Chapter 16
I don't own Divergent!
TRIS'S POV:
Close. That close, so undeniably close.
"Tris come on!" Tobias says yanking my arm causing me to wince.
"Sorry," he says his voice caught fiercely by the wind.
Marcus emits something like a growl from his mouth and shuffles his feet.
"But, but- Marcus is out there!" I say.
"And so is Christina," Tobias replies giving me a steady look.
I think that I'm just angered that Marcus intruded on our moment because we were so close.
Then I think Christina.
Oh God, Dauntless has been making me selfish or maybe I always was.
It doesn't matter now because my best friend is in trouble. I bound ahead of Tobias, running faster. Out of my peripheral, I can see that mud and water is slipping past my shoes. The river/brook thing Tobias fell into is just to my left.
"Tris wait up!" Tobias yells.
My vision blurs for some reason and I see black. After a minute or so, I regain my composure. I reach the camp tearing open the zipper of the tent I share with Christina.
"Christina! Wake up! Out, now!"
"Tris? What is it? I need my beauty sleep," she grumbles peeling her eyes open, half-lidded.
"Get up! Now!" I say almost tripping in my frantic attempt to secure Christina's safety.
"Why! I'm tired!"
"Because I said so," I mutter grabbing her arm.
Everything seems different. The tent looks as if Christina re-did it adding bundles of suitcases to the corner.
"Let go Tris! Is this about Four? Did he do something?"
"No, it's not about Four!" I yelp seeing Tobias standing straight in front of me looking as placid as ever.
"What about me?" Tobias asks.
I stare at him. He doesn't look like he's just had an encounter with Marcus; he doesn't look scared. He must see the confusion on my face because he takes my arm. I intentionally ignore the tingles that run up and down.
"What are you doing?" I ask my voice raising.
"Tris calm down, he's not coming," he says tugging my arm to get my undivided attention.
"What do you mean?" I ask my face contorted in question, eyebrows raised high on my forehead.
"He's not coming," he repeats.
He doesn't answer my question intentionally. I see it in his eyes.
I turn around to Christina who is half asleep standing up. The sleeping bag is draped across the left side of her body and she is wearing a white tank top and colorful sleeping pants. She runs her fingers across the orange fabric of the tent sleepily. This is so unlike Christina who would be wide-awake at juicy gossip.
"Tobias Eaton, explain," I whisper fiercely.
"Wake up Tris," he says.
Jesus, he's acting so odd.
"Tris wake up," he says again.
My eyebrows knit.
"What are you talking about Four?"
"Curse you Marcus. Wake up Tris!"
TOBIAS'S POV:
I shake Tris's arm again hoping she'll wake up.
Thanks to Marcus Tris freaked to get Christina, slipped, and fell into the same stupid river that I fell into yesterday. She hit her head I think on the sharp stones embedded into the clay dirt.
"Damn you Marcus," I curse under my breath.
I presented my father with a good clean punch to the face before taking after Tris, so I don't know his condition or situation.
Well I know his situation.
I've been so worried about Tris that I forgot Christina has been his target the entire time. He intends to capture Christina to ransom her for the camp. Jeanine, his so-called accomplice (by me) has no role that I can identify. I shake Tris again.
"Tris come on, wake up," I say gently moving her shoulder back and forth.
She mumbles something and her lips rub together looking inviting.
Still wanting that kiss Tobias.
Well no durh.
"Tobias!" She whispers fiercely grabbing at her hair.
I look to see if she's regained consciousness but she hasn't. I look around gazing at the foliage, as it will help me gain answers I need.
Come on Tobias, think.
I lift Tris up into my arms and jog back to camp. Well the camp we made in the woods. As I expected nobody is awake.
"Ah," Tris sighs with her eyes closed.
"Tris? Come on Tris," I mumble.
She hit her head but from what I've learned from instruction for training, it's not fatal. I skim my fingers over her head, over her temples, and then to the crown. It's probably shock because she was almost killed yesterday.
Almost killed.
God, why did I ever let her come here? I debate on what to do for a millisecond. Tobias, you can think, just think.
"Christina!" I say.
Tris shuffles in my arms once whimpering slightly making me wonder if she actually is really injured.
"Tris? Tris?" I ask wondering if she can hear me.
"Christina get up!" I call again.
A groan and a series of shuffling emit from the tent furthest to my left and Christina comes stumbling out in a baggy shirt and low basketball shorts. I raise my eyebrows at her while she rubs the sleep from her eyes.
"Four if this is about Tr- God, what happened!"
"Results from my father," I say my voice thinning in a tight edged way.
"She- I mean he did that to Tris?" She asks rushing up to Tris.
I feel tempted to bat her hands away telling her that I've it all under control, but I don't because I don't have pretty much anything under control. Unless cooking skills count which they probably don't.
"Ok... Although I'm really confused about all this I think we should go to my father about this," she says looking at Tris's face concerned.
"But... What if..." I trail off.
I don't have any sufficient reason to deny her unless being a coward counts. I'm still scared of Marcus. I thought I was done with that, but no, I am still a coward.
Coward.
"Four? Did you hear me?" Christina asks.
She asks, but no, I do not hear her because my mind is whirling with possible excuses. Coward, coward, coward my mind hisses.
"Four come on, it's about Tris!"
I snap up my thought process dispersing into pieces and hints of shock.
"Marcus didn't do this to Tris," I blurt out.
"What? I thought you said he did," Christina says confused.
"I lied, well I don't know. What's up with Tris though? I mean I don't think she fell in that hard but-"
"Four?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop rambling."
TRIS'S POV:
My head throbs although not the same feeling as it did when I was attacked by the Chasm. The sharp pangs of pain that followed a brutal near-death beating.
"Tris?"
I groan something intelligible to even me.
"Thank God! Tris?" Christina's voice floats to my ears in a muffled manner soaking in silently.
A warm hand slips under my head and another hand touches my cheek lightly. I smell cologne and metal a comforting scent in my present state.
"Tris come on," Tobias says in monotone his deep voice barely audible.
My eyes shoot open and spot bright colors of yellow and white vibrantly blocking my vision. Tobias's hand rubs against my cheek steadily as if he knows that I can't see and he is waiting.
"Tris can you drink some water?" Christina asks.
Christina stands in the corner of what notice is our tent. Tobias looms over me still rubbing my cheek gently his blue, blue eyes looking concerned. The way they repeat my name irritates me.
"I'm sorry Tris," he says his voice low.
I give him what I hope to resemble a crooked smile and say, "you have nothing to apologize for."
He raises his eyebrows but smiles. Christina clears her throat and my eyes snap back to her. I feel my cheeks brighten with blood.
"What happened?" I ask rubbing my head.
Prickling pain starts and then stops in a swift quick motion.
"River, you fell in. Marcus is still out there but I was more concerned about you," Tobias says.
Christina wears an odd expression on her face that I can't decipher and I don't have enough energy to try. My head is spinning slightly and I suddenly remember that what happened at the Chasm only occurred yesterday. I groan.
"Christina?"
"Yes?" she responds.
"Are you willing to help us save this camp?" Tobias asks.
Christina nods as if they have gone over this already, before I woke up.
"I'd be honored."
"Hey how about me?" I ask indignantly bringing myself up to a sitting position.
I ignore the low throb in my head and focus on the determined look on Tobias's face.
"I did say we didn't I?"
Christina suddenly exits the tent and I'm left alone with Tobias. The sight of him still makes me feel warm and nervous.
"There's something I need to steal first," he says.
"For the plan?" I ask confused.
He walks up closer to me a conflicted yet confident aura surrounding him.
"No not for the plan, I need to steal something more important. And you're going to have help me."
"What is it?" I ask my tone exasperated.
Him playing at mysteriousness isn't improving my mood.
"Are you willing?"
I nod wanting to know.
"Good," he says leaning in close to me sliding his hand to the side of my face. "Because stealing a kiss would be so much harder if you weren't in agreement with it."
A/N: It's been a long time! My finals have ended so I think I'll have more time to write. I don't like putting up a chappie with only an author's note-false hope- so I apologize for that. Please help me with ideas on my story because I need some ideas. I hope this chapter is good- although I'm not completely on board with it myself-! Read and Review! And thank you for the many reviews and such last chapter!
P.S- To that on Guest: No it was not a typo