Tris was just returning to her room right after stopping by everyone's place to give pancakes when she feels a slight buzzing in her back pocket. She reaches for her phone and unlocks the screen.
She'd received a text.
TORI- I need you and the girls to come to my room.
Tris pauses after she reads the message.
TRIS- Why?
She's about to slip her phone back into her pocket when the screen lights up.
TORI- Something important. Bring the girls, hurry.
Tris begins to turn toward the infirmary room. She didn't trust Tori as much as she used to. For some reason, Tris felt this weird urge of responsibility and protection, she didn't want her friends going somewhere she wasn't sure about.
It was a weird feeling, but it felt meaningful enough to convince her it was a bad idea, so Tris texts back.
TRIS- I'm coming alone, I'll bring the girls later, I think they're still asleep.
TORI- Okay, just hurry.
She frowns at the urgency Tori portrays in her messages. What could possibly be that important? Tris thinks, almost sighing to herself.
Tris digs her hands deep into the pockets of her hoodie and walks the familiar route to the infirmary. As she does so, her stomach growls slightly.
She could almost slap herself. After making pancakes and delivering it to everyone's rooms, she completely forgot to eat some herself. She brushes the thoughts of her hunger away and turns around a corner.
Now that she was finally alone though, Tris feels her eyes tear up and her head become heavy with intensity. She'd cried herself out to Four, but not completely. He was a comforting person, but she didn't want to just completely look like some sissy crybaby- so she'd managed to stop and calm herself down.
She was still bottled up inside with feelings she didn't think she could let out in front of anyone. If anything, she was almost back to the start. She didn't care who told her what happened about her parents was not her fault, she'd always feel guilty for it. Whether it be Tori, Caleb, Four, or anyone else, she didn't give a shit about their opinions because she knew she was right.
Maybe that was too harsh... But still, she just felt so shameful and undeserving of living.
Did she feel at least a teeny bit guilty for making it seem like she actually believed what Four had said? Maybe. She believed somewhat of what he said- not everything.
It's not like anyone could understand her anyway.
When she sees the familiar dark door Tris raises her curled fist to knock, however it swings open before she can even move her arm any more than she already had.
"Ah, you're here." Tori states while ushering Tris into the room.
As Tori closes the door, Tris stays standing next to it while Tori walks to the back of the room to shuffle through some drawers.
"So why am I here?" she asks while leaning against the wall.
Tori looks up briefly before continuing her search for something. "I need to ask a couple of important questions and then I guess you can go and fetch the other girls."
Tris nods slowly and lets her gaze wander around the room as she waits for the 'questioning' to begin.
Finally she hears a soft click of a pen and looks up to see Tori walking back over to Tris with a clipboard.
She can't stop the snort that makes it her. "What, are we doing some type of psychological therapy?"
"Yes my little adorable sweetie pie, tell me all of your problems."
It takes her a second to realize that Tori was being sarcastic.
"Just answer the freaking questions and then you can leave." Tori sighs.
Tris crosses her arms and nods.
"Okay, let's see... When do you usually get your menstrual cycles?"
Such a casual tone.
Tris straightens. Not what I was expecting...
She shifts uncomfortably, and the heat rises in her cheeks before she can stop it.
She was never one to talk about her personal issues because anything within this topic just made her feel so uncomfortable. "Excuse me?"
"Your period. When do you get your period?" Tori asks again with annoyance traced into her voice. She'd even spoke slowly as if she was talking to a 5 year old.
That tone was enough to get Tris back into her senses. "Um... Usually the 8th or 9th."
The next part Tori mumbles, and Tris has to literally stop breathing to hear what she was saying, "Alright, so we still have a while, phew, that's good."
"What do you mean 'we still have a while?' For what?"
Tori's eyebrows twitch in surprise at the fact that Tris heard what she'd said. "Oh, nothing, come over here now."
After what just happened? Tris was feeling a bit suspicious as she made her way over. "What are you even collecting this information for?"
Tori reaches into her back pocket and sets her clipboard next to her.
Then Tris feels her body suddenly being flung onto the couch where Tori had been sitting on less than 2 seconds ago, and she gasps as she feels it shake from the hard impact.
As Tori raises Tris's shirt a bit, her voice finally works after her momentary stupor. "Tori!"
She shrieks again as without warning, Tori jabs a needle into her waist.
"What the fuck, GET OFF ME!" Tris screams, trying to shove Tori away from her, but at that moment she is overpowered by the position she was in.
"What are you doing?!" Tris shrills, her voice cracking as a wave of agony travels through her. The pain was ten times worse than getting a blood test done.
Her lower body parts were beginning to feel numb.
Then Tori is finally pulling away, having successfully emptied out the contents of the unknown liquid.
Tris slumps against the couch, breath unstable as she tries to regain her posture.
"What the hell did you do?" Tris asks again, well aware that her voice was laced with venom.
Tori swipes a strand of black hair away from her own face. "It was necessary for the games."
She tosses the empty needle into the trash and then walks back over to Tris, crouching beside her. Her voice was no louder than a whisper.
"Don't freak out, you won't be having your menstrual cycle this month."
Tris sucks in a breath. "Wait, what?"
Tori repeats the sentence.
"That is abnormal!" Tris yells.
Tori ignores her. "Anyway, you'll feel the usual cramps- but no blood."
"But what was in that? It hurts!" Tris snaps weakly, using the cushions to push herself up. She almost topples over, so she slowly sinks back into the sofa again.
"It's temporary. Just for half an hour."
"You could've told me instead of going fucking mental! What the crap is wrong with you?!"
Just then, the door opens and in comes walking, Christina.
"What? Tris? What are you doing here?" She asks confused.
Tris feels her eyebrows furrow. "Me? What are you doing?"
Christina's face suddenly becomes accusing. "Hey, what the hell did you put in those pancakes, Tris?! My stomach has been hurting for the past 20 minutes nonstop! I thought your cooking skills were amazing but I guess I was wrong."
Tris is taken aback by the sudden attitude she was receiving from someone that was usually so optimistic. "Um, Christina-"
"And I even asked Will about it, but he told me to just go see Tori because maybe-"
"-Christina-"
"Hey, like, are you trying to give me food poisoning or-"
"CHRISTINA!"
Finally, she stops complaining.
"Stop freaking blaming my cooking skills. I'm pretty sure you're getting your time of the month." Tris informs, successfully fighting off a blush.
Christina's face turns from annoyed to completely flustered and embarrassed in seconds.
"What?! Holy shit, Tris, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine, Christina."
"Wait, you get your period on the 1st?" Tori suddenly interrupts. Tris had almost forgotten she was standing there.
Christina shrugs. "Yeah, 1st or 2nd. But I didn't get it... yet."
Tori's eyes widen. "Come here."
When Christina gets close, Tori pulls out another needle from her pocket. "I'm going to inject this into you, okay?"
Christina's eyes widen. "Um, why?"
"It's so you don't get blood, dammit! You need to be able to move as much as you can without any disturbances in the games. So just come closer."
When Christina notices Tori's tone she walks closer and Tori slowly sticks the needle into Christina's waist.
Tris holds back a snort. "Great, jab that shit into me but do it gently with her."
Tori glances at her before focusing back onto injecting Christina. "Because I knew she wouldn't go mental like you. Sometimes you just need to trust people."
Tris clenches her jaw. "Like I'd trust you. And don't turn the tables on me, you acted like I was about to shoot you with a gun."
Tori snickers, which causes her blood to boil. "Come to think of it, I wish I had one right now. Seeing your blood splatter everywhere would be nice..."
That shuts her up.
It takes a few seconds though for Tris to fully comprehend what she'd said.
Holy fucking shit I'm a monster, Tris thinks with a shudder. Why did I enjoy that thought?
When Tori is done she instructs Christina to sit on the couch next to Tris so the pain isn't bad.
"Okay, I'm going to come back in a few minutes, just stay where you are."
Tori leaves and Tris leans against the couch as Christina turns toward her.
"Why does she hate you so much?"
Tris shakes her head, not saying anything for a while. Then, "I just get a bad vibe from her, okay?"
She remembers to watch her words because somewhere in the room there were cameras.
Christina searches Tris's eyes, nods, then sinks into the couch. Tris, however, noticed the action.
"What were you just doing?"
"Hm?" She asks, picking at her cuticles.
"You just literally searched my face."
"I did?"
The way she was acting, Tris felt like she had made a mistake. But she continues to press.
"Yeah, you did, what were you doing?"
Christina purses her lips. "You have this weird pimple on your nose, it was annoying me, sorry."
Her face was so straight that Tris immediately believes her and reaches up to feel her very smooth nose.
"I don't have a pimple."
"Oh, whoops, it looked like it. It really caught my eyes."
Tris narrows her own eyes at that. "Christina, you were looking at my eyes. And my eyes aren't located on my nose."
Christina finally huffs and turns to look at her. "You're a stubborn girl."
"And you're avoiding the topic."
"I was just checking to see if you were lying. You weren't, you really don't like Tori. I thought maybe you guys had that love and hate relationship going but you don't." She finally answers after a pause.
Tris frowns. "How did...?"
Christina suddenly laughs. "That's my secret, silly."
Tris rolls her eyes and grabs her phone. They sit for what feels like hours before the door finally opens and Tori comes walking in while carrying a set of keys and a small box about 12 inches in length and maybe 9 inches in width.
"Where'd you go?" Christina asks.
Tris strains her ears to listen to what Tori says, but all she hears is her mumbling something like, "My room."
Tori walks to the back of the room and tosses the keys into an opened mason jar. Then she opens the black box. Tris raises her eyebrows in surprise as Tori pulls out a stack of folders.
Christina seems bored, but now Tris is buzzing with severe interest. She almost jumps up to look at what Tori is muttering about, but she remembers that the pain in her waist will be like hell if she stood. Instead, Tris decides to tune into Tori's mumbling.
"Ah, hers is the 6th and...oh phew, that's good to know, maybe...On and off... That's just horrifying... No wonder... Hm... Ah...But why does... She was so young!... So sorry... so that's why she looks like a... poor boy...feel so sorry for everyone... He must've been a creep after... Psht, idiots..."
Tori flips through about five folders while commenting quietly on each one before she puts them back into the box. Tris very subtly pushes herself up to peek and counts at least ten folders.
She quickly slumps down again when Tori briefly looks up at them. "I'm going to leave the room again, wait here."
Tris sinks into the sofa even more than she already had and begins to aimlessly scroll through her phone.
After about five minutes later, Tori returns.
"Tris, you can leave now. Bring the others girls while you're at it."
She sits there for a moment. "It won't hurt?"
"Well, it's been a half hour already last time I checked, now hurry up."
Tris slowly pushes herself up and is met with a sharp pain around the area from where she'd gotten the injection.
Yeah, of course it wasn't supposed to hurt, but you jabbed it in me so there's probably a bad bruise. Tris thinks bitterly.
She makes her way over to the door and turns the knob, but a voice rings out and stops her.
"Yeah?" Tris asks.
"Sorry, again, for blaming you... About the pancakes and all..." Christina apologizes.
Tris waves her hand as if physically brushing off the apology. "I told you, it's fine, I would've done the same."
Then she walks out. However, instead of making a trip to each of their rooms yet again, she texts Lynn, Marlene, and Shauna.
TRIS- Tori is calling all the girls to the infirmary. You'll be there for half an hour. Christina will still be there, I'm leaving tho.
Tris copy pastes it to each contact and sends it to them all, then she slips her phone into the pocket of her hoodie.
Almost immediately, as Tris passes Lynn's room, the door swings open and Lynn comes walking out with a sweatshirt and some track pants.
"Whoa. um, hi." She greets as Lynn brushes past her.
Lynn glances back at her with a brief and rare smile. "Hey."
Tris opens her mouth to speak but Lynn turns the corner with a fast pace.
"Okay..." She trails off awkwardly.
Tris turns back around and jumps back as she sees Al standing in front of her.
"Hey, Tris. We haven't talked in a while." He answers, smiling slightly at the way she got startled earlier.
She puts a hand on her chest lightly to calm her heart. "Hi, Al. What's up?"
"Nothing. Oh wait, the pancakes were amazing, I've never eaten something so good. It was like restaurant quality."
Tris shakes her head. "It was nothing, I made it the same way everyone does."
Al snorts. "I'm pretty sure you have a secret you're not telling. So anyway, where are you going?"
Tris gestures vaguely to her right. "I was on my way to my room."
"Oh. Where were you before?"
Tris rakes a hand through her hair. "Tori's."
"Ah, can I walk you to your door?"
She shrugs. "Um, sure, why not?"
Tris swings around and begins to move toward the end of the hall as Al shuts the door behind him and follows her. It take a small moment to match pace.
"So what do you think about this place? What was your first reaction?" He asks, gesturing wide around them both with his slightly beefy arms.
Tris folds her arms. "I don't know, I just kinda... You know... Got down to business. Kinda like survival mode kicked in. And I was the first for the games anyway, there wasn't time for crying about it."
When she says that last part, Al cringes ever so slightly. "Man, That's good. I um... I kinda bothered the hell out of Lynn at night for the first few days we were here."
Tris frowns. "Why?"
He sighs as they turn a corner. "Well, you know... I'm pretty...tender... And I couldn't stop crying at night. I was just so used to being home, I think it hit me pretty hard."
Tris smiles slightly, imagining Lynn threatening to beat up Al if he sniffled any louder. "No, I understand, I can imagine."
They finally reach her room and Tris reaches into her back pocket for her key. "So, thanks for walking me back."
"Sure, your welcome."
They both stand there for a few seconds before Al suddenly takes a step forward and engulfs Tris into his arms. She tenses slightly, but he doesn't even feel it.
When he pulls away, Tris takes an unconscious step closer to the door.
"Sorry, I like giving bear hugs, anyway, see ya."
Tris nods and waves a little too enthusiastically and forced as he turns to walk away. The moment he's out of sight, she unlocks the door and steps into the room.
Her eyes survey the area, and her eyes immediately find Four lying down on his bed with his earphones on.
She takes off her hoodie and bunches it into a ball to hold the door as she goes to the fridge to grab a bottle of juice. There weren't many left.
Tris goes back to the door and starts to shove her arms through the sleeves of her hoodie when Four finally notices her.
"Hey, Tris, where were you?"
Tris grabs her bottle from where she'd placed it next to her foot and unscrews the cap. "I was at the infirmary, Tori needed us for an errand."
Four is narrowing his eyes, and Tris immediately realizes that she was unconsciously rubbing her waist- the place she'd been injected. Casually wrapping her hand back around the bottle, she takes a slow sip and allows the strawberry flavor to burst with sweetness in her mouth.
"Hey, I was gonna-"
"-Okay, wait. Tris, remember I was supposed to tell you something?" He rakes a hand through his hair as she pauses for a moment, and then nods. "Yeah, well, I need to tell you now."
Right. When she'd interrupted him earlier and told him about her parents.
But she really had to leave.
Tris leans against the door.. "Can this wait? I- or we- need to be somewhere. Like... Now."
Four shakes his head. "I don't care. I have to tell you, like I said, it's been on my mind for a week!" He throws his hands up in the air. "I swear, it's been killing me."
Tris felt horrible. She owed him the time to say whatever he was supposed to... But she had little time. Very little time.
"Four. I am so sorry. But we need to go. Now. I swear you can tell me whatever it is later, but this cannot wait."
He looks at her in disbelief for a brief second before masking his face. "And what is, 'oh so important' right now?"
Tris straightens suddenly. "Hurry! We have exactly 30 minutes to do this before we can ever have another opportunity!"
She swings around and is about to step out of the door when Four is suddenly gripping her arm.
"Did you even bother to look at that?"
Tris frowns and follows his finger, slowly, until her eyes land on the screen.
Time Until Next Mini Game: 00:31:02
"What?! 30 minutes?! That quick?!" She gasps.
Four folds his arms. "Is this place still important?" His voice is flat.
Tris bites the inside of her cheek and considers for a few seconds.
"Yes."
A muscle jumps near his jaw and it takes Tris a few seconds to realize he was clenching it- probably to prevent himself from yelling at her.
She touches his shoulder and feels his muscles filled with tension finally relax before she turns around and begins to speed walk toward the infirmary again.
"Okay, seriously. Tell me what we're doing." Four asks for the fifth time.
Tris holds a hand up to silence him. "Wait for me here, okay?"
He narrows his eyes at her, but Tris offers him a sheepish smile and he eventually rolls his eyes.
"Great, thanks." She says with a thumbs up before entering the infirmary.
She's surprised to see that Lynn, Shauna, and Marlene are all lying on the sofas and sleeping.
Christina is gone, Tori is sitting on her chair with a cap tilted over her eyes.
30 minutes must've been too much. But then again, could this be anymore perfect? I can easily get it!
Tris breathes shallowly as she tip toes like Four had taught her over to Tori's table.
With gentle hands (probably perfected from gaming) she slowly pulls the set of keys from the mason jar. Right when the final key is out she quickly clumps it into a tight fist to prevent any jingling noises.
She quickly tip toes back over to the door and slips out, shoving the keys into her hoodie pocket.
Four uncrosses his arms and follows Tris as she begins to walk again.
"Tris, what are we doing? If it's something bad then tell me. Seriously."
She sighs and pulls the keys out of her pocket as they make another turn.
She jingles them. "I was getting these."
Four grabs them from her and inspects it. "And why did you just go on a mission to steal keys?"
"To open a door, of course." Tris states. "Duh."
They start walking in the blue halls and Four's pace begins to slow down as Tris speeds ahead to Tori's door. "Tris, where are we?"
"Tori's room. Or at least... We'll find what we need somewhere near it..." She mumbles as she grabs the keys from his hand and begins to try the first one into the lock.
Four grabs her wrist. "Seriously? Tris. We came here to raid Tori's room- that's more important than having to listen to what I have to say?"
Tris licks her lips nervously as she tries another key. "We're not raiding her room. We're looking for something specific."
She grunts as the key stops halfway and tries another key.
"And I don't think it's more important than what you have to say, Four. I just need to get this over with because it'll be a while before we get a perfect opportunity like this."
A satisfying click sounds as Tris successfully manages to turn the key to the right side, and now the door was unlocked.
Tris lets go of the knob and twists around to face Four. "We're looking for a small black box that is about 12 inches in length and maybe 9 inches in width, okay?"
"Tris, I have no clue why you're doing this. Maybe you should've taken a nap after you told me about your parents? You're not thinking clearly."
She grabs his hand and holds it firmly- as if her urgent touch alone will show him how much she needed to see what was in the box.
"Please?" She whispers.
He stares at her with so much sobriety that she begins to feel guilty of just being so stubborn- but those folders in the box would not get out of her mind.
Tris slowly tugs at his hand. When he doesn't resist, she tugs him with a bit more force and and almost cries with relief as he follows her into the room.
"Just 5 minutes- and then we're out, Tris." He says softly as they both look around the room.
Tris nods and immediately begins to go through a filing cabinet while Four looks in obvious spots of the room.
As she searches the folders and cabinets for the box, Tris can't shake off the feeling of slight dread. She'd dragged Four into doing something very risky- the only thing reassuring her to stay in the room was how Tori was asleep- and even then, Tori would have to stay with the girls for until the 30 minutes were up.
Tris moves to the middle of the room and Four crosses his arms. "Look, we can stay for about 3 more minutes. How about I check this area while you go in the bathroom so that we can look way faster?"
Tris nods. "Okay."
She makes the short distance over to the bathroom and flicks on the light. Slightly closing the door behind her, she opens the medicine cabinets- only to find that they contained what her own cabinets contained.
She blows out a frustrated breath and crouches to her knees as she swings the cabinet under the sink open. Tissue rolls, plunger, soaps, sprays, cleaning supplies, towels... Nothing important.
Maybe she'd mistaken Tori's mumbling for something else? Maybe Tori meant a different room she didn't know about? Feeling hopeless, Tris shuts everything and is about to flick the light switch off when something catches her gaze in the bathtub.
A box.
It was labeled, PROFILES OF THE CHOSEN.
Tris feels like she's suddenly submerged into water- her movements were so slow as she slowly walks over to the tub... As if the floor beneath her were ice and would shatter into a million pieces.
Her fingers were slightly shaking as she reached for the box and lifted the lid off. Just like Tori was looking at earlier- 10 dangerous manila folders.
Tris reads the top and frowns at the way they were labeled. Then her eyes widen as the random number and symbols make sense.
#6 Group B
She runs a finger over the tattoo she had near her collarbone, near her ravens- and it said the exact same thing.
Feeling goosebumps all over her arms, Tris shivers as if someone had opened a window with a winter breeze blowing through the air.
Tris opens the folder and is met with a few sheets of paper. She grabs the first one and slowly reads through the bold font. Official. Definite.
NAME: Beatrice Prior A.K.A. 'Tris'
AGE: 19
FAMILY STATUS:
-Very good environment at home
-Andrew Prior worked with Government- closer parent relationship to Tris.
-Natalie Prior- Fun relationship with daughter, closer to Caleb.
~~~BOTH PARENTS KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT CAUSED BY TEEN.~~~
-Caleb Prior- Teasing relationship with sister, very protective and loving. Finished Army Training and now Married.
HANGOUTS: Library, Home, Coffee Shop
TESTER: #6 GROUP B
DATE OF ASSIGNED CAPTURE: June 17
She was at a total loss of words.
It had summed up everything in about 11 lines.
It took her a second to realize someone was behind her.
"Tris, I don't think there's anything to- ...you found it?"
"How long have they been watching me to know this?" Tris whispers shakily as an answer instead.
He slowly crouches beside her and gently grabs the sheet from her.
As he reads through it, Tris immediately begins to sift through the pile until she reaches the bottom.
#4 Group B
She doesn't ask for permission, she roughly opens the folder and skims through the paper.
Name: Tobias Eaton A.K.A. 'Four'
AGE: 21
FAMILY STATUS:
-Marcus Eaton- Worked with Government- Good reputation- At home, cause of abuse.
-Evelyn Eaton- Victim of abuse- fled house to escape and abandoned son when 8.
~~~KID ALWAYS HAD BEEN SURROUNDED BY VIOLENCE AT YOUNG AGE~~~
-Tobias Eaton- Received punishments by father to which fears were developed- physical abuse started after abandonment. Finally escaped to Pedrad's.
HANGOUTS: Pedrad's House, Gym, Wide and Quiet Spaces.
TESTER: #4 GROUP B
DATE OF ASSIGNED CAPTURE: June 17
First, Tris was in absolute shock. His family, his life...? So so so horrible.
Then, she feels disgusted- by herself. All this time she'd been making a big deal of losing her parents- when this guy- Four- Tobias- had been going through something worse since he was a small child!
And finally, Tris felt anger.
She immediately shoots up and away from Tobias..Four.. she didn't even know what to call him.
"Why did you not freaking tell me?!" She screeches, trembling with rage.
He jumps a little, startled by the way she was screaming. "What? Tell you what?"
Then his gaze goes to the paper in her hand. He looks down and notices the folder labeled with his own number, 4.
"What the...? What does it say?" He asks as he snatches it from her. As he skims through it, his face was unreadable- but his eyes revealed a sudden harshness as he read over the paper.
She waits for him to speak. Then...
"...So why are you mad at me?" He finally questions after a long silence.
Tris feels her own eyes widen. "Me?! Angry with you? Because you didn't tell me!"
His eyebrows furrow testily. "...Are you serious?"
Tris feels her hands quiver. "What is wrong with you?! How could you keep something like that and not even tell me, after all the crap I told you?!"
Then Four laughs airily, but it wasn't friendly. "No. You're mad at me- when this is what I was trying to tell you all along? You kept brushing me off, and now you're mad? At me? What did you think I was trying to tell you for the past few days? That I was hungry or some stupid shit? I was going to tell you but you wouldn't let me!"
Tris kicks the box, her voice clear yet unstable at the exact same time. "Stop! I feel like shit! I feel like crap! I complained and cried and yelled and raged about my parents dying because of me- when it apparently was an accident caused by some stupid teen that the people that were stalking me observed! And then- then you're the one that comforted me the most- but YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S HAD IT WORSE!" She was visibly seething. "DO. YOU. KNOW. HOW. SHITTY. I. FEEL?!"
Four was already standing as well. "Because it wasn't recent. Your parents died and you were 17. I was only a kid. I've moved on."
Tris went still as she felt her eyes water, but as far as she was concerned- no tears were allowed to fall.
Her loud and enraged voice suddenly changes into a shaking, hushed whisper. "Four, that's exactly it, you were only a kid."
He stands as still as her, and they're both staring each other down. "You were abused by your dad."
Four doesn't say anything.
"You were always surrounded by violence. And your mom abandoned you when you were 8."
Her gaze falls to his hands that were now curling into tight fists. And then she understood.
"Four."
He doesn't even look up.
"Tobias." She whispers, knowing that she's gotten his attention by the way he winces ever so slightly.
"I don't pity you- I'm mad at myself. I'm disgusted by myself. I was stupid and stubborn to realize that it wasn't my fault- and that's why I couldn't move on about my parents. I'm mad at myself because you were always surrounded by violence and I've made it seem like my whole world ended with my parents- when you're the one who's never had a good family to start with."
And then she feels the tears fall. "But... But I'm only mad at you because you didn't exactly trust me when I trusted you first. You asked for me to trust you- but here you were keeping secrets- but demanding to know mine. And that's just messed up. Can't you see?"
When she swiped her eyes with the back of her hand, she noticed that Four was still gripping the paper, and it was quivering slightly.
He lets the paper fall from his hand, and they both watch as it gently falls to the ground without a sound.
"I've lived my whole childhood not being able to talk. I didn't even realize I was being unfair- but I was raised to not speak what I wanted, only to please Marcus."
He didn't call him dad. She thinks.
"But I'm trying for you- and it's so hard."
They both stand quietly, the tension thick in the air.
"I just felt like you'd think I was him... If I told you... That's why I was scared. And I know- I'm a coward because I'm still afraid. Of him, and of what everyone will think."
Tris takes a small step closer. "You're not him. Are you stupid? You've been so nice to me- and you think you're like him?!"
The idea was so absurd to her that a bubble of laughter raises past her throat. She takes another step closer.
He takes one step back- and it's like a punch to her gut. "Yeah, I'm nice now- but will I be later? Marcus was nice enough to lure my mom to him- what if I'm doing the same to you? I was so confident I wouldn't be like him, I was so confident that maybe I could be a different person, but now I'm... shaky about it."
"What are you saying?" Tris utters in disbelief, "you're in no way crazy or controlling or anything. You've not once hurt me- and you care about everyone. What about Zeke? Uriah?"
And then something flashes in his eyes- bitterness.
"You don't even know how he looks like or who he is- if you saw him you'd know that we look like father and son. And I hate it."
"Then why don't you fucking tell me?" She asks with a trace of coldness in her voice- surprised he was mad at her.
Then he's walking backward. And Tris can't do anything but stand frozen because she's shocked that he's just trying to get away from her.
"He's manipulative, he's polite, he's everything people want in a man- I'm sure you'd think the same thing- so stop trying to tell me I'm not like him when you don't even know who Marcus is in the first place."
Then she's alone- the sound of the door slamming echoing in the room.
She stands for what feels like forever until her knees become weak, and Tris makes her way out of the bathroom and into the living room again. She shakily sits onto the bed and pulls at the sleeves of her hoodie until they're past her fingertips.
None of this was supposed to happen.
Tris suddenly punches the pillow beside her so roughly that the whole bed rattles in protest. "Why do I always have to suffer?! Why not someone else?!"
She helplessly flops onto the bed again and closes her eyes.
But then she hears a loud ping.
Tris shoots up from the bed and gasps in pure alarm as she realizes the screen that was near the kitchen was a flashing red.
Time Until Next Mini Game: 00:00:00
"Oh my God!" Tris yells as she flings herself toward the door- but before she can reach the knob there's a loud and horrifying click.
Tris turns the knob to the door- and it doesn't budge.
She tries again and again- all it does is make the door rattle. Then she starts to use her curled fists to smack the door in a huge panic, and she didn't realize her breath was shallow until now.
"Four! Someone?!" She yells- but she knows it's useless.
Tris feels her heart suddenly skip a beat. Tori would come. Tori would get her out...
...After the game was over and she treated whoever needed to be treated in the infirmary.
This is too much.
Tris sinks to her knees as her eyes water. "The world hates me."
Right when she's about to totally bawl her life out of its body- the screen flashes back into white.
Tris slowly forces herself to stand and frowns at the screen as she steps closer. It was way different than what they had in their own rooms.
This one had buttons on the side.
PLAY
REWIND
PAUSE
FAST FORWARD
CAFETERIA
INFIRMARY
ON/OFF
Tris stares at the buttons for a full minute before slowly pressing the Off button. The screen turns black. She presses it again and the screen returns to its white state.
She sucks in a breath. This was unbelievable.
Tris tentatively hits the Cafeteria button and feels her eyebrows raise as she is immediately met with a full view.
Everyone was sitting in their seats- and Tris feels dread all over again as she realizes that apparently the spot next to Uriah should've been hers.
She must've taken too long though- because everyone suddenly gets up and goes to enter the Observation room.
"Shit. Shit shit shit. Who's playing?" She mumbles as she skims through the crowd- but she couldn't see properly because they all looked like blurry figures of black and blue.
Tris jams the Rewind button and watches as everyone moves backward- into their seats- then two people with no fear in their stance walk backward as well after a moment.
Tris quickly hits Pause.
She stifles a sob.
The guy in the front had shiny glints of metal everywhere... Piercings... A tight blue hoodie.
Eric.
And the person behind him was unmistakable- Tris could read his face from anywhere, or recognize his presence without having to even turn around.
Four.
Tris hits Fast Forward and watches as they both seemingly run to the front, not once looking back.
However, Four kept glancing at the door to the cafeteria- and Tris realized that he was expecting her to barge through them.
But she never did.
She was stuck in the room.
And then after everyone scurried around the room like little squirrels, the cafeteria is empty.
She'd have no way to watch the games.
Their outburst could be the last thing they'd have done before one of them was gone forever.
And all Tris feels is regret.
A deep heart aching regret.
A/N- Everything is going so wrong.
Did the 'Profiles of the Chosen' look familiar? What chapter was that from?
So... hey guys- just wanted everyone to know that I can't thank you all enough. Like seriously- I got a good amount of reviews last chapter and it was so amazing to know that you all are enjoying the story or reviewing about it- I love to read your thoughts about everything!
Did you know this chapter has 6,700+ words? WTF?! Is it becoming a burden for u all to read this much or no? But either way, you're incredible and I love ya if you're reading all they way till here.
I'm sorry if I made any mistakes or grammar stuff in the chapter- but I wanted to get the chapter out ASAP the moment I finished the last word- so forgive me, I'm serious.
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I swear, it's almost Thanksgiving break- what is happening to the world?!
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