Chapter 11

After Soccer Practice (Monday)

FOUR POV

It's about 4:45 p.m. when Tris opens the back door to toss in her bags. I turn my head to say hello, and just stare. She changed back into her school clothes after practice, but her hair is wet and she has on no make up, clearly fresh from a shower.

Before I can say anything she interjects, "I know! I look like Hell. Coach Bullock had us run sprints again. His favorite thing, presumably to see if it would kill us this time or see which of us would drop dead first. After that he had us do ball drills and skills. Then, the sadist made us do sprints again! Anyone still standing made the team. He actually said that at the end of practice. Tryouts were last week, and he still said that at the end of practice today! Do you know if he is always like this? I am not normally this dramatic but I am telling you, I may not survive this!"

She runs her hands through her wet hair and twists it into a thick braid using the hair tie she usually has on her wrist when she gets to the end of the braid. I am fascinated watching her fingers weave in and out so fast that I am not really paying attention to the last of what she said. "I am sure it isn't as bad as you're saying, but I don't know much about him. He was a new coach last year." I quirk one eyebrow at her and try a half smile, "Maybe I can interview him for the paper and get the inside scoop for you into his methods and ulterior motives?"

She smiles at me, but shakes her head slowly and puts on her seatbelt. "I'm not sure that would help. The man is a slave driver. I thought I stayed in pretty good shape over the summer but clearly my cardio is CRAP! He wants us to add agility and strength training too."

"Hmm, Shauna didn't say anything about that. I just talked to her a few minutes ago when she walked out to her car. It couldn't be that bad, really, could it?"

"I am late because I had to take a shower. You would have kicked me out of your car or made me ride on the roof if I hadn't."

"I would never do that to you. I know a thing or two about running sprints and needing a shower after practice so I would have kept it to myself if it was really that bad. Anyway, you're not late." I look at her again, almost pitiful in her dripping hair. "Are you sure you want to go running again Thursday on your day off?"

"I do. You said it would be fun, and I want to go, unless you changed your mind."

"No, I haven't changed my mind. I promise you will like it, and like I said this morning, the scenery at this park is beautiful."

Tris glances sideways at me. "Oh, I don't think the scenery at the lake loop is all that bad…"

Her tone is unmistakably flirtatious, and takes me by surprise. My ears are heating up and I just know they are red. To distract her from seeing them, I put the car in gear and ask, "Ready to go?"

"Awww, did I just make you blush! I am normally so bad at flirting."

I chuckle quietly and shake my head, "Tris, you're a lot better at it than you think. Believe me. I don't think there is a guy at school that doesn't want a chance with you."

"That isn't because I flirt with them. That isn't what I want."

"I know that based on your reactions to Al and Will last week." But there is something that I don't know. I turn towards Tris to face her directly and ask, "What do you want, Tris?"

"I don't know yet, exactly, but I want more of this. More time to see where things might go with us, if you are also interested."

I clear my throat, glance down at the steering wheel then over at her face. This is my moment to declare, "I am interested, Tris. I want that too, but I don't know how to do it. You're going to think I am such a bumbling idiot. I don't know how to flirt, or be cool around a girl that I like. I have never liked anyone before, and I have never met anyone like you, Tris."

She reaches out and puts her hand over mine that is still resting on the gear shifter, "I have no idea what I am doing either. I am just flying by the seat of my pants over here and trusting you to catch me."

I wish desperately I had a smooth line to respond to her confident declarations, but the truth is I am terrified right now. I turn my hand and lace my fingers through hers and squeeze gently. I look down at our hands and eventually answer her with a promise that sounds simple, but means so much to me. "I won't hurt you on purpose, Tris." Then I chicken out and change the subject, "For Thursday, will your dad mind if you're not home until 6 or 7 o'clock?"

Tris doesn't seem to mind the conversation shift, she just shakes her head slightly, squeezes my fingers back and lets go so I can shift the car again. "Probably not, but I will ask him tonight anyway. I was really hoping to be a photographer for the paper or the Yearbook. At this rate, I will spend all my free time training or doing homework."

"Maybe not. You can probably freelance for the paper if you really want to, or join later in the semester once you have hit your stride. Don't stress about it now, there is no point. I happen to know the editor of the paper and he's pretty easy to work with." I quip, hoping it will make her smile since I am the editor of the paper. She does smile and the rest of the short car ride is comfortable. When we get to her house, Tris doesn't wait or say anything to me before getting out of the car. When she opens the back door for her bags she says, "Goodnight, Tobias. Thank you for the ride."

"Goodnight, Tris." She turns to close the door and I call out to her, "Hey, Tris?" She pauses and looks at me expectantly, so I continue, "The next time something makes me think of you, I'll call you to tell you about it, ok?"

"I'd like that, Tobias. Goodnight." She smiles and turns to walk up to the house. On the porch she turns and waves because I am still waiting to make sure she gets into the house safely.

I have found that the time between when we finish eating dinner and when I clear the plates is the best time to bring up something I need to speak to my father about. Usually he is in a good mood after eating and having one or two drinks, but after three or four drinks that window of opportunity for new conversations slams shut.

"Sir, I have something to discuss with you if I am not keeping you." There, that sounds polite but direct. Marcus doesn't appreciate having his time wasted by vague or pointless conversation. I need to say what I want to say as quickly and simply as possible, lay out my request and hope for the best.

"Not at all, tell me what is on your mind, son." He sounds so condescending, I hate it, but this has to be done. I can't go forward without his permission.

I take a deep breath and forge ahead before I lose my nerve. "Sir, Tris was in Colfax this past weekend visiting her mother and she told me this morning she would like to invite our friend group to go with her to the Colfax Fall Festival in a few weeks. She has invited me as part of the group."

"And you would like to go." He says it as a statement, not a question, but I answer anyway.

"Yes, Sir."

"As one of a group? I presume this will be a mixed group of boys and girls?"

"Yes Sir. Her mom and grandparents will be at the house with us, so there will be chaperones."

"How do you plan to distinguish yourself among this group?"

"Sir?" I am not sure what he is asking me.

"What is your plan, boy? How are you going to stand out among this crowd of other boys all under her roof and vying for her attention, no doubt? You must have a plan."

I need to convince him that I am not emotionally invested in her, that this is me following through with his wishes. I have to be tactical and not emotional. He has to think I am as cold blooded as he is. "Yes Sir, I do have a plan. I will have 'distinguished myself,' before this trip happens. I have invited her to go trail running with me Thursday, which I think she will enjoy. It will serve as a bonding activity and an opportunity for us to be alone."

He tents his fingers and looks at me over them, "I see. Do you think three or four weeks is long enough to secure her affections?"

I pretend to consider his question before answering, "Perhaps not, but it is long enough to lay a foundation, and then find an opportunity to capitalize when we are in Colfax. The trip would also allow me to meet and impress the rest of her family."

Marcus leans back into his chair and slowly spins his whisky glass with one hand, "Ah, you are a schemer, aren't you! Nice to know all these years you have been paying attention. Yes, well I will consider it. Go, finish up your chores and go to bed." He waves his hands as if he wants me to go right now. "Spend your extra time together, and give yourself the advantage over the other boys in the group. As long as your grades don't suffer, you have my permission to pursue her as hard as you'd like. Just remember, women love the chase." His tone changes when he speaks about women, it gets deeper and slower as if he is remembering something from long ago. I wonder if he is thinking of my mother when he continues, "They love being pursued, but you must maintain the upper hand at all times. Do not be led by your foolish heart. This is an exercise in strategy and execution to achieve a goal."

I cringe inside to hear him speak of Tris as some sort of conquest, something to be achieved. She is not a trophy to be handed out at the finish line for a race well run! I have to control my emotions and my facial expression as he is speaking. He can't know how I really feel about her. "Yes Sir. Sir? If I may ask, why are you encouraging me to date now, when you have always discouraged it in the past?" I am pushing my luck here. He has given me permission to spend as much time with Tris as I want, and will probably let me go to Colfax. I should have stopped while I was ahead, but I couldn't resist asking the question.

To my surprise, he answers me. "It was brought to my attention that one generally assumes you to be popular among young ladies when they know you are a star athlete and at the top of your class. Andrew made an offhand comment one day and I realized you are weak and inexperienced with women and that if I didn't do something about it right away it would end up being an achilles heel for you in the future. I refuse to have such a weakness in my son when it is so easily remedied. As I said after dinner last week, Beatrice will do nicely. She is pretty, but not overly done up, smart and polite, presentable enough, and respectable enough for any company you might keep. Just don't be stupid and get her pregnant."

"No Sir." I shake my head. I cannot even think about that right now. The idea of intimacy, both physical and emotional, is so foreign to me I wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Be that as it may, " Marcus responds, "I was once a teenage boy and I remember how things tend to progress. Condoms will be in the upstairs bathroom. There will be no accidents, is that understood?"

"Yes Sir," he dismisses me. I nod, then proceed to gather up the dinner plates. As I am cleaning the kitchen and later working on my homework assignments, I keep thinking about the conversation after dinner. How am I going to keep my feelings in check when I am around Marcus? How am I supposed to get closer to Tris and not reveal myself to her?

A couple of days later, Zeke and I shoot hoops in the gym while the girls have soccer practice until the janitor kicks us out so he can lock up. After that, we head over to the practice field and watch the girls run drills from the bleachers. Zeke has been my best friend since elementary school, I should be able to tell him anything. He should already know all my secrets, but he doesn't. He has no idea what I have kept from him, and if he ever found out, he might never forgive me. I shake my head to try and stop that train of thought. I can't dwell on the secrets, I need to find a way to talk to him about what has been on my mind.

"Zeke, I had the most awkward conversation ever with my dad the other night. You know that has to surpass a lot of previous conversations to be at the top of the list!"

Zeke has been trying to spin the basketball on his fingers. It has always bothered him that I can do it and he can't, so he practices all the time. He stops the ball and looks over at me with his full attention, "Oh yeah? What did you talk about?"

I am staring out at the field, watching Tris on the far side. I clear my throat and answer indirectly, "Sex and condoms."

Zeke flashes a wide grin and laughs, "Dude, shouldn't you have had that talk a while ago? The birds and bees would have been useful to know prior to health class in 6th grade!"

Of course he would crack jokes, what did I expect? "Yes, Zeke. Of course he had that talk with me back then. I mean this was more of a practical talk about sex and condoms. He has this idea; he and Tris' dad work together and they got it in their heads that we should go out. First it was just that I was going to give her a ride to and from school…and now..."

Zeke is now not only smiling, but howling with laughter. "Now your dad wants you to give her a different kind of ride! Oh man, that's just great!"

I groan. "Not exactly, Zeke. My dad wants us to date. He thinks she would be good for my image, or something."

Zeke stops laughing at his own joke with some effort, "That's messed up man."

"I know it is! The problem is, I actually like her. So what am I supposed to do?" I turn to look at my friend, because I genuinely want his advice.

Zeke takes a moment to look at my face and he sobers, realizing how serious I am. "I guess you go out with her, and accidentally make your dad happy ― much as that goes against the grain."

I nod and look down at my hands, "I told Tris about our dads' plans, last week before we all had dinner together. I couldn't stand the idea of feeling like I was setting her up, or luring her under false pretenses, or whatever. It all sounds so ridiculous when I say any of this out loud. I can't believe this is my life."

Zeke just puts a hand on my shoulder and leaves it there a moment, squeezes once, and lets go. "Dude, I figured you must like her, at least a little, by how mad you got every time I said I liked her."

I look at him sideways, "Zeke, you don't even know her."

"I know that. I also know there's no way you'd have let me GET TO KNOW HER, the way I'd have wanted to, anyway. You like her. Just go with it. Does she like you back?"

"You sound like we are in junior high again, and I want you to pass a note for me."

"Whatever, Four. Stop stalling, is she interested or not man? You might be stressing out for nothing. Unrequited love is a common affliction, but you're a catch, dude, and she's the new girl. She would be a fool to turn you down."

"That's sort of what my dad is banking on. He thinks me dating the new girl will be a status boost."

"Why does he have to make it seem so strategic. You're already popular, the star pitcher and the head of the paper. What more does he want, for you to be Homecoming King dating the Queen?"

"Zeke, SSSHHHH! Do not mention that around him, or he will realize I have never been nominated and that will be his next mission. God help me if I don't win it."

"Four, your dad is nuts! No one cares who was popular in high school once you're out of high school. Even colleges don't care now. They just want to see grades and activities, and some evidence you won't crack under the pressure of 'College Life'."

"Maybe you're right about colleges, Zeke, but my dad wants me to be the top of the heap in every category, and dating is his current category. It is just very strange. I am not resistant to it, really, it just feels wrong that it was his idea. All of this would have been so much easier if we had just met the first day of school. I could have just seen her, and liked her. It could have happened organically, instead of this test-tube situation I am in now."

"I know man, but it didn't happen that way. You never answered me, does she want to date you too?"

"She said she wanted to take her time and get to know me and see where it goes. She doesn't want to jump into anything too fast, with anyone. Will and Al asked her out last week too."

Zeke feigns outrage and shouts, "Really? That slut!"

"ZEKE! Be quiet! She isn't a slut! Of course she isn't, don't even joke about that!"

Zeke looks at me sideways and is grinning, "Yep, you really like her don't you?"

"I think I might. I am in totally uncharted territory here. I have no idea how to date, or be with a girl. It's different with Shauna, she doesn't count."

Zeke turns to look out at the field of soccer players and finds Shauna right away, "Yeah, there is no one like Shauna." He waits a beat and continues with more optimism in his voice, "Don't sweat it man, you will be ok. Just be yourself."

"I am not sure that is the best idea, Zeke. I turn into a stuttering fool when I am around her, and my ears are burning about 75% of the time."

Zeke raises an eyebrow and asks, "She makes you blush? My god man! What did she say, what did she do? I wan't details?"

"It isn't what she said. It's what I said, and then realized I said. It was terrible! I told her I didn't want to date her, then that I didn't not want to date her. Then, I honestly don't even remember what I said after that because I probably blacked out from the panic."

Zeke just shakes his head at me, "Oh man, you do need my help, don't you?"

"No, I'll be ok. She seems to still want to be friends with me even after I nearly swallowed both my feet. I had to tell her the truth about my dad's ulterior motives for me driving her to and from school. Her dad initially just thought he was setting up a ride for her, and only later did my dad insinuate we might make a good couple. We have settled into the understanding that our parents want us to be together and that we do like each other, so why not give it a try, right? She held my hand in the car Monday on the way home, and I am taking her trail running tomorrow."

"You held hands in the car? That's so sweet, Four!"

I scrub my hands over my face to try and dispel the blush I know is growing on my face, "Shut up Zeke! Ugh, I wish I'd never said a word to you about this."

Zeke nudges me with his shoulder to let me know he was joking, "Nah, man. I really am happy for you. If you two get together that would be great. I've just never seen you like this before, into a girl, I mean. I'm not sure how to process it, but I am totally on your side. I hope it works for you man, I like Tris."

"So you've said."

Zeke nudges me again, "That's just teasing. I do actually like her, she seems nice."

"Yeah, she is. She wants us all to go to Colfax in a few weeks for some Fall Festival. She mentioned it at lunch on Monday, but you and Uriah were fighting and I didn't think you heard her."

"Colfax, huh?"

"Yeah, she has a plan for it to be this big group thing, have everyone stay at her grandparents house. She says the Festival is fun, sounds like they have all the same stuff as the Fair and they have something called a corn maze."

Zeke smiles wide, "They have a corn maze? I am IN! Dude, how can you live in the midwest and not know what that is? They're awesome, if they're done right, that is. It is just what it sounds like, but the really good ones are real mazes, with puzzles and dead ends, and dressed up monsters to pop out and scare you so bad you might pee your pants! That will be, wait, you said Colfax?"

"Yeah, that's where she grew up."

"I have heard of their Festival, it's supposed to be really popular. We should definitely go. Who all is she inviting?"

"I don't know, she just said 'our friend group' so I assume that is everyone at lunch, and maybe a few more. Me and you, Uriah, Shauna, Will and Christina, maybe Al and Lynn. It's her thing, so it is up to her who she invites."

Zeke taps his cheek with his fingers, "Boys and girls? Yes! I predict 'spin-the-bottle' and '7 minutes in heaven.' This will be epic!"

I hold both hands up palms out, "Easy there Romeo! Her mom and grandparents will be there, and her grandpa was a Preacher."

Zeke quirks one side of a smile, "You really know how to bring a guy down, Four. You know that?"

"Sorry dude. You can maybe still make a move on Shauna though, just gotta be more subtle about it."

"Yeah. Wait, who said anything about Shauna?"

I turn and look at my friend, "You didn't have to. You haven't taken your eyes off her since we sat down twenty minutes ago."