Devil Takes the Hindmost, chapter eight.

BEATRICE'S POV
I swear, I will wring Tobias Eaton's neck.

I arrive at school, my bed head finally tamed and a brighter smile on my face, when I see something absolutely sickening. I'm on my way to my locker, after Mr. Eccleston's class, on my way to Miss. Kress's room, when a sudden outburst of laughter catches my attention. I turn my head towards the lockers 256-273, and see a pretty blonde girl with violet eyes. She's holding a black Iphone, and wearing a pink cashmere sweater, with perfect fitting white jeans. She smiles her super straight white teeth, as she snuggles closer to a boy that has his arm around her. A boy with sapphire eyes. And wearing a Callister sweatshirt. He smiles at her, and kisses her forehead, and sees me looking. The devil himself.
He just can't stop, can her?
"Oh, hey Tris!" the girl yells out to me, waving happily. Her eyes lit up at the sight of me, and I feel myself repress a shudder. She looks way too happy for that greeting to be absolutely genuine.

I gnash my teeth and try to move on; ignoring the smile Tobias has on. I will not react. I can't react. But bitter revenge takes me, and I know I can't give him the satisfaction of knowing I was annoyed. Why was annoyed in the first place? I put on a happy grin, and wave. "Hey Toby!" I yell my tone delightful and airy. I walk on, and out of the corner of my eye I can see Will looking disgusted, and Tobias wipes that stupid smirk off his face. A roaring sort of laughter erupts in my throat, and I end up laughing happily as I walk into room B11, and sit in front of Albert. He sends me a sort of discreet smile, and I return a smile.

I'm set to take out my pink zipper binder and a blue pen when an unsmiling Will takes a seat next to me. He was clearly upset with my actions.
"Why the long face?" I ask, drunk with my own act of defiance.

"Why the smile as if you're a drunk monkey?" he snaps, slamming his textbooks and pens onto the desk. "What you're doing, Tris, is not safe!"

"Safe, shmafe!" I yawn, before looking through my backpack for my agenda. Will's sour attitude was the least of my problems. I think he's finally calmed down when his hand suddenly slams itself on my desk. I look up to see his face contortioned with rage and anger.

"I'm serious, Tris!" he bellows, "You're reacting incogninantly to a simply game, and if you challenge Tobias Eaton, well, God help you-"

"Shut up!"

The words echo in the mostly empty classroom and the look of anger is replaced by mild fury on Will's face. Albert hides behind his book. Christina raises her eyebrows and smiles discreetly.

"I don't care if I bring rain or storm or hell!" I grab Will by his forearms, staring into his pupils with such madness; I'm afraid I'll lose control and hit him. But my thoughts they can't enslave, and it's time to misbehave. This surge of rage and blind fury…it feels wonderful. Has this what I've been holding back? Has this been hiding inside me for years? It feels…exhilarating. "I will prove who I am, cause Tobias has been taking siege of this school for too long! I will prove who I am, and that you can't mess with me. And you-can't-STOP-ME!"

I force him back into his deck. But suddenly, all that blind rage and fire has quelled. I feel like crying. My body shakes slightly, as my legs give out and I sit back into the desk. I'm trembling, and what I feel…it feels so wrong…yet so right…

"If nobody can stop Tobias…"I croak my voice weary and ragged. "Then who will?"
I then realize…there are tears. Staining my binder. Clear and naked on my desk. I ashamedly wipe them away, but I can't understand why they're there. Tears, hot and salty, run down my face and I desperately try to wipe them away. I hide my head on the desk, and cover it with my arms, hoping it would stop. That this humiliating sign of weakness would just go away.
Suddenly, I feel a warm hand rub my back in soft circles. I look up to see Albert, a sad sort of smile on his face. The tears dry up and I wipe the last of them away as he hands me a tissue. A sort of shaky smile appears on my face.

"I'll help you," Albert says, "I have a score to settle with Tobias Eaton too.

TOBIAS'S POV

Is Beatrice Prior even human?

Slipping my arm around Allison's waist, I try to keep my thoughts on hold, not daring to let her know. Let her know I didn't really want her back, but I wanted Beatrice. That strange, majestic creature that doesn't recognize my majesty. My insides curl up with a shrewd, comic sort of sickness at my cowardice. I was a complete coward
But aren't most teenage boys are?

"Toby, are you okay?" Allison asks, her bright eyes filled with concern. Her voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Keep it together, Tobias.
I put on my famous grin, and reply " 'Course I am, babe."

We were on our way to the school gym, as Coach Mueller had asked some seniors to play intramural dodgeball against a team of sophomores. I, as his favorite, didn't want to disappoint. Allison, as the clingy sort of girl she is, insisted she came along. She wasn't bad at dodgeball, and besides, she looked hot when she was all red in the face.
We had found out way to the separate entrances, and I smiled. Handing her the black gym bag I was carrying for her, I shrugged my own higher up on my arm. "See you on the court," I say, winking at her. She giggles along with some of her other friends, and a genuine smile takes its place on my face.

Walking into the change room, I see Uriah and Eric casually talking, as if waiting for me. Dodging the semi clad boys already there, I hang my bag up and force it open. "Dude, are you really goin' through with this? Allison will kill you if she finds out what you're doing." Uriah remarks, a sort of mischievous glint in his eyes. I smile and shrug casually, as I replace my hoodie with a grey t-shirt and my sweats with a pair of black Nike shorts. "Maybe. Handling it better than you ever would," I comment. Grabbing some Axe deodorant, Eric decides now to enter the conversation

"Tobias, don't look now, but Al over there-" he says, his eyes flittering to the boy in the far corner,"-is giving you the stink eye."
He seems worried, but I don't respond. I get that look all the time, from boys wishing to be like me. Wanting to be like me. Too bad they weren't. I crack my knuckles loudly, before opening the door to exit the change room. I swear I hear someone curse me, before the door closes with a loud THUD.

I dodge left, and quickly jump as Rita Wormwood sends a quick one at my feet. I almost fall, but I regain my balance as I whip a dodgeball at her face.

It's been ten minutes since the game has started, and my team has little to none players out. The sophomores, including my beloved Beatrice, are losing terribly. They have lost over 10 players, and have only five left. Beatrice, Christina, Albert, Lynn and some rat named Peter, are fighting as hard as they can. On my team, we weave out and in, throwing the dodgeballs with ease. One moment Allison is by my side, dodging a ball aimed at her head; then Uriah is behind me, catching a dodgeball. Smirking, I throat a seriously wicked ball at the scrawny green eyed kid, as I am pleased to hear a satisfactory THUNK.

I laugh, and high-five Allison as he slumps off the court, a seriously red mark on his chin. Uriah sends me a thumbs up, but then, an unexpected speeding dodgeball gets him in the gut. Fury ignites in me, as I see Lynn and his cousin smile mockingly at me. Both handling a red dodgeball, they throw at the same time, each of them precise and powerful. Eric, unfortunately, is the victim. He dodges the first one easily, but the second one slams itself in the throat. But a millisecond before that happens, he winds up and throws one aimlessly to the other side. It slams itself into the skull of a blonde haired, skinny girl with bright blue eyes. Her legs give out.

Two things happen at once. Eric, falling to the ground, clutching his neck. And Beatrice, crumpling to the ground, victim of the ball Eric threw.
The coach blows his whistle, and send two students to look at Eric. The spectators are quiet. Allison clutches my arm in shock, her fingernails digging into my arm. Eric moves slightly, but manages to sit up. But as soon as he does, sudden rage takes me and I try to strike him with the ball I hold in my left hand. The ball bounces harmlessly off the wall as Uriah and Allison both hold me back, trying to restrain me. I want to kill him. He needs to die. He needs to hurt.

But Tris, Beatrice, is alone on the other side. Christina is yelling frantically in her face, but Beatrice's eyes are dazed and unfocused. The coach dismisses the other two people, and Al runs to her side. A sudden sharp piece of glass seems to pierce my heart as he moves some of her hair off her forehead. He picks her lifeless body off the ground, as her two eyes begin to slam shut.

How could I let Eric do this.

I wanted to run to her side, tell her it's okay. I wanted to be the one holding her, and never let go. Let her know I care.

But when Al's eyes meet mine, it's as if ice and hell has collided. We stare into each other's eyes with such intensity, his filled with anger and mine filled with fury. I couldn't let him win. I couldn't give in. So she was hurt? Big deal! I try to push away my sudden feelings of rushing to her aid. She..she had this coming.
Right. She did have this coming. And I wasn't going to go Mr. Softy and ruin the game I play. Beatrice Prior was still going to be given the same treatment as everybody else

I slip my arm around Allison's waist and hold her close, kissing her right then and there. Right on the court. Where everybody could see us. I ignore the looks I receive from Eric and Uriah. The open mouthed faces of the crowd. And a cry of anguish that escapes Christina's lips. Al's eyes widen with shocked silence, then turns and carries Beatrice out. Christina is at his side, and Lynn's mouth is open, a sort of "o" shape.

I'm a coward. I know I am. Beatrice had this coming though. I just delivered, and gave her hell.