Chapter 8: Heights
"My goodness; Marlene you cannot be serious?" I walk with Christina, Marlene and Lynn around the Pier where the fair is being held for the weekend. I only have limited time with the girls, but that's okay because I need to get my mind off everything. They're all talking about how they're doing in their classes, and right now Marlene is trying to get over a guy who dumped his lunch on her last week.
"Tris, come over here!" I walk over to where Lynn is standing and there are Zeke and Shauna holding hands, Will and Uriah. They all come over and the seven of us immediately start talking. Christina hugs Will, Shauna goes with Zeke, and Uriah is with Marlene and Lynn. We all walk in a group, and I link arms with Christina. I love having a best friend with an honest attitude.
"Hey Tris, so you ready for the best night of your life?" Uriah jokes and Christina shoots him a glare. He takes a few steps back and everyone is soon laughing, including me.
"Yeah, but they don't have any cake so I don't think that's an option." I smile and Uriah pouts. Dauntless cake is what he lives for because he believes how delicious it is or whatever. I've never had it, but it's nice to make jokes about it.
"So, you guys want to get on the Ferris wheel?" Christina asks. We all reply with either a 'yes' or some random chatter about being dauntless.
"Did you guys know, the dauntless used to hold on to a bar and travel around the Ferris wheel without falling? It's basically life or death." Uriah and Zeke are chatting with each other and I look at the Ferris wheel. It looks like so much fun to ride.
"Oh Uriah, get over yourself." Marlene shoves him to the side and he bumps into another person. Everyone begins laughing, but my eyes are focused on the height of the Ferris wheel. Imagine how it would feel to climb up that thing and stand on the ledge. That would be awesome.
I take a few steps forward, and allow my eyes to dance off the movement. The colors of the flashing neon lights of the Ferris wheel shine off, and my blue eyes shine off reflections. I completely forget where I am in the moment, but I feel someone tap on my shoulder. I turn around but I instantly freeze in my stance, almost as if their eyes could turn me to stone.
"Tris," the voice is low and engraving. "Do you have a minute?"
"Yes, but not for you," I say sharply. He chuckles, fixing his posture to turn toward me. I don't laugh; I just keep my face guarded as I cross my arms. My glare is fixed on him.
"What exactly do you want?" I snap. "I saw the video message, from my brother. You don't need to do any explaining, but you do need to go away. All my friends are here, and I don't want to be around you." I begin to walk away, but he follows me.
"You know, I'm having a real hard time waiting for you to catch on," he stops me and turns me back to face him.
I huff, my breath full of pity and rage. "Fine," I mumble and he cocks his head slightly at me. A creepy smile spreads across my face. I stare back to the neon lights of the Ferris wheel just as everyone comes up. Christina grabs my arm and yanks me to her side.
"What does he want?" Christina spits out and Four cringes back, pretending to be insulted. She narrows her eyes at him and so do Marlene and Shauna. Zeke and Uriah just laugh at each other over their protective friends.
"Actually," I walk to the other side of them. "Four was just about to get on the Ferris wheel with us." His eyed widened as he gazes up at the height. Zeke comes over to Four as I walk to the front with Christina and Shauna.
"Tris," Shauna grabs my arm. "You can't make Four do that," she frowns slightly.
"Why not," I grunt. "Besides, if he can pity me and if he really wants to talk to me he'll be man enough to face his fear and look me in the eye."
"Tris," she looks at me with a sigh. "Even if Four does agree to this, but that would make him completely insane, but dauntless," I smirk a little and she pulls me aside. "Tris, just because he gets on the Ferris wheel doesn't mean he'll look you in the eye for that reason. Maybe he likes you," Christina chimes in and wiggles her fingers at me. I roll my eyes.
"So," I walk back over to where he stands. He seems tenser, letting out a deep breath. "Are you going to come on or not?" I turn to Zeke and he sighs, stepping away with Uriah, Christina, Shauna, Marlene, and Lynn. I stand by his side as he relaxes his posture and gulps.
"Yeah," he says with his body shaking. "I'll do it," he nods and turns and smiles at me. I don't understand why he's so afraid. It isn't even up that high and he seems so nervous-
Heights . . . that's why! Four is afraid of heights.
It would be cruel to use it to my advantage, but its revenge, and revenge is sweet.
"So, what happened to you being grounded?" The line moves closer and Uriah, Marlene, Shauna, Christina and Zeke are about to get on the large car of the Ferris wheel. He seems to shuffle his feet as we move closer.
"Huh, oh yeah, that." He seems distracted and off topic.. maybe this isn't such a good idea. "I- um, I felt bad, so I snuck out."
"Felt bad about what?" I shuffle my hands in my pockets and he crosses his arms, tapping his foot loudly and off paced. He turns to me.
"Uh, what I said on tape. If it makes you feel any better, Lauren and I broke up after she saw the tape. She was convinced by whatever there was that I was secretly admiring you, so she decided it's better to break it off now then lead it on later."
"Oh," my lips frown naturally at one side. "Sorry,"
"Don't be," he says, putting his hand up. "I deserved it."
We walk up to the front and his hands are shaking. I notice he keeps his gaze straight but moves his hand toward mine, and soon our fingers are interlocked. Our hands together gives me a sense of happiness and pride and a feeling of heat and electricity bursts through me.
"Are you ready?" I turn to him and he nods as we step in the car on the Ferris wheel. It shakes a little under our feet and I hear him groan, but he sits firmly planted on the car seat.
"Four," I begin to say but he turns to me, and glares. "I'm sorry," I mumble. I can't even choke the words out. "I didn't know you were scared-"I'm cut off by the grip of his warm hand on mind, squeezing tighter. He turns to me as the cars roll, and I feel the rush of adrenaline from being up so high. Maybe it was higher than I thought.
I don't know what I feel, but I feel something when he turns to me, his eyes widened and locked with mine. His sudden movement toward me is reacted slowly when his mouth collides with mine. The sudden burst of energy from a warm, loving, sensitive kiss shows it all. Everything that I've ever known melts into a big puddle in my eyes, and the second he lets go . . .
I'm caught with dark blue eyes, staring into mine before the height and the wind of the night drives his presence further and further away from me. I'm tempted to kiss him again, but when I look down I notice we're moving slower to the ground, and he releases his grip on my hand. His body loosens up, and he doesn't even turn my direction. When we get out of the cars, he walks away and doesn't say a word. Christina approaches me baffled.
"What's his deal?" She points back to him walking away, and when I turn to see if he's there he's gone, almost as if the wind had taken him and his presence.
"We have to talk, let's go home," she obliges and we say goodbye to the others, but that's not what concerns me. What concerns me is the troubled look I see on my own reflection as I stare into the small mirror of Christina's car, but when I see in the background, it's nothing like the look of pure fear I see on his face, as he's walking along the side street, and disappears.
