A/N: I'm so sorry… how have more than 2 months gone by already?! You would think that it would be easier to update in the summer, but somehow I ended up busy all the time. Had this half written when school started back up and finally sat down and finished it. I'll try not to make you wait so long again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

TRIS

My eyes shoot imaginary daggers at Caleb as he slinks out the door to my hospital room like a puppy with its tail between its legs. One look was all it took, I didn't even have to say a word for him to know how pissed I am at him.

After Four left, Caleb told me Dad was coming to see me at the hospital. He conveniently neglected to mention that Dad was already in Chicago, so I am blindsided when my father stalks into my hospital room only an hour later.

Even though I'm so nervous for what he is going to say, my heart is soaring. He's here, he came. My dad is here to see me. Sometimes I am not sure if he loves me any more, but now, when I am hurt and scared, he came.

My father's eyes burn into mine with a look of accusation. At first, when I feel the heat behind my eyes, I think he's found a way to set me on fire, to punish me for what I've done, but no—I'm about to cry. It would be impossible to miss the anger and disappointment.

"Let's hear it, Beatrice," Dad says coldly. "How did this happen?"

I gulp and tell the story of how I got into the car accident, beginning with Uriah showing up to the door while I was home studying, to waking up here in the hospital bed, of course leaving out anything having to do with our dare game and Al stealing the stop sign. Dad listens with a blank face the whole time, and I am encouraged when his eyes soften at the end, when I describe the shock of waking up here.

"I told you that hellion would get you into trouble one day," Dad mutters, shaking his head.

"We aren't even together anymore. We broke up a few weeks ago." I don't even know what I'm trying to do―defend myself? Placate my dad? For a moment I see this whole situation the way Zeke did this morning: It was an accident. It wasn't my fault. It could have happened to anyone. "I was just trying to do the right thing," I say aloud.

"Yes, Beatrice," Dad says tiredly, "I know you were, and I'm glad you're alright." He sighs and shakes his head. "But even when you're trying to do the right thing, you seem to get into some sort of trouble. I don't know why you can't be more like Caleb. Caleb was never a problem." He looks at me with utter disappointment, and shakes his head. His words echo in my head: "...a problem." I dig my nails into my palm, determined not to let him see how much his words hurt me. "Now I've had to miss an important business dinner to fly out here and square everything away with the hospital."

He glances at his watch. I wish he would just leave right now, I just want to be alone. I thought he was here because he loved me. But I was wrong. That isn't why he is here at all. Even after I was seriously injured in a car accident...he's not really here for me. He's here to take care of the paperwork. An inconvenience, a task to mark off his list.

I have never felt smaller than I do in this moment.

FOUR

This day feels endless...and it's only lunch.

First, Chemistry was more boring than usual with Zeke's seat empty and Marlene uncharacteristically sullen. Class went by uneventfully, a boring lecture and no lab work today.

The day's first real annoyance began when I tried to leave class: Maria stopped me, demanding to know where Zeke was and why he hadn't texted her since running out early on their date. Maria knew Uriah had been in an accident, hell, it seems half the school already knows. She's just that self-centered.

The morning only got worse in third period. Ms. Keene moved Peter away from Drew in the first five minutes. Of course she sent him to my desk cluster; without Tris here, I was the only one sitting there, the other three desks vacant. Peter spent the whole class period making little digs about anything and everything he could think of, obviously trying to find the right topic to get under my skin. The ones that really did piss me off involved Tris. I can only hope that I hid my anger well enough. All I could think of was what Uriah had told me about Peter's history with Tris.

At least Peter is unlikely to do anything more than make nasty comments. Ever since that night I helped Uriah with his dare and he left Peter's detention slip on Ms. Matthew's floor, Matthews has watched Peter like a hawk. She's just waiting for him to slip up. As a result, Peter has been on his best behavior and has not done anything that could justify Matthews giving him any more than a simple detention.

It was like I couldn't take a step all morning without someone pestering me; Lauren flagged me down on the way to Economics needing help carrying her books. She'll be on crutches for the next eight weeks, thanks to her broken ankle.

The group is quiet as we gather in our dead-end hallway. I never knew how much quieter it would be without the Pedrad twins here. It's not just their and Tris's absence, though; it is the somber mood that has settled over all of us. The space feels empty.

The group feels small with only seven of our usual ten, and it takes a minute for me to realize that this is it, we're all here. I clear my throat.

"Hey guys… I told Tris I would get her homework for her, but―"

"Wait, you saw her?!" Christina squeals. I nod. "Caleb wouldn't let any of us in to see her."

"He was out of the room taking a call when I went by. Anyway, I'm only in like three of her classes. I forgot to ask for her schedule but I figure at least one of us is in all of her classes probably. She said she has to stay out of school for at least this whole week."

"Oh no," Christina gasps. "But she's already so far behind!"

"Christina!" Will hisses. "Think before you speak!"

"What? You said―"

"I didn't say you could tell anyone."

"You didn't say not to."

"Didn't think I had to."

"Well, whatever," she shrugs, unphased. "I have Art and Psychology with Tris, and I know Will is in her Physics class." Will glares at his girlfriend.

We quickly work out that between Will, Christina and I, we can get Tris's homework for everything but first period. Marlene tells us that Tris and Uriah had U.S. History with Ms. Keene first period, so I volunteer to get that as well, since I have the same teacher the following hour.

Shauna points out that we need to look out for Zeke as well, and volunteers to bring his homework and spend some time with him at the hospital each day until he's back to school as well. The others all volunteer to do various things to help out, like bringing food to Hana and Zeke, or bringing Tris some of her favorite books, magazines and movies. Al volunteered to rake leaves and cut the grass at Tris's house.

When everyone get up to head to class at the end of lunch, I ask Will to wait for a moment. He hangs back, and when we are the only ones left in the hallway, I ask, "What was Christina saying, about Tris being behind in school?"

Will glances away from me and sighs. "Tris asked me to tutor her in Physics and math. She said she's way behind in her classes and needs to get her grades up. I told her I could help with Physics but I don't have time to get her up to speed in Trig as well. I wish I did, especially now."

I had offered to help Tris in math class before, but she insisted that she understood the material. "Tris is in my math class. I've got it covered," I assure him. "I'll plan on sticking around for a while to help her when I drop the homework off."

Will looks relieved, then worried again. "I don't want her to know I told you. I only told Christina because I was going to be helping Tris a few nights a week and didn't want her to think something else was going on with Tris and me, I didn't think she'd just blurt it out." I'm not surprised that Christina would do that, but saying so won't make Will feel any better about it, and he did just help me out.

The warning bell rings. "Thanks for your help, man," I say, giving him a fist bump.

Will nods at me and I hurry to Spanish class.

I'm really only pretending to do my homework. It just means I'll be stuck doing this longer when I get home, but I can't help it―I just can't concentrate when I am alone in a room with Tris. I keep watching her out of the corner of my eye.

I brought her the homework I had gathered from all our friends as soon as football practice ended. Remembering what Christina and Will had said earlier, I casually asked to stay and keep her company while I started my homework. She was too surprised to say no, and hesitantly pulled out the assignments I had brought her soon after I opened my Economics textbook. Now I'm still staring at the textbook while Tris chews on her pencil and studies her Trigonometry textbook with her face scrunched and forehead wrinkled.

I know she doesn't get it. But after Will's concern at school today, I'm hesitant to say anything about it. I stare at my textbook so hard the words blur, trying to figure out how to offer to help.

"Do you want help with the math lesson? You look lost." I cringe inside at my own words as I watch Tris lower her eyes and her cheeks flush. I have a tendency to somehow come off as rude, no matter how good my intentions. "I, um… well, you weren't there in class and it's probably hard to pick up just from the textbook. At least look at my notes," I ramble, flipping through my math notebook to find the notes from today's lesson.

Tris chews on her lower lip. After taking a deep breath, she nods. "Actually, you're right, I'm completely lost and… um… I'm a little behind as it is. I―I'd really appreciate some help, I need to get my grades up and being stuck in the hospital is not helping anything."

I smile and try to hide my relief at not having to be the one to bring it up. Closing my economics textbook and setting it on the floor by my feet, I pull out everything I need for math homework and set myself up right next to the bed.

At first the logistics are awkward, the bed is too high to comfortably help her when I'm sitting in the chair, but when I stand I have to lean halfway over. The whole time, Tris has this amused smirk that keeps trying to break through. Finally when I have to stop in the middle of solving a math problem to stretch out the crick developing in my back, Tris lets a chuckle escape.

"Uncomfortable?" she asks.

"I'm good," I assure her. "It's fine."

Tris rolls her eyes and wiggles herself to one side of the bed. "Plenty of room for two."

I freeze for a second. The bed may be big enough for two to sit in, but only if we are pressed closely together, like we were when she leaned into me watching The Great Gatsby for our English assignment. And I remember how it affected me that time; I don't remember at least the last half-hour of the movie. The rush of adrenaline and anticipation that courses through me just at the thought is both exhilarating and terrifying, and it only intensifies once I am seated in the bed beside her. The pressure of her shoulder against my side, her hip against my own makes my blood rush with energy everywhere we make contact.

I clear my throat and prepare to explain today's lesson from the middle of chapter four, but Tris is thumbing through her notebook. My eyes widen when I see that she has pulled out an old test from chapter two, my eyes drawn to the bold red "D" marked on the top right corner of the margin. I had no idea she was this far behind. Why did she wait so long to ask for help?

Tris sighs. "I think I have some catching up to do. I've, um, had trouble concentrating lately. Can you teach me?"

I slowly nod. She definitely does have some catching up to do. It will take a lot more than a few evenings after football practice, but I know I'll help her for as long as she needs. And my excitement and happiness anticipating all the time I will get to spend with her is just barely overshadowed by the guilt I feel, knowing that I owe some loyalty to my best friend and his twin brother who is currently unconscious in the ICU a few floors above us, fighting for his life.