I don't own anything, just my ideas!
Chapter 21
TRIS
When Christina told me to meet at her house at noon, I thought she was crazy. There's no way it should take that long to get ready. But I won't question her, and I will not go against her because I do not want to face her wrath. I arrive at her house precisely five minutes before noon, and I'm surprised to be the last one to have arrived.
What used to be Christina's living room is now a homemade salon. All the furniture is moved to one wall along the perimeter. In the corner of the room is a cabinet with several dresses hanging in their bags. Half the room looks like it is dedicated to hair. There are curling irons and straighteners accompanied by different hair products and bobby pins. Lots and lots of bobby pins.
The other side of the room looks like it is dedicated to make-up. A rainbow of eyeshadows and lip-sticks are arranged on a long table. The whole room smells like a flower threw up, and Christina's IPod is blasting through her speakers. Not to mention the mirrors; there has to be at least half a dozen around the room. Everywhere I look, I see my reflection.
Right now, everyone here-Christina, Marlene, Shauna, Lynn, and Lauren-is hanging around in the living room and eating the adjacent kitchen. As the clock clicks to noon, they all go crazy and begin working on each other. Christina insists that she needs to get her hands on my hair, but I convince her to do me last since I'm not going to the dance. She reluctantly agrees and begins work on Marlene.
I take a seat on one of the couches and watch as Christina transforms Marlene's hair into a piece of art. Her hair hangs in tight curls and Christina does this thing, she calls it a water-fall braid, around her head. It looks really cool, and I feel myself itching for my own turn.
It is not the materialistic want to have my hair look pretty; it is the thought. The last person who even touched my hair was my mother-the last person to delicately maneuver each strand. As much as I'll deny it, I want to feel comfort... To have someone show they care about me. Now that I think about it, it sounds pretty stupid, having someone do my hair. I'd never tell anyone this; I've lived alone long enough to be fine with it.
I turn and see that Shauna is finishing Lynn's hair. Shauna French braided her sister's hair around her head and put a small flower where it ends. Lynn does not look happy about the flower but doesn't protest. Shauna moves onto Lauren as Christina finishes with Marlene. As Christina begins to do her own hair, Marlene plops down next to me.
"So," she begins, "what are we doing to you?"
"I don't know. I guess I trust you guys to do what you please." I reply, then I think about what I just said. "Well, maybe trust is a strong word... Just remember I'm not actually going to the dance. Nothing too flashy."
"I know exactly what I want to do to you." Christina exclaims with a rod of heat next to her head, making me nervous.
"What were you thinking?" Asks Marlene.
"I have a couple ideas, but there's one I really want to do." Christina begins. "Have any of you guys seen the music video of 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift... Well, I want to give Tris that Juliet hair-do."
The others' faces light up and there are a few sighs. I feel a little uneasy about it. I've seen the up-do, and it is beautiful, but it is a little too big for now. "I don't know."
"Please, Tris! It will look amazing and I'm really good at it."
"I don't want to go that big, especially when you'll be wasting your efforts because like I said, I'm not going."
"Fine, I have another idea for your hair. But don't think for a second that you will have a choice at Prom, now."
"If I even go to Prom." I say under my breath. I check the clock and I can't believe the amount of time that has gone by already. Christina finishes her own hair and she beckons me to the chair in front of her. I sit, as instructed, and my friend begins her work.
"Are you sure you don't want the 'Love Story' up-do?"
"I'm sure."
She sighs, "Fine. But you don't get at choice the next time."
She has me move my head to a weird position as she takes a small piece of my hair and begins to braid. Of all the places to be, I am in one of the only spots in the room where I can't see my reflection. When she completes her parade around my head, I think I can finally see my reflection.
As I begin to stand, Christina's hand clamps around my shoulder and pulls me back down. "Not till I'm completely finished... Guys, cover up the mirrors. I don't want Tris to see herself till she is completely done!"
I sigh and let her continue as the others move, cover, and angle all the mirrors away from me. She pulls out a curling iron with a large barrel and begins to curl the hair that's untouched by the braid. It only takes a few minutes for Christina to make her way through my hair till she exclaims that she is done. I have no idea what she did, and it scares me a little. But Christina's my friend and... I... trust her.
I look around and see that Lynn, Marlene, and Lauren are finished with their hair and make-up. As Christina and Shauna do their own make-up, I sit down. The others are talking about a vary of different topics as I zone out.
I get pulled back when Shauna finishes her face, and pulls me to do mine. I try to guess what she is doing to me, but after a few moments, I get lost. Half-way through, Christina finishes herself up and walks over to help Shauna.
"Look, I appreciate the effort, but I don't think there's a lot to work with." I say.
"Stop, Tris. You're hot, don't hide it." Christina says.
"She's right, you're beautiful. Just make sure you stay away from Zeke, he's mine." I can feel the red taking over my face, and the last comment makes me laugh.
"You're too cute. Now close your eyes." Christina demands. I feel something thick on my lids and I have to remind myself it's okay to trust my friends.
"Four is all yours, though." Shauna says next to my ear quietly so not everyone notices. I hear Lynn, Marlene, and Lauren in the kitchen eating.
"I don't know what you're talking about. He's my friend."
"Right," Shauna says, and I can hear the sarcasm in her voice. "You're both impossible."
What does she mean by that? Has this come up before? Tobias is my friend... He's the only one who knows about Peter, at least the most about it. We both hold secrets about the other, and I don't know about him, but that doesn't scare me.
I don't know how long it's been, but they both tell me it's time. I open my eyes and stand. They pull out large mirror so I can see myself for the first time.
I've never been a fan of my own reflection, even as a child. My skin was always a shade too pale, while my hair was always thin and not much could be done with it. I guess I've liked my eyes, but nothing about them are spectacular to stand out.
As I stare into the piece of reflecting glass, I don't recognize the person in front of me. But I know it's me. My hair falls in loose curls, and Christina did a Dutch braid across my head, giving me a halo. It looks like a braided crown. My skin looks silky smooth, like ivory. They put a light red color on my lips that is not too showy. My eyes, though, are what really make me take a step closer.
My eyes are lined with navy liquid liner and at the end of my eyes are two wings, sending my eyes into flight. I have a navy-silver smokey eye on my lids, and a subtle white sparkle is under my eyes to make them brighter. My lashes are pulled up with a brush that is such a dark shade of navy, it could be black.
I feel pretty, and I mentally smack myself for sounding like such a dumb-ass. But I can't take my eyes off the mirror. This is the longest I have stared and not hated what I have seen. I've never looked like this, and I've never planned on looking like this. I like it. Christina's voice takes me out of my trance.
"Now, the guys will be here in less than an hour. We can start putting our dresses on soon."
"I didn't bring a dress." I say.
"I was afraid you'd say that... But I knew you'd do that."
"It's too flashy for someone who isn't going."
"I'll give you that. Come on, let's go upstairs and find you something." I follow her up to her room, and her closet puts mine to shame. She stifles through her garments and stops on a dress that is a mix between silver and grey.
"Here, wear this. And you can keep it... It's too small for me anyway. It'll fit you just fine."
I hold up the dress in my hands. It's a razor back dress that comes in on the hips with a tie. It looks like it will flow down to my knees. But what sells me on it is the front. It comes up all the way to just below my neck, with no room for my scar to show. I shuffle to the bathroom to change.
I put the dress on and let it fall down my body. I tuck my chain underneath, but my anklet is exposed. It doesn't mean anything; I have to stop being so paranoid. I walk back down stairs and find the others have changed as well.
"Damn, are you sure you aren't going?!" Marlene says as I walk into the room.
"Quick!" Christina chirps, "Let's get a picture before the guys get here." Christina's sister, who's been in the basement with her own friends, comes up and takes a picture of the six of us. She goes back downstairs, and pictures fly around. Christina pulls me into a hug and has our picture taken; she tickles me to make me laugh.
"Let's save some pics for when the boys get here." Shauna says.
We agree, and it is only a few minutes before the guys start knocking on the door. As more people pile in, we clean up our salon and stuff all of it into the basement. I am constantly reminded to be careful of my hair, my dress, my make-up. As I'm down there, I can hear all the people entering the house. The guys' shoes are loud and unmistaken.
I feel a tightness in my chest, and I can't pinpoint its origin. I am short for breath as Shauna comes up next to me. I must not be hiding it very well, because she stops next to me, rubbing my back.
"You okay?" She asks.
"I'm fine."
"No you're not. What's making you so nervous?"
"I don't know. I have this weird feeling inside me. Like my stomach will explode."
"... Oh, I think I know."
"What?"
"If I ask you a question, will you be straight with me?"
"Depends on the question."
"Do you like Four?"
"Like him... Yeah, we're friends. I guess we're pretty close-"
"No, as more than friends."
"I don't know, I've never really thought about that."
I hear footsteps, and Christina's voice, "What are you guys doing down there? Everyone's here and we're about to start eating."
"Christina, come here." Shauna says as she waves her hand towards us.
"What's up?"
"Be my back-up here, and please be serious."
"Wow, someone's stern."
"I'm in the middle of something pretty serious."
I pipe in, "In the middle? It's not that big."
"What's not big?" Christina asks.
"It's about Four and Tris. She says that they're close, and do you know anyone, besides the guys, who is close to Four?"
"No. He really keeps to himself, even when it comes to the guys. And that is saying something considering how popular he is and how much girls like him."
"See..." Shauna says.
"What are you trying to say?" I ask.
"We're saying, we think he likes you... and you care about him."
"Of course I care about him," I say defensively, "we're friends."
"Really? I heard what happened at the one away game. Tori told me how worried you were when Four got hurt and how you went in the field house to see him."
"I wanted to make sure he was okay." I say quietly. I must be changing tones a lot, because the two of them back off a little.
"Tris," Christina begins, "I know you had a lot going on before you came here. I won't begin to try to understand. As your friend, though, we only want to see you happy. And we think he has something to do with that."
Shauna nods her head in agreement, "Don't be afraid, because fear is only a way of thinking."
We walk back upstairs, and my head feels a little dizzy. I take a few slow, deep breaths to bring myself back. I don't know how to take all the stuff they told me. I emerge from the basement, and the wonderful smell of food fills the air. Instead of going out to a restaurant, everyone brought a dish of something.
I appreciate the fact that there aren't that many people here, and I begin to walk to the food. As I reach for a plate, a hand grazes my own. I look up to its owner and I am face to face with those blue eyes I can never mistaken. He smiles down at me, and I return it. I forget about the plate, the food, the people.
"You look beautiful." Tobias tells me.
"You're not too bad, yourself." He really does look nice. He's got on black dress pants and a black dress shirt, and his tie is white.
"Sorry," he says as he gives me a plate, "here."
"Thanks." I get some food and find a place to sit on the patio outside. The sun isn't completely gone, but the evening light is struggling to reach us. There are Christmas lights lining the perimeter and torches with fire bringing light to the backyard. I find myself sitting in between Christina and Tobias.
We eat our food and laugh at the craziest things. Everyone jokes with Tobias about how he'll win Homecoming King, which will be funny because he isn't running with anybody. When we finish, the adults have arrived to take pictures. The whole group lines up for one big picture, and I find myself standing next to Tobias. As soon as the big picture is done, people dive into different groups. All the couples get their pictures taken, and all the guys take a picture. I find myself in way too many pictures than I planned on being in.
I'm standing off the side along with Tobias. Tori, who has pushed me to take more pictures than planned, walks up to us and tells us to get together. I feel his strong arm weave around my shoulders and I place mine behind his back. He feels so warm.
I don't feel a strain in my smile; it feels natural. I look up at him, and I the red creeps up to my cheeks. It's a good thing the blush is already there. He looks down at me and I see something in his eyes, something I've never truly seen before. Is this what Shauna and Christina were talking about? I shove it out of my head because I am too in love with this moment right now to care. We stay there for an amount of time I am unaware of until Tori clears her throat, and I reluctantly release him. My shoulder feels cold.
Pictures begin to wrap up, and everyone starts to get into their cars to go to the dance. I wave goodbye and give a few hugs before I get into the car with Tori and we head home. Today's been fun, but I feel drained, and I have plans-Plans I'm excited for.
Twilight has won its battle with the day, and the sun's rays are replaced by the darkening sky. The moon is almost nonexistent, but the stars are there. They are always there. I didn't bother taking the dress off, or taking my hair down, or taking the makeup off. For tonight, I am a different person, living in a different world.
I pull out the pillows and blanket and lay them down to make a nice seat. I don't plan on doing a lot up here, just having a night to myself. I have music softly playing in my IPod dock and the wind chimes play their own symphony. Everything is peaceful, and I let my mind drain and relax. It is a perfect night.
As the minutes tick away, I catch myself humming different songs. Songs deep in my memory; memories of better times. It doesn't take long for the hums to become words, the words to become lines, and the lines to become an entire song.
See the pyramids around the Nile,
Watch the sunrise from the tropic isle.
Just remember darling all the while,
You belong to me.
The words string together like they never stopped leaving my lips. They're smooth as they float in the open air.
Fly the ocean in a silver plane,
See the jungle with it's wet with rain.
Just remember till you're home again,
You belong to me.
I begin to hear footsteps, and at first I think they are Tori's. But I hear someone climb up to the roof, and Tori knows not to do that. I sit up and see the last person I expected to see.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." Tobias says.
"Why aren't you at Homecoming?"
"Why aren't you?"
"I asked you first."
"I already told you, I came to see you."
I hesitate. I planned on snapping on him, but I can't. He came here, for me. "Why?"
"I would rather be up here than that smelly old gym. You?"
"I... I'm doing this for myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... I've been trying to do more things for myself, you know. I realize it's okay to think of just yourself, but only for a moment. Just long enough to know who you are. And who I am, well... That's still a work in progress."
"I'm glad to be here when you figure that out."
"No... You should be at the dance; they're going to be announcing king and queen any minute now and you should be there for that. I mean, you pretty much have it won."
"That doesn't mean anything to me."
"What are you talking about? You belong there, with the team, and the girls, and the crown..."
"You don't get it. All that stuff, it's not as important to me. Yeah, the guys on the team are my family, but they'll live. I don't notice the girls; they don't have anything special that I see. And Homecoming King? Well, the crown is just a piece of plastic. It doesn't matter."
"Then what does?"
"Right now, this..." He walks over to my IPod dock and he puts his phone in.
"What are you doing?" I ask.
"Well, since you aren't going to the dance, I am bringing the dance to you... but better." He says as he presses play. I hear "Beneath Your Beautiful" by Labyrinth begin to play and he walks over to me and reaches out his hand.
"I don't dance... I've never done anything like this in a long time. I don't know what to do."
"It's okay," he says as he grabs my chin and tilts my head up, "I'm Superman, remember? I've got you; I won't let you fall, ever." He takes one of my hands with one of his own and places the other on my back. I can feel the warmth of his hand holding me steady. I don't break away from his eyes, afraid I will fall if I look away. He steps side to side and adds a few dips and twirls to it all. I feel myself getting swept more and more as we take each step together.
You've carried on so long, you couldn't stop if you tried it.
You've built you wall so high that no one could climb it.
But I'm gonna try.
I let my head fall on his chest, closing the distance between us. And I feel safe in his strong arms, and it is nice, being in someone's arms, opening up just enough to feel comfort. After a little while, we stop taking steps and it is just us there, rocking back and forth to the beat of the song.
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful? Would you let me see beneath your perfect?
I turn to look at into his eyes, and he looks straight down into mine. Everything around us slowly disappears till there is only us. He closes his eyes and brings his lips to my forehead. And, surprisingly, I don't jump away. I hold onto him tighter and I love this feeling. We stand there for who knows how long before he pulls away and places his forehead on mine.
"Do you trust me?"
"What?"
"Do you trust me?" I can see the spark in his eyes.
"... Yes." His smile broadens across his face. He takes my hand and leads me down from the roof and out of my house. We pass right by his car as we run on the sidewalk.
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
Author's Note
Some housekeeping things... The first song in this chapter is, "You Belong to Me" by Jason Wade and the second one is, "Beneath Your Beautiful" by Labyrinth w/Emeli Sande. Both songs were the top two voted choices in the polls, so I hope most of you are happy with the results! BTW, I changed the polls again, so go and vote!
FYI, for all of you who ship Fourtris (who doesn't), you will really like the next chapter... So look out for it! I've been writing it and tweaking it and making it just the way I want it to be! So you better, and I hope you do, like it! Some motivation would be nice, so please review... I will love you forever and like you for always.
Be brave, everyone!
QUOTES
1). I can be in a sea of people and feel totally alone, then I think of her(you). –A Cinderella Story, movie
There are two (movie, movie) quotes in this chapter and they are both from a movie.
