A/N: JerkZero and JerkNone with the update! Enjoy all! R&R!
***Peter's POV***
I take a drive around town trying to get my mind off what just happened. My dad is knocked out in our apartment. It's not all my fault, but I blame myself though. My mom and dad will beat me when I do return home, if I ever do go back. Maybe I can just stay in Eric's second home, then only go home when I do have a girl.
I drive around town for what feels like hours. I refill my tank before heading to Eric's. When I arrive outside I rev my engine. Eric walks out of the house with a girl. "Whoah there Eric," I say, awed that he gets a girl before me. He does have only two months to get married, or have a wife paired with him, but it still amazes me.
"Julia isn't here for me, Peter," he says. Then who is she here for? "She's here for you."
I look at the girl. Brown hair, a bit wavy, with brown eyes. She's curvy and is looking at me with a slight smile. "So you're Peter," she says.
"The one and only," I say taking a bow.
"You want to grab a burger, maybe see a movie?" she asks. Eric tries to put his arm around her and she exclaims, "Get off me!" then she giggles, "I'm here for Peter!"
She makes her way over to me, where I'm still on my bike. She traces her hand over my jaw. "You're even better than she described you Peter. You are so cute, even with those battle scars," she says softly.
"She?" I question.
"Yes, Tris, I used to be friends with her but I stopped hanging out with her when she told me I was too young to break the law in first grade. But that doesn't matter now. All that matters now is that I want you, so badly," she says.
I nod my head, awed. Is this still Tris's plan to get me back? It can't be. Julia seems too genuine to be faking.
"Kiss me you fool," she hisses as her lips hit mine. Her kiss feels realer than Tris's, more fire, more passion. We kiss for about twenty seconds, then I grab her waist and swing her onto my bike. I pass her the helmet, and she slides it on.
I rev my engine and see Eric wink at me, wave, then he walks back inside his house. Eric is probably jealous that I got a girl, other than Tris.
She wraps her arms around me and lays her head against my back. I smile, rev the engine once more and start the bike towards the burger joint.
After our burger we walked into the movie theater. We picked a sappy love story to watch then went to the room. We picked a seat near the back and sat down.
Once everyone is seated, the movie started. The employee behind us shut the doors and left the theater room.
The film is playing, while I yawn, throwing my arms back then wrap one around Julia. Instead of shrugging me off or moving over a seat like the few other dates I had been on, she stands up, and sits on my lap. She look up at my face then turns back to the screen, laying her head on my shoulder.
At the end of the movie, she turned to me, still on my lap, and kissed me on the lips. I threw my hands around her, and she threw hers around me.
We heard some 'Get a rooms', so we exited the theater. She got on my bike and we went to Eric's house, to spend the rest of the night there.
***Tris's POV***
Tobias takes me home in his Jeep in utter silence. We don't speak of Peter and are both lost in thought. I am thinking of Julia, and how to contact her, while Tobias keeps glancing at the bruise forming near my jaw. I know he's contemplating the safety of the entire plan and probably feels like it's his fault I got hurt.
I scroll through my now de-bugged phone, hoping to find someone who would know what happened to Julia. I finally decide on Christina, but I doubt she'll know. I give her a text anyway.
hey, u remember julia from school? do u have her #?
It takes a few minutes for a reply, so I suspect she's with Will right about now. It eventually comes, with a short, if not curt, reply.
622-2221
I stare at the seven numbers for a while until I've almost memorized them. I consider just texting Julia, but I don't think that will suffice. She may need more proof that it's me texting her, or proof that Peter deserves her. She's always been willing to get with guys, though.
It rings three times before she picks up. "Hello?"
"Julia? Hi, this is Tris, from grade school. I, I think I may know someone you might be interested in. It's a guy."
When we finally make it back home, it's about dinner time, meaning Tobias will eat with us. I don't mind the embarrassment if it means he's away from his family. I don't express my pity to him, but it's there, deep down.
He stays a maximum of three inches behind me at all times, his hand grazing where the hem of my shirt is. I don't mind his protectiveness right now, but I think it's unnecessary. Once inside, I take off my shoes and Tobias follows my lead. We make a beeline for the stairs to avoid Caleb's inevitable questions of how it went.
Unfortunately for us, he is upstairs in his room and comes out when he hears us. I try to keep my right side away from him to hide the bruise for as long as possible, knowing that he will most likely flip out and do something stupid. Tobias's hand doesn't leave my side.
"Tris! How did it go?" he questions, looking haggard with his hair stuck at different angles.
"Alright," I reply simply. I need to give him more information or else he will become suspicious. "We got Peter back for what he did."
He studies me and then moves to block my way into my room. When his eyes lock on the marking on my face, his entire countenance changes. He goes from relieved to outraged in two seconds flat, his eyes bulging and cheeks swelling up with air. A small pink patch arises on his forehead, as it does when he gets extremely angry.
"What happened?" he asks.
I decide that playing dumb will only enrage him more. "I got hit."
His hands fly to his hair and his expression is much like Tobias's was when he first came into Peter's apartment to see me in Peter's arms. Caleb looks to the ground to calm himself, counting to ten in the process.
"I realize that, Tris, but who did it? Peter?" he asks. I swear there's some hope underlying in his question, though I can't say why.
"No, it wa-" I start.
The word 'no' sets him off more than anything, and he's abruptly at my side and grabbing Tobias's hand. He wrenches it from me and shoves him back all in one motion. Tobias, still a bit fearful of what he did to Peter, doesn't fight back to defend himself.
"You! You promised you wouldn't touch her, you sick, filthy-" Caleb shouts.
"Caleb! It wasn't Tobias! It was Peter's dad, you idiot!" I cry out. Caleb backs down and deflates, going back to his usual calm and selfless ways.
"What?" he asks in disbelief.
"Peter's dad hit me. There. End of story. Let's go, Tobias," I say, grabbing his hand guiding him to my room, leaving Caleb in our dust.
I slam my door closed while Tobias takes a seat on my bed. I stomp and pace and all but pull my hair out while he watches me in silence. I'm near the point of hysterics because of this whole day, unable to form coherent thoughts or words.
"When did you promise Caleb anything?" I'm finally able ask.
Tobias twirls the ring on his finger, his beautiful eyes not meeting mine. "Today, while you were out doing chores."
"Anything else I should know?"
He flinches at the harshness of my words, and I immediately regret them. I trust Tobias with my life, and love him. Why am I lashing out at him like this? For the same reason he beat Peter to a pulp and then some.
"I'm sorry," I mutter, sitting on the floor. I wait for him to say something, but he doesn't.
"Just that I love you Tris," Tobias says, putting a smile on my face. How could I be so stupid? I just yelled at him over nothing, and here he is answering my questions.
"I heard that part," I say.
He stretches out his arms, an invite for me to come closer to him. I do, and sit on his lap. We're in about the same position we were this morning when Caleb interrupted us. I lean my head against his shoulder and wait for one of us to say something.
"They do say kissing is encouraged," Tobas says as a smile dances on his lips.
I smile playfully before shoving my lips onto his. As minutes pass the kiss gets more and more intense and desperate. We're in such a position that if my parents walked in on us, we would be in big trouble. For now, though, I don't care. I have been Tobias nearly all day, and even though I had to face Peter, it was worth it.
When dinner is ready, everyone seems a bit on edge. They're all worked up about stupid Peter and his father, and I wish they wouldn't be. I'm fine now, and I squeeze Tobias's hand in reassurance of this underneath the dining room table. My mom has made my favorite- hamburgers and fries. She even made the chocolate cake she promised for the other night. We drink and eat out of fancy tableware and silverware, making me a bit suspicious. Why would they try to impress Tobias now?
My mom even told me to get changed, so I now wear a light purple dress and my hair down. Tobias must feel underdressed in his jeans and t-shirt compared to my family. A knock at the door interrupts us just before we sit down. My parents look confused, as does Tobias, but Caleb looks even more on edge, as though he might throw up.
"I'll get it," he says, rushing out of the room. I quirk an eyebrow at my parents, who give me a simple shrug. We hear muffled talking before Caleb and the visitor enter.
Susan Black enters, her blonde hair down like my own and in a white dress. I notice a mole above her left eyebrow, and how her jaw is square. She stands close to Caleb, their hands not quite touching. She smiles at me and Tobias.
"Susan!" my mom calls out. "How lovely to see you? Caleb didn't tell us we were having two guests for dinner."
She appears a bit flustered. "You didn't? I apologize if I'm intruding-"
"Nonsense!" my dad interjects. "Come on in, we were just about to get started."
She blushes and sits across from me next to Caleb. My mom and dad sit on opposite ends of the table, as though as the head of each side. Tobias's thumb gently strokes mine beneath the tabletop, and I can almost see Caleb and Susan doing the same. My parents stare at their food while they talk about business matters relating to the farm.
"So, Susan, when did you and Caleb meet?" my mom asks her.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "Uh, at the last cornfield party."
She picks up a fry to eat, only to notice something shiny wrapped around it. She daintily plucks it off, revealing a ring. I gasp, and Tobias grips my hand tighter. She puts a hand to her mouth and looks directly at Caleb, who is smiling like a nutcase along with my parents. He takes it from her carefully, and then gets on one knee.
"Susan Marie Black, I love you more than you could ever know. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you do the honor of marrying me?" Caleb asks. His voice is gentle, even more so than normal.
Susan nods her head, unable to form words. They hug and I can't help but wonder how many times they've met in secret. Had Caleb told me and I just didn't listen, too focused on Tobias? I don't think so.
My parents are both beyond words, and my mom gets up to hug her. My dad shakes her hand, and I get up to hug her and Caleb as well. Tobias stays behind me, and after the excitement has died down a little bit, we all sit.
My mom and Susan are transfixed in a conversation about wedding plans, while my dad and Caleb talk about the aptitude test. Tobias looks down at me with an expression so close to the one from my wedding dream I have to hold back a gasp. He leans close to me and whispers.
"I have a present for you."
I smile and look up at his face, which is still serious. What could it be? He already gave me a hoodie, and I gave him a ring. If he gets me something then I'll have to give him something too, or else I won't feel right. I can't help my curiosity at what it could be, though.
"Alright," I reply tentatively.
Dinner doesn't go by fast enough, but we are all eventually eating the chocolate cake. Afterwards we move to the living room with our drinks and talk. I sit in the loveseat beside Tobias, while Caleb and Susan hog the couch. My parents sit in their usual recliners.
"That was a great meal, Natalie," Tobias says.
"Oh, yes, thank you very much," Susan agrees.
My mom blushes a little. "It was nothing."
A lull in the conversation seems to be all Tobias needs to excuse himself to the bathroom. Poor guy did drink about a quart of soda at dinner. I really want to curl my knees up around myself and relax while reading my unfinished book, but can't due to the dress. Susan seems much more comfortable in hers, and I can't help but feel slight envy.
When Tobias comes back in the room falls silent. He holds something behind his back that crinkles when he walks. Is he going to give me my present in front of everyone? I don't know how okay I am with that.
Caleb gives me a reassuring smile, which scares me more than anything. What's going on?
Tobias moves the package in front of him, revealing a small, neatly wrapped rectangle. It's a little smaller than a piece of paper, and definitely has more volume to it. I take it, hoping it's not jewelry of some kind, and place it on my lap. Tobias doesn't sit back down yet.
I begin to unwrap the package, feeling heat spread on my face while everyone watches me. I fumble with the blue paper and white ribbon more than I normally would because my hands are shaking. I laugh when I see what's inside.
A/N: We are feeling a little evil and decided that to add suspense, we're ending the chapter here. Tune in next time for another installment of New Road!
Question of the Chapter: What was the best gift you ever got? (Or the worst?)
Our answers, because we want you to know!
JerkNone: Muse tickets! (obviously that's a GOOD present.)
JerkZero: Your mom! Haha Wooowww