Author's Note: Guys, you've exceeded 300 reviews and 100 favorites and that blows my mind! The numbers do not matter to me, but it just shocks me that that many people read what I write. So thank you, I really do appreciate it all. It's encouragement that I welcome and adore. Feedback from chapter 50 was incredible – seriously you guys are the best.
There are so many of you that I would love to message, but I can't! So, just know that I appreciate you – even if you aren't getting a private message.
-GerdyGertha


Tris

"Trissy-poo, what are you doing in my Government class?" Zeke asks as Tobias and I enter class together.

"Tris?" I look up and see Christina sitting next to Shauna towards the back of the room. I give them a small wave.

"Go save me a seat," I tell Tobias. He nods and goes to sit down by Christina and Shauna. I go to the corner where a small sign labeled 'Mrs. Kerr' sits on a teacher's large desk.

"Mrs. Kerr?" I say quietly. The light brown haired woman turns in her chair at the sound of her name.

She smiles warmly at me. "You must be Tris," she says. "Mr. Kang updated me already. He said that you are already quite knowledgeable about Government. I'd like to just give you a small quiz to make sure you know everything you need to," she explains. "You can take it now, or have a day to prepare - whichever you prefer."

"I'll just take it now, if that's alright."

She nods, "Yes, of course. It's right here." She reaches inside her filing cabinet and pulls out a piece of paper. "It should only take you a few minutes," she says, handing it to me. "You can sit wherever you'd like, just don't get any assistance."

"Thank you," I smile. I go to the seat next to Tobias and Christina that he saved me and take a pencil out from my backpack.

"What's that?" Christina asks.

"A quiz to see where I'm at in the class." Christina just nods and leaves me alone.

The quiz is very easy, basic knowledge. I finish it quickly and bring it back up to Mrs. Kerr. She looks over it quickly. "I'll grade it properly and get it back to you tomorrow, but from what I can see, it looks good."

"Thank you," I say. I go back to sit down next to my friends.

"Was it hard?" Tobias asks. I chuckle and shake my head.

"Why is Zeke sitting up there?" I ask.

"He's talkative," Shauna says, rolling her eyes – at Zeke or the teacher? I don't know.

"Ah," is all I say in understanding.

"So-" Christina starts to say something but she is cut off my Mrs. Kerr starting class.

Class ends and I can immediately understand why Tobias said it was an easy A. I knew a lot of what she went over already. It was a very boring hour.

Tobias and I walk to Social Studies together and take our seats. A minute later, Peter walks in. I try very hard not to look at him, but he looks directly at me. He sits down a couple of desks away, and then a minute later Nita sits down next to him. They immediately strike up conversation – like they've known each other for years. A second later, Al walks in and sits next to them. Great. Just great.

"That can't be good," Tobias says, pointing with his eyes to the trio.

I sigh. "Do you think Al will try to come to the party tomorrow?"

"I hope not. I don't even know if he knows about it."

"I'm sure he does. Zeke announced it loud and clear during lunch."

Tobias sighs. "You're probably right. I hope Nita doesn't show up."

"What would you do?"

"Kick her ass out." I laugh a little.

Mrs. Tepper stands at the front of the room and the class quiets down. "Today we'll be doing an assignment in pairs. Use this workbook," she holds up a workbook label 'Psychological Disorders.' "To complete this worksheet. You can work in groups of two or three, but no more. It's due at the end of the hour." She then goes on to pass out a workbook to each group as well as a worksheet.

"Who's going to be my partner?" I ask myself, looking around the room. Tobias makes a face at me and I laugh. I push my desk up against his and some déjà vu of our rendezvous in the janitor's closet comes to the forefront of my memory.

"What?" Tobias says, noticing my blush.

"Nothing," I lie.

"You're thinking about last time we pushed our desks together," he smirks. It's not a question, it's a statement. I blush again, confirming his suspicion. "I can read you like a book."

Mrs. Tepper gives us our shared workbook and worksheet and we begin the assignment. We have to try to 'diagnose' different disorders based on their symptoms, using the book as guide.

While we work, out of the corner of my eye I see Peter, Nita, and Al talking and occasionally looking towards Tobias and I. "Notice we have some fans," Tobias chuckles when he catches me looking.

"I am sure they are talking about us," I say quietly.

"People with no lives tend to spend their time talking about people who intimidate them," Tobias says with a shrug.

"Doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

"Not really. Their opinions don't matter to me."

I chuckle at him. "Does anybody's opinion matter to you?"

He looks at me seriously. "Not really, just yours." I smile at his sweetness and lean forward and peck him on the lips quickly. Then we quickly get back to work.

The hour goes by quickly and before I know it, we're going to Algebra. Peter is in this class too, but so are Uriah and Will, so they are a good distraction. I try my hardest to pay no attention to Peter, even though I can feel his stare burning a hole through my head. I stay strong though, I keep my cool. And after a grueling class period, we are on our way to one of my favorite classes – lunch.

"Wow! This pizza looks so good!" Christina exclaims sarcastically.

"Tastes even better," Shauna mutters.

"So, what time should we come over tomorrow?" Will asks, changing the subject.

"I don't know. Seven?" Zeke asks. The table nods and sees that as a good time. "I've got drinks, Four's got snacks, and Uriah… well he's got himself."

"Hey!" Uriah says. "Asshole."

"Let's hope there isn't any drama," Marlene says optimistically.

"Yeah, right," I mutter to myself. Two people who hate me are teaming up with a kid who I rejected - sure, no drama.

"Hey, I have an idea," Zeke says quietly to Tobias. They are terrible whisperers.

"Hm?" Tobias asks while chewing on a fry.

"Dude, lets fill half the bottles with water and see how many people pretend to be drunk."

Tobias laughs. "That would be funny."

"And we'd be doing everybody a favor."

Tobias nods. "Exactly. They can't get mad because we were only trying to save them from a massive hangover."

"Yeah! Once they aren't pissed off anymore, they'll thank us!" Zeke whispers.

"What are you two girls whispering about?" Uriah asks across the table.

"None of your Goddamn business," Zeke says.

"You guys act like two year olds," Marlene mutters.

"Who me?" Uriah asks, offended.

"All three of you," Shauna says. Marlene and Christina nod, and I find myself nodding too.

"You too?" Tobias asks me quietly.

I shrug. "It's okay, baby. I still love you." He sticks his tongue out at me and I laugh. "See what I mean?"


The rest of the day moves fast. During Chemistry, Tobias and I make plans to have a study date after school. When the bell rings, we happily get up from our seats and head downstairs.

"Beatrice!" a voice yells. I freeze. Caleb rarely calls me Beatrice in public and the only other person at this school who doesn't call me Tris is-

"What do you want Peter?" Tobias snarls, wrapping his arm protectively around my middle.

"Whoa there! Beatrice, chain down your dog," Peter says.

I glare at him. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Relax, sweet-cheeks. I was just wondering if you were going to that party tomorrow."

"Does it matter?"

"Well, yeah. I thought we could have a little fun," Peter says, wagging his eyebrows. I almost puke.

"You think you're going to that party?" Tobias asks.

"Duh. The whole school is going."

"The whole school with the exception of you."

"I can do whatever the fuck I want," Peter snaps.

Tobias laughs. "Not in my house."

"What?"

"That party is my party," Tobias says.

"Your party? I thought it was the black kid's."

"Shut your fucking mouth. He has a name, you ignorant prick," I say angrily.

"Does it look like I care? I'm going to get drunk and dance with you. That's it," Peter says.

"Actually, no, you're not. You aren't going to the party, and you definitely won't be dancing anywhere near me," I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

His green eyes glare at me. "I don't know what's with your new attitude Beatrice. What's your fucking problem?"

"My problem is you!"

"We never broke up!" Peter says loudly, I involuntarily shrink back.

"Well you're broken up now," Tobias snarls.

Peter glares at Tobias and I watch his hand curl into a fist at his side. "Why don't you stop speaking for her, dog?"

"You stay the fuck away from her."

Peter's knuckles turn white. "You don't tell me what to do. She is my girlfriend."

"No I'm not," I say firmly. "I've told you already. Now go away."

"You're making a mistake, Beatrice."

"The only mistake I made was being with you at all."

"You're a little bitch."

Tobias steps in front of me slightly. "Shut you Goddamn mouth before I break your jaw."

Peter laughs darkly. "What the hell do you see in this guy?"

"Someone who would never hurt me."

"Really? Look at his hand," Peter says. It's in a fist. "He'd never hurt you, huh?"

"Look at your own hand!" I tell Peter.

Tobias steps closer to Peter and says quietly, "We both know I'm a hell of a lot stronger than you. You'll fight to lose, Pete."

Peter's eyes widen a little before they narrow again. "You're just a terrible fucking trainer."

Tobias chuckles darkly. "That's not my problem."

"You played me. You wanted me to lose." They are basically whispering now. No matter how angry they get, they won't discuss these things very loudly. Especially since there is a small crowd developing, sensing a fight.

"Yes I did."

"My fucking nose broke, you bastard."

"Good." I watch as Peter raises his fist, and I have no idea how Tobias sees it or reacts so quickly, but he raises his arm to block it. Then he pushes me away carefully at the same time he lifts his knee into Peter's gut. I back away from the two, my backpack bumping into a couple of kids watching. The hit makes Peter double over before quickly recovering and going for Tobias' gut with his fist. Tobias sidesteps and the unexpected move causes Peter's balance to falter.

"Just stop," Tobias says calmly.

Peter looks up with a maniacal grin. "You scared I'll beat you to a pulp?"

Tobias just sighs. Peter charges at Tobias and at the last second, Tobias punches Peter in the gut. Peter coughs and doubles over.

"Seriously, you're going to get hurt," Tobias says. Peter just shakes his head and moves towards Tobias. He throws a punch and Tobias quickly blocks. In one swift move, Tobias grabs Peter's arm and twists it behind him. While Peter is immobile, Tobias kicks Peter's feet out from under him and lets him fall. A loud, terrible noise sounds when Peter's head collides with the tile floor.

"Oh," is heard from a few people watching.

"I'm telling you to stop, Peter," Tobias says. I can tell that even though he would love to beat the shit out of Peter, this isn't the place.

"SHUT UP!" Peter yells. Tobias just looks down and shakes his head slowly. Peter stands fully with a groan. He throws a punch at Tobias' face and Tobias ducks and then delivers a hit to Peter's gut. In his already weakened state, Peter stumbles back a few steps, panting.

"Don't do this to yourself, Peter," Tobias says. "You can't win." He's right. Peter hasn't gotten a single hit on Tobias.

"I said shut up!" Peter charges at Tobias and Tobias grabs Peter's middle, picks him up like a bag of flour, and throws him onto his back on the hard tile. Peter groans loudly.

"Stop," Tobias says. "You have nothing to prove."

"I'm not going to lose to you!" Where the hell are the faculty in this school? I want them to stop but I'm powerless to stop gets up slowly and puts his hands up in fists in front of him. "Hit me." Tobias shakes his head. "Come on, hit me!" Tobias doesn't move. "What are you so afraid of?"

"I'm not going to hit you," Tobias says, slowly shaking his head again.

"Fight me!" Peter yells. Tobias sighs. "You're a wimp! Fight me!"

"You're weaker than me, Peter," Tobias says. He doesn't say it in a mocking way; he says it as though he is stating a simple fact. "I won't hit you."

Peter gets closer to Tobias and throws a fist, Tobias blocks. Peter throws another, block. Another, block. Peter pants heavily.

"Just hit me!" he says through heavy breaths. Tobias doesn't even look slightly winded; he just keeps shaking his head.

"Peter just stop," I say. He looks up and glares at me. "You won't win. This isn't helping you. Just stop."

"Shut up, bitch!" he yells.

"Hey, Peter?" Tobias says calmly, but I can see his fury through his calm front. Peter turns and Tobias punches him hard in the face, Peter stumbles a few feet backwards. "Don't ever say that to her again."

Peter clutches his face. He pulls his hand back to look at it and sees blood. "She's a whore. She deserves everything she got." I want to scream and I want to cry and I want to hit Peter with a bus all at the same time. Good thing Tobias is here and he's a lot stronger. He walks right up to Peter and knees him in the gut, then punches him in the throat. While Peter is bent over, Tobias smashes his elbow down between Peter's collarbones and causing Peter to fall face down, on the floor.

"I told you not to talk say that shit," Tobias says quietly through clenched teeth.

Peter lifts his head and smiles with his bloody mouth. "She's a dirty slut who likes to take it in the-" Peter starts but is cut off when Tobias kicks him in the mouth. Peter's head slumps down onto the floor and he doesn't move again.

"Oh my God," some girl mutters.

"Whoa," another kid says.

Tobias leans down and puts two fingers against Peter's neck. "Calm down," he says loud enough for everybody to hear. "He's just knocked out."

I sigh in relief. More for Tobias' sake than Peter's. Tobias would be in deep shit if he killed Peter… the thought scares me.

"Can we leave now please?" I ask Tobias. He looks up at me and nods. He goes over to the side where his backpack was flung at some point. He reaches in for his keys, and then puts one strap on over his shoulder. He crosses the space where they were fighting, puts his arm around my middle, and leads me out of the school.

"Sorry," he says once we are outside.
"Are you okay?" I ask him. I stop and hold his face in my hands, checking for injuries.

He smiles a little. "I'm fine, Tris."

"You didn't want to fight him," I say as we start walking again.

"Not at first. But then he started saying all of that stuff and I couldn't stop."

I hold his hand. "Thank you for defending me."

"You don't have to thank me," he says as we near his truck.

"Yes I do. You could have gotten hurt," I say as we climb in. He snorts and gives me a sarcastic look that says, 'Really?' "You could have, Tobias."

"He is uncoordinated and weak. I've been punched harder by you," he says. I throw a mock punch at his shoulder and roll my eyes. "Ouch," he says. "That was worse than Peter."

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. "Just drive."

"Where are we going?"

"I think we should go somewhere that isn't our houses."

"Why?"

I look at him. "You know why."

"What if I promise to behave myself?"

"That's what you said last time! You are insatiable!"

Tobias shrugs. "I've got a sexy girlfriend and low self-control."

I laugh. "Coffee sound good?"

"No," he pouts, but he drives.


We arrive at a small coffee shop near Millennium Park. We grab our backpacks and head inside. The warmth of the place and the smell of coffee overwhelm me as we walk in. We take a seat at a table for four so that we'll have more room to work. Tobias sits down next to me and we grab out our notebooks and math textbooks.

"You start, I'll go get us coffee," he says. I groan earning me a chuckle from him. He kisses my temple before going up to the counter. I look over my notes and the assignment, but it's like I'm trying to read an oriental script – impossible because I don't know the language. It just looks like a blur of scribbles.

Tobias comes back and sets a coffee down in front of me. "Two sugars and cream?" I ask him. He nods and I kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

"Get any of it done?" he asks. I point to my blank paper in response. "Okay. What don't you understand?"

We work on math for about two hours, and surprisingly, when we are done it makes sense. I think Tobias should be the math teacher instead of Mr. Newly.

"Can we be done?" I whine.

He closes his book. "Yeah. We've done enough." I sigh in relief and close up my book too. "But now we have Gov homework."

"At least that's easy," I say. I grab out the folder I use for Government, which used to contain History notes, and we get to work.

"Well, at least there's one good thing about having the same exact schedule. It makes doing homework together easier," he says.

"Just that one thing?" He nods, but then realizes what he just said.

His eyes widen and he speaks quickly, "I-I mean other than being together more." I laugh at his save.

We finish Government, Chemistry, and Erudite History homework for today and tomorrow as well as two cups of coffee each before we are finally finished. "Well, that was fun," I say closing my notebook. Tobias just groans. "Just think, we finished everything today so we can party tomorrow night stress free," I say.

"That's true."

"Do you know what time it is?" I ask as I shove my supplies back into my backpack.

"It's almost seven," he says, looking at his phone.

I sigh, exhausted. "I need to go to bed."

He chuckles, "Me too." I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder and yawn. "Come on, babe. I'll take you home," he says, rubbing my back.

"M'kay," I say, sitting up. I stand up and put my backpack on my back. It feels a good twenty pounds heavier than usual. We go outside and into his truck. He starts it up and I press the button to turn on my seat warmer.

"You like those, huh?" he asks, laughing a little at me. I nod sleepily. I rest my head on the seat rest as my butt warms up.

"Tris," Tobias says, rubbing my arm. "Babe, wake up."

I open my eyes and see that we are parked outside my house. "Whoa," I say, sitting up. I'm kind of disoriented. I swear we were just leaving the parking lot of the coffee shop a minute ago.

Tobias laughs. "You fell asleep."

"Oh," I say slowly, rubbing my eyes. "Sorry."

"For being tired? If I wasn't driving, I would have taken a little nap too."

"Good thing you didn't," I mumble. "That would be bad." Tobias just laughs and reaches behind the seat to grab my backpack. Why does he have to lift everything like it weighs nothing? Good God. Even when he threw Peter it was like he was tossing around a phonebook instead of large boy. "I'll see you tomorrow," I say sleepily.

"Do I need to walk you to your door? Can you stand?" I roll my eyes and nod. He looks unsure but he doesn't say anything about it. "I love you, Tris."

I look at him. "Love you too." He leans forwards and presses his lips to mine.

"Goodnight," he chuckles. I nod and yawn and then reach for my door handle. I'm really tired, I swear that coffee was decaf. I feel a little bit like I'm sleepwalking. Or at least, what I imagine sleep walking would feel like – I've never actually done it. Or, I don't think I've done it. I open the door and clumsily dismount the truck.

"You okay there?" Tobias asks. I hold up a 'thumbs up' and shut the door. I trudge up the path to my house and go inside. I turn to wave at Tobias and then watch him pull away from the curb. I ditch my backpack in the entry way and then climb the stairs to my room.

After I shower and brush my teeth, I plug my phone in and then crawl into bed. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.


Author's Note: Oooh Tobias kicked some Peter ass. This chapter wasn't quite as dramatic, but it's coming – I promise :)

Review with your feelings and such - haha
-GerdyGertha