind the control.
Then I have a stroke of inspiration – I start to outline the name of the café that's back is our secret spot. I know it's not the most glamorous of places, but it means something. No-one goes back there, not even staff, and Al and I used to go to that café a lot before it got inhabited with pinks.
It actually looks quite good, a drawn collage of things to do with Al. Not finished, obviously. I look next to me to see how Al is getting on.
When I do, it's like it struck a nerve. I feel slightly numb, or even sick. But not because it's a bad drawing, but because of how me it is.
The swing set I had painted is in the middle, but it looks like it is on a tiny island lost at sea. The sea is the colour of Four's eyes, and it looks like it is being swarmed by paintbrushes and musical notes.
I gasp.
Al looks over to me. "Is it really that bad?" He jokes. I shake my head.
"It's beautiful… but why did you include the swing set?" I ask him.
"Because I knew you were lying to me. I know this means something to you, Tris. You can't lie at the best of times." He can always see straight through me. Is a burden and a blessing, really.
FOUR POV
After the last bell rang I quickly leave class. I don't bother to wait for Zeke or Uriah to drive me home, instead, I walk.
The streets are incredibly quiet, and I like it. Makes a lovely change to the racket at school. But annoyingly, every good thing has to come to an end – there is a blast of One Direction music and a pink sports car rounds the corner.
Oh god, the popular girls.
They pull up on front of me, and the leader, Lauren, sticks her head out the window.
"Hey Four," She says, twirling her hair around her finger. "Want to come back to mine?" God no, slut. I'd rather boil myself alive than have you throw yourself at me.
I shake my head.
"Come on Four, stop playing hard to get. 'Cause you're playing, real hard." Gross. If you're going to make a sex reference, do it where people won't judge you. Because I'm judging, a lot.
"Piss off Lauren. I don't give a shit about you, or your pink friends." I growl at them. Lauren rolls her eyes.
"Well fine Four, but remember to call me when you want to have a little fun…" She smirks and drives off. I honestly hate her.
To distract myself I think about Tris. She really doesn't seem ready to forgive anytime soon… I really wish it was different. I understand that what I did was beyond wrong, and not just the fact that I bullied her. I left her – and didn't try to reach her.
I try to comfort myself – that wasn't entirely my fault. Marcus stopped me from getting in contact with anyone outside school. I only got together with my friends when I was sure he'd be working until late. Rarely I got caught, but when I did the punishments were very severe.
I need some way to make it up to Tris. But nothing big, I know from experience that when you hate someone and they force themselves onto you it doesn't end well. I know, that Tris and I will not end like this.
But it hurts, so much, that she replaced me so easily. Al is a great guy, but it's not much comfort. She seems so close to him, they're even having a sleepover like we used to. He tickles her, he laughs with her, he helps her, he sticks up for her. I used to do that – but then I became the person that Al helped and stuck up for her from. A dreadful turn in the tables. She thinks that I can't just hate Tris and not hate Beatrice, but I never even hated Tris.
I miss her.
I reach my door, and even before I open it I am blasted by the strong smell of alcohol. This will be bad.
I slowly open the door, in the hopes that he won't notice. Alcohol is meant to dim the senses, but I guess for Marcus it works in reverse. I barely make a sound, but there he is, on the sofa, staring straight at me.
"Son. You're late." He growls. I gulp, the only reason I'm a few minutes late is because Lauren and her posse held me up.
"Sorry." I squeak. I hate myself for being so scared of him. People perceive me as brave, as dauntless but I'm really not. I'm just a little kid who gets scared of his father.
He starts to undo his belt, and fear racks through my body. He motions for me to get down on my knees, and I do so. Not even bothering to remove my shirt.
"Tobias," His voice is leering. "This is for your own good, you know." His voice is fake, the kind he would use when speaking to guests, or people like the Priors.
The belt lashes down on me, and I grit my teeth. I can't give him the satisfaction of hearing me in pain. The belt just keeps coming, and when the pain gets too extreme I just scream into my arm. He doesn't stop.
When black spots cloud my vision, he finally loses it. He screams my name and kicks my side repeatedly, shouting at me that I am worthless, I am selfish, I am a coward. Darkness consumes me.
TIME SKIP
I wake in agony: My body stiff and my side burning. But they make no comparison to my back, which feels as if it is being stripped, layer for layer, and stabbed. My hunched position doesn't help.
I take in my surroundings. Dark, and small – the closet. Fear starts to build inside me, but I shove it down, I must see if I can get out.
I move my arm and groan. This will be more painful than ever. I feel around me slowly and shove every wall, eventually finding one that moves. The closet door creaks open when I shove it and I look around. Must be around 5am.
I stand up, ignoring the searing pain that jolts through me every time I move.
I go to the bathroom and lock the door. I turn on the shower and step in. Dry blood flakes to the floor, immersed in water and new blood turns everything pink. Once I am done I go to my room, where I keep bandages for this very purpose. I wrap some around me, quite tight but not so that I can't breathe. I notice a purplish swelling around my ribs.
I dress in the uniform, but this time not disregarding it. I tuck in my shirt and pull my blazer over the top – the more layers between the world and my back the better.
I quietly move down the stairs, praying that the devil is still asleep, and to my good fortune he is. I find my bag at the door where I left it yesterday. I dig around in it until I find my phone, and I dial Zeke's number. He picks up after 2 rings.
"Hey, what's up?" He asks. Wouldn't it be so nice to have a normal life like his?
"Oh, not much. But when are you going to pick me up today?"
"I'm outside your house you dimwit. Just about to ring the doorbell." I widen my eyes in fear.
"No! Don't!" I whisper-shout. I swiftly open the door and step outside. Zeke stands there looking confused.
I hang up, and explain.
"My dad's sleeping. He can get grumpy when he doesn't get enough sleep, as he was working late last night. I want him to sleep." Lies. Zeke just nods in approval and I follow him to his and Uriah's car. I climb in the back, not wanting much attention today.
Thankfully the two brothers talk to each other the whole ride.
TRIS POV
I go to sleep, Al lying on the mattress next to my bed. As soon as I close my eyes, sleep overtakes me.
*Dreaming*
I walk into the school, but instead of the normal buzzing atmosphere I notice there is something off about today. Nervously I walk to my locker, but when I am not even half way there something springs out at me.
I scream in shock. But it's just Four, no-one special, no-one planning on mugging me. Phew.
"Hi, Tris." He says smiling. I don't smile back, as I don't like him.
"Where's your flute?" He asks. I raise an eyebrow. I start to hold up my hand, as if to indicate that I am holding it. But it's not there.
"And where's your violin? What about your clarinet? I can't steal your keyboard that easily, but I stil had loads of fun wrecking it." I gasp. My instruments! What has he done to them!
People start to walk forward with random pieces of shrapnel in their hands, but only after a while do I realize that that's not what it is. It's pieces of my broken flute. And my clarinet. And my violin.
My eyes brim with tears. Sure, I can get more instruments to continue playing, but these ones had meaning – my grandma's flute, the violin that Tobias and I picked out from the shop, the clarinet that has been passed down the generations without being played until now.
I fight the tears back, but they keep pushing forward.
"Aww, is Trissy crying?" Four asks in a baby voice. Everyone else mock pouts. I look at my feet.
"Look! She's embarrassed!" Something flashes in my face. I look up, startled, and see Four looking at his phone.
"A picture of her crying, with the caption 'biggest loner/loser the world has ever seen. Hate.' This is going on Facebook!"
The tears run down my face and I try to run away. But he catches my arm before I can.
"Tris! Wait! I'm sorry!" Everyone else starts to fade into the background. Despite that I don't want to, something forces me to forgive him.
I nod. But then he breaks into a smirk.
"Hah. She thought I was telling the truth. This is even more hilarious!"
I wake up drenched in sweat. What was that? Why did I forgive Four in my dream? I guess I just can't control what I dream about.
I shake it off, but I can't rid myself of the anger. I forgave Four, in the dream, I mean, and he threw it back in my face.
I dress in silence, attempting not to stir Al. However with no success. He straightens up and looks around. I am still changing, and stand in just my school shirt and some underwear – exposing my short and skinny legs.
He and I both blush.
"Well, er, that's not something you see often." He says, breaking the awkwardness. I grin at him mischievously.
"What? Does this," I strike a pose. "Turn you on?"
He laughs.
"You just wish you had that effect on me. Sadly, you're not quite masculine enough." I smile and pull on my skirt.
He picks up his clothes and walks to the bathroom.
I make my bed and go downstairs. The dream I had still haunts me a bit, but I don't want to care about it.
Al comes downstairs and we leave the house.
When we get to school I push through the main doors. This reminds me of my dream, but now I have Al by my side.
We walk through the hallways together, getting a lot of weird looks, and I can understand why. He's the only gay in the school and I'm the girl who forced Four into tears.
Something hits the back of my head, and I turn around to see one of the popular girls, name unknown, smirking at me.
"Do you have problem?" I ask, obviously not really interested.
"Yeah. You. What goes on between you and Four? Sometimes you're friends, sometimes you act like you hate him. Tell us what's going on." She whines.
"Firstly, my social life has nothing to do with you. Secondly, Four and I are not friends. I enlisted his help yesterday so I could find my actual friend, Al." I growl. She gets a smug smirk on her face.
"Oh yeah… Al. The gay one. Does he have a boyfriend yet? No. I can see why, I mean look at him." She looks over to Al and scans him up and down with her eyes, not in the way you would when you were checking someone out though, in the critical, menacing way.
"There's nothing wrong with Al. But there is something wrong with you. Shove off and leave us alone." My voice is calm and controlled, but inside I am fuming.
"Or what?" She walks over to me and pushes me backwards. I stumble a bit, but hold my ground.
"Leave us alone." I say firmly.
"No." Is all she says. She shoves me again, but this time I block her hands and push her back instead. She slowly walks back towards me, and puts one hand on her hip.
"I could ruin you." She says. I scoff.
"Please, you've tried for the past two years and I still have better friends, grades, and talents than you." She narrows her eyes, but I continue. "You realize that in the future, no-one's gonna care about the prissy, spoilt, and self-righteous brat. You won't get anywhere in life. Ever."
Shit. This clearly sets her over the edge, and her face goes twisted in anger. She pushes me, with what I think is all the power in her body. I fall on my butt, but she strangely walks away before she continues. Confused, I look around and see Four walking towards me. Great.
"Tris? Are you ok?" He asks when he reaches me. He offers me his hand, but I glare and him and stand up myself.
"I'm fine. I certainly don't need your help. Please do exactly what I told that bitch over there to do and leave. Me. Alone!" I hiss the last three words at him. I can see the hurt cloud over his eyes, but then it disappears.
"Fine." And he walks away. I turn to Al who was watching the whole thing. He raises his eyebrows at me.
"Well…" I don't let him finish.
"Let's just go to class."
FOUR POV
I walk away, hurt. I forced myself to act like I wasn't too upset, but I'm not sure how well that worked. I'm pretty sure she saw the sadness I felt.
I go to first period, but to be honest, I don't pay attention at all. My thoughts only revolve around Tris, and her words. Leave. Me. Alone!
There was such venom, such hatred. I feel sick that I am the reason.
I leave class when the bell rings, and just hang around the corridors, not even bothering to go to my next lesson.
Someone comes up to me, but I don't really care. It's probably a slut looking for a 'good time'. Their words, not mine.
But it's not. It's Al, Tris's best friend.
"So… How are you going to make it up to her?" He asks. The one question I always ask myself, the trouble is, I don't even know.
"I don't know. I think of all these things to do, but then I know they wouldn't be right. Tris is too good to have her friendship bought back. I have no idea what to do. I constantly think about it." I don't know why I am opening up to my rival in friendship.
"I have an idea." He leans in.
"She needs to see that you are a good person. If you are, that is. I still doubt it myself." Me too.
"I want to prove that I am. What do I do?"
"Random acts of kindness to those who you have been more than horrible to. But now, you're on your own." He walks off.
"Wait!" I call. "Al, why are you helping me?!" But he just waves and walks on.
I growl in frustration. Could I really do this? Be kind to those I have wronged?
If it shows Tris that I am a good person, then yes. I could do anything.
So this was a bit of a shitty filler chapter, sorry guys.
Anyway,
I love the idea that Four will be kind to everyone! For Tris!
Keep the reviews coming, but this time not just what he can do to make it up to Tris, but how he can be kind to everyone. Little things, like helping someone up or interrupting bullying or something. As mentioned before, no, he cannot take them to Vegas.
Peace out my lovelies!