Hi, so sorry for the delay - I didn't have much time, not to mention a lack of motivation plus some necessary research I had to do so some scenes in this chapter were accurate. I hope this doesn't disappoint since I'm writing about something I have no experience with.
Thanks to Lifes-a-beech7878, Ashamgo, Cmarce2535, ZammieWriter2000 and SarahNDeSha2016 for following and favouriting, and Charms22, Guest, Wrenlovesreading, ZammieWriter2000 (lucky you, I updated less than a day after you reviewed!) and Infinite's Ruby for reviewing!
"There. Much better."
I frown as I look in Mel's bathroom mirror, and back at Christina. I've only had this much makeup once before, and that was when she did her first makeover on me, in the privacy of her home. I don't feel at all confident about looking like this in front of everyone.
"What?" Christina looks confused, and slightly hurt.
"It's too much."
"It's not! This is your first party, Tris! You can't just wear mascara and foundation!"
"Why not?"
"Tris!" she whines. "The whole school is going to be here! You have to look your best! Tobias is going to be here too!"
"First of all, I don't know if he's coming," I point out. "Second, we're not talking."
Christina raises an eyebrow. "Again? Why didn't you tell me about this before?" She sighs. "You're so secretive about guys, Tris."
I sigh too. "Anyway, Christina - Tobias sees me at the Running Club every week, and I can tell you I look disgusting after we're finished."
"Which is why it's important you look good tonight!"
I roll my eyes, and take another peek. Fake eyelashes and black eyeliner make my already wide eyes seem larger, like a doll's, and sparkly pink lip gloss gives the illusion of bigger, fuller lips.
"I still think I look like one of those beauty pageant girls you see on TV," I say. "All I need is fake tan."
"You're exaggerating. And your outfit doesn't look like a beauty costume, so you're fine. But you still should have tried a bit harder," she adds.
I disagree with her previous point. My ugly Christmas jumper and baggy black jeans contrast with my face, making me seem even more cutesy. I may as well be a walking, talking Christmas themed doll. My short height doesn't help.
"I'll be watching you all night," Christina smirks, "just to make sure you don't wipe it off."
"If you want to spend the night watching me when you could be having fun, be my guest."
She laughs, and drags my very uncertain self towards Mel's kitchen. Caleb and I agreed to arrive a few hours early to her house so we could help out. Christina isn't supposed to be here at this moment, but her mother is going on a date tonight, and since I was here, Christina asked that Mrs Kravitz drive her to Mel's place before the party starts.
The kitchen floor is covered with bags of potato chips, of sweets, and of chocolate bars, and trays of muffins and cupcakes and brownies fill up the counter. I wonder how much money Mel's family have that they can afford all of this, and I also think of how this kitchen is probably five times the size of mine. Then again, if they can buy a mansion that can accommodate close to four hundred students, they can certainly afford all of that candy.
The next thing I see is my brother, his lips hungrily seeking Mel's, his hands on her hips. A loud cough from Christina causes them to pull away. Caleb's eyes are wide with embarrassment as he drops his hands to his sides and pulls away, but Mel is unfazed as she smiles at us, like we didn't just catch her in the middle of a make-out session.
"Hi again!" she says. She turns to me, and for a second I expect her to confirm my suspicions regarding my makeup.
"Do I look odd?" I ask.
"What? No! Your makeup's fantastic! Did you do it yourself?"
I shake my head and point at Christina.
"Great job," she smiles. I narrow my eyes, but she seems sincere.
"Thanks!" says Christina. "I tried to tell Tris that, but she still thinks I overdid it."
"Don't worry!" says Mel. "The light will be kind of dim; you need to have a little extra makeup if you want to stand out."
"I'll carry these trays out of the kitchen," Caleb says, taking one of them.
"Why? Getting bored of our girly talk?" Mel laughs.
"Kind of," he smirks.
"Well, that's nice. My own boyfriend thinks I'm boring," she pouts. Caleb raises his eyebrows as they stare at each other for a bit, then their faces break into smiles, and he winks at her as he leaves. I don't know whether to be glad Caleb and Mel have a good relationship, or gag at their affection. The image of my older brother kissing his girlfriend isn't one I'll forget anytime soon.
We arrange the jobs amongst ourselves. Like Caleb, Christina is in charge of taking out the trays (we decided that Mel would be too much of a distraction for my brother and little work would get done), while Mel and I have to unwrap the candy. We take the bags from the kitchen to the dining room, and place them on the table. She talks a lot about Caleb, and I listen and nod politely. Any doubts I may have had about her liking my brother are gone once I notice how her eyes light up as she rambles, a reddish hue on her face.
"You know, Tris," she says after most of the bags are on the table, "Caleb's probably the only person I can trust, apart from family."
I hope my scepticism doesn't show. Does she mean it, or is this what she says about all her boyfriends?
"I know what you're thinking," she says, startling me. "And no, I don't say this about just any guy I like. If I didn't genuinely like your brother, I would have broken up with him after two weeks - that's what I used to do with the others. You're actually really lucky, Tris. You have best friends who like you. You've lots of people to talk to if you have issues." A weary look crosses her face. "Being popular isn't all it's cracked up to be."
I stay silent. I already know what a popular girl's life is like, even though I've never lived it. Parties every few weeks. Changing boyfriends at least once a month. Hundreds of friends, and who knows how many of them are real. Having to have the right face, the right personality, the right lifestyle. It sounds exhausting.
Mel looks almost sad as we sit down, unwrap the candy and put them into bowls, but I can't help the question that slips out of my mouth.
"How did you become popular?"
She shrugs. "Got lucky in life. My parents are rich, so they can afford anything I want. Which is cool." She smiles. "I made tons of friends in middle school, mainly because I was pretty and confident." She stops. "I hope I don't sound like I love myself."
I shake my head. It's a fact. With her smooth tan, honey blonde hair and an hourglass figure, nobody can deny that she's pretty. Even Mel can't put herself down, because if she did, it would be obvious that she was only fishing for compliments.
"I'm surprised Caleb didn't tell you this before," she continues. "I'm always complaining to him about my overactive social life. He's the only one who knows how much I'd just like a break for while, at least before I told you. I just don't say it that often. People wouldn't understand. I have it all - I should be happy - and I am, it's just... it's too much sometimes." She sighs. "Sorry. I just needed to get that out. Anyway, Tris. Does Caleb ever talk to you about me?"
"Not really."
She frowns.
"But I wouldn't take offence. He's like this with every girl he likes. There was one girl we used to be friends with..." I stop for fear of making Mel jealous, but she nods, prompting me to carry on. "It was nothing serious. They never even went out. Anyway, Caleb actually spoke about her less when he started liking her. I used to tease him about her and he would change the subject. It's just the way he is."
"Hmm. So the less he talks about a girl, the more he likes her. That's unusual, but if you say so..."
She smiles, and I smile too, but before I can speak further, Caleb and Christina enter the dining room. Caleb looks annoyed; I wonder what kind of things Christina said to him.
"We're finished," he says - I feel like there's a missing "thank goodness" at the end of that statement. "What do we do now?"
"You could help us unwrap all of this."
They sit across from us, and proceed with their task.
"How do you think you all did in your winter exams?" Christina asks.
"I think I did great," Caleb says.
"I hope I did okay," I say. "You can't really say til you get the report cards."
"What about you, Mel?"
"If I pass half of my exams, I'm happy. I didn't study for them and I left a lot of blanks, so I'm not expecting anything fantastic."
"Same with me," says Christina. "I mean, what's the point in all of these tests if I'm not even going to university? What a waste of time."
"What do you want to be?" asks Mel.
"I don't know. I'd be fine with just getting a job until I can decide what I want to do with my life - even though I still have ages to think about it. Of course if I could get a job in a makeup store, that'd be nice."
"Why am I not surprised," I smirk.
Christina kicks me under the table and throws a royal blue wrapper at me.
"And I'm still annoyed about having to walk around with these fake eyelashes." I point at my eyes.
"Oh!" Caleb exclaims. "I was wondering what was up with that -" My brother gets a shove from Christina that sends him flying off the chair and onto the floor. All three of us laugh as an unimpressed Caleb picks himself up and sits down again. Clearly, he hadn't been listening earlier when we were talking about my makeup.
When everything is unwrapped and stored in bowls and stands, we move on to setting up the speakers and fairy lights, among other tasks. When the mansion is set up for the party, Mel announces that there's one more thing left. She wears a mischievous smile as she leads us into the kitchen, and when she opens the cupboard, takes something out and closes it, a bottle containing clear liquid is in her hand. At first I think it's water, and wonder why she's so excited.
"Vodka," she reveals, grinning.
I can't hold back the gasp that escapes my mouth. I glance at Caleb, who looks as horrified as I feel, but Christina smirks widely in response.
"Won't your mom and dad find out?" I say, regretting my question as soon as I ask it. I sound like a strict parent, the mom of the group.
"No!" says Mel. "My parents won't be back til late tomorrow." She must notice the doubt on my face, because she gives me a reassuring smile - a smile that says, you poor, inexperienced girl. "Trust me, it'll be fine. It always is. They never find out - not usually, anyway."
Before I can protest, a girl with hair like Mel's comes in, laughing.
"What's this about trusting you?"
"Nicki!" Mel rushes into her arms and gives her a bear hug. When they let go, Nicki looks down at Mel and shakes her head.
"Seriously," she says, "what have you convinced your friends to do this time?"
"I must introduce you all," Mel says, putting down the bottle. "Everyone, this is my big sister Nicki. She's graduating this year, so this will be her last high school Christmas party with us. Nicki, this is my boyfriend Caleb, his sister Tris and Tris's friend, Christina."
"Hi!" she greets. Dull blue eyes make Nicki's face plainer than it would have been if she'd had Mel's warm brown, but she seems to have the same bubbly personality as her sister. Her gaze lands on the vodka, and she tuts.
"What?" Mel laughs a little. "You're the one who paid for this stuff."
"I know. Just... don't drink too much, okay? We don't want a repeat of the last time."
"Chill out, Nicki, it'll be fine!"
Nicki sighs. "That's what you always say, and you always end up drinking twice as much as I do."
"Umm... What happened the last time?" Caleb asks.
"Someone barfed all over the couch," says Nicki. "It wasn't pretty when Mom and Dad couldn't get the grease off."
"I thought you said it'd be fine," I say to Mel.
"Relax. They won't suspect a thing. Just make sure this party doesn't get back to my parents, and that we cover the couches with some old blankets, and everything should be okay."
I don't say anything, but I can't help thinking that my parents would never leave us alone again if we drank too much and destroyed their sofa. They never drink alcohol - the devil's drink, they call it. I don't plan on consuming any vodka tonight, that's for sure.
The doorbell rings.
"There's our first guest!" Mel squeals, running for the door. A bespectacled girl smiles at Mel, and they hug.
"We'd better keep the door unlocked from now on," says Mel. "Everyone's going to arrive at any moment."
Mel and Nicki's mansion is huge, but the place still looks crowded when most of the school is crammed into it.
Caleb and Mel went off somewhere and I can't see them in this room. Christina is trying to convince Will that taking a shot of vodka is a good idea. In my head, I wish her luck. My intelligent friend would never accept alcohol at his age.
So when he peers at the glass Christina offers him, nodding hesitantly and taking it, I think my surprise is justified.
"I could do with it," he says when he notices me staring at him. He sips at it slowly, reluctantly, like he knows he shouldn't be doing this. I am reminded of his strange behaviour last Friday, and I frown.
"Tris, your face," Christina giggles uncontrollably. I suspect that she's had quite a bit of vodka herself. "Do you want some?" She hands me a small glass with unsteady hands, tipping over some of its contents.
"No way." I put out my hands and step back.
"Come on!" she coaxes loudly, shoving it in front of my face.
"No, Christina."
She mutters to herself as she puts down the glass.
"I heard that," I say. "And I'm perfectly happy, thank you very much. I don't need to let my hair down."
"But Tris, you already have your hair down," she says, apparently forgetting her previous comment.
I roll my eyes. One drunk friend is enough. I wonder how long it'll take for the alcohol to kick in for Will. I don't look forward to it.
I go to the bathroom and rest my head against the cool tiled wall. The music is loud, too loud, and my head pounds with pain. It feels better to be away from all the commotion.
I am tempted to remove my fake eyelashes as I peer into the mirror, but I don't want to imagine what a drunk Christina might do to me if she notices. I won't take my chances.
I return to the party after fifteen minutes, realising with embarrassment that a person was waiting for me to come out of the bathroom, and find my friends again. Will is clearly unfamiliar with drink, as he already looks tipsy. He has an arm slung around Christina's shoulders, his cheeks flushed, and I arrive just in time to hear him say to Christina, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? You're hot."
Christina sighs good-naturedly and slaps his arm, too hard. "That's so unoriginal, Will! Even I could think of something better than that, and I'm not even smart!"
Will gives her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Well, I guess you could say that the drink fried my brain cells." They both laugh too much at that, and very loudly.
I sit next to them, and Will greets me brightly. He seems merrier than he was yesterday, at least. Then he looks at Christina, with an odd smile on his face.
"I'm going to miss you a lot, Christina," he mumbles, some of his happiness draining away. "And you too, Tris."
"What?" Christina looks as baffled as I feel.
He seems as if he is about to explain, but then he lights up again, and grins. "Want to think up of more jokes?"
Christina's frown also disappears as she nods, and I put Will's comment down to too much vodka. But halfway through, Christina interrupts Will and looks at me.
"Hey, Tris, how come you won't drink? Have a little fun!"
"I'm fine."
Christina tilts her head back in exasperation. "Come on, Tris, just one shot! Have fun!"
"I am having fun."
"Ugh, live a little!" Christina's emphasis on certain words is beginning to irritate me. Then, she grins, baring her teeth at me like a shark. "Hang on a second. I know exactly how to get you to drink."
I cross my arms.
"Tobias!" she shouts out. "Take a shot, or I'll tell the whole party that you like Tobias!"
I scowl. Christina would never betray me like that if she was sober - not deliberately. I turn to Will for help, but he seems to be on his girlfriend's side. Mates before dates, unless your love interest also happens to be one of your best friends.
I have already lost this battle - there's no point in fighting, because that will only make Christina louder and bolder. Tobias is at this party, I've spotted him, so what should I do?
I take the shot. It's only one. It should be fine, I think.
The vodka burns as it descends my throat, and I cringe. I then realise that alcohol on an empty stomach is not a good idea, but it's too late to turn back - besides, I could not find the will to return to school if Tobias knew I liked him.
Christina cheers me on, and Will pats me on the back.
"You go girl!" says Christina, enveloping me in a tight hug.
"Did you know that your weight determines how your body absorbs alcohol?"
I almost dismiss Will's input until he carries on.
"That means you'll get more drunk, Tris."
"What?"
"Get it? Because you're so thin? And short?"
It hits me. I had a full shot of vodka. Without eating anything beforehand. I weigh very little. And I have no experience with alcohol.
This will not end well.
But, at least my secret is safe for now. Besides, I am a little curious to discover the effects of alcohol, even if it was virtually forced upon me.
It's only one shot.
Will was right. It doesn't take long for me to feel tipsy, though I wouldn't consider myself drunk. Suddenly another shot sounds like a good idea, but my vision wobbles as I walk towards a table and take one. A remix of my favourite Christmas song plays and I start to move my head in time to the tune, and do a little dance with Will and Christina. We are all giggling a lot, and it's hard to focus. A part of me is aware that this isn't how I usually act, but I ignore it and lose myself to the music. I feel confident, and great, so great.
Christina falls over and starts laughing; Will and I try to help her up but we're too disorientated; we are all left in hysterics. Will gets her up in the end and in the distance I spot Molly putting her arm around Peter. It looks like she's flirting with him. He scowls ahead in response, and I laugh at his discomfort, and before I know it, I'm right in front of them.
"Didn't know Molly was your new girlfriend." The words slip out before I can stop them, and I am surprised at their incoherence.
Loose lips sink ships, my father's distant voice says in my head. I don't think he'd be happy to see me in this condition. I don't think I really care about that right now either.
Peter presses his lips together. He really does hate me, but I hate him more. I want to annoy him further, though I try to tell myself that I shouldn't. I do it anyway.
"Should have known you could only get someone ugly like her," I carry on. "Nobody else would take you."
"Hey!" says Molly, but she's more drunk than I am, and I don't think my insult registers in her already pea-sized brain.
"Shut up, Tris," Peter growls.
I pause. "You know, you could be cute if you acted nicer."
Should I have said that? I feel like I'll regret this later. But it's true - if he wasn't so detestable, I'm sure he would have a decent amount of girls fawning over him. The drink must be making me admit things that I wouldn't like to think about if sober.
He straightens himself up and gives me an arrogant smirk. "You really think so? Aww, shucks, thanks Tris. I'll remember that next time when you say you hate me." His look hardens again, though he still seems amused. "Now can you get out of my way?"
"How about no? Just because you're desperate doesn't mean you get to speak to me like that!"
"I'll speak to you however I like," he shrugs, taking out his phone, tapping it a few times and holding it up. "And Tris... You're pretty wasted right now. I'd watch what you're saying if I were you."
"I'm not wasted!" I say, my voice rising in volume. I shout some expletives at him, and make a rude gesture with my hand.
Peter just smirks as he watches me. He is still holding his phone at an awkward angle.
I walk across the room, and happen to see Tobias laughing with his friends. I feel so lucky to have found him so quickly in such a crowded place, and I stand there, grinning - where are Will and Christina? I don't really care. Tobias is so gorgeous... but then I remember that we're supposed to be mad at each other, I can't recall why. I just wish we were going out - this whole situation is too frustrating. I feel the grin vanishing from my face.
Tobias turns his head to the side, and he sees me. He looks stunned for a few seconds, then smiles. "Hey, Tris!" he calls. His voice is so deep. Sexy.
I totter in his direction, the people and the floor sway til I'm dizzy. When I'm close to Tobias he looks right into my eyes, and I feel like honey, like I'm melting, and I don't know how it happens, but his face is only a few inches away from mine all of a sudden. I like it.
"Are you still mad at me, Tris?" he asks huskily, his smile disappearing. I decide that this is a good time to try my hand at flirting.
"Kind of," I say in a low tone to match Tobias's - maybe he'll think my voice is attractive, too. "You're not very nice, you know."
He looks confused for a second, then grins.
"You're not very nice either," he says. "I guess that's why I like you so much."
A series of wolf-whistles and cat-calls come out from nowhere, and a voice saying "Smooth!". I'm surprised to see people around us, Zeke and Shauna and others I don't recognise; I didn't know anyone was watching. It felt like we were alone, just me and Tobias and no one else but us.
Tobias leans in, and grazes his lips against mine. My insides are on fire, but I love this feeling, but he pulls away after a bit, and I feel so disappointed, until he picks me up bridal style and carries me away from the gawping crowd. My hero, I can't help thinking.
He puts me down once we're in a different part of the room, and takes a shot of vodka; I do the same, it's my third one, I think.
"Why didn't you kiss me?" I ask.
He looks away. "I'm drunk, Tris," he says soberly - which is ironic. "Do you really want me to kiss you when we're both too drunk to think straight?"
"I'm not drunk," I tell him. "Okay, maybe a bit, but -"
Tobias puts a finger to my lips. "Did anyone tell you how good you look tonight?" he says.
I shake my head. "It's not true, anyway. I look like some kind of doll - not in a good way."
Tobias stares at me, then smirks. "You could never look like a doll. Dolls are air-headed. You're smart, you stand up for yourself. You've too much fire."
I don't fully understand what he's trying to say, but I do know he is speaking words of admiration. I turn away. "I'm not even pretty, Tobias." I sound like a clichéd character from a movie, but I've always wondered why Tobias bothers with me.
"No, you're not." He leans in. "But you're so much more interesting than all of the pretty girls I know - look more interesting, too. Pretty is boring."
My heart soars, even though I should latch onto the fact that he said I wasn't pretty, and yet, it's so obvious that everything he said was a compliment. We stare at each other some more, and he leans in, and plants a kiss on my cheek - it lands on my ear, but right now that doesn't matter. Tobias kissed me. Twice. I'm not sure if the first time counts, but he wanted to, and that's just as good as if he had done it.
"Stay safe, Tris," he says. "Too much alcohol is bad for you. I should probably follow my own advice." He finishes his speech with a hearty chuckle.
"You should know by now that you don't need to worry about me." I hug him for longer than I should, then run away, seeking out my friends' faces in the crowd - I want to tell them all about the progress I made with Tobias.
The rest of the night is a hazy blur, an exciting, hilarious blend of events that don't stick in my mind for long.
I was going to have Tris and Tobias kiss, but like Tobias said, I didn't want them to have their first kiss while drunk. Also, it's weird to have Peter call Tris by her name in this fanfic - he usually calls her Stiff in the books. Likewise, it's also weird to have people like Zeke call Tobias by his real name, when I'm so used to him calling Tobias Four (I tried to think of a good reason for Tobias to have that nickname in this fanfic, but I couldn't come up with anything).
Hopefully this chapter is accurate since I don't drink - I did as much research as I could and if it's still not up to the right standard I'm really sorry. I also hope you don't think Tris was too out of character, since she always refuses alcohol in the books (but again, it all goes back to a stricter upbringing in the books than in this fanfic). Please review!