I hope this chapter is a least okay. I was rushing with it, so just ignore the spelling mistakes.
Chapter 21
Tris POV (The next day)
I wake up to something dripping on my head. I open my eyes and see Christina standing over me with a straw in her mouth. Another drop. I see a can of pop in her hand.
"Come on, sleepyhead!" She shouts. I miss sleeping at Four's apartment. "We're doing simulation's today." I swing my legs over the side of the bed.
~ P A G E B R E A K ~
"I was scared of getting kidnapped, public humiliation…" I look away from where Lauren is talking.
It's Tobias who catches my eye. He looks pale and judging by the scruff on his face, he didn't shave this morning.
"Divergent simulations," Lauren finishes. I flinch at the word. "You will be aware during this simulation." I'm aware in every simulation. Is that what makes me divergent?
"Tris," Lauren shouts. I walk into the room with Lauren and Tobias. I lay back on the chair and the sting in my neck is less painful this time.
~ Simulation ~
I look around; everything is black. Something goes over my head and pulls me backwards. I stumble as the person grabs my hands. I struggle to move.
I hear a deep voice. Or maybe that's just in my head. Wait, who am I kidding? This is all in my head. I stop struggling.
I try to focus on the light peering through the bag. Why isn't the simulation ending? I'm calm aren't I? That is until I feel my heartbeat in my fingertips. I try to focus on my breathing. In, out. In… lemongrass. "Al." I feel tears rushing down my face.
Four POV
"Al," I hear her say. I can't take it anymore I need to turn off the sim.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lauren asks me as I unplug the wires.
"Why the hell would you assign that fear to her?" I yell. Tris jolts up immediately and looks around. She brushes the tears from her face.
"She needs to learn," Lauren says back.
"That's not learning," I shout back. "That's torture!"
"Maybe you should learn your place, Four." She says coldly.
"My place? Tris is my initiate, not yours." I say back. "Remember your place, because it's not first." I want to take it back after. Lauren was mad about not getting first during our initiation, but I care about Tris more.
Tris walks out and I follow. "I don't need you to defend me." Tris says folding her arms over her chest. "You're not my boyfriend." She walks away.
All of a sudden it's like a wave came over me. I can't breathe. I can't see clearly. I can't walk. I feel sweaty and anxious.
Tris POV
I sit down on my bed and wait for Christina and Will to come back. I hear footsteps behind me and I know it's Tobias coming after me again. I don't want to talk to him, especially after I told him we weren't together. Why did he look so hurt. He's the one who doesn't want to be seen with me.
"Go away, Tobias." I say laying my head on the pillow.
"You know his name?" Eric says sitting down on Peter's bed which is across from mine.
"Know who's name?" I say hoping he passes it over. Wait why does he know his name?
"Don't play stupid, tell me." He demands.
"It's none of your business, Eric." I tell him.
"Why the sudden hate for him?" He asks avoiding my words.
"He just…" I can't tell him. "He just did something."
"And did that something hurt you?" He asks.
"Yeah," I say. I can feel tears building up in my eyes but I blink them way before they come. "It did."
"That son of a bitch!" Eric says before standing up and marching out the doors.
"What are you going to do?" I shout after him. "Eric!" I run after him. "Stop, tell me what you're going to do!" But he doesn't stop, or so much as glance in my direction.
Eric pushes open both doors to the room where I just argued with Tobias. I follow in after him trying to hold him back.
Tobias sits in the corner on a chair with a hand against the wall supporting him upright. He faces away from us. "Leave me alone, Eric," he says with a quick glance over his shoulder. Eric doesn't listen. He charges up to Tobias and grabs him by the shirt and pins him against the wall. Tobias doesn't react. He looks tired with his eyes half closed and bags under them. He coughs, but doesn't say anything. He breathes heavily, yet he just stands there.
"Eric," I say stepping in between his arms which hold Tobias to the wall. "Stop."
Eric meets my eyes and drops his arms. Tobias falls to the ground with his back to the floor. "Tobias," I say. He doesn't answer. I grab his hand and I can feel his pulse through it. It's rapid. "I think he's having a heart attack!" I yell at Eric. I sit down on my knees. Tobias mumbles something.
"It's… it's not a heart attack." He says quietly. "It's a panic attack."
"I'm right here." I say holding his head in my lap. "Tobias, look at me." He opens his eyes a bit wider. I lean down, his head parallel to mine and press my lips to his.
"Tris," Eric says staring at me in disbelief.
"Go get help!" I yell at him. All Eric does is scoff and shake his head. "Eric, please!" I shout more aggressively. But all he does is push the door open and make his way out. I know he's not getting help.
"It's okay, Tris." He says. "I'm fine, I'm alright."
"I'm sorry," I tell him.
"You're sorry? I'm the one who should be apologizing."
"Yeah," I say with a smile on my face. Tobias laughs and looks up at me. He's alright. He goes to sit up but I just keep him there. He comforts me, I comfort him.
"I just didn't want people to think your talent was favouritism," he says as I comb my fingers through his hair. I want to punch myself right now for being so stupid. He wants be with me.
"You're so smart," I say. I go down to kiss him again and this time Tobias lifts his head up to meet mine. "Now let's take you to the infirmary."
"I'm good," Tobias says.
"You just had a panic attack, how could you possibly be good?" I ask him.
"Because I thought you left me, so I panicked. But I have you now, so… I'm good," he says lifting his back up to kiss me. "But I will however," he say sitting up. "Go for breakfast. Care to join?" He asks standing up and holding out a hand.
"Breakfast? What time is it?" I thought I'd slept through breakfast.
"Almost seven," he says checking his watch. I grab his hand to help myself up but let go afterwards. Tobias gives me a look.
"You're right," I say. "They'll think it's favouritism."
~ P A G E B R E A K ~
I sit down at the table and Tobias goes to get us drinks from the front. Christina and Will both acknowledge my presence.
"Hey," I say. Christina doesn't say anything back she nods her head to the side. I look over to where Al used to sit. Peter's there. He looks up and makes eye contact with me.
"Hey, stiff," he says. "Hope you don't mind me talking over your little… friends spot."
I look beside him to where Edward and Myra sit, where's Molly? "Where's your slightly more feminine minion?"
"She lost a fight to you, I'm never talking to her again." He says still eating.
"You lost about three fights to me," I say almost laughing.
"I never lose," he says.
Christina steps in before I can. "What do you call going unconscious?"
"Oh look, Tris," he says nodding towards Tobias walking our way. "There's your little boyfriend."
"Four and I are not together," I scoff.
"Then is it you and Eric? Huh?" He says. "You know, and I know the only reason you're first is because some of us can't please Four the way you can."
"What did you just say?" Tobias says from behind me. "If I wanted to deal with Candor smart-mouths I would have joined their faction. Now don't ever talk to her again."
"If you two aren't together, than kiss me." Peter says leaning over the table. "You know, there's a rule about members and initiates dating. You want to be factionless?"
I think I just threw up in my mouth. Ugh, Peter… "I think I'd rather be factionless than kiss you," I say.
"Have it your way," he says. What does he mean? I know what he means. Peter stands up and starts to shout. "Attention initiates!" I can't be factionless. I look over at Tobias. His eyelashes touch his eyebrows. He's mad. I'm mad. "We have reason to believe tha-" I pull Peter across the table by the shirt and press my mouth to his. I go to pull back, but Peter doesn't let me. I try to pretend it's Tobias, but Tobias would never do this. Peter is too aggressive, Tobias' touch is light. Peter is now on my side of the table. How hard did I yank him? A hand snakes up my shirt which brings me back to my senses.
I lift a knee, and with full force I knee Peter in the balls. Peter falls to the ground, "bitch." He says.
I feel so disgusted that I need to wash out my mouth. I spit on Peter and grab the drink out of Tobias' hand. "I'm going to kill him," I say. Tobias doesn't say anything he just nods and guides me out of the pit.
Tobias POV
I'm mad. I know she didn't have any other choice, which makes me want to take all my anger out on Peter's face.
There only a week left of initiation. Then Tris and I can be together. She'll be a member, I'll be a member. Unless she gets caught. Unless they find out she's divergent.
I go to the practice room. I need to take my anger out on something. I lift the punching bag onto the hook and start to punch. I hear the door swing open but I don't check to see who it is. Probably just Max checking the equipment. The footsteps stop and I turn around and see Lauren standing there.
"Yeah?" I say offering no kind of greeting. I don't want to talk, I want to punch. She walks up to me.
"I just wanted to apologize for before," she says. "I was out of line." Yeah you were. "Maybe I can't make it up to you with a drink?" She asks hopefully.
"Sorry," I say. "My girlfriend wouldn't like that."
She places a hand on my chest. "Is it serious?"
What is she, on drugs? "Yeah," I say brushing her hand off me. "It is," at least I hope it is.
"She doesn't have to know," she says.
"Can you just take 'no' for a fucking answer?" I know I'm being rude, but I don't want to talk. I've already told her 'no', how much clearer can I be?
"Whatever, Stiff." She says turning around and slamming the door behind her.
~ P A G E B R E A K ~
I lock the door behind me. Tris and I thought it was a good idea to keep a bit of distance so people won't get the wrong idea, which so happens to be the right idea. We can't let people know, not until she's a member. I take a step away from the door and hear a crunch under my foot. Someone must have slid it under the door.
T/E
Sorry about breakfast, meet me at the tracks at sundown.
B/P
T/E? Tobias Eaton… B/P, Beatrice Prior. She must have used our full names. She's so smart.
I look out the window that spreads across the whole wall. It's still bright outside. The clock on the wall read 9:42 a.m. I have about 15 minutes to get to the simulation room before the initiates. Shit.
Once I get there I see a woman in blue. Jeannine Matthews, leader of Erudite. I decide approach her. "Can I help you?" I ask politely, although I hate her.
"Tobias Eaton," she greets me. Why does she know my name? She doesn't want to be anyway associated with Abnegation, transfers or not. "We are here to watch over the initiates fears, look for any divergents."
"Isn't that at the end of the week?" I ask her.
"We decided to end Dauntless initiation early this year due to some… troubles." I know she's referring to Tris, and how she's almost been killed on numerous occasions. My body stiffens as I come to the realization that; I never taught Tris how to hide her divergence. She hasn't even seen her fears. Nobody has.
I go to walk into the simulation room. I need to tell Tris, but an arm grabs me. "Sorry Four, leaders only," Max says. I step back as Jeannine and Max walk past me. This isn't going to end well.
When initiation is done I was thinking of just skipping ahead to when the next year initiates come, but tell me what you think. RR please :)