Losing Count

Chapter One: Technical Difficulties

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Sorry for the wait everyone! Writers block and school are hell. Do you guys still want me to continue this story? Please let me know.

The blistering California sun shines in my eyes as I adjust myself on the torrid sand. I can't believe she convinced me to go to the beach. I must truly love her.

"Hey Toby, can you help me out?" I look to my left and see Beatrice struggling to apply sunscreen onto her back. She looks absolutely ridiculous.

I release a deep, throaty laugh. Maybe I should play around with her. "I don't know Bea, you seem to be doing a pretty good job on your own."

She lets out a flustered sigh and crosses her arms gruffly. " Don't be like this Tobias. You know my skin is basically translucent."

I send a devious smirk her way and put on my sunglasses. "Well you could use the colour then." I close my eyes and lie down on my towel.

"You suck. Why are we even dating?" I feel coarse sand land on my stomach. She did not just kick sand on me.

"You did not just do that." I stand up and brush off the sand that lays across my body.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't." It's now her turn to smirk at me.

"Well-" I wrap my arms around her waist and rest my nose on her nose."I think you did it."

She kisses my nose lightly. "Well what would you do if I did?" She leaves light butterfly kisses across my forehead .

I cup her face in my hands and look her in the eyes. "Well I'd start with this-" I leave a trail of kisses down her neck. "And this-" I kiss the spot behind her ear that I know makes her weak in the knees. "And finish off with this." I passionately kiss her lips.

We pull apart for air. She looks at me with a crooked smirk upon her lips. "Too bad I didn't do it."

She struts away into the water. She looks back at me and sends a wink my way before going underwater.

My eyes snap open.

I feel my heart race as a cold sweat glazes over my body. The memories of Beatrice fill my thoughts. A steady stream of tears find their way down my cheeks while her transcending blue eyes tattoo themselves further into my brain.

That day was the thirtieth time Beatrice died.

"Four?" I look to my left and see Beatrice's friend Myra. Myra and her boyfriend Edward came with us to the beach today. Her face is full of concern "I haven't seen Bea for a few minutes. I'm getting worried."

My heart drops.

No. Not here. Not now. I can't lose her again.

I stand up and scan the shore.

What if she went down and never came back up?

"Oh, I think I see her Four!" I look back to Myra and see her pointing to a waving Beatrice. She's out in the water with Edward.

She's safe.

"Guys! Come in! The water-"

That's when the boat hit.

This happens every morning.

Every night, memories of her that I have tried so hard to forget, resurface into dreams. I know that I should be grateful that I can even remember a happy time with Beatrice, but all it does is break my heart. Any of those happy memories are always overcome by the nightmares that follow… Overcame by death.

I frantically rub my eyes as I shakily get out of bed. If I'm going to have to live yet another day, I'm going to need some coffee.

I groggily walk towards my kitchen in search of my salvation. I open up the oak cupboard and my eyes find nothing, absolute emptiness.

Just my luck, no coffee.

I absent-mindedly begin to fulfill my morning routine as I daydream about a warm cup of coffee and Beatrice's flowing blonde hair.

.

.

.

I walk down the quiet, early morning, Chicago streets in search of a coffee shop. Crisp winter air consumes my body leaving me numb. My face is numb, my fingers are numb, and as usual, my heart is numb.

"Four? Four! Over here!"

I turn to meet the source of the voice that frantically calls me.

Molly Atwood.

Molly lives in my building. She constantly throws herself at me. It's obnoxious.

"I knew it was you Four! What are you doing out the early? I'm just jogging. You can't get a body like this without a little work." She places her hands on my shoulders but I immediately shake them off.

"I'm just getting breakfast." I turn away from her but she grabs onto me. She's so annoying.

"Are you going to Dauntless Café? It's the only coffee shop around here open this early." Right. I completely forgot about Dauntless.

" I have to go Molly." I turn away from her and quickly head in the direction to Dauntless. I have never been to Dauntless before. Whenever I walk past it, it's always full of people reading poetry. Hopefully there isn't any today.

I reach the coffee shop and immediately regret going inside. At 6:30 in the morning, there is still people reading poetry.

Today is just not my day.

There's no turning back now.

I head towards the ordering line and view the menu. A barista with shaggy blonde hair and green eyes calls to me.

" Excuse me sir, are you ready to order?" He asks me with a wide tooth smile on his face. His name tag reads "Will"

" Um.. Yeah. I'll have a black coffee and a toasted bagel with cream cheese." He punches in my order.

" Okay, your total is $6.75. You can grab a seat and someone will bring you your order."

I hand him the money and mumble thanks as I walk towards the table and chairs.

I sit down and begin to impatiently scroll through my phone as I wait for my breakfast. I hear the chair across from me drag on the floor. Goosebumps rise up my arm with the screeching noise. I hear and exasperated sigh as the person sits down. "I have to say Four, this whole hard to get act is getting really old."

My eyes travel upwards to meet the unpleasant face that belongs to Molly. I rub my hands over my face. Did she follow me here? This woman is getting on my nerves. " It's not an act."

" See?! That's what I mean! You act so cold when I know you're totally into me." She rests her clammy hand on my forearm. Her touch makes me shudder.

I yank my arm away from her. " Molly, I'm not interested in you at all."

" Four, I'm not stupid." Is she serious?

" Molly-" My voice is immediately interrupted.

" Why don't we go on a date to prove your true feelings?" No way in hell.

" No Molly."

" Come on Four! I can see you undress me with your eyes when we talk." She drags her hand across my chest. "Don't you want to see-"

"Molly, I said n-" I begin to stand up, but I'm cut off by a rough, wet, kiss. My body freezes as a thick coat of saliva lines my lips. I feel my body contort in disgust. I hear someone clear their throat from beside us. I immediately push Molly off me.

"Sorry for interrupting." The barista looks at Molly with a deadly glare. "We had some technical difficulties, but it looks like you didn't mind waiting." She returns her focus to me and gives me a look that makes my skin crawl.

Wait.

Those eyes. Only one person could have those captivating blue eyes.

My heart drops to the floor as the realization hits me.

It can't be. She looks so… Different.

"You can continue sucking faces now." She places down my coffee and bagel down and struts away from the table.

Molly continues to ramble on, but I can't focus on whatever the hell it is that she's saying. The only thing I can focus on is her. The girl with the trance inducing blue-grey eyes.

Beatrice.

It's been a while Bea...

Preview For Chapter 2

"Miss? I insist you take my umbrella." She looked up at me with her sparkling eyes as her face took on a bewildered expression.

"Oh no. I-I couldn't. I'm already wet, I'd hate for you to get wet too." She looked down bashfully.

"Please, I don't mind getting a little wet. I'd hate for you to get sick." I mocked her slightly hoping that it would put a friendly mood into the conversation.

"Only if we can both share it. Someone as handsome as you shouldn't get too wet." She had a determined look in her eyes and I knew that I couldn't refuse. I know how stubborn she could be. I gave her the friendliest smile I could.

"If you insist." She stood right next to me and then looked right into my eyes.

"I'm Beatrice Prior."

"Tobias. Tobias Eaton."

AN: To the plethora of people who PMed me saying things such as; "I hate the new story. Just post the old one and continue it." and "You're going to take 5eva and 52 years to get to where you were. I wish you didn't rewrite."

I'm sorry but, I thought the old one was shit. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have continued the old one. I like this one so I'm keeping it.

If you don't like it, don't read it.

I promise to have a new chapter soon.

~Hannah