Chapter Eleven
Guest, yay!
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Guest, *laughs* depends on who you are?
StellaNiteWolfblood, oh! Okay :)
DivergentFanCat, haha. It's fine :). I will.
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Guest, I just want to let people know that they're not the only one. I was in their position before, thinking I'm alone. Keep on smiling.
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I love you guys. The amount of people who PMed me to make sure I was okay *laughs and shakes head in disbelief* thankyou to those who opened up to me themselves.
(A day until the second anniversary of hating Halloween. 2 weeks until her birthday. Friday 30th October.)
"They've outdone themselves," Rob commented as the class strolled through Madison Square Garden that was decorated for the event. A huge stage with instruments on with the open space as the audience area. There were speakers, banners and others. The boxed judging area was on the right of the audience spot, just in front of the stage.
"Right guys, go round past the judging table and we'll check in." Miss Johnson instructed. A while later, the competition was in full swing. Many groups of singers travelled from different states to participate. There were two rounds to it, a choir round and the duet.
"I'm so pumped for this. Like we all know Fourtris will kill the duet." Zeke rattled. Everyone beamed in agreement.
A few songs later, the crowd was cheering loudly, for the different schools have performed beyond expectations.
"Next will be, Dauntless High! Singing 'Lean On Me'!" The crowd hollered and the class took their place on the stage.
"Um, Um Um Um Um." This was repeated a few times, in unison with the instrumentalists. Tobias stepped forwards from the formation.
"Yeah, yeah. Hmm. Ohh. Yeah. Some times in our lives, we all have pain, we all have sorrow. But, if we are wise, we know that there's, always tomorrow." He sang. The crowd clapped eagerly and the girls ceased their humming.
"Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on, for it won't be long, till I'm gonna need somebody to lean on." Tobias and the girls sang together. Tobias stepped back into his space and Tris walked forwards.
"Please, swallow your pride, if I have things, you need to borrow. For no one can fill those of your needs, that you won't let show." She went to her space and everyone sang together.
"So, call, call, on me, brother, if you need a hand. We all need somebody to lean on."
The song went on and at the end, the class received a rare standing ovation.
"You four were bomb." Peter commented to Tobias, Tris, Edward and Myra, since they were the main singers, as they walked off the stage.
"Thanks dude." Tobias nodded.
"Tris, you were on fire! Like that song is one of the hardest to perfect." Marlene squealed. Tris snorted.
"Your parents would have been proud." Peter signed. Tris smiled tightly and scanned the vibrant area.
"This was one of my favourite places. Playing tag with my brother, getting rides on my dad's shoulders while my mum laughed and took pictures of everything that put a smile on her face , which was mainly us." Tris let out a breathless laugh. The gang listened intently while Peter let his eyes well up.
"One of the things I remember so vividly was dragging you one day because you never really came here. Seeing that grin on your face made me happy. For I had shared something silly with you and you did not judge me for it. Even though we were only 10 or 11. From that moment on, you always jumped at the opportunity to join us whenever we were planning to come here," Tris shared quietly, a lone tear rolling down her cheek.
Peter threw his head back, staring at the sky, struggling to contain his tears. He sniffled and sighed, looking to the side.
"I regret that day so much. I never really got over the fact you stayed by me."
"You were the only person left in my life, except Caleb," Tris commented, with a shrug. Nita scoffed and shook her head, earning glares.
"I hate myself for it. I do not know, I-I-I just wanted to mess with your PlayStation but it erupted into a fire and I held you back, because I did not want to lose you. But because of my stubbornness, I made you lose your family." Peter shook his head, tears finally dropping. Tris sniffled and shrugged again with a small smile.
"All good things come to an end."
"Some too early," Peter finished.
"I still love you. In here," Tris admitted, pointing to her heart.
"You just can't stand to be around me most of the time."
"Exactly," Tris whispered, looking at his red face. She stepped towards him, and wrapped her arms around his torso. He did the same and squeezed gently.
"I'm so sorry." Tris nodded and pulled away.
"Oh man, the emotions," Rob spoke, wiping a tear away. Tris snorted and released a long sigh, brushing away the remains of the tear.
"Have you visited them?" Chris asked. Tris smiled, her eyes responding.
"When?" Zeke inquired.
"The night we came. It was hard. The last time I saw my parents' grave was before Caleb died and I did not visit Caleb's grave at all. Returning to this place attracts all the memories."
"You're so strong," Marlene spoke.
"Who, me? Hell no. It is such a struggle. Being reminded of a few things every single day is tough. I actually hate Halloween now." Peter tensed up visibly and the gang looked at him curiously.
"Yeah, you've never told us why. I remember you staying in while Zeke and I went out with these guys."
"You'll find out tomorrow. I promise. Things are eventually revealed. In the right place and at the right time."
"And now, it is time for the results of this round. Orlando High are in first, with 49 points out of 50. Dauntless High and Michigan Prep are close behind with 47. Maryland Boarding for Girls have 42. Chicago Cadet for Boys are last with 40. Sorry to Texas Trinity for Girls, Kanye High for Boys and Washington Prep, for they got less than 40. Thank you for coming." The gang cheered and high-fived each other, pushing the moment of earlier to the back of their minds. Miss Johnson beamed and the rest of the class clapped happily.
"Time for the duets! We'll going in ascending order, so Chicago Cadet for Boys, come on up!"
"We're either third or fourth," Tobias told Tris. She grinned. Tobias grasped her arm softly.
"You okay?"
"Yeah! Just a bit emotional after sharing something like that but one step at a time, right?" Tobias kissed her forehead and hugged her tenderly. She breathed in his scent and they stood that way until it was their turn.
"You can do it," the gang assured the two as they strolled onto the stage with their guitars. The instrumentalists leave their stations, except the drummer. Nita shrieked and stomped off. The gang snickered into their hands.
"Looks like this duet has musicians in it too!"
The performance of 'Empire State of Mind' went exactly as planned, with Tobias nailing the rap parts perfectly and Tris coming in at the right moments. The crowd hooted and cheered as they ended. Tris beamed and Tobias chuckled, quickly hugging her.
"I'll never get tired of that beautiful voice."
"Oh shush." Tris grinned as they strode off. Nita had returned to the group and rolled her eyes.
"That was a strong performance. May someone answer this for me? Are they dating?"
"See! Even the commentator ships you!" Chris squeaked. Tris blushed and Tobias laughed. Nita huffed childishly.
Orlando High did their performance where two boys sang 'Champion' by Chipmunk and Chris Brown and to be honest, it was explosive.
"Damn, they were good," Uriah spoke.
"He's fit...," Chris sighed, staring at the dark brown-haired boy, who dominated the duet. Will spluttered on his drink and gave her an incredulous look.
"I'm with an even fitter boy though." Will smirked, fanning himself.
"Of course."
"Don't get too gassed."
"I'll try."
"Anyways!" Marlene said loudly.
"Oh, what's this? It's a tie between Dauntless High and Orlando High!"
"Huh?" Edward said incredulously. Everyone shared looks.
"The judges are throwing in the surprise round. A solo."
"Tris," Everyone said in unison. Tris's eyes widened and she stuttered.
"What song?"
"Hello!" Chris shouted.
"Hi! Now suggest a song!" Tris screamed, slapping her friend on the arm.
"No! I mean, Hello by Adele. You sang it really well in the shower this morning." Tris facepalmed with a smile and the gang 'ohh'ed with laughter.
"Orlando High will go first. Please welcome Oliver Jameson." The dark haired boy, who previously sang in the duet, took his position in the middle of the stage and began strumming on his guitar.
"From walking home and talking loads," he started.
"Omg, he chose Let It Go by James Bay!" Shauna whispered. He continued, capturing the hearts of many.
"Trying to fit your hand inside of mine, when we know it just don't belong. There's no force on earth, could make it feel right, no. Whoa."
"Trying to push this problem up the hill, when it's just too heavy to hold. Think now's the time to let it slide."
"So come on, let it go! Just let it be! Why don't you be you, and I'll be me. And I'll be me. Everything that's broke, leave it to the breeze, let the ashes fall, forget about me," Oliver sang strongly. Tris exhaled deeply and shook her hands to fend the nerves away.
Oliver finished singing and the strumming eased away. Part of the audience stood but everyone cheered loudly.
"Thank you," he spoke before stepping off the stage. He walked over to the group.
"Who's going up?"
"That would be me," Tris replied hesitantly.
"Oh, you'll do great. I mean, you were epic in the other rounds. Good luck, even though you don't need it." He winked. Tris blushed and smiled.
"Thanks."
"Time for Miss Tris Wright."
"The president's wife's niece?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah," Tris answered before dashing up the steps and clearing her throat and holding the microphone and the stand. The music started and Tris subconsciously tapped her feet slowly in time with the tune.
"Hello, it's me. I was wondering if, after all these years, you'd like to meet, to go over, everything. They say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing. Hello, can you hear me? I'm in California, dreaming about who we used to be, when we were younger and free. I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet." Tobias stood at the bottom step while the gang watched with excitement. Nita got Tobias's attention and smiled seductively. He gave her an annoyed look and she pouted, turning away.
"Hello, from the other side! I must have called a thousand times, to tell you, I'm sorry. For everything that I've done, but when I call, you never seem to be home!" Tris hit every high note and Peter grinned, to the annoyance of Nita.
"Damn, that's some different voice to this morning," Chris exclaimed. The end of the song approached and as the last note of it was done, an uproar erupted. Tris bit her lip as she stayed on-stage and Oliver came on with a smile. They joined hands and the commentator came on too, standing behind the two with an envelope in his other hand.
"She's such a flirt. It's disgusting." Nita rolled her eyes and picked at her nails. Everyone shared looks at the hypocrisy she literally just portrayed. Molly stepped away from her, walking nearer to Edward and Myra. Drew scratched his head and stood with Peter. Nita let out a high gasp and stamped her feet, crossing her arms.
"So many young people with big voices that need to be heard," he spoke as he opened the envelope. He got the plastic card out and kept quiet, leaving everyone in suspense.
"And the winner is... Tris Wright! Well done, Dauntless High." Miss Johnson shot from her seat in the audience and jumped up and down, squealing. The class rushed onto the stage and engulfed Tris into a bear hug. She grinned and managed to escape.
"You were great. Honestly." She smiled at Oliver. He nodded.
"Thank you. Who knew a deaf person could be so talented?" She blushed and the pair hugged.
"Congratulations."
"Thank you." Tobias watched the interaction with a pang of jealousy in his heart but he looked away and laughed as the Pedrad boys danced ridiculously. Tris returned to the group and pictures were taken, as they received their trophy and money certificate.
"You did it! Your principal will be excited to hear about this." Miss Johnson clapped. They all returned to their hotel and slept with big smiles on their faces. It has been a great day.
Well, that's the-
Do not even stop there.
Whoa, okay! Sorry, Tris.
Well, get a move on!
Okay!
The second anniversary of hating Halloween. A week and six days until her birthday.
"So pumped for tonight!" Zeke declared as the gang sat in the girls' room.
"I'll be chilling with Netflix." Tris shrugged.
"Today's the day," Chris pointed out.
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Tris smirked. Everyone groaned and she snickered.
"Where to start? Ah, okay." Tris leaned forwards, clutching her hands together and resting her arms on her lap.
"Two years ago today, Peter had a Halloween party. The day before, Caleb had died." The girls gasped.
"Sad, I know. Anyways, I was meant to go to a foster home later on. It had spread like wildfire and Peter was to blame. However, being the selfless child I was, I forgave him. Letting him coax me into a Minnie Mouse costume. Everyone apologised and wished me luck. The party ended and the house was a mess, so I stayed behind. When it was tidied up and all that shit, Peter's parents stopped him from walking me home because his brother was not home yet. It was classed an emergency. I would have slept over but I dismissed that idea; I was stupid to do so. As I walked back, Al, who popped out of nowhere, he was tipsy."
"Who's Al?" Marlene inquired.
"Peter's brother," Tobias responded. Tris nodded, looking down at her hands.
"He always had a crush on me. I knew that, but I was only 14 and him, 16/17. He hit on me and I deflected it, telling him his family was worried. He complimented me and I was confused. He, err, he let his hands wander." Tris bit her lip, looking up into the eyes of her beloved friends.
"Then, err, you see, h-h-he raped me," she whispered, looking away as sharp intakes of breaths followed. Rob gasped, both hands raised to his mouth then one dropped to his heart. She coughed slightly and chewed the inside of her cheek.
"I now have a daughter. Ivanka Macy Prior."
"Oh my god." Chris slapped a hand over her mouth. The boys clenched their jaws while the girls let guilt overtake their facial expressions.
"Going into labour at 15 years old isn't great. At all. Even when you are alone and the only support you have is the nurses. Nevertheless, my daughter is one of the greatest things in my life. Zeke and Uriah knew about her, because they looked after her. Without the knowledge that she was mine. On the first day of school was when they found out."
"Omg, that baby? She's so cute!" Marlene commented. Tris chuckled slightly.
"Rob, I'm so sorry for not telling you."
"I understand," he smiled reassuringly. Tobias kept quiet.
"I had a run in with an older man earlier this year or late last year. Luckily, Amar was there to stop it going further. Which I'm thankful for because that's when I started doing karate and all that stuff."
"Wow," Lynn muttered.
"I know. My daughter's deaf too. The other day, the boys were trying to get her to wave."
"Four was the one who got her to wave," Zeke grunted. The girls giggled. Four smirked but it was not his usual smirk. Tris noticed but kept quiet.
"Does Al know?" Lynn asked.
"Yeah. He never realised I would be pregnant."
"He was pretty stupid then." Lynn rolled her eyes. Everyone smiled slightly.
"Was it the day, 'you had to leave before you could get pie' he found out?" Rob said.
"Yeah."
"Wow. I am so sorry, for snapping at you. I thought it was a secret, like you're bisexual or something," Shauna mumbled. Tris snorted and shook her head.
"You guys have been amazing friends, like seriously."
"Of course," Chris deadpanned. Everyone chuckled. The day went on with laughter and smiles. Tris did not dress up but assisted in buying the candy and giving it to the other occupants of the hotel.
"You okay?" Tris asked Tobias as everyone strolled through Times Square, watching young children run around in their costumes and adults talking with smile on their faces.
"Yeah," Tobias said tightly, running his thumb over her hand that was in his.
"No, you've been quiet." Tobias sighed.
"It's just. You were raped and became a mother, at such a young age. It makes me admire you even more because you're so strong. It drove you to push yourself." Tris smiled and shook her head.
"It was the people around me. Not my skills," Tris mumbled. Tobias kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Fireworks went off and the gang cheered, standing to watch.
"There's a question I've been meaning to ask," Tobias whispered, moving his arm off her shoulders and turning to face her.
"Shoot," Tris smiled encouragingly. Tobias scratched his head nervously and stared into the wide stormy grey eyes of the girl he likes so much. He furrowed his eyebrows and Tris grabbed his hand and gave him a small squeeze.
"Go on. I won't bite." Tobias sighed with a chuckle and the gang spun to watch the interaction.
He brought his free hand up and caressed her slightly warm cheek. She leaned into the touch and smiled, eyes twinkling with curiosity. He leaned forwards, eyes trapped on hers and captured her lips with his, marvelling at the softness of it. Tris was taken aback but kissed back slowly, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. Tobias let his hands settle on her waist and Tris threaded her fingers into his dark curly hair, tugging slightly, extracting a quiet growl.
Chris bounced eagerly and clapped with a squeal, breaking the pair out of their zone.
"Tris, will you be my girlfriend?"
"Why not?" She beamed. The gang cheered. Tobias exhaled in relief.
"Now I can kiss your lips all the time instead of your forehead." He grinned. Tris giggled for the first time and Chris gasped happily.
"She giggled!"
"Bruh, you should see her with Ivanka," Uriah laughed. Tris rolled her eyes and smiled up towards Tobias, ruffling his hair.
"Took you long enough," she teased. Tobias chuckled and pressed his lips against hers again. She accepted happily, as the last set of fireworks went off.
YAY! Till later, BooksLover2000...
