Chapter Seven
Tris POV
Everyone's eyes drill a hole onto me. I keep my head down, trying to drown out the murmers and whispers. Beside me, I can hear Christina yelling at everyone to shut the fuck up or else Lynn would slit their throat open.
Remember how I said that they might just ditch me. Yeah, that's not happening. Christina and Lynn picked me up for school in the morning. They said that everyone else was waiting for us at school.
I'm able to hear a couple of conversations going on as we weave our way through the hallway. Most people murmer under their breath or talk in hushed whispers.
"If I had been her," a loud voice sneers. "I would have actually defended myself." I turn around and immediately spot Nita. She leans against her locker with a smirk on her face. Besides her, Lauren snickers and looks at me up and down with disgust.
I've heard these types of comments since the accident. Many people say it softly, as if though they don't want me of hear. If I had been them, I probably would have thought the same thing. But he made sure I couldn't fight back.
"You stupid bitch," Lynn counters, giving her a death glare. "Just shut your stupid mouth and we won't have a problem. Got that?" Her voice is harsh and intimidating. Nita frowns but looks away.
I don't know if they are with me because they care about me, or because they pity me. One thing that I learned from the accident is to never trust anyone. They just end up stabbing you in the back.
The day passes in a blur. I receive the same stares all day. Everyone whispers as if though I won't hear them. I do my best to keep my head down and ignore everyone, which can be pretty hard when they're sitting right beside you.
My phone buzzes as I put my books up in my locker. I snatch it out of my pocket and glance at it. It's Caleb. I frown, slightly confused. It's the end of the day. He should be waiting for me in the parking lot.
"Hey, Caleb." I answer.
"Um, Tris," he says nervously. "Look, I can't drive you home today. I have to stay after school to retake a test, so, yeah. Sorry."
First of all, I know that's a lie. He's an Erudite for God's sake! He never fails a test. I sigh deeply and answer, "Okay. It's fine. I'll just hitch a ride with Christina."
"Okay, thanks. I knew you'd understand. Take care."
"Okay," I whisper as he ends the call. I sigh and slam my locker door shut. I don't have tons of homework tonight. The good thing is that I don't have to do any make up work because Caleb and Christina brought me my assignments while I was home. Better than having a mountain of work to do when I got back.
The school is mostly empty by now, the hallways deserted. "Shit," I mumble before running towards the exit. Like the hallways, the parking lot is basically empty. I scan the parking lot for Christina's car.
Nothing.
I sigh before digging in my pocket for my phone and dial Christina. Come on, Christina, I plead before it sends me to voicemail. "Fuck."
"Something wrong?" A low voice says behind me. I jump and turn around. Four leans against the brick wall with a concerned look on his face.
"Um," I say before backing away. It finally dawn's on me that I'm alone, here, with Four. A shit of fear burst through me. Suddenly, I feel light-headed and the world is spinning around me in a blur of color. I hear a voice, and I try to hold on to it like an anchor, but it's not enough.
Now Eric is in front of me. His hands roam my body and I try to get away but I can't. I feel limp and weak. He laughs as he pinches parts of me, making me cry in pain. His voice is harsh and cold as he speaks–
I'm brought back to the real world by a burst of thunder. I hear a voice but it's much softer and gentler than the one before, laced with concern. I blink rapidly and realize I'm on the ground, slightly kneeling. Four is crouched down in front of me with his hands on just shoulders.
"Tris, are you okay?" he asks. I'm shaking uncontrollably. He's right in front of me. Too close.
"Get away from me," I whisper, flinching away from his touch. My heart is pounding so hard against my ribcage, I'm sure he can hear it too. There's a flash of pain in his eyes, but I'm to petrified to acknowledge it. I push myself off the ground, failing a couple times before I can actually do it. He stands up and reaches for me.
"No," I whisper. "Don't touch me."
"Tris, I–" he begins, but let's his hand fall. I cut him off quickly. "No, get away from me." There's another flash of lightning, followed by a blast of thunder. I hadn't noticed the dark clouds flying over me. He open his mouth as if though he's going to say something, but I spin around and run away before he can say a word. The first drops of rain splatter against my face, making my vision blurry. Four calls my name, but I ignore him and keep on running.
Four POV
She runs away from me, her shoes slapping against the concrete. The rain starts to pick up gradually. Thankfully, I brought my car today. I run over to it and slam on the gas pedal. Even though I know that the last thing Tris wants is to be in the same car as me, I can't let her stay out here in the rain.
I spot her around the corner crouched near a bush. She's already soaking wet. Her shoulders shake up and down, letting me know she's crying. I reach for the umbrella I have shoved in the glovebox and jump out of the car. She continues ignoring me as I cover her with it.
"Come on, Tris," I say softly, trying not to frighten her. "Just get in the car. You'll get sick out here in the rain." She shakes her head and stands up abruptly, trying to run off again. I manage to grab her arm just in time. She slaps my hand away, but stays under the umbrella, shivering.
"Look, I won't hurt you. I swear." I scratch the back of my neck, a nervous habit of mine. "I know I've been a dick, but please trust me on this."
She refused to look at me and instead focuses on the tree across the street. She's still soaking wet and shaking like crazy.
"I'll let you drive if you want to." This seems to catch her attention. Her eyes sparkle with tears. For a small second, I see a flash of emotion in the before going back to it's blank state.
"Okay," she whispers quietly. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, and hand her the umbrella. She stares at me in confusion for a second before I start taking off my jacket. I hand it to her and take back the umbrella. She accepts it without any hesitation– which surprises me. I open the door for her and get in the passenger seat. She's still wet but she isn't shivering anymore. I turn up the heat.
"Thanks," she says. We drive in an awkward silence. Nothing but the sound of rain and thunder.
"Are you okay?" I ask. Her hands tighten on the steering wheel, making her knuckles white. "You don't have to answer that," I add quietly. She shakes her head and answers, "I'm fine." Not that I believe her, but I let it drop. She'll be fine. She just needs some time and support. She's strong that way. There's no way that he'll manage to break her. Anyways, we'll be here to support her.
Hey guys, so I know its been a while. Sorry about that. I really appreciate your support. Please follow, favorite, and review! I'd really appreciate it. I'll gladly take requests or criticism. Also, special thanks to Wrenlovesreading, Charms22, and theachan23. Go check out their stories. Well, she you guys later!
