Chapter 10
Tobias POV
Eric might have thought I chose Tris for convenience, though the only reason I did was so I could get close to her. She asked me to keep away from her but I can't, not after I know whats going on with her anyway.
While jumping off the train I noticed she was still sore and in pain from her injuries, so I really dont plan on letting her out of my sight. The people I choose for my team are people who I know are smart and have more insights on using strategy over strength, not that strength isn't important. Though I do believe we will win if we have both.
Walking into a hidden area we gather around, I plan to make them earn this win. As much as I would like to beat Eric, I will have my team do it the right way. I listen to everyone suggestion and they don't seem to be as well thought as I'd hoped for.
Looking around, I notice Tris headed towards the Ferris wheel. By the look on her face I can already tell what she's going to do and as much as I'd like a moment alone with her I don't look forward for it being up in heights.
I turn around to the others and see they are in plain debate, so I go after Tris. She is already getting ready to climb up to it, I need to suck it up and follow. God Tris, why go up high?
"Uh, Tris?" I say as I step on the first bar hesitant to go up at first. She quickly turns to look at me, her eyes meet mine and I can almost sense a bit of relief from her side.
"Yes?" She responds but continues to climb up. I really wish she would stop; being around her is hard for me as it is, and now I have to worry about how high we'll be.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
She looks down at me yet again and this time she stops climbing up, maybe she needs my approval. I doubt it.
"I'm seeking ideas, high ideas," she says smirking at me, "I don't think I'm doing anything."
I hesitate before answering. "All right, I'm coming." I told her.
"There's really no need. I'll be fine."
I don't answer I simply start making my way towards Tris, even though she is still at a distance I can feel her close somehow. All the feelings of irritation and frustration I felt just hours ago have completely vanished. I no longer want or feel the need to be cold with her; the earlier events throughout the day leave my mind as I close the distance between us.
Every time we climb higher I get closer to her, and with each step we take I regret my attitude earlier today. Truth is I know I won't be able to be indifferent towards her, my feelings are showing more and more by the minute and surprisingly I am okay with that.
I try to make small talk regarding the exercise and she follows along thought I have a feeling she isn't as interested as an initiates should be.
Noticing how high we are, my palms begin to sweat heavily and my breath begins to drag. I unknowingly glance down and I start to feel nauseated. How can she be up this high and not be scared? I pause for a moment gathering myself to be able to continue. Tris registers my reaction and turns to look at me.
"Hey, are you alright Four?" I notice a hint of preoccupation in her voice, she really is concerned.
"Are you Human Tris?" I say, looking once again down I turn to meet her eyes; my focus needs to be on her for me to get through this. "Being up this high? Doesn't frighten you? At all?" I asked in a shaky voice.
She looks around and inhales a deep breath; I already know the answer she's going to give me. Of course it doesn't, she is Tris. She simply shakes her head, a grin breaking across in her face.
We keep climbing higher and I feel the desperate need to ask her how much more we need to climb, but I don't. She shifts her body just as a swift of air passes us. Tris stammers on the following bar slipping right into my arms. The warm of her skin meets my hands and I welcome the feeling it brings me. She tenses up at my touch to her skin; I slowly squeeze her body steadying her into the next bar.
The jolt of energy her touch always brings settles into me, she meets my gaze just as she catches her breath. Before letting go I need to make sure she's alright.
"You okay Tris?"
"Yes." She follows up continuing to go higher. She stops at half the wheel where a platform begins just big enough for two. She walks over and sits nearly at the edge. God how can she be so comfortable up here? Catching up to her I follow sitting as close to her as I'm allowed without me feeling vertigo. My struggle with heights seems to be almost getting worse. My breath quickens and Tris notices.
"You're afraid of heights." She says eying me curiously. Her eyes, her presence, all of her give me strength. Maybe, just maybe she can help me get over my fear.
"Everyone's afraid of something."
"Yeah, I guess we all are." A sad smile forms in her face. We are sitting in a very high place but just by contemplating her I can feel my heart calm down yet race up once again due to completely different reasons. I smile at the thought.
She notices my stare, suddenly I've lost track of how long I've been looking at her. Just when I feel its okay to ask her about what happened the other day, she gets up and heads to start climbing again.
"We're not high enough." And she makes her way towards the sky once again. "I'm going up higher, you don't have to come."
"For God's sake Stiff," I groan while adding "and yes I do."
Once we get to what seems to be the highest point she can get to she stops, and looks around. I see an awful great sense of peacefulness in her expression. I stop as well.
"Look, over there!" she exclaim pointing straight ahead of her. At this point I am right behind her, so I lean over to the side to see what she points to. The other team's flag is hidden in the trees.
"Yeah, I see it." I whisper, my mouth just beside her ear. I have never been this close to anyone nor do I ever want to, unless that someone is Tris of course. I inhale her scent; it is the best fragrance I've ever known. She abruptly turns around and we are now face to face.
My lips are barely an inch away from hers.
She stares at me with those beautiful wide eyes, if I move my lips a bit closer I would be kissing her. She doesn't move nor makes any effort to get away, both of our breaths quicken and I am left wondering if she wants this as much as I do. My hands unknowingly make their way to her waist, I didn't register doing that. It just happened. My eyes are locked in hers and we are neither saying anything nor moving. My mind no longer cares how high we are, I can only focus on the beautiful girl before me, just centimeters away.
She moves closer to me, if that's even possible though I am not sure if she meant to. Not being able to control myself any longer I begin lowering my lips to hers, my heart is pounding in my chest, my lips are a fraction of an inch from touching hers, the gap slowly closing along with her eyes. She turns away and I'm left hanging with the bare thought of her lips on mine. She clears her throat and I couldn't feel anymore stupid.
"We should go; I think I have a plan." She whispers.
I nod, well aware that my hands are still holding her from her waist. I slowly shift myself away from her so she can start climbing down. We both begin to climb down, though my mind is still up in the sky, lingering in that moment we just had.
Part of me was also left wondering if she felt what I did, if she wanted the same thing as I did. I sure hope she did.
Once we get down, Tris explains her plan to the rest of the team. Everyone looks surprised as to how and why the stiff knows this. Tris' plan is very well planned; I can't say I'm surprised. Ive always known she was smart.
We split into two teams, one who goes for the flag and the other keeps an eye for defending our flag and the rest of the team members. Her plan also involved having the flag put way up high in the Ferris wheel; it would serve us as a distraction for the other team.
Tris and I are both going towards the flag along with Christina, Uriah, and other initiates. We follow through on the search since we now know where exactly it is. Christina and Tris go for the flag and Uriah and I decide to keep watch for any unexpected business.
"I still can't believe she came up with that?" says Uriah as we take out a member of the opposing team.
"Why is it so hard for you to believe?" It really bugs me how everyone sees her as a small useless stiff, they couldn't be more wrong about her.
"I don't know, not that it's about her, it's just the plan sounded so logical and smart, and I guess I was expecting an Erudite to form it." He says looking at the floor, he seems taken back. "She's clearly very smart."
His words stay with me; I now realize her plan was too smart, even genius. It was well thought out and executed, more since she had very little time to plan it. I wonder now when she planned it. Was it while we were up there climbing? Or maybe while our almost kiss happened? Either way Uriah's right, she is very clever, maybe her aptitude test was Erudite?
My thoughts are then interrupted by a cheering Tris with the flag. The rest of the members erupt in glee, everyone around us cheering and applauding them. I feel my heart warm at the thought of Tris achieving this. She did it, mostly on her own and I'm even more contempt knowing this will definitely up her in the rankings.
everyone starts to gather around. She walks headed the rest of us, grinning while she hands me the flag. Uriah comes up from behind her and claps her on the shoulder; she seems taken back by it. They exchange a few words and he hugs her momentarily right before he walks back towards the trains.
I feel I pin of jealousy at his affection, but what catches my eyes is Tris' reaction. Her eyes went wide and flinched just as he made contact. From what I've seen she isn't fond of physical contact, yet when we were up on the wheel my closeness didn't seem to bother her at the slightest. Realizing this gives me a hint of hope.
I approach her and decide to place my hand on the small of her back, wanting my gesture to be different from the others. I lean in and whisper in her ear "Well done Tris."
"Thank you" is all she replies.
I walk away without seeing her reaction hoping it was a good one. The rest of the way back to the compound I decide to keep my distance from her by straying into the opposite side of the wagon.I told her I would keep away yet tonight I broke that rule countless time, but I know that right now I need her to find her own way back to me. I can cope just by watching her from afar knowing I am not indifferent to her, I've made enough memories tonight for me to keep me going for while.
Looking at the moving site outside of us, I think about Eric. He's probably be more than pissed now that he lost, he kept a blank expression once he knew we had captures their flag. Though I really couldn't careless, but I know that he is more infuriated that Tris was the one who made this victory happened. She will now be his clear target, and have to protect her. I know she is strong, brave and smart, but Eric is much too evil for anyone no to take precaution.
Once at the compound I walk towards my apartment not wanting to do anything else, I don't want anyone to notice the goofy grin I carry.
Having Tris so close, almost kissing her, holding her has put things into a new perspective for me. I feel someone approaching and to my surprise it's Zeke. Noticing the hour, he probably just got out of his shift.
"Hey, man!" he claps me on my back, "How'd the game go?" He asked enthusiastically.
"Hey, it went well," I say stopping at the entrance to my apartment while getting the keys out, "we won."
"What? Ha! Well I bet Eric is just ecstatic about that." He follows me into my is like my brother, so both of our places are as if they were both ours.
"Yeah, and guess who captured the flag?" I say unable to contain my smile.
"I don't know," he says furrowing his eyebrows, "don't tell me, let me guess… uh" he eyes me searching for the answer. Smiling wider hoping he will get it, he narrows his eyes at me, he is aware of my splendid mood.
"No way…" he whispers, "Tris?!" he exclaims once he took in my expression, he knew I wouldn't care if anyone else had done it, anyone else but her. I nod at his response.
"Yep," I say shaking my head in complete agreement as him. "She came up with the plan as well, even figured out where their flag was and all."
"Huh, she must really belong here." He shakes his head as well in disbelieve. I explain everything to him; each part in clear detail. I even mentioned my doubt over her belonging in Erudite.
"I can see why you think she might belong there." Looking down in deep thought he adds, "you don't think she's… divergent, do you?" he whispers the last part.
His question startles me, I never actually thought about it. Could she be like me? So far her abilities have shown she belongs here, but having been from Abnegation and transferring here does raise a few questions; even more now that her brilliance is showing.
"I don't know, I never thought about it." I answer honestly, Zeke would keep this secret, I know I can trust him, beside Uriah is also divergent.
"The first stage of initiation is still going for this week, and it may also not show during the simulations once stage two starts, how can we know?" I feel a greater need to know this now.
"Tori was administrating the Aptitude Test, maybe she might know something?" he says, true concern showing on his face, "You think she'll tell us?"
"On choosing day she said it was just Uriah and another girl…who…" I trailed off remembering the conversation I had with Tori.
"Another girl who what?" he asks impatient.
"She said there was another girl who tested divergent who was from abnegation," I say hoping he can catch on to what I'm trying to decipher.
"You think that's her?"
I sigh exasperated before answering. "I don't know, I'll ask her tomorrow if I see her."
Minutes after Zeke left I am left to analyze today's events and revelations. I almost kissed her; she was so close I can still feel her next to me, her grey blue eyes so full of intensity while staring back into mine, her addictive scent so sweet and intoxicating. Holding her by her waist, she fits perfectly into me, like a puzzle piece. We fit together.
What if she really is divergent like me? Would it be coincidence? We both came from abnegation, and we are the only transfers to have joined from abnegation. So many things to think about, always so many things when it comes to Tris, my Tris.
I smile at that thought, well she may not be mine, but I am definitely hers. I fall asleep on the couch to my thoughts of my Tris.
When I wake up see the time, it's later than I would wake up on a regular day. Today is visiting day; I get to see my dad today. It's been a while since I last saw him. I can't wait to finally see him, I should tell him about Tris. He'll be plenty excited to hear about that. I quickly get ready to head out; I also want to see if Tris' family shows up.
Maybe they can help me understand what is going on with her.
I spend the first few hours searching for her; I wanted to talk to her about today. I don't know on what terms she is with her family when she left, and I don't want her to be disappointed if they're a no show. Before I can find her, I pass the tattoo shop, but Tori isn't there. Go figure.
Walking into the pit, seeing different types of families reuniting has a familiar air to it; two years ago this would have been me.
I look around and see Peter's family, I walk off not wanting to know more about him than what I absolutely need to. I also see Christina and her family, but no Tris.
I scan the crowd and I see what could not seem more out of place, Tris' father. My family isn't here yet, they usually arrived at the end so we can have more privacy. They also want to let me get done with whatever I need to get done with first, so selfless of them. The man here is tall, dressed in gray, and seems to be looking for the same thing as I am. Well, for the same person. Him too is looking for Tris.
My heart brightens at the thought of her family being here, she'll be happy at this. I approach the man, hoping to introduce myself as well. I know Tris wouldn't want me to but I need to know about her, whatever it is.
"Hello sir, you seem lost." I state not wanting him to see my manners, or at least whats left of them from abnegation. He turns and eyes me carefully, he narrows his eyes as if he has figured something out about me.
After a silent minute of him searching me he answers "Yes, I am looking for my daughter."
"Yes, Tris, I assume." I say looking into the crowd once again to see if she is anywhere to be found.
"Beatrice, yes." He says her full name with what I can only assume is annoyance. "Ive been here for nearly an hour but she is nowhere to be seen, could you tell me where to find her, I must speak with her."
I offer to go look for her, but he grows insistent on him doing it, there is an edge to his protectiveness I can tell.
"I am her instructor, I can assure you I'll find her." I say, and he seems to relax.
"Very well young man," he states.
"Four, my name is Four." I say, "Wait here, I'll be back with her." I make my way out, where could Tris possibly be. I make my way headed to the control room to scan for her, Zeke is there at this time so it should be no problem.
Before I am able to get to the control room I figure searching for her in the dormitories on my way but she isn't there, neither in the cafeteria. By the time I get to the control room I've looked everywhere, and still no Tris. I'm starting to think she might be hiding somewhere, but why?
I scan the computers and finally find her, she is at the bottom of the chasm alone. A smile forms in my face to see her sitting at my favorite spot. I quickly make my way to her before she moves again.
I can't wait to tell her that her father is here, waiting to see her. I can almost see it, she'll be thrilled, realizing she isn't alone. What's got me this excited is that I get to witness this, I get to see their reunion, and I am nearly running to give her this great news.
Hey guys, first off I want to thank all of you have kept up with the story, it means so much. Second I will be including the plans of the war only, hopefully giving it an extra twist. Also I will be continuing with the other story I mentioned in the previous chapters, but that's still in the works. Once again guys give me our opinions, trust me when I say that I love hearing your reviews on this. R&R and F&F (: