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Chapter 6

Awkward Outings, it is

Tris' POV

"Tris!" Zeke calls out, waving for me to join him and the others. My mind is still in shock. What are the odds that he knows Tobias Eaton? Who's father is trying to buy my home, my world… I glance at Tobias who looks more than annoyed at my invitation to join them. Well the feeling is mutual.

"Good morning guys," I greet, waving as I politely smile at everyone at the table. The early morning started to have a toll on me.

"Tris. Do you remember my homeboy Four, I used to tell you about him back in the day?" Zeke asks, smiling wider than I have ever seen him. He wraps an arm around Tobias' neck, almost into a headlock. Tobias couldn't look any more annoyed then at this moment.

"Oh yeah… wasn't he named after a number?" I ask. Remembering the countless stories he shared about his good old buddy Four. Although I never asked, I always thought it was weird that he was named after a number. As if on cue Tobias rolls his eyes and sighs loudly.

"Yeah." Zeke says, laughing at Four's annoyed expression. I guess it's not the first time he has been asked that before. "Well, here he is… Four, this is Tris. Tris, this is Four." He says, gesturing between us.

"You're Four?" I ask. As if I need anymore confirmation at this point. But why?

"I used to be," he answers, vaguely. "Wait… You're the friend they always used to talk about?" He asks, as if catching up to where I am.

"She sure is. Our life would have been miserable up here, if it wasn't for her." Uriah jumps in, he wraps his right arm around my shoulders. Something I am beyond used to.

"Excuse me." Marlene says, I swear if looks could kill.

"Yeah and what about me? Chopped liver?" Shauna says, chiming in offensively, her voice anything but subtle.

"You know what I mean baby. Tris was like that younger sister from another mother…" Zeke says quickly to save the day. Shauna and Marlene both roll their eyes dramatically trying to appear still offended, but you can see that the moment has passed.

"Hey, here's an idea… Tris, Four, why don't you guys come hang out with us today?" Uriah asks. He is so proud of himself for coming up with the idea.

"Shit. That would be epic." Zeke jumps in. Oh no. Skiing, now. I admit the timing couldn't be better. I would love a chance to get away, but I'm so exhausted. I wonder if I could even make it up to the slopes.

"Yeah. come on. Just for a few hours." Uriah whines when he sees the rejection on my face. Well how can I refuse that?

"You know I really shouldn't…" Tobias begins.

"What, you got a meeting?" Uriah asks, sarcastically.

"Yeah, come on bro. We are out in the middle of nowhere. What else is there to do?" Zeke says, ganging up on Tobias. A part of me wants to tell him that it's easier to give in than to fight them. The Pedrad brothers are known to get what they want. But if he is who Zeke says he is… He already knows who he is dealing with.

"Fine." Tobias says, finally giving up.

"Tris?" Shauna asks.

"Yeah, I'm in too." Like I have a choice, "Let me just go check on my mom real quick. Make sure she doesn't need anything." I say, backing away from them. I see a few smiles and nods, before I turn and make my way to the kitchen.

"Oh, I'll come with you." Hana insists. She walks beside me, towards the swinging doors. Like so many of our guests, Hana has been a long time friend to not only me, but my mother and father. She is always so willing to lend a helping hand, no matter what. She won't accept a discount for her service, instead she thanks us for giving her something to do. She is one of the kindest, loving people I know. Over the years she became a true friend. Someone I can confide in when I can't turn to my own parents.

"Hey Mom," I say, as we enter.

"Good morning, Natalie," Hana greets.

My mother stops kneading the dough, looking up towards us and smiles when she sees our presence. She looks just as tired as I feel. Kneading, covered in flour. The Christmas season has grown a little too much for her. My mother, the perfectionist, refuses to slow down. Even when her hands are cursed with arthritis.

"Well hello there. Is everything alright out there?" Mom asks, smiling.

"Yeah everything is fine." I answer. I pop in one of the grapes from the fruit platter. "The gang wants me to go with them skiing." I say, chewing mindlessly on the juicy fruit.

"Why am I not surprised!" She says, with a sparkle of memories in her eyes. "What about Tobias Eaton…" She says, letting her question trail off. It was agreed that we keep his reasoning for his presence a secret from the guests. Mom feared it would spoil the season for the guests that come out every year. To tell them that odds are this will be their last here, is heartbreaking. We would tell them later when the deal went through and finalized. After all who knows what they might do with it… for all we know they might continue on with the traditions. But even I know that the odds are slim.

"You mean my boy Tobias, he will go with them." Hana says, taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Your boy?" My mom asks, confused by Hana's words.

"Oh yes, Tobias and my boys went to school with each other growing up. They were very close. He is a sweet boy." Hana says, ensuring my mother.

"Wow. What a small world?" My mother says, delighted at the thought.

"And you want to go?" My mother asks me.

"More like going against my will," I continue, "Uriah isn't taking a no for an answer."

"That's my Uriah alright. Never taking a no for an answer." Hana says, proudly.

"Well, I think we will be okay for a little while without you.. If you want to take off." Mom says.

"Thanks mom." I say, wrapping my arms around her from her side. She leans her head against mine, seeing that her hands are a little full at the moment.

"Have fun my sweet girl. You deserve the break." My mother says, sweetly.

"Love you, Mom." I say, letting go of her and popping in another grape. "Be back in a few." I say, pushing myself out the door.

"Tell my Zeke I will come and collect my grandbabies in a minute," Hana calls out. I throw a thumbs up in her direction before I'm out of sight.

"I look ridiculous in this." Tobias or Four, grumpily says. He lifts his arms up, showing off the puffy warm jacket that Zeke loaned him. I stifle a laugh and shake my head as I bite my tongue with all the sarcasm I can think of.

"You look smart," I say, with all the seriousness I can.

"Yeah, I won't bet on it."

"I think you look good." Nita says, walking past him. She eyes him up and down, obviously not trying to hide her interest. I fight the urge to roll my eyes, even engaged she has no restraint. I swear if it walks and has a penis, she is going after it.

"She seems nice." Tobias smirks.

"Oh yeah, sure." I say, standing up straighter. I feel my blood begin to boil for some apparent reason. Maybe he likes that sort of thing… girls that are fast, easy and a one timer. Hope he knows his way around a condom.

"I take it, you're not her biggest fan?" He asks, when she is out of ear shot.

"Nope," I say, simply. Letting my tone be known that this conversation is over. As much as I don't like her, I'm not one for gossip.

"Alright… Well I think I'm ready." He announces. He holds his arms up, holding ski poles in each hand. I stifle another laugh, as I notice one thing missing, A very important thing he forgot to put on.

"Ummm… What about your skis?" I ask, pointing out the obvious. He looks down, nearly cursing at himself before he points out "that he knew that." He slips them on, one by one, I close my eyes already seeing the tragedy before me. I hear the slippery motion, following a thumb, and a mutter of an ouch coming from him. I open my eyes to see Tobias laying spread out on his back.

"Oh fucking shit!" He yells out. He stands quickly, well as quickly as he can before nearly slipping once again. I move to slide next to him, guiding him on how to keep upright and balanced. Letting him know that his poles are to help him balance, keeping them planted in the snow helps more than them being waved in the air.

"Dude, seriously! You're not even in the snow yet… and what, you have gone and done it two times already?" Uriah teases, passing us.

"Shut up, Uriah." Tobias says.

"Make me… Oh wait you can't." Uriah points out.

"I will once I get out of these damn things." Tobias says, counteracting. His temper and slight distraction from Uriah has him sliding his feet back and forth, almost losing his balance once again. Zeke stands behind him, trying to keep him upright, but obviously failing when they both land on the ground once again.

"That's Four for ya," Shauna says, as she glides past the two big messes on the floor.

"Oh son of a bitch!" Tobias cries out.

"Oh my back… oh shit, my balls." Zeke chimes in.

"Your balls, my ass." Tobias says.

"You both sound like whining babies. Come on… get up and try again." I encourage them. Men… such babies.

"I'm going to kill uriah." Tobias mutters.

"You… why the fuck are you on top of me?" Zeke asks.

"I'm trying to get up." Tobias continues, trying to scramble his way off the floor.

"Whose bright idea was this to take you skiing?" Zeke asks, sarcastically.

"Yours, dumbass,"

"Take off the skis, Genius. You put them on in the snow." I say a little too forcefully. Both men stop, staring at me like I just turned the lightbulb on in their heads. Making sense, they both sit up, take off their skis and easily get off the floor.

"There, that wasn't so hard." Zeke says.

"Dumbass," Tobias calls him. Well at least we agree on something.

"Tobias, have you ever been skiing?" I ask.

"Does it look like I like the snow?" He asks, his voice squeaking a little. If I didn't know better…

"Alrighty." I say, when we reach the snow I show him how to correctly and safely put on his skis. Once he has achieved putting them on I can see how proud of himself he is for accomplishing this one little thing all over his face.

"Yup, congratulations for getting skis on." I'm dying to say, but I bite my lower lip knowing that kind of talk won't get me anywhere. I look at his ocean blue eyes, clearing my throat before giving him small simple directions on how to ski.

"Push off with your ski poles," I say, as I demonstrate how to do just that. "To stop you push out into a triangle or a pizza wedge if you will," I say, doing just that. He stares down at my legs, nodding as I do. He begins pushing off with his ski poles, smiling when he is actually moving forward. Only he forgets how I told him to maneuver and I have to yell out to remind him how to stop. He does just that, stopping inches away from a tree. I can no longer hide my amusement, as not only me, but Zeke and Uriah are laughing at him from a distance.

"I'm sorry," I say, laughing hard.

"Are you all laughing at me?" He says, angrily.

"Nope." Zeke and Uriah yell out in unison, but then almost immediately burst out in laughter again.

Tobias grumbles something under his breath, as he reaches into his pocket for his ringing cell phone. He throws the poles on the ground, before bending over and unbuckling his skis and stepping out of them.

"I need to take this." He says, walking or stomping off into the snow. Well, that didn't go so well.

Revised by: FDFobsessed