Chapter 10

Just so you guys know, every song I include in this story is written by me unless I mention the real artist. Every song Tris writes, I actually write.

"Just be yourself. You're sweet. You're adorable. But you're also sexy," the photographer tells Tris. "You're also a nice girl, but bad just for a guy."

Tris nodded, smirking. "So nerdy, but sexy."

"In a nutshell, yes."

A laugh arose from her. "Okay."

So she stood straight up, facing the camera. She was in shorts, knee socks, a scarf, and a sweater. They told her to wear her glasses, which somehow they knew she had. Her hair was in a low side bun, so it was visible in the picture. She crossed her arms, and pressed in between her arms and her body was a book. Her song book. She'd brought it for the interview after, but the photographer insisted on using it in the photoshoot.

When she posed, all she did was give a cute smirk and move her eyes up and to the right.

And then they were done. Tris excitedly looked at the screen where they'd see the end results. But she frowned.

"That's photshopped."

"No, no," the editor laughed, "that's magic."

"My waist is thinner and my legs are longer. My cheekbones are more defined and my eyes softer. This does not make me look beautiful. It makes me look artificial."

"This is how being famous works, sweetie. Now let it be."

Tris laughed bitterly. "No. I refuse to have those on the cover of Vogue. I won't sign the release forms."

The editor sighed. "Okay. If that's how you want it to be." She clicked a few buttons, then Tris was back to her natural self, which was much more beautiful then any photoshop magic.

"I like that better," Tris said with a smug smile.

The editor remained impartial while she said, "Our other interviewer will be waiting for you just through that door. Selene will show the way."

"Thank you," Tris said. Selene walked Tris over to the door where Tobias, who stood by the door.

"Did you just do what I think you did?"

"Could I just have a moment?" She asked Selene as she smiled.

"Of course. Just come on in whenever you're ready, Ms. Prior."

"What might that be?"

"You told them not to photoshop you," he said with a proud smile.

"Oh. Yes, indeed."

"Reason #1 why I love you."

Tris smirked. "And here I just thought it was because of my ass."

Tobias laughed. "It's definitely a high reason on the list."

She laughed and walked through the door, Tobias following.

"Ah, Ms. Prior," the interviewer said. "My name is Kayla, and this is Selene as you already know. Please, take a seat. Get comfortable. Selene and I will just be asking you some simple questions so your fans can get to know you better."

"Great," Tris said.

"Alright," Selene began. "How did you get discovered?"

"Well, I'd been posting covers of songs on YouTube under the name PrioriT. I did that for about two years, and I was at Uni for one of those. So Tobias, my producer, came out to Britain. And I suppose it was a recruitment, of sorts. I mean, the whole thing happened pretty fast. I was there, he told me he was with a record company, I packed my things, and here I am. Now that I think about it, I didn't really even know how credible he was. He could have been the next Jack the Ripper or something and I wouldn't have even known. Gullible, I am. Anyhow, that's sort of how the whole thing went."

"Wonderful," Kayla said. "Now, the question we all want to know: Are you and your producer, Tobias" her eyes flicked toward him- "an item? There was a recent newspaper article in the Tattler here in New York featuring a picture of you two about to lock lips."

Tris glanced over at him. He was standing by the door leaning against the wall. He gave her a smile.

"Yes," she answered. "We are extremely happy together."

"Adorable," said Selene. "The fans will eat this up. They're going to want to fuck you, kill you, or be you."

Tris laughed. "I suppose so."

"Okay," Selene continued, "so how long have you two been together? Last question about you guys. Promise," she chuckled.

Tris gave a kind smile. "Um... yeah, uh, quite some time now. Let's see, I arrived in November, and we started the whole thing a month or two after I got here. So I guess we've been dating for like four months."

"Wow," Kayla said. "You guys are going to be the next Brangelina. I swear it."

Tobias smiled down at her, and her up at him.

"All right. So what inspired you to write, and how old were you?"

"Well, I first began to write when I was 12, which, obviously, was pretty awful. What inspired me is a little bit of a mainstream story. I listened to music. Just, a lot. And one day I just said hey, maybe I should try this."

"Wonderful. So I overheard you out there at the photoshoot... Our editor wanted to make your waist slimmer, give you highlights, photoshop makeup on, make your legs longer... and you just, uh... you told her no. That you wouldn't sign release papers if she photoshopped you. So what's up with that?"

Tris bashfully looked down. "Yeah. I don't want these girls thinking 'Hey, maybe I shouldn't eat dinner tonight so I can look like Tris Prior.' I grew up thinking that. And then I realized that these photographs were photoshopped and that nobody can look that perfect. I mean it's crazy to set these unrealistic expectations for these young girls. So, to any of you girls reading this, small or large, short or tall, young or old, go and have that extra slice of pizza. Go and scoop yourself that extra scoop of ice cream. Go and eat whatever the hell you want to eat. You be yourself. Not anyone else."

"Wow," Selene said. "You really are an amazing one, Beatrice Prior."

She laughed. "Thank you. I just have a very strong opinion about it. Anyhow, next question before I bring up feminism," she laughed.

The two interviewers laughed.

"So. Another album, I presume, will be coming next year, right?"

Tris nodded. "Likely. But I will be going on tour in the U.S. and UK. After the second, depending on its success, I'll be going on a world tour."

"Stunning. This must be a dream come true, right?"

Tris paused, then quickly answered to save face. "Yeah. It really is."

"Okay," Selene said, "one last question and you'll be out of here, Ms. Prior."

"Shoot."

"Are you two serious? Like, marriage eventually?"

Tris's eyebrows when up in surprise. "I... I mean, I don't know. Can you ask me another final question?" she nervously laughed.

The interviewers eyed each other.

"Okay," Kayla said. "We have a source that said they heard Shawn Mendes talking. Apparently, he has a bit of a crush on you. You knew of this, yet, you choose Tobias, whom the two are both equally physically attractive. Why Tobias?"

Tris smiled, then looked up at Tobias. "Can you wait outside?"

He nodded with a smile.

Tris continued. "Well, as great as Shawn is, I've had eyes set on Tobias the day I met him. Shawn and I are great friends and everything, but Tobias... I don't know what it is about him. But I love him. He's generous, kind, intelligent, brave, and... He's the one. He's it for me. And I don't want to freak him out, I guess. But... yeah. I don't know. He's not perfect, but he's everything I want."

The interviewers were silent.

"Beautiful," one of them whispered.

"We're all done here," Selene said. "Thank you so much for you time. We're huge fans, Ms. Prior."

She smiled and stood. "Of course. Thanks, guys."

And so Tris stepped outside to see Tobias on the phone. He was laughing.

"Yes. Hilarious. So 6 o'clock my place? Yeah, apartment 7. Yeah. Yep. Okay. See you then. All right." A laugh. "Bye."

Tris quirked her eyebrow as Tobias handed her her phone.

"I'm ordering pizza tonight for us and your friends. Also, I invited Uriah and Zeke, if that's all right."

Tris grinned. "Splendid. Six o'clock, you said?"

He nodded. "So... what'd you say about me?"

She smirked. "You'll find out in next month's edition of Vogue."

He laughed. "Oh, come on. Please?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie. You're not getting anything out of me, mister."

He smirked as they walked out the building. "Nothing?"

"Not a lick," she said coyly. "Not. A. Lick."

He frowned. "Well fine. Then maybe you should just sleep in your own apartment tonight."

She glared. "No thanks."

"Or," he suggested, "you could write another song about me. Except this one should be about how I'm not an awful boyfriend."

She laughed. "Haven't you ever heard the song 'Elizabeth?'"

"No," he said curtly. "I haven't."

"Well, it's about how this guy's girlfriend, Elizabeth, is upset about how he never writes songs about her or love, when, really, he is. He tries to explain to her that every song he's ever written was actually about her. It's just that love makes you feel like shit sometimes."

Tobias pondered the thought, but not for long. "I don't want to make you feel like shit."

She chuckled. "You're not. This is the happiest I've been in a long time, in fact. I use my experience from past relationships to write, mostly."

He nodded. "That makes me feel a bit better."

They arrived at his apartment and stood in the hallway. "Come upstairs. To my writing room."

She grabbed his hand, not really giving him an option.

When she arrived, she automatically sat down at the piano bench, and him standing in the doorway.

"Now I'm not very good at love

Please give me a break

Or a shove

Or a shake

in the right direction

I don't know if I'm doing this quite right

and feels kind of funny

yeah, it doesn't feel too nice

but people keep telling me

that's what love is like

I need to make a connection

so please give me shove

in the right direction

[chorus]

No I'm not too good at this

but one thing that i know

is that i need your kiss

and so i really hope

this isn't a temporary bliss

because if it is

then I know I shouldn't be in this business

[end chorus]

Tris was silent when she finished. Then she elaborated.

"That's all I have so far. But... yeah. I guess it's about you. I don't know. I just kind of... wrote it. And everything in this song is true. I am new to love. Good love. And you were the one who gave me that shove."

Tobias was smiling.

"You know, I've never written a love song about true love? Then you. I've written three since I've been with you."

He didn't say anything. He only bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

"No," he said, "I don't think this is a temporary bliss."

She smirked. "Really?"

He nodded. "I think so."

Tris smiled, then jumped up.

"Once you gave me a nudge

in the right direction

I couldn't resist

feeling your affection

and now I crave a kiss

from only your lips," she sang.

This only caused Tobias to smile even wider.

"You know, as much I love listening to you swoon over me, we have people coming over in about twenty," be said as he wore a smirk.

She chuckled. "Okay. I guess I'll just swoon over you some other time."

He grabbed her hand, dragging her out of the room and down to his apartment.

"Let's do this thing," Tobias said.