Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent
Tris POV
I wake up and follow Christina's instructions. I put on the outfit we picked out the night before, and I eat a granola bar quickly before I grab my backpack, my keys, and the makeup bag that Christina told me to bring.
I get to her house right at 6:30, and she rushes me up to her room.
I would normally tune out whatever Christina is saying, but I do make an effort to actually listen while she explains how to use the products. It takes a while but when she finishes, I do look a lot better. My eyes are more defined, my cheekbones sharper, my skin flawless.
Christina moves onto my hair, straightening it and curling the ends. I bought these tools yesterday at the mall, and I'm excited that I actually know how to use them now. After I am finished, I do look great.
I like the idea of caring about how I look; I never really tried until now. I'm glad I gave it an attempt, trying really helps a lot sometimes. It is all because of Christina.
"Thank you," I say as we are walking out of her house.
"No problem, that's what friends do," she responds. I like having friends, it's so much better now that it used to be.
I feel overnight, I have formed a new confidence. No longer do I have to hide under baggy sweatshirts, telling Christina really helped me leave it all behind. I finally feel like this is a new beginning.
We still take our separate cars to school, but we walk in together. I definitely notice people looking at us as we walk through the halls. In the back of my mind I am shy about all of the attention, I'm not used to people staring at me in a good way. I try not to let that show.
I stop when I see Zeke and Four standing at the other end of the hallway. What will my friends think of me now? No, I can't think like that. Christina doesn't even have to drag me along; we walk up to them together.
"Good morning," Christina says.
"I-I uh…" Zeke stutters.
"Good morning to you too Christina," Christina finishes for him. I laugh.
"You weren't kidding," Zeke says. Wait, I'm confused.
"What?" I ask.
"The less you know, the better, Tris," Christina answers. I eye her suspiciously, there definitely is something she isn't telling me.
Four is still standing there silent. He looks shocked, very shocked. I wonder why.
Zeke elbows him, and he says, "Uh, um…" Christina laughs.
"You look beautiful, Tris," Four says, looking me right in the eye. Gosh, his eyes are so dark and dreamy. Blue as the ocean.
I look down and blush. I didn't dress like this for compliments, I don't deserve them. I did this for myself.
"Um, thanks," I say, but it comes out close to a whisper. I then turn around and rush away quickly, I don't know what happened to that confident girl that was walking down the hallway earlier. Now I feel shy, exposed, and nothing like myself.
I ignore Four and Christina for all of homeroom and first period. It's not their fault, they don't deserve to be disregarded like that, but I don't want to talk to anyone.
I spend the time trying to focus on my art, but I can't, I'm distracted. I know that I'm going to have to talk to Four in the hallway, but I don't know what to say. He didn't do anything wrong.
The bell rings, and I walk out of the classroom. Four follows me out, and walks next to me, but doesn't say anything. We walk in silence until I finally say, "Look, I'm sorry, I don't know why I rushed off. You did nothing wrong, if that's what you're thinking." I'm nervous, but I don't know why.
He looks relieved, "Good, I wasn't sure what happened."
"I don't really want to talk about it now, maybe later?" I suggest.
"Later," he confirms with a smile.
Lauren doesn't bother us today, thank god. I am definitely not in the mood to deal with her. She did, however, shoot me a dirty look as we walked past her at her locker, which I did my very best to ignore. I told myself before school started that I wouldn't let people like her get to me anymore.
We walk into the classroom, and Four says, "I don't know if Zeke or Christina told you, but Zeke and Uriah are throwing a party tonight at their house."
I nod, and say, "Good to know."
"Are you going to go?" he asks.
A party isn't really my type of event, but I'm trying a new beginning. I need to try new things. "I'll probably be there," I say with a smile.
Four smiles back, and says mockingly, "Good to know."
We sit down, and class goes by quickly.
Four POV
I wake up the next morning, tired as ever, but two things pull me out of bed: it's Friday, and I see Tris at school.
I get dressed and ready for the day, and then rush out the door. I drive to school, and meet up with Zeke when I get inside. Shauna isn't there yet.
"Hey man," Zeke says, greeting me.
"Hey," I respond.
"You still coming to the party tonight?" he asks.
I shrug, and say, "I guess." I only really want to go if Tris will be there, I'm not the biggest party person.
Zeke is about to say something else when something catches his attention. "Look," he says, staring at the other end of the hallway. There stands Christina and Tris, they are walking towards us. Now I know what he's talking about, Tris looks… wow.
"Good morning," Christina says.
"I-I uh…" Zeke says. I know the feeling, I don't trust my voice right now, I am still in shock. Tris is wearing a dress, a dress. Her long beautiful blonde hair is curled, she is wearing jewelry, she is definitely a different Tris than the Tris I talked to yesterday.
"Good morning to you too, Christina," Christina says, replying to herself for Zeke. Tris laughs at this, at least she still has the same joyful laugh.
"You weren't kidding," Zeke manages to say. I know what he's talking about, but Tris doesn't.
"What?" she asks.
"The less you know, the better, Tris," Christina says to her. Tris looks at Christina suspiciously, but drops the subject. Good.
Zeke then elbows me, and I forgot that I was still standing there without words. "Uh, um…" I start, and Christina laughs. Tris doesn't look like herself. I liked the simple look that was so natural for her, and now Christina has changed her into someone different. Nonetheless, she is completely and absolutely stunning, so I say, "You look beautiful, Tris."
She blushes the deepest shade of red I've even seen, and looks down. "Um, thanks," she says quietly, and then runs off. I'm bewildered, what did I do? I can't tell if she's mad, embarrassed, or just shy. I wish girls weren't so confusing.
"What just happened?" Zeke asks. He looks just as puzzled as I am, and Christina looks clueless.
"I have no idea," Christina says, "She was fine earlier."
"Why did you do that to her, Christina?" I ask.
"Do what?" she asks.
"Doll her up and make her into someone else. I liked her before, but now every single guy in this school is drooling over her," I say.
"Look, it's a trade off. She looks more confident now, well until she ran off she did," Christina says.
"What happened?" Shauna asks, walking up to us.
"Have you seen Tris?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I saw her walking to her locker by herself, she looked upset," Shauna says.
"I just don't know what I did," I say, "I compliment her, and she gets mad at me."
"She didn't look mad, dude, she just- ugh, I don't know," Zeke says, stumbling on words.
"I'm going to go talk to her," I say, and then walk off. I go to her locker, but she isn't there. When I get to Tori's room, Tris is already sitting at her desk consumed in her drawing.
I decide not to bother her now in a classroom full of other students. I want to talk to her alone, and know what's wrong, but I have to wait the entire period to do so. I really hope she isn't angry, I hate to have her upset because of me.
The bell rings, and Tris rushes out of the classroom. I catch up to her and then we walk side by side in silence, until Tris says, "Look, I'm sorry, I don't know why I rushed off. You did nothing wrong, if that's what you're thinking."
I am so relieved, so extremely glad that I didn't do anything wrong. I am now aware of how nervous I was before she said that, but now I feel like a weight has been lifted.
"Good, I wasn't sure what happened," I say.
"I don't really want to talk about it now, maybe later?" she says.
"Later," I say smiling. There's no point in trying to wipe it off, I am so happy I don't even care.
We continue to walk in peace, and I am thinking for something to say. I don't want to be nervous around Tris anymore, I don't know why I am in the first place. I don't want to say the wrong thing, and mess everything up.
"I don't know if Zeke or Christina told you, but Zeke and Uriah are throwing a party tonight at their house," I say as we walk into the classroom. Tris doesn't look like the biggest party person either, but I want her to be there.
"Good to know," she replies with a nod.
"Are you going to go?" I ask.
I feel myself go tense until she says, "I'll probably be there."
She is still smiling, I will never get used to her beautiful smile. I smile back, and say, "Good to know."
Shauna sees us walk in together, and she raises her eyebrows.
"Are you two good?" she asks silently.
I nod.
"Yep, we're good," I say.