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Chapter 11

All Christmas and games until someone fall in love

Tris' POV

It's the day before Christmas Eve and everything seems to be in full swing. All the guests are joining us for the festive day that we have planned. It's the same as it is year after year, but even so I don't think there will ever be a day that I get tired of it. Who would ever, with the sound of laughter and fun coming from every second of the day. With every year comes a new comparative strike to win or even another idea to add into games.

It's also strange, the amount of pieces of tape a person can stick on their fingers, hands, and arms. Basically, any part of me that a piece of tape can stick on… I swear it's there. I walk around the table, offering a piece to anyone in need. It's one of my favorite events that we do here. It's a selfless event, where everyone can wrap a present for a child in need. Dad usually drops them off at the shelter, but this year I have the honor of doing it. I don't mind, not at all. There is something about seeing the joy in the face of the manager when she sees the large box of gifts all meant for the kids that are there. All for them to have something to open on Christmas. Every child should have something to open on Christmas.

I remember going with my dad to the shelter when I was a little girl. It was always the best rewarding part of the Holiday. It was something that my mother always preached about this time of the year… On how important it is to not only remember how grateful we are for everything we have, but also to remember those that aren't as fortunate.

"What's all this?" I hear Tobias ask.

"We are wrapping presents." One of the kids answered, smiling wider than ever.

"Are we?" Tobias answers.

I'm amazed at how comfortable he has gotten around everyone. When he first arrived, he was so awkward, trying to appear like someone he clearly isn't. But as the week trailed on, he has relaxed more and more each day. No longer having the need to dress in slacks, but more in a relaxed jeans look. I don't know what got into him yesterday… he looked lost if not torn by something as he just roamed the property mindlessly. Even Zeke noticed his odd behavior.

"Yeah, you should help out." Zeke says, as he is crunching up the gift wrap paper on one end of a present and using a yard of tape to secure it.

"Dude, it's a lot of fun." Uriah encourages, as he takes a pair of scissors and uses the edge of the blade to curl the ribbon that he secured to his gift. He looks so amused at his work as he admires it. Marlene chuckles at his expense.

"So we are just wrapping?" Tobias asks, taking the last empty seat at the table.

"Natalie and Andrew purchase things throughout the year, we help them wrap it and get them prepared for the shelters." Shauna explains.

"They really do think of everything." Tobias mutters.

"You have no idea," I say, handing him a barbie doll to wrap. I gesture towards the center of the table where there is plenty of wrapping paper, tissue and scissors to work with. I hold my hands out for anyone that needs more tape. I watch as the large red sack gets fuller and fuller as time passes by. Nothing could please me more.

"Alright it's time, we have all been waiting for… Let's make some Snowmans!" My mom yells out. "So the rules of the game are pretty simple… There are two players per team, use anything you can that sits on the tables," She explains, gesturing to four tables that are just piled with things. "You have twenty minutes, the best built snowman wins." There are six premade, naked snowmen spread out before the tables. All ready to be dolled up and dressed. "We have six snowmans… teams walk up to your snowman."

"Tris?" I hear Tobias ask, I turn and find him just inches away from me.

"Yes?" I ask.

"I was wondering… if you would mind being my partner." He asks. Once again taking me by surprise. His eyes sparkling with excitement. How can a girl say no?

"I would love to," I answer, as we both walk towards an available snowman. I look around, peaking at who decided to pair up this year. I see Nita with Mathew, Will and Christina, me and Tobias, Caleb and Susan, and not too surprising is Uriah and Zeke and Shauna and Marlene. Every year Marlene and Shauna team up against Zeke and Uriah, the losers are always the team that has to do some kind of embarrassing dare.

I remember this one-year Zeke and Uriah lost to Marlene and Shauna. Poor Uriah and Zeke were forced to dress up in dresses, heels and makeup for Christmas Eve dinner. The sight was very amusing to say the least. Uriah ended up tripping over his own heals and diving head first into my mother's Dauntless cake. Zeke on the other hand ended up smearing his lipstick all over things… leaving traces of himself for weeks to come.

Three years in a row Uriah and Zeke have lost back-to-back. Every year their punishment is that much more historical. Between having to jump into the Chasm butt naked in the middle of winter, to even having to make Christmas morning breakfast and nearly burning down the resort. Of course, the year last time Shauna was pregnant was probably the best of all. Shauna had a really hard time being pregnant and was tired of Zeke shrugging it all off. So she attached three pumpkins to Zeke and Uriah's body, two smaller ones for what should be their breasts and a large one at their stomach. They had to go a full 72 hour as pregnant men and what a sight it was. By the first 24 hours both men were achy and whining about it. Zeke was just about begging for some relief, promising never to take her being pregnant lightly again. Uriah on the other hand, swore to never impregnant Marlene. I wonder this year what the losers will have to go through.

I stare at Uriah and Zeke both whispering as they scheme their plan out to win this year. I laugh, shaking my head as I force myself to focus on my new partner. Tobias, who seems somewhere between loss and excitement seems to be chiming in on the insults that Shauna and Marlene are shooting at Uriah and Zeke. I glance at Nita and Mathew, amazed they are competing this year. Usually, Nita wouldn't dare to risk breaking a nail. Will and Christina on the other hand seem to be really into competing this year, as they are already picking out what they could possibly use on the tables. I watch Christina point at random items, as Will either agrees or disagrees on it. Caleb and Susan on the other hand look like this is the dullest thing on the planet. I think I actually see Caleb yawn.

"ALL RIGHT TEAMS… ON YOUR MARK… GET SET… GO!" My father yells out. Everyone runs up to the tables, gathering random items that they can get their hands on. I grab a hold of a scarf, some buttons, a wig… A wig? What the hell? I glance up at Tobias who is at another table fighting to gather more stuff. I'm almost too distracted watching Tobias fight over something with Zeke, to notice Christina trying to wrestle a pool noodle out of my hand. I pull back just in the nick of time and give her a dirty stare before she laughs saying it's all just fun and games before going back in and trying to get another item before it's snatched.

I ran back to our bare snowman when my arms were overflowing with random items. I let them all drop at my feet at the same time Tobias is doing the same. We laugh as we begin our work, I drape a scarf around the snowman, as Tobias cuts the pool noodle in half to use as his arms. The next ten minutes are spent in a mixture of laughter and focus. We stand back once all the collected pieces have been used in some way, for a moment we admire our work. It honestly doesn't look that bad. Definitely not traditional as I don't remember Snowman ever having blonde long wavy hair before, but it will do.

"Oh, look, it's Tris the snowman!' Nita laughs out. I turn to give her my special death glare. How dare she? I mean I know we don't like each other… But really? Here? I take a quick glance at her and Mathew's snowman… I honestly never thought I would see a day when I would see a snowman wearing a dress. And a sunflower dress at that.

"Five minutes." My father warns us. Tobias and I give our snowman another look.

"Think it came out pretty good." Tobias says, admiring it.

"I agree."

I risk taking another glance around. Seeing that Shauna and Marlene both took the more traditional route this year. With the black top hat, the black scarf, buttons on the two of three balls, a carrot for the nose, branches for the arms, and gold balls for the eyes. They scraped a smile with a finger on its face. Zeke and Uriah on the other hand must have had a drink of some sort to pour on the ice because the top of the three balls is actually dyed orange. They have a mophead as the hair and a shirt on the second ball. The style looks more like a California snowman somehow. The shirt even looks more like a surfer shirt.

"Time's up." My father announces.

We all stand up, our hands in the air no longer touching our snowmen. My father points to three kids to vote for the best snowman. It's almost comedically watching the kids take their job seriously as they pace back and forth between the snowman, whispering to each other and giggling while pointing. After just a few minutes the kids run up to my dad, whispering to him their choice.

"And the winner is… Tobias and Tris." My father says, proudly. The crowd cheers, as Shauna, Marlene, Zeke and Uriah are all grumpy to themselves. They both agree that since both teams lost, they both have to face their punishments. Whatever that is? My father steps down from the small stage and hands both Tobias and I a small snowman statue for our winnings. It's the same thing that the winners get every year. But it's a first for me. I glance at Tobias who is holding his snowman with pride, waving it in the air towards Zeke and Uriah.

I never thought in a million years I would see this part of Tobias. The man that was so stiff and intimidating the first time I met him, is now relaxed and fun. It's a good look for him.

The rest of the day is just as entertaining. Between the gingerbread house contest and the pie eating contest. I couldn't help but laugh so hard that I feared that I would pee my pants as I watched Uriah, Zeke, and Tobias covered in pie filling. I've always known that Uriah could eat up a storm, hell, every year he has always blown more than nine pies in one sitting alone. But this year, it really bites the cake, as not only Uriah, but Tobias blew through the first nine pies. They get up to eleven before Zeke runs off nearly puking his guts out on the stage. Tobias got to twelve, as Uriah threw his hands up in the air as the winner to pie number thirteen. As his reward mom gave him his own special chocolate Dauntless cake to take to his room.

The night ended with a large BBQ dinner cooked on the indoor smokeless electric grill. Many of the guests cuddled up near the fireplace while the food was finishing up. I passed out hot coffee and cocoa in the meantime. Of course, my mom did offer dessert, but many turned it down after all that pie eating watching. Tobias disappeared pretty quickly after dinner; I couldn't help noticing the nearly touched food on his plate.

"Perhaps you should take him something…" My mother says, encouraging me. She gives me a wink before going back into the kitchen. I smile, shaking my head knowing damn well what she meant. But be as it may, I take a few things for an upset stomach out of the first aid area from the front desk and head up.

I pause right outside the door, first listening for anything on the other side of the door and then wondering if this is a good idea. I finally give in, knocking on the door and waiting for him to answer. The door opens softly before he smiles down at me.

"Hey." He greets.

"Hey." I replied, "I brought you something for your stomach… You know just in case," I say, handing him the medications.

"Oh, thanks." He says, eagerly taking the medicine from me. My eyes fall on the desk in his room, his laptop open to a PowerPoint screen with a large picture of the resort on it.

"How's the report coming?" I ask, my words getting ahead of me. I bite my lip, regretting my question instantly. His face looks guilty and unsure as he wavers on how to answer.

"I'm not sure yet." He answers simply. "I know what I should write… but I'm just not sure that's the right thing anymore." He confesses. My eyebrows crease together, not sure what he means. His eyes glance down at my lips before looking back up, for a moment I wonder what he could possibly be thinking. "Well… Umm… Goodnight…." He stutters, clearing his voice. "Thanks for the medicine.' He says, gesturing to his hand.

"Yeah, of course. No problem. Goodnight, Tobias." I say, softly.

"Goodnight, Tris." He says, before closing the door softly. I take a deep breath before turning and heading back downstairs to help with the cleanup for the night.