The number one reason as to why I don't go to parties like this, is alcohol. It's what's making Christina growl at me like a rabid dog. It makes you feel terrible for about two days, It is also why I probably still look like Hell, and why I feel so lazy. But, I need to suck it up, and so does Christina. Which is why Chrissy is beating a pillow that I'm using to block my face, I may or may not have used an air horn to wake her up, again. "Christina I'm sorry okay!" She finally lets up. She glares at me and huffs before falling limply back in bed, her hair is like a puff ball and messy at the moment. "Triiiisssss what do you waaaaant?" She groans into her pillow,

"I was coming to tell you I'm going out for job hunting," She makes a noise, "At the mall, so I'll just see you later?" I say while backing up to the door hoping she didn't get the last part. Sadly she bolts to her feet and lunges at me, I fall backwards and we tumble to the floor. "Cooooooffffeeeee," She moans like a zombie, I laugh rather loudly "Okay, okay," I slap my hand on her face and shove her off me. She smiles and gets to her feet and flops back into her queen sized bed. Then she groans again yelling "Shut up and get me my freaking coffee Tris!" As I kick the air horn on accident. I laugh and get to my feet grabbing my keys, "Yeah yeah, I'll get you your friggin coffee," I say and wave her off, grabbing a jacket on my way out and locking the door.

Half way there I hear a few manly yells and stop in my tracks, Zeke runs by being chased by William, I think was his name. Will was chasing Zeke down the street holding a water gun, Zeke screams like a girl when Four goes sprinting after him holding a water balloon. Zeke hurdles over bushes and slaloms through trees. He turns the corner of a house and screams, moments later Uriah walks out with a very smug look on his face as Four and Will pummel Zeke even still. I don't hold back a laugh as Four and Uri exchange a high five and Zeke stands in the background pouting. Marlene walks up to me as I'm trying to catch my breath, "Hey Tris," I look at her with the biggest smile ever. What I don't tell her, is that Zeke is right behind her. "Mar Mar!" He yells and then she gets engulfed in a hug, a big wet bear hug.

Marlene squeals and flails around a bit until Uriah comes up and squirts her with the water gun. "Uriah!" She yells, I'm just on the side lines laughing. That is until my back has a strange pressure on it and my but starts to get wet, my head whips around but someone picks me up and tosses me over their shoulder. "Oh my God! Put me down!" I yell but get spun around instead. I squeal very girly-like and laugh, after a few minutes of clutching the persons shoulders for dear life while they run around being shot by everybody, and Marlene with revenge got a bucket of water. He sets me down, out clothes now completely drenched. I giggle and grin at how ridiculous the boys can be while looking at my clothes, which are now stuck to my body. "Wow Tris," I look up and see Four standing there and grinning like a kid on christmas morning. I don't fight the surprised smirk that finds my face, "Hey Four, what's going on?"

"Zeke thought it would be fun to prank the entire building yelling 'fire' so we wanted to put it out," He says happily. We're all laughing and smiling until Uri looks me over "You're all dressed up, where are you headed?"

"I need a job," I say embarrassed,

"Tris," Marlene says, "If you needed a job you could have asked," My eyes find her own, "I know you don't really like kids, but you've always been good with them, I know a lovely woman who could use a full time nanny," A nanny? Pfff no, last time I tried to take care of a kid he screamed because I was wearing my hoodie, long story short of screaming, I ended up calling the mom in tears begging for her to come home. "Ehhh, I don't know…" I trail off,

"Where are you headed?" She asks,

"The mall, I'm also meeting someone, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone," She smiles,

"Thats great, I work at a coffee/tea shop on the way, let me get dressed and I'll go with you," She states and walks to the boys apartment. I realize everyone followed her but Four and me. He puts his hand on the small of my back making me jump a little, "Meeting someone?" I nod,

"I met him yesterday," I say quietly, he pushes me gently to start walking, "Did he arrange this?"

"No, well, actually he doesn't even know I'm gonna be there," I admit, Four gives me a funny look,

"He works there or something?"

"Yeah, with computers," I say sitting down on the front steps to the building, Four gives a curt nod.

"He's why you're all dressed up?" Why does everyone keep saying that?

"Yes, because me wearing wedges, jeans, and a red flannel shirt is me dressing up," I state nonchalantly.

"Well, you look nice, so, sorry," he says softly, looking up at the grey sky. He's jealous.

What? No, shut up mind. "Thanks," I mumble. Four sighs and leans back, putting his elbows on the higher step behind him. "So, is he your boyfriend?"

"No! He's my talking goldfish, who happens to be really good at fixing computers." I say half sarcastic, Four glares at me, "No, he's a friend thats a guy, I just met him. Relax. It's not like you care, you're not for 'girlfriends'." I say absentmindedly. I hear someone suck in air behind me and see Marlene looking nice in a tan long sleeve and jeans. "God Tris, couldn't be more harsh could you?" She scolds, I immediately feel bad and look to Four, who already got to his feet. "See you around Tris, good luck with your interview," He says as he walks away into the building, I get to my feet as the door closes. Marlenes giving me a look while we walk the 7 blocks to the mall. "What?" I finally demand.

"I don't know why you're so, so, uh crap, what's the word..?" She trails off,

"Bossy?" I suggest, she shakes her head,

"Defyant, thats it," She snaps and smiles, "I don't know why you're so defyant around Four," I look at her in disbelief.

"You mean you haven't noticed?" I ask,

"I've noticed a few things, have you?"

"He hates me," I say. She stops dead in her tracks at the entrance to the mall and bursts out laughing. I stare at her like she stole an old guys happy pills, along with a few people leaving the mall. SHe stops suddenly and says seriously, "You can be so näive sometimes Tris."

"Huh?" Brilliant.

"Thats the oldest trick in the book, bully the girl you have a crush on," She says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. When did this happen? WHEN WAS A BOOK MADE?! I'm getting old… Marlene starts laughing again saying "You're only… Eighteen… Tris!" Of course I said it out loud.

"There's no way Four likes me," I deny,

"He's totally falling for you," NO duh, I've been trying to tell her. Shut up voice.

"Haaaaa… Ha..." I laugh dully. "You're funny, you should be a comedian MarMar," She kicks the back of my heel, "Ow!" I yelp.

"I'm serious Tris, he really has a thing for you," She says concerned.

"I don't see why-"

"Do you want to be slapped?" She growls, "Stop living with what kids said when you were fifteen, they were just mean. You're beautiful, and believe it or not for a long time I was jealous and became envious of you. Thinking you were full of yourself I loathed you for a while. Over time I got over it though and got to know you, you're my best friend now, and I'm sure that if you give Four that chance you gave me, you'll like him." I look at her in disbelief, tears forming in my eyes, no one's ever said that to me. Never spoke so highly of me. "Whoever this guy is, that you're coming to meet, can wait. You met Four first, so get to know him, please. It'll be worth it. I promise."

"Okay," I croak out, she looks kinda concerned so she sighs "Oh honey," and hugs me. We stand in a hug for a few moments before she pulls back and giggles looking at my face. "What?" I ask laughing a little with her,

"How are you gonna say hello to a guy if your eyes are all puffy?" She smiles and gives me some cold water from her purse, "Lets go to the little girls room and clean you up huh?" I sniffle and smile. "Yeah, thank you Marlene." She smirks and nods "Yeah yeah, just don't tell Christina you cried cause of me, I'll be 6 feet deep before dawn," I laugh at her,

"Oh Marlene?" I ask as we walk in,

"Yes?"

"You don't work for another hour, could you pick up some coffee for Chrissy? As a favor?" I rinse a paper towel as she checks her eyes for eyelashes.

"Oh yeah, don't worry about it," She says smiling at me, I smile at her and wash my face.

I wave goodbye to her as she walks back to her job. I ascend the stairs and open the glass doors to the electronics store, I look around for Al's face. When I don't find him I ask another guy named Mark, he smiles and leads me to the back room, where he yells "Al! There's a girl here for you!" I smile awkwardly and wait for about two minutes until the guy yells again "If you don't get your ass over here I'm calling dibs!" I cover my mouth to hold back a laugh. Al rushes in with an angry look on his face, but he drops it and replaces it with a smile when he sees me, "Tris," He says and glares at Mark, I bite my lip and smile. "Lunch?" He offers when Mark leaves. I nod.

He unclips his name tag and walks me out to a greek food place. "What are you doing here?" He asks as we wait for our food. "I wanted to surprise you,"I say,

"Well you did," He says as if its a finality, we sit in silence until the food arrives and make comments about the history of greece and the food, about 45 minutes later we finish. "I have a job interview to get to," I say,

"Oh? What for?"

"A nanny," I say quietly.

"You like kids?"

"Sort of, they just don't like me," I say with a small laugh.

"Well good luck on that, thanks for stopping by, it was nice to see you," He says to me,

"Yeah, thanks for lunch."

"Again sometime?" He looks hopeful,

"Sure. Call me and we can set up a date,"

"Date?" He asks. Oh, crap.

"Yeaah," I say a little higher pitch than normal,

"Great, thanks Tris," He says, and then he hugs me, by patting me on the back with one arm. Then he smiles and walks back into the store. While I'm walking to the coffee shop all I can think is 'How awkward was that?'