AN: I had extra time, so here's another chapter. I don't know when I will be able to update again. We were doing so well with the reviews, what happened? Anyway, let's try to get to 32 this chapter. Remember, if you have any ideas for a new story, PM dauntlessmaster or let me know!
*SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT!*
Just so you know, I changed the last chapter a bit. Matthew is picking Tris up this night instead of tomorrow night. Also, Christina is coming back at 8:30, but that's not that important.
Tobias POV
It's her. It could have been anyone else in the city, but it just had to be her.
"Right, this way" Tris says, void of emotion. I follow her to the back room, and I feel Susan's eyes burn into my back the whole way there.
"What do I do?" I ask as Tris stops walking.
"I was just about to tell you" she snaps, looking up at me.
I narrow my eyes at her and we have a stare down for a few moments before I look away.
"I was going to say you have to sort these CD's. They're all used so just check to make sure they are in okay condition and the sort them by genre" Tris says.
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
"None of your business" she snaps before walking away briskly. I can't believe I have three more hours of this girl from hell. I sigh and get to work. Check, sort, stack, repeat. On and on until I'm zoning out and sure I made a mistake somewhere. Tris walks in and out of the back room doing who knows what. She stops to check my progress once.
"That Reggae CD shouldn't be with the Pop CD's" is all she says before walking away.
I sigh and go through my piles to make sure there aren't any mistakes. I finally finish my stack and go look for Tris to see what to do next. I find her leaning on the counter where the cash register is, talking to Susan.
"Now you have to ring your stack the CD's you sorted right there" she says, pointing before I even have to ask.
"Why can't you help?" I ask. Wrong question. Her cheeks become flushed and she glares.
"I am working! Susan is giving me directions to pick up a new inventory of CD's" she snaps. Susan stands awkwardly next to Tris, picking at her already perfect nails.
"Okay" I say lamely, escaping the situation. I start putting the CD's on display angrily. Why does Tris always have to be angry now? It's not my fault she left me! It's not like I was the one to hurt her. Why does she hate me so much? When she left me she was crying. You don't cry about someone you hate. Not even a little.
A few minutes later, Tris leaves.
"Hey, Four. Come here" Susan calls. I stop my work and walk over to where Susan is standing.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this, but Tris really cares about you" she says.
"Bullshit! It's obvious she hates me" I say.
"I'm good friends with Tris. I've known her since she moved here. She told me everything. I can't tell you why she left you, but she thought it was for the best."
"Why can't you tell me?" I demand.
"It's not my place to tell her life" Susan says patiently.
"Has she dated?" I blurt out stupidly. I can feel my face heat up instantly and Susan smiles a little.
"Not really. Christina makes her go on a date every once and a while" Susan says.
"Oh" I say. There's nothing left to discuss, so I walk back to my work. Stacking and arranging. Keep stacking and arranging.
Tris comes back, carrying so many boxes, she can't see. She walks in the open door, almost bumping into a display. I take a few boxes from her so she can see.
"Thank you Sus- Four. Thanks" she starts talking with appreciation but when she sees it's me, her voice turns harder. I nod and set the boxes down. Why does she have to be so difficult?
Tis and I work side by side unloading the boxes, stacking and sorting. Stacking and sorting. Finally, we're done and two people who are apparently employees come, indicating Tris and I's shifts are over.
"Bye Susan!" Tris calls and a quiet 'bye' is replied from the back room.
Tris walks out the door, immediately hailing a cab. I grab her arm and she jerks it back quickly.
"Don't touch me!" she says.
"Sorry. We need to talk" I tell her.
"I know" she says softly, no longer hailing a cab.
"Come over to my place real quick?" I ask her. She glances down at her watch that reads 8:04.
"Fine but I can only stay for a little while" she says.
"Alright. It's just down the block, we can walk" I tell her. She nods and we set off in silence. This silence however is an awkward one, not the comfortable ones that we used to have.
We arrive at the place as Shauna leaves.
"Shauna?" Tris asks. I recall they have been good friends for a long time.
"Tris! I didn't know you lived in SF" Shauna says. Yeah, no one did.
"Yep. Almost five years" Tris answers.
"Oh. Four, by the way two things. Zeke is cooking, so don't let him out of your sight. And, if you break her heart, I'll break your face" Shauna growls the last part at me.
"Oh, we're not- um we aren't dating" I say.
"Right" Shauna says, hurrying down to hail a cab. "Catch you later!"
We walk in the house to a smoke filled kitchen.
"Zeke, give it up buddy. Cooking isn't for you. Just order some Chinese" I say, sighing.
Zeke reaches to open a window and a cup of water gets knocked over.
"Shit" he says, bending down to pick up the cup, his socks now soaked. "Oh, hi Tris."
"Hi" Tris says.
"So you made up?" Zeke asks.
"No" Tris says flatly, making Zeke look awkward.
"Oh, well I need to clean up" Zeke says, dismissing himself from Tris' hard stare.
"Come on, we can talk in my room" I tell Tris. She nods and I lead her to my bedroom.
Boxes still litter my floor and the only bright color is from y plain blue bedsheets. The walls are a dull white and the wood floors seem to be covered in dirt. Tris sets down a purse or something by the door and takes a seat on my bed, nervously biting her lip.
"Why are you so angry at me?" I ask her, getting straight to the point.
"It's not fair. It's not fair that after everything you are still fine" she says.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"You escaped your father, I left you, and now we have to see each other after everything. But, you're fine. You aren't broken or weak. In fact, you're stronger. It's not fair" she ends bitterly.
"And what about you? You've barely had any rough patches in your life. You're innocent and pure like the big bad world hasn't reached you yet!" Suddenly I'm angry. Very angry. I pace in front of Tris and she stands too.
"You don't know anything!" she spits at me.
"I know enough! We were dating for crying out loud!" I burst, backing Tris up against the wall.
"You don't know why I left you!" she says, her voice laced with venom and her eyes shining.
"Then why did you?" I ask. I'm now leaning over her and she's looking up at me.
"My mom had cancer. My aunt was a doctor and got us the treatment she needed but it was in California."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I ask, some of my anger gone.
"I didn't want to face the truth" she says, no longer looking at my face.
"You can't run from the truth! You could have told me. You could have trusted me. I know what it's like you know" I say, once again angry.
"This is exactly why I didn't tell you!" she snaps. a tear escaping her eye.
"I was in love with you! I'm not anymore because you left me! That's not my fault. You have no right to be crying over a mistake you made!" I say bitterly.
"I'm sorry, okay? It was a stupid mistake and I have regretted it every day. And who says I'm crying over you! My mom and dad are gone!" she cries. I am left speechless. What can I say?
She pushes past me, shaking her head angrily. In a last attempt, I grab her arm and turn her towards me.
"Wait" I breathe.
"Let go of-" I press my lips to hers to cut her off. She kisses me back, but reality seems to catch up to her. She pulls away and shoves my shoulder, running from my room and leaving me standing there. Her bag still sits by the doorway to my room.
A moment later, the door slams. She's gone.
What have I done?
"So she doesn't want Chinese?" I hear Zeke yell from the kitchen.
AN: So this chapter was much better. Remember, please REVIEW!
