Okay, just so you know, I know nothing about American high schools. I'm European. Forgive me if I make weird schedules.

I wrote an extra long chapter, just for you guys. I just reached 10k views, this is amazing. Thank you so much for your support and reviews. Love you all.

Enjoy x

Chapter 18
A Not So Usual Day

She nods, and says, "This is worst than we thought it would be."

.xx.

I woke up, once again, to the annoying sound of the bell. Instead of getting up like Christina, I lay in my bed for a while.

Yesterday, after Christina told me about Lynn and Peter we went to bed. It was already late, but I couldn't sleep right away. My head was spinning from all the thinking I was doing. I thought about Four and our little talk at the roof. But then, thinking of Four, lead me to Lauren and her secret. And, thinking about her secret made me think of Lynn and how I shouldn't get involved in anymore secrets.

But deep down, I knew, my curiosity hadn't gone anywhere. It was just buried for a while. As soon as I go to breakfast, I will look at Marlene and feel guilty for her. I'll look at Peter and Lynn with different eyes and feel even more guilty about myself than I feel now. But then. Then I'll see the obvious tension between Four and Lauren. I'll think about their break up for a while, then I'll think about Lauren and that will lead to her secret, and my curiosity will pop back out.

I don't want any of this to happen. But from what I know about myself, this will happen and I won't be able to avoid it.

As soon as Christina comes back from the shower, it's my turn. I take a cold shower, to see if my head can cool down a little from my overthinking.

Today, Christina and I barely talked in our dorm. We dressed ourselves without exchanging a word.

When we finally get ready and get out of the dorm, the silence is broken.

"Remember. We know nothing." She says. I look at her and nod.

"You know..." She starts. "If my parent's knew about what we are doing, I'm sure they would scold me."

"Why?" I ask.

"They always taught me to be honest with everyone. They say truth is always the best."

"You're not lying to anyone." I say.

"But if Marlene doesn't remember a thing, asks me about it and I say I don't remember, I'll be lying." She whispers.

"I'm not fond of lying either. I don't think anyone is. But it's for her best. And Lynn's." I whisper the last part. "At least, that's what I think." I say as we open the two double doors that lead to the cafeteria.

We wait in line a couple of minutes and get our trays with food. As I arrive at our usual table, I notice how Lauren and Eric are not there. Lauren is with a girl, that I assume it is Cara. Eric is nowhere to be seen. Again.

Zeke and Shauna are next to Four today, instead of being between Uriah and Lynn. Marlene and I sit next to Uriah, and Christina is next between Shauna and Will, who decided to joins us.

"What a good choice you've made." Christina says, elbowing Will. "This is definitely the cool table."

As we eat, I can't not look at Four. He doesn't seem upset with being without Lauren. He seems that he is having... fun. He is laughing along with Zeke, who is being a good friend, trying to cheer him up. I guess Zeke is being succesful, because Four does not look like he just went through a break up.

And just like that, my curiosity appeared again. I knew it would. I couldn't stop thinking about the why. Why did they broke up? Questions all over my head. Tons of questions, but no answers.

I realize I'm thinking about this while looking at him, when he looks right back at me. My cheeks heat up and I turn my gaze to my toast, but somehow still feel his gaze burning on me.

"Last night was a complete disaster." Zeke says after a while.

"I wouldn't know, I don't remember most of it." Marlene laughs.

My head automatically snaps to Christina, and hers snaps to me.

"I wish I didn't remember. Half of you disappeared, the other half was kicked out because my Shauna as a sensitive stomach." Zeke replies, and then takes a bite of his sandwich. My night wasn't that complete disaster. It was a good night. After I got out of his room.

The bell rings, and it's time to head to first period. I finish my breakfast quickly and get up with Christina. We walk together to first period, since we have it in the same floor. We split and go to our classes. As soon as I enter the class and see Uriah I remember I didn't read the first chapter of the book I was supposed to.

I sit in my chair and turn to Uriah. "Have you read the chapters we were supposed to?" I ask him.

"Sure, why? Didn't you?"

"I forgot! Tell me what's about."

"Then why did you leave Zeke's room that early? I thought you were making excuses to go do the homework. I did the same."

"I wasn't. I really didn't like the beer." I grin and he has a surprised look on his face. "I... I got caught up in something... Tell me what's about."

He opens his book and resumes the chapter to me. I saw he had some stuff written around the text, and I copied it to my own book.

"Good morning." Mrs. Matthews began, slamming the door. "Before I check who did the homework, I'll assign you partners for a project you'll have to do."

A boy raises his hand and Mrs. Matthews nods to him.

"What's the project about?" The boy asks shyly.

"That's up to you and your partner. Based on the first chapter of the book, you'll have to write a report. I'll project the details, right away." She walks over to her desk and turns on the projector, projecting a PowerPoint.

The first slide of the PowerPoint is the cover. She slides it down, and it has a two column list of names. It must be the partners. I look for my name, secretly hopping that I'm with Uriah, since he is the only one I really know in here. When I find it, I read the name next to mine and my jaw drops.

I look for my name again, and look at the name next to mine. Again. I still don't believe it. I blink a couple of times and read it once more, hopping that I'm reading wrong. When I finally realize I'm not, I cover my face with my hands.

I'm with Peter.

"I hope you're happy with your partners, because you won't be able to change them." Mrs. Matthews says in a tone of voice that would scare death itself.

Tris, if you're dreaming, please wake up. This is not the time.

Okay, I'm not dreaming. I read my name and Peter's again. This can't be happening.

Uriah elbows me. "Are you alright?" He whispers. I shake my head no.

I glance over my shoulder to see Peter staring at me, narrowing his eyes. At least I'm not the only one who doesn't like the partner. I turn to the front again, and Mrs. Matthews starts the class.

In the end, after the bell rang, I was closing my notebook when Peter came to my table. I looked at him, he had his arms crossed in front of his chest with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Look Tris, I don't like you. You don't like me. It's obvious. Let's talk with Mrs. Matthews and change partners."

"You talk to her then."

"Why me?"

"You are the boy, as far as I'm concerned."

"You also look like a boy."

"You were the one hitting on me the other day." I snap.

"Obviously I didn't saw your face. Or your chest. Oh wait, I still can't see that. You don't have one." He says and laughs, like he just said the funniest joke in the world. I know I'm little, narrow, and flat. I don't need to be constantly reminded of that.

Who are we kidding? Mrs. Matthews would never let us change partners.

"I, now more than ever, wish Mrs. Matthews would let us change partners."

"She better."

"Talk to her then." I say as I grab the rest of my stuff and leave the room.

Uriah is waiting outside for me, with Christina. We all have the second period together.

On our way to second period, we stop in a bathroom.

"Tris, have you seen the way Uriah looks at you lately?" She whispers as soon as we close the door.

Uriah has a different way of looking at me? What? I look dumbly at Christina and she pressed a button in the hand dryer of the bathroom so that it starts working. She comes up to me and takes my hair, that is loose today, and puts it behind me ear.

"I think he likes you! Everytime you talk, it's like his face lights up. He snaps his head right to you and smiles at every word you say. That's not normal!" She whispers loudly at my ear, making me get goose bumps all over my skin.

I look at her a furrow my brows.

"He does not do that!" I say, close enough for her to hear.

She nods her head yes and the hand dryer stops. "He does." She says and opens the bathroom door again, getting out.

I follow her, and Uriah is waiting for us in the hallway. We then make our way to the next period. I think this is the only period of the day I don't have Peter in my class. I have Drew, but I don't have him. That's good.

In this class, calculus, I sit between Christina and Uriah, in the middle of the room.

I can't ever say I get bored, because it's impossible in the middle of these two.

Thanks to Christina, I started noticing that Uriah really smiles when he talks to me. I'd never noticed that before. With Christina he doesn't smile that much.

This second period, surprisingly, went by really fast. I took a few notes, but that was kind of impossible between Christina and Uriah, they look like they are always competing for my attention. Christina likes to talk. She doesn't does that on purpose. She just likes to talk, and it seems that she always knows how to keep a conversation going. Or a monologue... Sometimes I just hear argue with herself. It's amusing.

When they are not talking to me, they are arguing with each other. They aren't really fighting, it is like a friendly conversation that always ends with them annoyed at each other. But usually, that doesn't last long.

When we get out of second period, they both go their separate ways and I make my way to my third period. But, on my way there, I find Peter. I try to ignore him, but he doesn't let me.

"Tris. She didn't let us change."

"I wasn't expecting that." I say sarcastically.

"So, let's just get this report done as soon as we can."

"I agree. I refuse to spend more time with you than I have to." I say firmly.

He rolls his eyes at me and asks, "When's your last period?"

"I think it's gym and it ends at five."

"I didn't ask you what was it. Meet me in my dorm at five, then. Let's see if we can finish this today."

"Your dorm? No way. I won't go near that. Library, at half past five."

"Don't be late." He says, not even looking at me as he leaves.

.xx.

It is now 6:30pm which mean I've been with Peter for exactly one hour. And we don't even have the theme of the report. In the PowerPoint Mrs. Matthews showed us, we had to choose a theme based on the first chapter of the book. When I told Christina I was meeting Peter, she tried to kill me. And almost made me go deaf. What she doesn't understand is that we did what we could, to not be together in the project. But whatever Mrs. Matthews wants, she gets.

But in one hour, we pretty much just yelled at each other. The library woman came up to us twice. She said that if she hears us talking again, we'll be kicked out of the library for the week. And I can't let that happen. If we don't do the report here, we'll have to do it in our dorms. And I refuse to be in the same tinny space alone with him. He might try to strangle me or something like that. I believe he is crazy.

"You pick a theme, and I pick a theme and we flip a coin." I suggest tired.

"Deal." He says and takes a coin out of his pocket. "Did you pick out your theme?" I nod and he flips the coin.

"Tails!" We both say at the same time.

He doesn't grab the coin, that hits the carpet and looks at me.

"I said it first." I say.

"No you didn't!" He says a little loud.

"It is too much to ask? Just keep your voice down."

"I speak what I want, the way I want."

"Well, we can't always do the things we want to. So keep your voice down."

He rolls his eyes. "Let's do rock paper scissors, then." I nod. "Best of three?" I nod again.

"Rock paper scissors." He says and we both choose rock.

"Rock paper scissors." He says again and we both choose rock as well.

"Rock paper scissor!" He says one more time, and now we both choose paper. "Are you kidding me?!"

"Keep your voice down, Peter!"

"You are cheating!"

I frown at him. "How am I supposed to cheat? How does someone cheats at rock paper scissors?"

"You tell me!"

"Shhh!" I whisper loudly.

"Don't you dare telling me to shut up!" He says standing up.

"You listen up," I say, standing up as well. "you are going to keep your voice dow-"

"Or what. What are you going to do if I don't? Are you going to call Four? Call him. I'm not afrai-"

"If you get us kicked out of the library, I swear I-"

"AHAM." I hear behind me. I freeze in the middle of the sentence. I know exactly who is behind me and I don't want to hear what's coming next. I close my eyes hard, like when I'm going to the kitchen in the middle of the night, trying not to wake up my parents and step on a toy that starts singing. Peter looks at the library lady and smiles, like he has nothing to do with this. I slowly turn to see the woman completely pissed off looking at us. "I don't have to say it, do I?" she says, trying to keep calm.

Peter grabs his backpack and I quickly grab my books.

I can't believe he just got us kicked out of the library. For the entire week. I'm more than angry. I'm completely furious!

As soon as we leave the library, he says, "Nice jobs, Tris."

How does he dare to says nice job. Does he even think this is my fault? He was the one acting like he owned the place. There were other people there, besides us. He didn't even care about that, what a selfish person he turned out to be.

"Excuse me? It is obviously your fault. I was telling you to lower your voice."

"My fault?" He forced his laugh. "The world doesn't spin around you, Tris." He says and turns, ready to leave.

"Peter! What are we supposed to do now?" I ask almost shouting.

"Well, I'm going to my dorm after dinner to start working on this. If you want to show up, then, be my guest. If not, I'll do it by myself." He says, turning back at me.

"You can't force me into do it over at your dorm."

"Have a better idea?"

I was about to say my dorm, but I don't want him to know where I sleep in. I get the feeling he might be capable of getting into my room in the middle of the night to stab me. I'm sure he is that evil. But he doesn't scare me. I'm not afraid of him. That is what he wants, am I'm not giving him that pleasure.

"Not yet. We'll talk tomorrow, unfortunately. Don't start the project."

He spins again and keeps walking.

"Peter!" I call him. But he pretend he is not listening. "PETER!" I shout.

"Whatever!" He shouts back in the middle of the hallway.

I roll my eyes and realize everyone in the hall is staring at us. Especially me. I grab my books tightly, duck my head and walk back to my dorm.

What a jerk.

In the middle of the way, as I'm about to turn into another hallway, I bump into someone, who was coming from there. I almost drop my books. I look up and see Four.

"Sorry," I murmur before keeping walking.

"Are you okay?" He asks, making me stop.

"Yea." I say.

"No you aren't. What's wrong?"

"And what do you care?" I snap. When I realize what I just said, I feel angry with myself. I wasn't trying to be rude. I'm just so furious at Peter that I can't even think straight. "Sorry, I-"

"Come with me." He says and starts walking. But I don't move an inch. I just look at him. He looks over his shoulder at me. "Come on, Tris."

Involuntarily, my body starts walking and follows him. My mind just keeps wondering. Where are we going?

We pass through a couple of hallways and doors, climb down some stairs and then he stands next to a metal door that has a "restricted" white and read sign in it. I stand next to him, wondering what's behind that door. He places his hand on the knob but he doesn't turns it.

"Who are you pissed at?" He asks.

"Peter." I reply. The look on his face changes. He removed his hand of the knob and turns to me. Before he can ask anything, I continue. "He just got on my nerves. We were assigned a project, and he got us kicked out of the library. And said it was my fault. When clearly, it wasn'-" He places his hand over my mouth and shushes me. He looks away, like he is trying to hear something. I hear someone whistle, and I'm pretty sure he heard it too, because he uncovered my mouth, grabbed my hand, opened the door and entered it. He closed it, trying not to make the least noise he could.

I looked around and saw we were in a grey room, where the only source of light was a blue and tinny. Like a presence light. It had a giant metal net on the floor. There were shelfs with some supplies in it and in there, I could hear the constant sound of breathing.

"Where are we?" I ask.

"I don't even know. But I like to call it the ventilation room."

"Ventilation room?" Now that I look around one more time it makes sence. It has lots of ventilation grids and a couple of pipes in the ceiling. I look at him and I look at our hands, realizing he is still holding mine. He looks to our hands as well, but he doesn't let go. I brush that thought of my mind and blush slightly. "Why are we here?" I ask and place my books in a shelf near the door.

"Zeke and I are friends since our freshman year." He says, leading me to the middle of the metal net on the floor. His grip on my hand tightens and I look down, not seeing the bottom. If this collapses, it's going to be a long fall. "Together, we discovered lots of things. Including this place. We used to come here, together or alone, whenever we were upset, mad, pissed, sad, or whatever."

"But... Why?"

"You'll see." I look at him, and he looks rigid as a stone, looking at the wall in front of us. The breathing sound I hear, that probably comes from the ventilation grids or the pipes, becomes stronger. It almost seem like it's coming closer to us. He smiles and turns to me. "Here we go!"

And just when he finished his last word, a strong wind came from behind the net, making my shirt flowy and my long blonde hair messy. I can't contain myself and scream with joy. The air is not cold, but it's not warm either. It's perfect. And just like that, the air brushed off all the anger I had in myself. I was still mad at Peter, but I wasn't furious or fuming. It was like that wind just washed away what I was feeling. And it felt good. It felt like I could stay there forever.

The wind stopped and he looked at me with an ear-to-ear smile, running his hand through his now messy hair.

"How was that?" He asked.

"That felt great! Can we do it again?"

"I had the feeling you would like it. Well, we can. But we'll have to wait a couple of minutes."

I shrug. I am in great company and feeling great. I don't really care about how much I have to wait.

Ta-dah!

Okay, if you have ever seen Grey's Anatomy, you know what I'm talking about in this last part, right? I couldn't contain myself, I thought this was a great touch to the story and their friendship.

Please review,

liv x