I don't own Divergent!
Chapter 10
TOBIAS'S POV:
I didn't actually comprehend how wrong Marcus is.
He wants me to kidnap a grown man.
I'm eighteen years old. I don't do those things. He's a deranged lunatic.
He hinted to me in the emails he sent me about his "plan" but I wasn't exactly sure what he had in mind.
"What do you want Tobias?"
I look to the left and see Tris talking to a guy her age. She's ordering food at the counter while I stare off into space.
"Tobias?"
"Sorry, yeah? Oh um I'm fine," I say stuttering like an idiot.
The guy at the counter snickers and I throw a glare from when I was a Dauntless instructor.
"What's wrong Tobias?" Tris asks staring up at me.
"Nothing," I say shaking my head twice to stimulate my thoughts.
"Are you sure? Aren't you hungry? We haven't eaten anything since yesterday," she says.
My stomach growls as I think of food.
"You should eat Four," she says tugging at my arm.
She doesn't do it flirtatiously just as her intention shows in her words. She thinks I should eat.
I cock my head and stare. Something in me wishes she were still wearing my jacket. She was snuggling into it before I fell asleep though so that might mean something.
"Hey man, I haven't talked to you in while," Zeke says slapping my back.
"Oh hey man, sorry I haven't been around," I say realizing I've barely been talking to my best friend.
Tris sweeps up to the counter
"I've seen you around Tris a lot. Ah God, you apparently were over there when they woke up. You have a thing for her?" Zeke asks.
I feel heat burn up the nape of my neck pulsing up and curling around the inky tendrils. I run a hand through my hair. I need to cut it.
"Oh! You do! Man, I wish you luck! She came first in her initiation if you didn't know," he says.
I stare at Tris. Small, strong, and pretty. First in her initiation. In her Dauntless initiation.
"Yeah whatever..." I mumble and Zeke just grins at me his humor expressed purely by his comical expression.
"Eat Tobias," Tris says shoving a wrapped up lump into my rough fingers.
"I wasn't going to eat Tris," I complain to Tris as I follow her over to the table everyone is sitting at.
The seats next to our friends are taken and they seem to have forgotten about us so we sit down at another table.
"I had a psychic feeling that you were hungry," she says sarcastically.
I roll my eyes but smile at the same time.
"That feeling you had was comically correct," I reply unwrapping the chicken drumstick and sinking my teeth into the meat.
She tucks her hair behind her ear and stares off into her own thoughts.
She twirled her hair into a bun that sits on top of her head and the silky gold strings hang at the sides. They fly off to the sides again and I feel compelled to reach over and swipe them back.
"Your thoughts?" Tris says her eyes flitting to mine shortly.
"Thoughts on what?"
"You seemed to be thinking about something," she says lacing her fingers together and clenching.
Compulsively I lean over and brush back the blonde stands back from her face.
"Just that," I say.
I can feel the heat rushing to my face again.
"Thanks," she says softly.
"Sorry," I murmur.
Stupid Tobias. So goddy stupid.
"Nothing to be sorry for Four," she says.
My eyebrows knit. She uses my nickname name on and off. I look at her trying to see what drove her to say "Four" instead of "Tobias".
"Hi Four!" A feminine voice squeals behind me.
I turn around and see a girl my age that I coincided in Dauntless initiation training with.
Her name is Lauren.
"Hey Lauren," I say sneaking a quick glance at Tris.
Her eyes look harder than just a millisecond ago and her lips are pushed together in a thin line.
"So Four I was wondering if you wanted to hang out later maybe." Lauren says.
I never knew Lauren liked me but she never actually showed it until now. Although, I recall she was quite nice to me whereas the others.
My eyes flit to Tris. I never said that I was going to be with her today and frankly, she never invited me to.
I pinch the bridge of my nose to release the pressure building up in my head. I breathe.
"I don't think I can Lauren, sorry," I say.
A wave of guilt passes across me. I actually didn't have a reason to say no. Well a logical reason, my thoughts are gravitating more toward the mentality state of thought.
"Oh... Well ok," she says.
The disappointments in her eyes are apparent but she just smiles at me, her eyes flicking to Tris for a second and then walks off.
"Girlfriend?" Tris mutters her cheeks reddening immediately.
"No, just a friend," I say heat creeping up my jaw line.
Maybe Tris is jealous. Maybe she doesn't want me to have a girlfriend. I brighten at my thoughts.
"Yeah so..." She trails off. I can distinctively tell that she's embarrassed for asking me about having a girlfriend but her question couldn't bother me any less than it does now.
Which is none at all.
"You're probably wondering why I said no." I say.
Something came over me overnight. I realized I'm sick of living in the damned shadow that Marcus created for me. I won't listen to his psychopathic reasons, explanations, and plans anymore.
"Hell," Tris mutters to the trees she's glaring at.
I chuckle at her huffy expression and she raises her eyebrows at me as if to say "really?"
"Sorry, don't be mad it doesn't matter to me at all whatever you ask."
"So if doesn't matter, why did you say no?" She asks.
She did ask.
My lips twitch but I try to keep my expression placid.
"Because I didn't want to hurt her feelings," I say.
Tris's expression bares confusion and a little relief. She flips back the blonde strands that are picking up because of the wind.
I look up momentarily to see the sky darkening. It was sunny just a moment ago so I make a face.
I sense Tris smiling, but when I look down again she looks placid her expression un-changing.
"Why would you hurt her feelings?" She asks.
I can sense the curiousness in her voice. That wouldn't be a trait honored in Abnegation.
"Because I don't like her, I like somebody else," I say firmly watching her face.
I indirectly told her I like her.
Her eyebrows pull together and her face falls looking crestfallen.
My stomach falls. She knows I like her and she doesn't like the idea of it. God, I should've known.
I turn my face to look at my friends who are getting up and starting toward me- us.
"It's cloudy, which is pretty crappy but us guys have some stuff back at our place that we can do," Zeke says jutting his head toward the direction of the cabins.
"I told everyone to act like they forgot you two," Zeke whispers in my ear.
"What! Why?" I say.
I knew they couldn't actually have forgotten us. Gut feeling I guess.
Zeke raises his eyebrows like he would to flirt with a girl and I groan.
"You idiot," I mutter.
"Handsome idiot," he replies.
"So how'd everything go-"
"Leave me alone," I say walking ahead of him.
"Come on Four!" He yells out.
I kick the gravel and pretend that I can't hear him.
TRIS'S POV:
"It must be you!" Christina says.
"I have a feeling it's not," I say grabbing Tobias's jacket and groaning.
The guys said we could watch some movies and stuff over at their place. Apparently, they needed a couple minutes to "clean up."
I slip the jacket on reveling in the warmth. The sky just turned cloudy like that. It was odd, nobody expected it.
"Yo girls c'mon over," I hear Uriah holler from the wall.
His fist banging and smashing against the door.
"Uriah! Stop! We're coming!" Marlene shouts rolling her eyes.
The door smashes open and us girls go into their room.
The guy's room is quite similar to ours except that the boys have a bit more space for their own cubicle of room.
My eyes sweep around to see everything in the Dauntless colors of black.
"Come on guys it's starting!" Zeke whispers.
In his hand is a bag of popcorn and assorted boxes of candy. He hands some to each of us.
Zeke goes to sit in front of the T.V. by Shauna, Uriah scoots toward Marlene, Will wraps an arm around Christina, and Al stands alone.
"Hey," the man of the hour says next to me.
I feel myself immediately heat up, my cheeks reddening and the spot just at my jaw turning scarlet.
Tobias motions for me to come and sit. I flip down on the couch grabbing the blanket that lies there. Tobias sits beside me his posture stiff looking.
"Relax T- Four," I say hitting his arm.
"Sure Tris," he says stealing a box of Twizzler's.
"Four!" I whisper loudly hitting his hair.
"Hey, hey, hey not the hair!" He says shaking off my hands.
I raise my eyebrows.
"Ok you can touch my hair," he says patting his head.
I flip my fingers through his hair shortly. Funnily, it's really soft.
"And Uriah that doesn't mean you can touch my hair!" He says a little louder.
"Aww come on Four!" Uriah groans giving me a lopsided smile.
I laugh.
"Shh the movie is on!" Christina whines.
I roll my eyes. I dig my phone out from my pocket- Tobias's jacket pocket- and press the home button.
Hey.
I get a text from a number that I don't know. I ignore it.
Don't know me?
I ignore the text and go through the Internet searching up the news for Chicago today.
Come on Tris.
Another text that I ignore.
Tris?
I press the screen a little forcefully and click on the texting app.
What? I text.
How you doing?
From my time in Abnegation, I know I shouldn't respond to strangers, but I do anyway. I'm Dauntless now.
Who are you?
Why do u want to know?
Hell, your txting me. Who are you?
Guess.
Do I know you?
I would think so.
Give me a hint.
Tobias next to me smiles a bit glancing at my phone. I elbow him until he looks away.
Umm I went zip lining with you.
You did?
Yeah.
I have everyone's number except for...
For?
Tobias?
Yes, Tris?
I glare at my screen with a disbelieving expression on my face. My jaw is dropped down slightly.
"Four Eaton!" I whisper shoving him into Al.
Al who I noticed staring at me earlier gives out a little "oof".
"Hey Uriah gave me your number!" He says his palms up.
"You jerk. I thought I was texting a weird stranger," I say shaking my head.
"Only weird stranger around is my father, and that you have nothing to worry about," Tobias replies lightly though I see him tense when he says father.
I lean a bit into him hoping he doesn't notice.
"Ugh Four," I say.
"Ugh you, Tris," he responds.
I'm not sure if it's just me but I feel him get closer to me.
"Watch the goddy movie guys!" Lynn shouts.
Tobias and I tense and smile.
"So Tris... Tell me about yourself," Tobias whispers.
I stick a Twizzler into my mouth and say, "what do you want to know?"
"Family? I know about your friends already."
"Well you know me sorta. Andrew Prior is my dad and Natalie Prior is my mom."
"You're Andrew's daughter?" He asks slightly surprised.
"Yeah. I have my brother Caleb who absolutely adores Erudite, the intellect he is," I sigh slipping my hands so they're inside the jacket hand-holes.
Neither of us is watching the movie and I frankly don't even know what we are watching.
I glance down at my phone for a second to see its 12:00 noon.
"I'm guessing you don't like your brother?" Tobias asks.
"No exactly the opposite actually. He's a good brother, always being more Abnegation than me of course," I say jutting my lower lip out slightly to make a face.
"I think you're pretty Abnegation if you wanted to be," Tobias says.
I shake my head for him to see and he smiles while only half rolling his eyes. His eyes are so blue at the moment, the patch of lighter blue like a spark in the sea of navy.
We both turn toward the T. V. And watch as a girl screams when a man knocks on her door.
This must be one of Zeke's cheesy western movies. He's always liked the cowboy theme.
I pop a Twizzler in my mouth and Tobias's hand slides into the bag to grab some. His hand hits mine and I feel warmth at my throat.
"Sorry," I say.
"Nothing to be sorry for," he replies a contorted face on him as he watches the screen.
"Zeke this so cheesy!" Shauna exclaims.
Zeke just moans out a "whatever babe."
Well, I think, that relationship escalated from a crush to something more.
"Uriah stop!" Marlene shrieks as Uriah plays with her hair twining it around his finger then grabbing another strand to start on.
Uriah just continues what he's doing and Marlene huffs.
"So Tris, curious but do you have a boyfriend? Wondering if he's Dauntless," Tobias says.
My heart stutters slightly. He's asking you if you have a boyfriend! The voice in the back of my head squeals. Then the last part of what he says kicks in. He's just considering if he would get in trouble if I had a Dauntless boyfriend.
"No," I say nonchalantly.
"Oh ok, that's cool," he says tugging at the necklace with the number fours on it.
My hands are cold and sweaty at the same time. I wipe my hands on my pants hoping he doesn't notice.
I didn't get much sleep last night and the dark atmosphere around the room gives me a sleepy vibe.
"Are you cold?" I ask to the wall.
"No, are you?" Tobias answers.
Thank God, I think. I would've seemed like an idiot if he didn't respond.
"Slightly," I reply.
My eyes droop. Ah, I'm damned. I don't want to fall asleep right now but the inevitable will come.
I open my eyes wide but they keep dropping down.
"Are you tired Tris?" Tobias asks me.
"Uhh slightly also," I respond.
"Did you even sleep last night?" He asks.
"Well considering your break in, only a few hours," I say sleepily.
"Hah oh I forgot about that," he says.
His voice doesn't sound embarrassed, it sounds placid as if he's taking what I said in as a fact. Which, I guess, it is.
My head slumps and I make sure that it's turned to the left so I won't fall asleep on Tobias.
The muffling of laughter and cheesy western movies lulls me to the variety of shades of sleep.
[PAGE BREAK]
TOBIAS'S POV:
I didn't get much sleep either so I silently lull off after Tris gets comfortable.
Zeke's stupid movie and the screams don't actually disturb me.
I try to sleep upright because I don't want to slump on Tris and no way want do I want to have my head on Al. That guy gives me an odd feeling of wariness.
I wake up with a warm feeling on my stomach and the faint buzz of the T.V. symbolizing that it's on.
My arms are looped around something that feels cold and I feel heaviness at my stomach. I force my eyes to peel open and I see Tris lying on my lap one of her arms looped around my stomach.
My body immediately heats. Her lips are slightly parted and her eyes are closed.
I notice that my hand is under her head to act like a pillow and the other is on her arm. I'm tempted to fall asleep again because Tris looks so tired and frankly, I am too.
Everyone around us is asleep slumped over on the floor with blankets that weren't there before.
I groan wondering what time it is. I fumble for my phone and find it in the crook of Tris's elbow.
Tris turns her body so that she's no longer lying on my lap and instead on the couch's arm.
I glance down at my phone and see that it's 3:00 pm exactly.
"Tris!" I whisper leaning down so my lips are brushing her ear.
I don't know if I'm imagining it when she shivers.
"What?" she moans.
I glance down at my phone.
I get a text from Marcus.
Tobias Eaton I will be waiting at the Pier tonight. Same place and same time. I still need to discuss my plans for the owner's girl and this damned camp. Be there or I swear that little girl of yours will get my next lash.
I stare down at the text. I don't worry about it for some reason. Frankly, my fear of Marcus is thoroughly subdued. He can't come to our cabin because there are guards. I was just Dauntless enough to sneak pass them and I suppose Tris was also.
"Tris wake up," I whisper again.
She shoots up her blue eyes bright with annoyance. She swivels her head then she sees me.
"Tobias?"
"More Marcus problems," I answer.
A/N: This is quite a lengthy chappie so please enjoy and tell me how it is. Anyone see the Divergent knife-scene still? If you haven't then look it, up because it's beautiful! March 21, 2014 & October 22, 2013 are my most awaited days. Read and Review!