Chapter 14

Tris POV

I open my eyes. Four is Tobias? No, Tobias is Four. He helps me out of the chair. I don't know if this is a good idea, or if I'm just stupid. I lace my fingers with his and lean against his chest. I can feel his muscle through his shirt.

The door opens and Eric walks in. I pull apart from him swiftly. He looks at the ground. "Shauna," he says quietly. "Shauna. She told me to find you. We're leaving soon."

Eric holds the door open for me and I walk past him. He places a hand on my back to usher me out and steps in front of Four, to block him from following me.

When I get to the dorms Four yells, "Initiates, be at the train in ten minutes." I go and get changed in the washroom and meet Christina and Will at the train tracks. Edward has been a bit distant since he got together with Myra. I see the train come and start to run. I get on first and sit down. I need time to think.

Once everyone is on the train Eric starts to speak. "The game is simple. We will be picking teams, Four and I are captains. We have two flags," he says holding up a neon yellow flag in his hands, while Four holds up a neon orange flag. "The objective of the game is to capture the other team's flag. The way to protect your flag is to use these," he gestures to a crate labeled PAINTBALL. "Paintball guns! Everyone grab one so we can pick teams."

We all get a gun and sit back down. I get comfortable because I know I'm going to be picked last. That is until I hear someone call my name. I look up to Four and Eric staring angrily at each other. Did both of them say my name? First pick? Who do I go to?

"You're joking, right?" Peter laughs, "You both want the her."

"What an asshole," Christina whispers in my ear. Peter turns and charges toward Christina, picking her up by the shoulders and slamming her against the cart wall. Eric pulls him off of her. "You take Peter, I'll take Tris," Four says, pushing Peter towards him. Eric doesn't disagree instead he pulls Edward away from kissing Myra and places him next to Peter. Now it's Four's turn to chose.

"Christina," he says.

"Molly"

"Will"

"Myra, is the last transfer so she's with me," Eric states. "Now the Dauntless borns."

We end up with Uriah, Lynn, and Marlene all on our team. I end up falling asleep with my head on Christina's shoulder with her head leaning on mine.

I wake up to a pain on my shin and look down to see blue spattered on it.

"Wakey-wakey, Tris!" Uriah says with his eye aimed down the barrel of his gun at Christina. I nudge her awake.

I look around to see where we are, I see a Ferris wheel in the distance. I notice Four who sits by himself with his gun slung across his shoulder. He almost looks comfortable with his hands on his neck. I need to focus, I can't let him distract me. It's almost three in the morning, and I haven't slept yet. Everyone else had time to sleep after the party, but nobody knows I went into Four's fear landscape after.

Once we reach the Ferris wheel Four's team stands and we start to jump out. I notice that we are all small, but fast. While Eric's team is broad and strong. And I'm pretty sure capture the flag is a game of speed and strategy, rather than strength and brutal force. I smile at how smart Four is.

When it's my turn, I go to the back of the cart and run. Before I can jump off I feel someone push my shoulder, probably Molly, or Peter. I hit the ground but regain my balance as I run.

"So where do we hide the flag?" I ask as I run up to Four. Before he can answer Marlene runs up and puts a hand on Four's shoulder.

"Where'd you hide it last year, Four?" She asks giving him a flirtatious smile. He brushes it off and I find myself grinning. "Telling you wouldn't really be in the spirit of the game," he says.

"The carousel!" Shouts Uriah, "My brother told me."

"Let's go there then," suggests Will.

Nobody objects. When we get to the carousel Christina hops on one of the scratched out horses. They look scary with scratched out eyes and spray paint on them. Almost a second after we get there everyone argues about how to get the flag. I don't listen to the bickering, instead I think about what I would do. To formulate a plan we need to know where their flag is. Seek higher ground.

When nobody's looking I sneak around the carousel and walk towards the Ferris wheel. I see the white ladder that reaches halfway up. I stand at the bottom of it and look up. The thought makes me sick. I step on the bottom rung and lift myself up to make sure it will hold my weight.

"Tris," says a deep voice behind me. I turn around and see Four. He looks tired but relaxed with his gun slung across his back just like mine.

"Yes?" I say.

"I came to see what you think you're doing," he says flatly.

"I'm seeking higher ground," I say. "I don't think I'm doing anything." I start to climb not expecting a response.

"I'm coming with you," he says climbing after me.

"I'll be fine," I say. I know he must think I'm still weak from the fights.

"Undoubtedly," he says. I don't hear the sarcasm but I know it's in there.

I nod and keep climbing. I may not be afraid of heights but something about Four makes me feel like I'm about to fall. I like him. I think he likes me too, I mean he trusted me with his fears. Maybe he sees me as a sister. That makes more sense, who would be interested in me?

I hear him breathing heavily behind me. "You can go back down if this is too much for you," I tell him.

"I'm fine," he says strained. And with that I slip. I fall to the left holding on with one hand. I feel Four's hand on my waist where my skin peeks out. Having his hand on my waist makes me feel electric, like everytime we touch there's a spark.

"You alright?" He asks me.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

We reach a platform and I stand and look around for the other team's flag. Four gets up and scrambles to the back to sit lean against the bigger supports. I sit next to him not thinking about how much space to leave between us. Less than three inches. He has sweat on his face and is still breathing heavily.

"You good?" I ask him.

He grabs my hand in his. He doesn't look at me. I see a light in the distance, yellow. I laugh and point to where it is for Four to see. He laughs. We get up and Four goes down the ladder first. He moves swiftly beneath me like he doesn't have more than six feet to work with. I follow after him.