Chapter 6
Tobias P.O.V.
"Tobias, this place is for children," Tris says once we walk inside the place full of children, trampolines, screams, and birthday kazoos.
"C'mon," I say.
She rolls her eyes. "Are you sure we should really be jumping around with little kids on trampolines?" she asks hesitantly.
"Tris. We're fine," I say and grab her a hand. Which, surprisingly, she doesn't recoil or pull back in disgust, like how I thought she would. She just stares straight towards the front of the line as we wait, and entwines them.
Of course we're still friends, though. We did this all the time in high school. All of her boyfriends would get so mad, it was ridiculous.
But it doesn't change the fact that I'm savoring it. The feel of her hand in mine. The closeness of her body. The scent of her hair. The angel-like, soothing tone she never stops using, as if she can't stop. As if it's just natural. Which it probably is. The way she bites her lip when. I don't know why she's doing that though; she says she does it when she's nervous. The way her eyes are everywhere, as if she can't focus on just one crazy thing happening around us. The way her eyes run wild a the behest of movement. The way her eyes light up when she sees the foam pit of cubes to jump in. Her eyes eyes alone are a whole other being. Her eyes speak more than her heart or mind ever could, if I had to guess. Either that or I can read her like a book. Usually I can read people like a Chinese slogan, but with Tris, it's the exact opposite. Maybe it's the fact that I've known her since pre-school, or maybe I happen to be one of those guys that doesn't care about what she looks like. I care about Tris's happiness and I'm a good listener, unlike most of the population of the world.
"Tobias?" Tris asks as we take off our shoes.
"Hm?" I turn my head toward her as we sit on the bench. I'm done taking off my shoes, so I'm sitting with my elbows on my knees and my hands in my face.
"You know what you remind me off?" she says with a silly smirk and mirroring my position.
"What's that?" I ask, copying her expression with the silly smirk.
"A cactus. You're kind of a dick on the outside—and I refuse to say 'no offense,' because I don't care whether or not you take offense to it—but you're a softy on the inside. Like how you were in high school." She shrugs. "I don't know. I feel like don't see the inside of you that much, and that makes me sad," she says, as a small, sad smile begins to play on her face. "I kind of just want the old you back. I wasn't so much as mad as I was sad when I yelled at you. I was sad you hated yourself, because I think you're perfect the way you are."
I smile and shake my head. "I'm trying, Tris. I promise you, I really am, because I don't want you to be upset over me."
"It's okay. I just don't want to get too out of touch with the old you, you know?"
"I know, Tris, and you have every right to be upset. But I just want you to get to know me better. The newer me, with a little bit of old me. How's that?" I ask with a smile.
She beams. "I think I'll like that."
"Alrighty, let's go get to that foam pit."
-Friday-
"Tobias! Guess what today's date is!" Tris asks as soon as I answer the phone at 5:59 A.M., still groggy with sleep since she woke me up a minute before my alarm goes off.
"Um… I don't know. I take it that I'm supposed to?"
"Oh my god," Tris says quietly. "You really don't know, do you?"
I say nothing.
"Call me when you figure it out, asshole," she says, sadness obviously present in her voice.
Then, immediately after the call, I get a text saying, Sorry. Shouldn't have called you asshole. But seriously, Tobias, that hurt.
I'm sorry. Was it the day we met? The day I told you I loved you? The day we get married in the future?
You wish. And no, none of the above.
C'mon, Tris! It's killing me.
It's killing me too, Tobias.
Tris.
I receive no response within the next few minutes.
Tris Prior.
Again, I get nothing back.
Prior.
Goddammit, Eaton, you have to earn the right to call me that.
How do I earn it?
You have to start being the guy you used to be.
I thought I started doing that last night!
You tried, and I appreciate that. But I want you to be 75% the old you, 25% the new you. I do have the perks of other girls thinking I'm your girlfriend, so usually I won't have to deal with girls flirting with you. But then you have the ones that are whores and don't care whether or not you have a girlfriend. I hate those girls.
Me too. You could always 'pretend' to be my girlfriend ;)
Nice try, Tobias. Once you decide to start being 75% Tobias and 25% Eaton, maybe I won't have to pretend.
Is that a promise?
Sure isn't. Only you can make that happen. I can only encourage it.
True. But can you tell me exactly what qualities I had all those years ago?
Well, you were kind, you made a great pillow, you weren't as tense, you didn't have a care in the world, you always lived in the moment, and you didn't care about what would come of anything.
I can still make a great pillow, you know.
I bet you can't with those rock-hard abs of yours.
Maybe you should come and see for yourself.
Maybe one day.
If anyone looked at these messages, I bet they'd say we were flirting, but I can't help but feel like everything is different between us. Our conversation is just us talking, nothing more, because we've always been like this. It's just how we talk. We've always been that way.
You wish you could get this.
I send the message, but then realize it's something Eaton would say, not Tobias.
I quickly recover with, Jk. I know you don't want this.
I get up and wait for Tris's response as I get dressed.
There's the Tobias I know and love. But I still get to call you Eaton.
I have no problem with that.
By eight o'clock, I'm still texting Tris, and I still haven't found out what todays's date means.
Aren't you supposed to be working or something, because, oh, I don't know, you have a job?
Tris. I'm my own boss, might I remind you.
Oh yeah. But don't you think you should be working rather than texting your crush?
Crush? Really? I think we both know it's more than that.
I know.
And I don't technically have to be working unless one of my employees has a question. And you are my soon to be employee. This is our over-the-phone interview.
I could literally be the worst personal trainer ever, but just because I'm your best friend I get hired?
I know that you're good at what you do. Plus you hate working at the bar. So…what do you say?
Are you seriously asking me to work for you?
Is that a bad thing? I don't like you working at the bar. It makes me uneasy, especially after the whole Peter incident.
Hang on. I'm on my way.
If I got to work with her, that'd be a dream come true for me. I know she's not one of those people that doesn't care about her job. She really cares about others' well-being, which is why she chose the profession she did.
I walk into the staff break room and all goes quiet. I walk to the fridge and pull out a water bottle.
I laugh. "You guys, I'm not scary, I promise."
All eight of the personal trainers sigh with relief.
"I just came in here to tell you we will probably be having a new personal trainer, like yourselves. And since you all are men and I got no applications for women here, it'll be nice having her around, especially since we still get women who train here. No sexual harassment, either, or else you will be fired. And I mean that. Do you understand me?"
They all stiffly nod.
And then you have Jim.
"Boss here just doesn't want you flirting with her because he's in love with her," says Jim.
I wear a small smile. "Yeah, yeah, I am, but we aren't a thing. So if she flirts with you, I guess I can't do anything about it." I shrug.
"We all have girlfriends anyway, right?" Matt asks as he looks around. Every guy nods. "Plus, we'd all be too afraid of you to actually flirt back, even if she did flirt first."
"You've got nothing to worry about, man," Jake says.
"Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."
"Appreciate what?" Tris asks as she enters the room in track pants and a tank top. with her hair pulled up, along with sneakers.
"They said they'd make you feel right at home once you start working here." I smirk.
"I never accepted that offer, you know," she points out.
"True, but I know you will. By the way, this is Connor, Jake, Jim, Matt, Donny, Cody, Wyatt, and Raekwon."
Tris laughs. "Seriously? The first seven names were, like, total white boy names. And then you have Raekwon. I like it," she says, putting her hand out to shake. He takes it, quirking one eyebrow up. "I'm Tris."
Raekwon nods. He can be a fairly scary guy being African-American and a low voice. He rarely speaks, according to the rest of them, but I've only heard him talk in his interview. Apparently they've never heard him say anything. Then he smiles. "I like you." When he says it, his voice rumbles against the walls in the room.
"What the hell?" Jim exclaims.
"He speaks!" Matt exclaims.
Raekwon glares. "So, Tris, you're thinking about working here?"
"Yeah. I'm going to school right now and working at The Pit, so that sucks. I'm going to college, so I figured I may as well ask Four for a job." She turns to me so her back is turned to the guys, then she winks, probably wanting me to play along.
"What are you studying to be? A fashion designer for Nike?" Donny asks. Sexist bastard.
"Actually, yes. Except I want to design for Under Armor.
"You're studying to be a… designer?" asks Wyatt.
"Yeah," she says as she twirls her hair and bites her lip.
"So why are you working here, then?" Matt asks.
She shrugs. "Kind of sick of the bar."
"Oh my god," Connor mumbles with his hands in his face.
"You all are sexist bastards." Tris laughs. "I'm a personal trainer who can kick the tiny little balls off of you. Except Raekwon. He's the only who seemed to notice I was faking it."
"I can read people." He shrugs.
"Seriously, if any of you ever try to pull anything, you'll be getting your asses kicked." She sweetly smiles.
"Yes, ma'am," they all mutter.
"So, Eaton, care to show me around?"
"Of course." I nod my head towards the door. "Hang on, Tris, I'll be right out."
She shuts the door behind her.
"So, how do you guys like her?" I ask quietly.
"I see why you like her," Matt says with a shrug.
"Don't mess with her. It won't be the first time she knocks someone out." I walk out the room, leaving them to converse.
"So," I say to Tris, "I have a feeling you'll be working here?"
"Why would I want to be around you all day? Ugh," she says with her nose scrunched up.
"Because I'm your best friend and you love me?" I ask as I sling an arm around her shoulder.
"Both true, but you still haven't figured out what today's date is," she says desolately.
"I know, I know, but can you please tell me? I'll buy you dinner," I say sweetly.
"You always do that anyway." She chuckles.
"So, Tris, what is today?"
"July 17th."
"Yeah, I know, but what happened today between us?"
"Nothing. It's July 17th." She smiles.
"But you said something happened on this day!" I exclaim with a small laugh.
"Ah, ah, ah, I just asked you what today's date is." Her smile turns evil.
"You are so evil! And clever! Damn! I'll get you back, Prior."
"Tobias. Not that nickname." She pauses, then she adds, "So, am I good enough for the job?"
"I suppose you are." I shrug. "So, am I good enough to get to call you Prior?"
She smirks. "Keep dreaming."
So I need you all to honestly answer this question:
This actually applies to the story, I promise.
Pancakes or waffles?
Anything and everything helps!