First I'd just want to thank all my followers, and all of those who even bother to read my stories. Thank you so much, I wouldn't even be writing here, without all of you. Enjoy!

Chapter 28

Tris' POV

It's so hard keeping a smile on my face. I tell myself that I'm going to be happy. I tell myself that everything is alright. But I just feel so empty. I feel so sad.

I scream and cry, and then I cry some more. All the light in me disappeared and now it's filled with an empty pit.

My mom decided to send me to therapy. She says it's not healthy punishing myself. But how could I not? Why do I feel so useless?

I'm trying to get better, I really am. Some nights I don't allow myself to do anything until I force myself to eat.

Tobias seems fine. That's what I've been told. He must be so happy we're finally over. I must have been a horrible girlfriend. But I'm happy that he's finally happy. He must be so ecstatic with Lauren. I don't even care anymore. I haven't talked to him in two weeks. He's tried calling, texting, and leaving voice messages but I refuse to listen to any of them.

It's bright and hot today. We have our first swim meet of the season against another school. We have one of the best swim teams in the state and I'm excited for this season.

Honestly, it sucks. Not the swim team, but being able to not do anything. This stupid cast literally refrains me from doing anything. I can't skate, I can't swim, and my leg is itchy 24/7 and I can't fucking itch it because of the stupid cast. However, I am still going to the swim meet as moral support.

After school ends, I ride the elevate down the top floor and crutch my way towards our school swimming pool. It's a huge struggle and I manage to drop several books onto the floor.

"Damn it." I hiss. I lean my crutches against several lockers and place my weight on my left foot. I bed down to the best of my ability until I feel a presence rush to my side. I am handed my books.

"Thank you." I am met with another girl in my grade.

"Tris is it?" She asks me. She's a cute looking girl with brown hair and eyes and several freckles on her cheeks. She smiles.

"Yeah. Uhm, I'm sorry I don't think we've ever met. What's your-"

"I'm Payton." She smiles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Payton. I put the books in my backpack because obviously carrying it around did not work out. I put my backpack back on and grab my crutches. "Well, thank you so much for the help. I seriously appreciate it. I'll see you around then."

"Yeah. No problem. Bye Tris." I thank her once last time before walking down the hall. On my way down, I spot Tobias at his locker. His back it turns towards me. For a moment, my heart stops and I have to make sure I breathe. He and I may be done, but that doesn't mean I haven't stopped loving him. It hurts so much knowing that he doesn't love me. I tell myself to keep walking and without a second glance, I turn around and crutch in the other direction. My chest hurts and all I want to do is lock myself in a room and cry.

What did I ever do to deserve this?


I sit on a chair and cheer as three swimmers from our school swim against three others in the following event, 50 fly. I smile as all three JV girls place first through third as the other three girls come in seconds behind them.

My head is turned to the side, and I don't notice a boy sitting next to me. I turn my head to the side and see Tyler smiling down at me.

I smile in return. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to support your team." He says with a large grin. "And I brought you flowers." I feel my face heat up and I use my hair to cover my blushing face.

He places the bouquet of flowers on my lap. "You didn't have to. I'm not even swimming anyways."

Tyler lifts his hand and tucks my hair behind my ears.

I back away. "Friends. Just friends."

A ghost of a frown appears on his face but her covers it up with a grin. "I know. I know. I'm just doing you a friendly favor."

"Sure." I am honestly lost for words. I don't know how to respond to Tyler. He's always flirting and smiling and, I just, I don't know. I keep telling him that were friends and he keeps saying he knows, but I don't understand why he keeps doing this. I love him as a friend, but he should stop trying. He needs to move on.

He sighs. "So, how have you been. Are you okay?"

I stare at the floor. Am I okay? No, I'm not. "I'm- I don't know. I feel like I'm okay, but the next thing you know, I'm bawling my eyes out. I don't even- I thought he and I were fine, you know?"

"Tris," he sighs and runs his hands through his hair, "he shouldn't have done what he did to you. You're an amazing person both inside and out and Tobias is an idiot for not realizing that, okay? He's missing out on something wonderful."

I smile at Tyler. He's so caring and sweet. His turquoise eyes twinkle a little and he smiles in return.

"How about you and I go grab some ice cream, just like old times."

"Sure, why not. They're not going to miss me." Tyler grabs my backpack and I stand up and he then hands me my crutches.

"Thanks." He slings my bag over his shoulder and we walk to his car.

"I should apologize." He says after a minute of silence.

"For what?"

"The fight. I just got so angry and I punched Tobias. It was so stupid of me and out of character. He deserved it though, I'm just saying. But point is, I'm sorry about letting my anger pass."

"Hey." I stop walking and place my hand on his shoulder. "It's fine. Let's just move on, okay?"

"But he pushed you Tris! Look, I just," he runs his hand through his hair. "I love you, Tris. And you broke up with me for Tobias and I just, I feel like he didn't deserve you. I feel so guilty about it too, I know he made you happy, but you made me happy too. It's selfish, but-"

Before he can say anything else, I hug him despite my broken leg and having to deal with these stupid crutches. He hugs me back and nuzzles his face in my shoulder.

"You're an amazing person. I honestly feel awful for hurting you, Ty. But one day, you're going to finally move on and then your going to find that special girl. One that makes you even happier than I ever did. She will love you for all you annoying perks and amazing personality." I say against his chest.

He pulls back and smiles. "Annoying perks?"

"Yeah. You have so many." I say smiling.

"Oh? I want to hear them."

"Well...You...Uhm...You have this habit of..."

"Having trouble there, Miss Tris?" He has this stupid cocky grin on his face.

I push him lightly and say, "shut up. Wait! I thought of one. I hate the way you can move your pecks up and down. And it gets so annoying sometimes because that's all you would do. Only Dwayne Johnson can do it and make it work."

"Oh, you mean like this?" He starts moving his pecks up and down and I can see them move through his shirt."

"Ew no! Just stop." I exclaim, laughing.

"God Tris. You make it so hard to not love you." He says out of the blue.

"I'm sorry?"

Tyler runs a hand through his hair. "Come on, let's just get some ice cream."


"Is that little Miss Prior and Tyler Evans I see?" A nice woman, around her mid-forties greets us.

I smile. "Hi Ashley. Long time no see."

"I'll be damned, my girl. Last time you came here I gave you free ice cream and you haven't even bothered to show up at least once?" She places her hands on her hips. "Aren't you a little clumsy one? I swear, half the times you come in, you are wearing a cast of some sort. And Tyler! How can you be so careless monitoring your girl."

I look at Tyler, bewildered. "Oh we aren't-were not dating anymore."

Ashley rolls her eyes. "What a shame, you two would have made exceptional babies. Why, when are you two going to start working here now? My son is great and all, but he's such a slacker, that boy."

"I don't know. I don't think I can until summer, Ashley." I tell her.

"Ai!" She exclaims and hits me in the arm. She then cusses a swear word in German.

"Ow!"

Tyler smiles coyly. "Well...can we get ice cream?"

"For you yes. For Tris, no." I look at Ashley with the saddest expression I can muster.

"Sweetheart, you know I can't resist that adorable face of yours." She says and then pinches my cheeks.

"Mint chocolate chip please." I say sweetly.

"For you Tyler?"

"Vanilla."

"No." She says, very seriously.

"What why?"

"I refuse to give you such a boring flavor. No vanilla."

Tyler playfully rolls his eyes. "Fine. I'll get rocky road. Better?"

"Much."

After paying for the ice cream, much to Ashley's dismay, we talk for a bit before finally leaving. Tyler sends me home.

"Thanks for today." I tell him. "I really needed something like this."

"No problem. I'll see you later. Bye Tris."

I wave at him before he turns around to leave. "Bye, see you."


Though don't get me wrong when I say this: I enjoy reading. I love it. But when your teacher assigns you to read a seven hundred page book in a week and a half time, while I take two other AP class; reading is no fun.

I sit in the empty library in on of the tables trying to get the reading done. My teacher assigns deadlines for a certain amount of chapters we need to read each day.

With everything going on in my life, it is extremely difficult to concentrate. With Tobias, my friends, skating, homework, and life in general, everything seems so complicated.

I don't realize I am passively reading a chapter or two (because I'm thinking of Tobias) until I notice that I have read at least thirty pages. I groan in frustration because I now have to reread those pages in order to know what is happening in the stupid book. My eyes thoroughly read each sentence this time capturing each important detail and marking the important pages with a sticky note because I know that we are going to write an analysis essay of this book once we have finished. I almost break down on the spot due to how stressed I am.

I bite my lip and clench my eyelids closed.

He promised me he wouldn't hurt me again, but look what happened. I'm hurt, I'm tired, and I feel so lost.

I hear a chair being pulled besides me and I look up to see who it is.

My chest clenches together and my blood boils.

"Hey." She sighs out.

"Lauren, what are you doing here and what do you want?"

"Can I sit?"

"Do I really have a choice?" I ask and she sits and stares at me. "Look, Lauren, I have a lot of homework and I don't have time for all of this nonsense so if you'll please...please just..." I words get lost and the tears start to flow and all I want to do curl up in a ball.

Lauren doesn't make eye contact with me. I don't blame her, I'd feel extremely uncomfortable if I saw someone crying in front of me.

"Tobias never cheated on you."

"Is this some joke? Did he put you up to this? Is there a camera someone?" I say angrily while wiping the liquid that is flowing below my eyes.

"No, no! He didn't put me up to this, I swear. My grades...they were dropping and my math teacher asked him to tutor me. I'd come twice a week for to tutoring at his house. Tobias never wanted to do it. I don't blame him, I'm just his crazy ex girlfriend. But I changed, I did. When he and I dated, I was jealous. You and him were such good friends and I was so jealous of you Tris. You're so pretty and smart and athletic. And I was some dumb girl. I never meant to hurt you. I wish I could take back those awful things I said. I'm sorry. Don't blame Tobias, he was just following my teacher's orders. You guys are meant to be." What kind kind of bull is this? I almost want to laugh because, Lauren, of all people, is telling me that I belong with Tobias. Especially when she was the one who caused all the trouble in the first place, both times.

There is so much information thrown at me, and it takes me a while to comprehend it all.

"He didn't tell me this." Is all I can say. How could Tobias not trust me and not tell me this?

"I'm sorry, he told me you knew so I thought you were fine with the tutoring. I didn't mean,-I'm sorry." Well that just makes it even worse.

I quickly pack my things. "I have to go. I can't- I cant deal with this right now, I have to go. Thanks, uh, yeah." I run to the only place I can think of at the moment, well, more like run while I'm on these stupid crutches. I sling my bag to the floor and sink to the floor and hug my legs close to me.

Relationships are supposed to be built off of trust. I told Tobias everything, and he never even bothered to trust me.

My fingers pluck at the grass as I fix my glaze over to the football field.

He lied.

The wind feels nice against my face as I watch a lacrosse game going on.

All those times he told me he had football practice.

I watch as the lacrosse team tackle one another in the field in reach for the ball.

He told me that he loved me and would always tell me everything.

A boy's body slams against another boy from the opposing team.

"You promised! You freaking promised!" I croak. "You said you wouldn't change, and you did." I yank the bracelet he gave me in sixth grade and fling it at him. "I hate you. I hate you so much."

As if in slow motion, the boy falls to the ground. His helmet flies off his head and he collapses. Unconscious.

Maybe that's what I am. Lost. Hurt.

Broken.

I'm so broken and that's why Tobias doesn't want me. I'm broken.

A/N: I'm sure we can all agree that my updating habits are extremely poor. It's almost the end of school, so once that is over, I will have much more time to work on my stories. (I'll let in with a secret, I'm in the mist of writing a new story, I might give you a little sneak peak, I don't know yet). Thanks for reading, and I'll see you soon! Bye!

Make sure to leave a comment on your thoughts, ideas, idk.