Here it is, the next chapter! I needed a LONG TIME to write it, because the constant funny moments kinda stop here because Candor or Dauntless stops. Also I'd like to thank xox-AMI-xox and .7 for their suggestions- they were really helpful and I probably still wouldn't be uploading this story if they didn't give me such great ideas for this chapter (and the next one).
Four opens his eyes. His lids are heavy, since he couldn't sleep at night. Thoughts about yesterday's argument kept him awake. But he was right, wasn't he?
Tris opens the door, fully dressed and wide awake. "Great, you're up. Get dressed, eat something and come help me with the snacks," she said. As she is about to close the door, Four speaks up.
"Snacks?"
"Uh-uh."
"What for?"
"The party."
Four jumps out of the bed, ready to protest.
"Look, Tobias, you have clearly upset some people yesterday and I mean, look at poor Uri, his spirit is crushed. And that never happens to him!" Tris starts. "So, I thought I'd invite him, Zeke and obviously Christina and Will- you owe THEM a big apology- and then I thought I'd invite Marlene and Shauna too so we'd have like this 'couples Candor or Dauntless', you know? And of course, the point of the whole thing is for you to apologize. And it would all be good again."
Four feels his head aching at the thought of apologizing. "Do you really want that?"
"It's not about me, Tobias. It's about them, okay?"
"Okay. I'll do it," Four agrees and rubs his eyes. He yawns.
"Come on, sleepyhead, let's go set everything up for the party!"
Four nods and looks for a shirt in his closet, while Tris leaves the bedroom and goes into the living room. She and Four spent most of their time living in Four's little apartment, if you could even call it that. Tris didn't have a job yet, so she didn't have enough points to buy her own apartment. Four didn't mind her staying with him at all.
"Ok, what do I have to do?" he says when he gets out of the room.
"First, eat breakfast. Hungry Four means Grumpy Four." she smiles and puts a bowl, spoon, milk and cereal on the table. He sits down and starts eating.
"Then I'd like you to tidy up the apartment a bit. Maybe clean the floor."
Four doesn't say anything, but his face shows he's not to thrilled about all this.
"You think they maybe won't want to come?" she asks, concerned.
He shrugs.
"I keep feeling they'll be to angry to come…"
"Nah, they'll be here. You'll see, no one will even remember what were we fighting about!" Four stuffs his face with cereal. "Can I have Dauntless cake after cereal?"
"We ran out of it!" Tris says calmly.
Four almost chokes on his cereal.
"Calm down, I was kidding!" she laughs.
"You better not do that to me EVER again!" he glares at her.
"God… I was JUST kidding…"
So, about five hours later, the guests arrive. Tris' face shines with happiness. She's relieved. Four, on the other hand, wears the fakest possible smile as he greets Marlene, Shauna, Zeke and Uriah.
"Where are Will and Christina?" Tris asks closing the door.
"Oh, they didn't come with us. We thought they'd be here already," Shauna says as she sits at the table with on her left and Marlene on her right. Uriah sits next to Marlene. Tris and Four sit on the opposite side with two empty chairs next to them.
"It appears these two will be a little late…" Tris says, glancing at the empty chairs. She sends Four a concerned look.
"They'll be here soon," he promises her, even though he's not sure of it.
Then, Zeke tells a funny story to lighten up the mood and everyone laughs.
They'll be here, Tris thinks and this time she believes it.
Time passes, Tris announces that the pizza's done and that they made it themselves, Four adds he helped after which Tris points out that putting the pizza in the oven doesn't really qualify as helping. They eat the pizza and lie that it's good even though it tastes like rubber. Uriah suggests they start the game, so they do.
"Who'll start?" Four questions.
"Can I?" asks Marlene.
"Sure."
"Yes! Tris, C or D?"
"Um… Let's say Dauntless!"
"Yeah!" Uriah cheers.
She is dared to go to Max's office and ask him if she can apply for the instructor job, then let him talk and run away before she actually applies. She accepts the challenge and they eventually get more complaints from angry Max. Then Zeke has to walk around the Pit wearing red lipstick which he does, taking it to another level by wearing Shauna's high heels.
They play a couple more rounds, but nothing extreme happens. Even Uriah doesn't particularly enjoy the game. Eventually, when it's Tris' turn again, she asks Four.
"Dauntless."
"Apologize for what you did yesterday."
Four takes a deep breath. "Alright. I'd like to apologize to all of you for what I implied yesterday. I can see how it ruined the mood and why everyone left. And I admit- I was wrong, 30 Minutes In Heaven is a completely harmless game and I should've trusted all of you."
Everyone nods in approval. Tris kisses him on the cheek. "That was very nice of you!"
"Apology accepted!" Uriah says.
"Thank god. I was kinda worried you wouldn't even come to the party. In fact, it looked like you'll never leave your room again!" Tris laughs.
"No way! In fact, Marlene suggested I throw another party next week. I will. And it'll be the most epic party you've ever been to! There won't be just C or D- we'll play Capture the Flag, Never Have I Ever… Maybe we'll even go zip-lining!"
Four shivers at the mention of zip-lining, but only Zeke and Tris notice.
"Awesome! We'll be there!" Tris says.
"You better! I'll invite the others too. Maybe even Eric and Peter. They were OK the last time," Uriah replies.
Shauna yawns and soon Zeke does too.
"Maybe we should go home now…" suggests Marlene.
"Yeah, it's getting pretty late," Shauna agrees.
"But, hey, tonight was fun!" Zeke says, even though it really wasn't anything special.
Tris walks them to the door and says goodnight. She sighs and takes a seat opposite Four.
"Thanks… I really admired your apology. Very mature," she says and leans over the table to kiss him.
He kisses her back, but she pulls away and slides back into her seat. "Although… Christina and Will."
"What?"
"They didn't show up. I'm worried about them, to be honest…" she bites her lip.
"Come on, Tris, they could've just had responsibilities to do and couldn't make it to the party or something."
"But I feel like they'd come here to tell us if they did. I don't want them to be mad at us, they're my best friends."
"They're not. At least not at you," he reaches for her hand. He tries to smile. She smiles back.
"I think I'll go to bed now. Could you just do the dishes today?" she asks and gets up.
"Of course. You go rest."
"Thanks," she gives him another quick kiss and goes to the bedroom. "Night!"
"Goodnight, Tris."
The next morning, Tris feels better. She looks at Four, who is still sleeping, and gets up. After breakfast she marches straight to Christina's apartment. She got it when she got a job as an instructor. Apparently, that's like a complementary gift you get with it.
Tris knocks on the door and waits. For a second, there is nothing but silence coming from the other side of the wall, so she turns around. Then she hears something, so she decides to wait. The sound resembles footsteps. After the footsteps, she thinks she heard whispering. But she isn't sure- a part of her believes she was only imagining the sounds. Maybe it was because she really hoped someone would open the door. But no one does.
Tris presses her ear against the door. Yes, there are definitely sounds coming from the room!
"Will… Tris… or Four…"
"… Party invitation?"
Those are the only words she can catch. It seems like Will and Christina are whispering.
Christina says something like: I don't want to see them now,
Will replies something she can't hear, then there's silence and then Will speaks again, asking: So we just pretend we're not here?
Tris feels pain in her stomach. She slides down the door onto the floor and buries her face in her hands. Why wouldn't they want to talk to them? Were they really that angry? She was afraid they might be, but she never really believed they could.
She gets up and goes back to Four's apartment. He got up in the meanwhile.
"Where were you?" he asks.
"At Christina's."
"Did she tell you why she and Will didn't come to the party?"
"No… " Tris shakes her head. "No, um, in fact she didn't open the door at all."
"So she wasn't home?"
"Oh, she was. She just wouldn't open the door."
Four freezes. "What? Why?"
Tris shrugs. "I don't know. But it appears she won't want either of us talking to her anytime soon," she drops to the couch.
"Don't worry. They'll show up eventually. And when they do, I promise I'll make things right again," Four says and sits next to her.
She buries her head in his shoulder. "Thanks," she whispers.
"Hey, it's the right thing to do. Right?" he puts his arm over shoulder.
"Yeah."
It's a little short, but I think I'll update soon, so hopefully that'll make up for it :)