Tobias' POV
We've been here a week now. The first three days were awkward. Caleb, Lynn and Shauna desperately tried to involve Tris in whatever we were doing, but she always refused, keeping to herself. After Scott and Matt showed up things changed. It's like she was replaced completely. She only talked about her mountain climbing career on that first evening and refrained from any further talk. She is still getting sad, but at least she doesn't disappear for hours leaving us wondering. But I still can't forget what she said when I caught her in the water.
Me: Are you trying to kill yourself or something?
Tris: No. I would only do that on a mountain.
I wonder if she meant it. I tried to find a way to talk to her without the others, but ever since Tris became fun everyone wants to be her friend.
"Hey Tris, wanna play volleyball" Al asks her.
"Uhm, no thanks" she says returning to talk to Lynn.
"Hey beautiful" Peter says to her, but she ignores him. What a douche. "Hey, Tris" he tries again.
"Get lost, Peter" Lynn growls.
"Shut up, I wasn't talking to you" Peter says unfriendly.
"Hey, that's my cousin you're talking to" Tris stands up and gets in his face.
"Sorry, but I was talking to you. She shouldn't talk when she's not asked" Peter says. Wow, what a misogynistic pig.
"Excuse me?" Lynn asks standing up as well.
"Why don't you leave us alone?" Tris asks in a calm voice, but the way she's standing I can tell she is uncomfortable.
"Tris, I wanted to ask you if you would go out with me?" Peter asks her. Tris is taken by surprise, but she quickly composes herself.
"Thanks, but I'm not interested" she says.
"Come on. We would look cute together" he says and reaches out to touch her. I want to step in and pull him away, but before I can move Scott stands behind him and speaks.
"Didn't you hear? She said fuck off." Peter turns around and glares at him.
"You are not her boyfriend" Peter challenges.
"And neither are you. What's your point?" Scott counters. At that Peter just scoffs and walks away.
"Thanks" Tris says with a small smile.
"Anything for you, honey bunny" he says smirking.
"For God's sake, Scott, stop calling me that" she says exasperated, but smiles brightly.
"Hey Tris, Lynn, you guys wanna swim?" Zeke asks from behind me.
"Sure" Tris says and starts undressing. As she walks toward the water she loses one clothing item after the other and passes by me in just her cute little black bathing suit. "Four, you coming?" she asks looking over her shoulder and smiling. I didn't even know that she knew who I was. We barely spoke a few words after that day when I followed her to the little island and those were just random hellos and goodbyes. I smile and follow her, getting rid of my tee shirt. We play a little in the water with a ball making small talk.
"Four, I gotta ask" Scott says joining us. I look at him with furrowed eyebrows.
"Why are you always looking at me like you could kill me?" he asks. At that I look surprised. I wasn't aware I did that. I guess I don't really like the guy.
"Don't worry" Zeke says. "He always looks like that, especially, when he doesn't know the person."
"Really? How come you have a murderous look on your face when you see me and heart eyes when you see the Ice Queen" he says tilting his head toward Tris. Thankfully, she is out of earshot, the girls chasing each other in the warm lake water.
"Oh my God, that's totally what I said" Zeke says and I glare at him.
"That's because Four has the hots for our little sis" Matt says joining us. "And don't try to deny it" he says giving me a knowing look.
"She is a nice girl and she's Caleb's sister" I say casually.
"Bullshit. You totally have the hots for her" Scott says and I glare at him.
"Who has the hots for who?" Caleb asks. I turn to look at him, before looking back at the others, pleading with my eyes for them to shut up.
"Four has the hots for Tris" Scott says.
"What?" Caleb asks surprised.
"They are exaggerating" I say dismissively.
"So, you don't think she's hot?" Scott asks teasingly.
"Uhm, she is beautiful" I say.
"And she's hot" Uriah says. Caleb and I glare at him. "What? She is."
"That's my sister, dude" Caleb says.
"Relax, Caleb. The boy's right. Tris is a hottie, even if she doesn't see it. She actually thinks she is an ugly duckling" Matt says watching his cousin.
"Come on" Will says. "That can't be true."
"It is" Scott confirms. "When it comes to boys she isn't really the flirty type. I don't even think she knows how to flirt. I mean on purpose."
"What do you mean?" Zeke asks.
"Ya see, she is charming. She can convince you the sky is red if she wanted to, but she feels insignificant when it comes to guys. What you saw, how she acts around me and Matt, that's because we are her big brothers who will always protect her. I mean, yeah, she is hot, and if she wouldn't be like a sister to me I would totally bang her. But she is a sweet girl, brave and honest and kind. She is the heart and soul of every expedition and every time she's not around I feel extra sad. Don't tell her I said that" he quickly warns and the guys laugh.
"Four, if you like her you'll have to tell her" Matt says and I feel a blush creeping into my cheeks. "Bee is fucking blind and stupid when it comes to guys and compliments. A fucking Arabian prince complimented the shit out of her and she didn't even give a crap."
"Really?" Zeke asks.
"Yeah. When was that?" he asks looking at Scott.
"Two years ago, in Jordan."
"Yeah, we were rock climbing and there was this prince who practically wanted to marry her and all she did was ask him a million facts about the terrain and the weather. Eventually we had to tell the poor schmuck that Tris just wasn't old enough to understand the subtleties of romance, which isn't even a lie. The girl doesn't have one romantic bone in her" he says grinning and looking toward her.
"The only romantic bone she'll ever have in her will be some guy's boner" Scott says and the guys start laughing.
"I heard that" Tris shouts.
"How the fuck does she do that?" Scott asks, but laughs.
"You better get the fuck outta here, Fisher, or I'll take care of your boner forever" she says.
"Promise" Scott asks wiggling his eyebrows.
"Bad choice of words, Tris" Matt says shaking his head and my friends laugh, even Caleb. Tris swims toward us and Scott swims away.
"Hey, guys" she says as she comes closer to us. "What's up?" she asks, trying to act cool, even though she is probably the coolest person anyone has ever met.
"Chillin'" Matt says.
"Really? It's kind of hot here" she says.
"That's because you are used to sub zero temperatures" Matt says.
"Oh, shut up. Race?" she asks and he nods. "Hey, shithead" she yells toward the shore where Scott is lying down.
"What?" he yells back.
"Oh, good. You recognize your name" she says and we all laugh.
"That's right, baby" he yells. "What's up?"
"Race" she says.
"Nah, I wanna chill. But you kids have fun."
"Guess it's just you and me" Tris says to her cousin.
"Can we race with you?" Uriah asks.
"Sure" both cousins say.
"Let's form a line" Tris suggests. We do that leaving enough space between us as to not hurt each other and wait for the start signal. Soon Matt gives the go and we all start swimming. To no one's surprise Tris leads, followed by Matt, but I'm on both their tails. We swim fast and I push my body to get closer, but every time I think I reach them they speed up again. By the time they reach the small island I'm at least thirty seconds behind, but I'm still closer than any of my friends. Tris and Matt sit down on the island and I sit down next to Tris. She barely shows any sign of exhaustion, even though she swam fast and hard. You wouldn't think by just looking at her, but she is in real good shape.
"Come on, Caleb" she cheers and gets up. Zeke reaches the shore, followed by Caleb, Uriah and Will. All of them are out of breath, but smile. Tris talks to them and gives them pointers how to get better. At some point they all go into the water and Tris teaches them breathing techniques.
"You like her" Matt says, pulling me out of my daydream. "Don't deny it" he says as I turn around to look at him.
"I'm not denying anything" I say a little defensive.
"Relax, man. Look, I don't know you, but Caleb had only good things to say about you. If you really like her than you should tell her. Ask her out. But keep in mind there are a lot of people who love her. If you are just out for a quick fuck, leave her alone."
"I'm not looking for a quick fuck" I say a little angry.
"Good. 'Cause she is not that kind of girl" Matt says. I look toward the water and watch Tris laughing at some joke Uriah made. I know she's not that kind of girl. She is special. I never felt anything like this for anyone before. I had a few girlfriends and went on a couple of blind dates, but I never felt so nervous around any girl, like I feel around Tris. Just as Matt gets up Tris walks back to where I sit. She sits down and looks toward the water. Matt started to swim back to shore and the others soon follow, leaving me and Tris alone on the island. I suddenly feel self-conscious, something I never felt before, especially not around a girl.
"Can I ask you something?" she asks before I'm able to say anything.
"Sure" I say and look at her, giving her a small smile.
"What does your tattoo mean?" she asks looking at it.
"I wanted something different" I casually say.
"I can see that and may I say ouch" she says laughing lightly.
"It took a while to get it and yeah it was painful sometimes. The flames are for courage" I start saying but she interrupts.
"They can also mean passion. Being passionate about something or someone" she says.
"Yeah. The symbols on my spine represent a personality trait each. The flame on top means bravery, the joined hands mean selflessness, the eye means intelligence, the uneven scale honesty and the tree means kindness. It's what I want to be: brave, selfless, intelligent, honest and kind. Well, I'm still struggling with kind" I admit to her and she smiles warmly.
"Yeah, you are kind of unkind, but I guess you don't like to let people in you don't know" she says.
"Yeah" is all I say, although she is right. Letting people in means you open yourself up and become vulnerable. And that's the last thing I want to be. "What about yours?" I ask.
"This one" she says pointing at the ravens on her collarbone "represent my parents and my brother. I got it to always have them with me no matter where I am" she says. "And the others along my spine are four of the seven summits" she tells me. By the face I must have made she chuckles and starts explaining. "There are several high summits in the world, but every real mountaineer has this goal to climb the highest on each continent. There are basically nine such mountains and there are any kind of combinations. I conquered four." Yeah, she did. Woah, did I just admit that I have fallen for this girl? She turns around and puts her finger and the small of her back. "Each tattoo contains the name of the mountain, it's elevation and the date I reached the summit. Obviously, the lowest of them is at the bottom of my spine, Mount Kosciuszko 2.228 m, September 13th 2012, in Australia. That was the first of the Seven and I climbed it with my dad. Then we have Mount Vinson, 4.892 m, almost a year later followed by Mount Kilimanjaro, 5.895 m, August 8th 2014, in Tanzania, Africa. Both with Matt and Scott. And then this year" she says pointing toward a tattoo at the top. I read it and I feel my jaw drop.
"Everest? You climbed Everest?" I ask shocked. How can someone so small, climb such a huge mountain? That's literally the top of the world.
"Yeah, Mount Everest, 8.848 m or 29.000 ft if you like, May 10th 2015, my mom's birthday" she says and turns around.
"Wow, that's impressive" I tell her honestly. "Does your family know?"
"My parents do. My uncles and Matt. Neither Caleb or Shauna or Lynn know. They know I climb, but none of them ever showed any interest in climbing or me" she says the last part quieter "so I didn't think it was worth telling. They all have their own lives."
"Tris, this is huge, this is amazing."
"Well, it is. I've seen so many things traveling to the mountains. But there's no place like a mountain."
"Mountains are cathedrals where you practice your religion" I say, remembering what she said when I first met her.
"Yeah" she says and gets sad again.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."
"It's okay. The last expedition was tough. I lost two of my best friends to the mountain. Can we talk about something else?" she asks.
"Sure."
"Can I ask you something personal?" I nod. "What does Four stand for?" I smile. Of course she would want to know.
"Zeke gave me the nickname in junior high. It was my number on the soccer field."
"Oh. Well, that's nice. Definitely better than making up your own nickname" she says laughing. "Can I ask you another question?" I nod again. "What's your actual name?" she asks, her eyes sparkling.
"Tobias. Tobias Eaton" I say.
"Tobias. I like that. So much better than Four" she says looking straight ahead. I involuntarily smile.
"You can call me that if you like" I tell her.
"You sure?" she asks turning around to look me in the eyes.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be sure?" I ask confused.
"I thought since everyone calls you Four that's what you prefer."
"That's more or less true, but I wouldn't mind if you would call me Tobias instead of Four."
"Okay. Hello Tobias" she says holding out her hand to shake. "I'm Tris."
"Hi, Tris" I say and shake her hand lightly. The moment our hands touch I feel an electric current racing through my body and bringing my whole being to life. When she let's go of my hand I immediately miss her touch and warmth and find myself yearning to hold her hand again. Hold more than just her hand.
"Now that was silly" she says. We both laugh. "Tell me about you" she says after we calm down.
"There's not much to say."
"Oh come on. I feel like you know more about me than I about you. How about this? We ask each other questions and answer our own questions too. I start. What's your favorite color? Mine's green."
"You didn't really leave me much option here" I say with a chuckle and she smiles while shaking her head. "Okay, black."
"Why? You depressed or something?" she asks.
"Uhm, no. I just like it. It's plain, simple, uncomplicated."
"Uncomplicated? Remind me. Which color is complicated?"
"Dunno. Aquamarine" I say and she bursts out laughing.
"I'll keep that in mind next time I buy a new top."
"Okay. Favorite food. And don't say prehistoric dog crap" I say and we both laugh.
"Okay. Pizza with a lot of cheese" she says.
"So, cheese pizza?" I ask and she nods. "Mine's steak. Your turn."
"Favorite drink."
"Wait. Alcoholic or non?" I ask.
"Both. Mine is scotch and coke" she says.
"Wow, hard drinks. Okay, beer and lemonade. Favorite movie. Mine's, don't laugh, Karate Kid."
"Seven years in Tibet. And why would I laugh?"
"Don't know."
"Favorite book. Mine's To Kill A Mockingbird."
"Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Favorite music genre. Mine's alternative rock and indie."
"I guess rock music, but also country."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's cool, easy to listen to, smooth. I like it."
"I'm not judging. I'm just surprised. You have siblings? You know Caleb and basically Matt and Scott have self-proclaimed themselves my honorary big brothers."
"I have a half-sister, Rose" I tell her.
"How old is she?" Tris asks curious.
"Six."
"Just like Hector" she says, referring to Lynn's and Shauna's younger brother.
"I know. They both go to the same pre-school. Our mother's are actually friends" I tell her.
"So, I gather you stay with your mom. What about your dad?" she asks and I flinch, "Oh, I'm sorry" she says apologetically. "I didn't mean to bring up something upsetting."
"It's okay. You couldn't have known. But can we not talk about my dad?" I ask and she nods. "They divorced" is all I say.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Where were we? Oh yeah, right. Your turn to ask me something."
"Do you wanna go on a date with me?" I ask her boldly. She looks at me surprised and suspicious. "FYI, I want to go on a date with you" I tell her remembering what Matt said.
"You want to go out with me? Why?" she asks.
"What do you mean why?"
"Why me? I'm sure there are plenty of pretty girls at your school who would die for you to ask them out. Why would you ask me?" she asks. Wow, Matt and Scott were right. She doesn't have a clue the effect she has on people.
"I like you, Tris. I like you a lot."
"But I'm so plain and small and … not pretty" she says looking down on herself. That's new. Usually the girls I dated were so full of themselves, but Tris is different.
"I don't think you are anything like that. I think you are amazing, smart, witty, funny and beautiful" I tell her honestly.
"Beautiful? Ha" she laughs and snorts a little. "Okay. Where's the camera? Who put you up to this?" she asks and looks around.
"No one did. I mean every word, Tris. But if you don't want to, that's okay" I say, even though it's not. I really like her. She is the complete opposite of any girl I've ever met.
"Hang on. You mean it?" she asks in disbelief.
"Yes, of course. Why would I lie?"
"I don't know. It's just no cute boy ever asked me out" she says. Wait. Did she say cute? She thinks I'm cute? I feel myself smile widely.
"I can't believe no one ever asked you out" I say.
"I said no one cute" she says laughing. "So, you wanna go out with me?" I nod. "For real?" I nod. "And this isn't a prank?" I shake my head no. "Or some stupid guy bet?" I shake my head again. "You wanna go out with me?" I nod. "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure" I say.
"Okay" she says.
"Okay?" I ask.
"Yeah. Should be fun" she says smiling.
"Okay" I say again.
"Okay" she says.
"Okay."
"Can we use a different word now?" she asks with a chuckle. "I feel like we are abusing okay."
"Okay" I say and she laughs. "We should head back. It's getting chillier." We both go into the water and swim toward the shore. Somewhere in the middle between the shore ahead and the island we left behind she stops.
"You okay?" I ask a little concerned.
"Back to okay?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.
"No, sorry. Why did you stop?"
"I kept thinking."
"Yeah?"
"When, where and how?" she asks.
"You need to be more specific" I say.
"Our date. We are stuck here" she says.
"Oh, don't worry about that" I say smirking.
"Alright." We continue to swim until I remember something.
"Hey, Tris" I say and she stops, turning to look at me. "Why do they call you Ice Queen?"
"Only Matt and Scott call me that, because apparently I'm anti-social" she says.
"I would say you are quite the opposite. You are the center of the attention around here."
"'Cause I'm the new girl, but this will fade eventually" she says, but I doubt it. She is like a blazing fire and everyone else are moths drawn to the light. "It's actually Ice Mountain Tris. Rob, one of my friends and instructors, gave me the nickname after we climbed Mount Vinson in Antarctica" she tells me.
"Wait, you went to the South Pole?"
"Well, yeah. That's where the mountain is" she says with a chuckle.
"Must have been freezing there" I say shuddering at the thought.
"Yeah. I almost lost a toe. Thankfully I still have all my toes and all my fingers. Mickey, another one of my friends, lost his left big toe."
"Owie" I say and she laughs.
"Owie indeed."
We reach shore and walk into our respective cabins. I change into some sweat pants and a tee shirt, but decide to take my sweat shirt with me. I put on my sneakers and head back out. By the time I reach the bonfire where most of us gather each night I see Tris sitting next to Lynn and Zeke. I go over and make Zeke move so that I can sit next to the girl I like.
"Hey. You were quick" I tell her.
"I learned to be very quick on the mountain" she says. "You need to work at full speed, unless you want to freeze to death" she says serious, but then laughs. "Also, you wanna be quick if you don't want a bunch of guys seeing your half naked ass." We sit around the fire and tell ghost stories. Or at least some of us try to tell them. It's Eric's turn to tell a story. Eric and I have a few classes together and are on the soccer team. Next to him sits Nita. She and I went on a date, because Zeke wanted to nail her friend and we went on a double date. The whole time she talked without pause and bored me out of my mind. I couldn't wait for the night to be over and finally go home. The next day she went around the school and told people we are together. I had to get really loud in the hallway to make her stop spreading rumors. Eventually she gave up. Mostly, anyways. She still flirts shamelessly with me, but I ignore her. I try to pay attention to Eric's stupid ghost story, but I feel myself drawn to Tris. She smells so nicely. What is it? It smells fruity and sweet. Apple? Melon? Maybe some exotic fruit. I lean a bit toward her to smell her hair and just then she turns around and catches me.
"What are you doing?" she asks whispering and then chuckles.
"Uhm…" is all I manage to say. What the fuck am I doing?
"Are you some weirdo who likes to smell people's hair?" she asks with a straight face. Great. Now she thinks I'm weird. Then, something strange happens, she smiles. She leans in and whispers so that only I hear. "I like to smell people's hair too".
"Really?" I ask. She looks at me for a second before she laughs.
"No, weirdo. I was just saying that to make you feel better for getting caught being weird."
"Oh, thanks. Listen. I don't do this to people. But your shampoo has a strong scent" I say, trying to salvage, well, anything.
"Oh. It's passion fruit and vanilla" she answers. "You like it?" she asks and I nod smiling. "Good. 'Cause I could never go out with someone who doesn't like my shampoo" she says.
"Good. How do you stand on wood and musk?" I ask.
"It's okay, I guess. But wouldn't it be weird if I'd smell like a guy? Wouldn't that turn you off or something?" she asks sweetly. I barely hold back my laughter.
"I meant on me."
"Oh. I guess. Can I smell you? I mean, you smelled me" she says and I lean my head toward her and she sniffs me like she's a dog.
"What the fuck are you two doing?" Zeke asks whispering.
"Sniffing" we both say and laugh. Everyone is looking at us now.
"Sorry, folks. Please, continue, ehm… Sorry. What's your name?" she asks Eric.
"Eric. And please try to be quiet, babe" he says in a condescending tone.
"Dude, I never was and I never will be your babe. So if you don't want your tiny balls for breakfast tomorrow I suggest you stop talking like that. We clear, shitface?" Tris asks in a threatening voice.
"What did you say?" Eric asks standing up.
"You deaf or slow?" Tris challenges.
"Bee, stop it" I hear Caleb, who I now realize sits next to Lynn.
"Shut it, Caleb. I said if you ever talk to me like that again I'll serve you your teeny tiny balls for breakfast. Was I clear enough or do you need a diagram?" she asks standing up. She is much shorter than Eric, but right now she is taller than all of us put together. I have no problem standing up to Eric, I'm stronger, faster and smarter than him, but the rest in our school fear him for some reason.
"You're going to regret this, bitch" he says.
"Hey" I yell and get up. "Take that back. Now."
"Or what?" Eric asks mockingly. Before I can answer Tris walks over to where he stands and to all our surprise grabs his ball sack through his shorts and squeezes. Eric lets out a strangled cry of pain and curses loudly.
"You'll either respect me or I'm gonna squeeze your balls like they have never been squeezed before. I've handled punks like you my whole life. I can both take care of myself and beat the crap out of you. I might be small, but I'm stronger, faster, smarter and prettier than you, shitface. Whenever you see me in the hallway you will politely say hello and goodbye and never ever plot revenge. You know why?" she asks but Eric doesn't move. I can only imagine because he is in extreme pain. Damn. I grab my own package, trying to keep it safe. "I asked you something. You know why?" Eric shakes his head. "You might think you want revenge, but you won't do anything about it. Whenever you feel like paying me back, think of this moment. And if anyone acts on your command or suggestion and hurts either me or any of my friends I will personally take my revenge on you. And this, shitface, is just foreplay for me. I spend the last ten years fighting bullies like you and I usually win. And if I don't , well let's just say I rarely lose. Have I made myself clear?" Eric nods vigorously. "Excellent. Now go to the cafeteria and ask for an ibuprofen and some ice for your very swollen balls." Eric barely walks away and we all look after him.
"What the fuck is your problem, bitch? He is our star athlete. You think you are so great because you are all new here. You are just a stupid, small, ugly bitch" Nita insults Tris.
"Sorry, what?" Tris asks looking at Nita. "I didn't understand you right. I don't speak skank" she says with a straight face and half the people burst out laughing, while the other half applauds her. "Ugh" Nita says and runs off.
"That was so awesome" Christina says.
"Who the fuck do they think they are, King and Queen of Skankville?" Tris asks sitting back down.
"Tris, how many times do I have to tell you not to touch boys in their private areas?" Matt asks coming over with sanitizer. He pours some in Tris' hands and she rubs them. "You know I enjoy whenever you crush some fuckhead's balls, but use some protective gloves, for Christ's sake" he adds and we laugh.
"I can't believe you went to Eric and did that" Lynn says.
"I won't let him treat me like shit. If he can than I sure as hell can too. I have three black belts in three martial arts. I dare him to try something. And that skank… she better watches out" Tris says.
"Okay. That's enough, Rambo" Matt says. "You are no fun sober."
"Oh, shut it."
"Okay. I think it's my turn to tell a bedtime story" Scott says. He starts telling his story and I lean into Tris and whisper in her ear.
"Wanna go for a walk?" She nods. We both get up and leave the bonfire. It's too dark to take a walk through the forest, so we go toward the lake. It's near enough to have some light from the fire, but far to have our privacy.
"Sorry for that" she says after a while.
"For what?" I ask confused.
"For what happened back there" she says tilting her head toward the bonfire.
"You don't have to apologize. Eric and Nita should. They have been bullying a lot of kids at school and for the first time they get a taste of their own medicine" I say.
"Still. It was wrong. I'm so used to this wild life, that I have no idea how to behave around civilized people" she says and sits down.
"I wouldn't call either of them civilized" I say trying to lighten her mood.
"If you changed your mind about our date I understand" she says looking at me.
"What? Why would I change my mind? If anything now I have one more reason to date you" I say with a chuckle and she smiles a little.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
"Okay."
For a brief moment I see Tris' dad. I get up and ask her to wait for me here. She nods and I take off running toward him. I've known Mr. Prior ever since freshman year. He is a cool person, but I don't know if he would like me dating his daughter. But I wanna make this the right way.
"Mr. Prior" I say as I get closer.
"Yes, Four" he says turning to look my way.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" I ask and he nods. "Uhm, I was wondering if it would be okay with you if I would take Tris on a… uh… a date tomorrow" I say nervously. This is the first time I ask a girl's dad for permission.
"You want to take Bee on a date?" Mr. Prior asks incredulous.
"Yeah. I promise you, sir, I have only the best intentions. I really like her and I hope she likes me too" I say before I can stop myself. What the fuck is wrong with me?
"Uhm, I don't know, Four. You are a nice young man, but my little girl went through a lot" he says looking toward her. I turn my head and stare for a moment at Tris' back.
"Come on, Andrew, give the boy a chance. Bee is old enough to at least try it out. Besides, you and Natalie wanted your baby girl to be a normal teenager for once. Dating is part of that" Mr. Williams says, as he stands next to his brother-in-law.
"But she's my little girl."
"I know. And I'm sure the young man is aware that Bee has many protectors and if he hurts her, well you can do the math boy" he says and I nod. I would never hurt her. Not intentionally.
"Alright. Where are you planning on taking her? We are in the middle of nowhere" Mr. Prior says.
"The waterfall" I say. It's not far from the camp site and we can easily come back in less than an hour. "I thought we could have lunch there and just get to know each other. There is nowhere else to go and since Tris likes nature so much I thought it would be nicer than just wait to go back home and take her to a movie. I mean, I would take her to a movie if she wanted that. And maybe if we go back and she would want to go on another date I will take her to a movie" I say very fast and both men chuckle.
"Slow down, kid and breathe. It's just your first date. You're acting like you're asking for her hand in marriage" Mr. Williams teases.
"Cameron, don't say that" Mr. Prior says disturbed. "Alright. You have my permission, but you are back in time for supper. We clear?"
"Yes, sir. And you can trust me. I respect your daughter" I add.
"Even if you don't, she is capable of beating the shit out of you. She doesn't look like it, but I've seen her in enough tournaments. Her mom doesn't like it, but in times like these I'm proud of my little Bumblebee" he says proudly. That was awkward.
"Thank you, sir." I leave them and hurry back to Tris. To my unpleasant surprise Peter is there.
"Come on, Tris. You and I could be the new dream couple" he says getting way to close to her.
"Peter, I told you. I'm not interested."
"What? You are more interested in that dumbass Four?" he asks and I clench my fists.
"Yeah" she says and looks him straight in the eyes.
"He'll never ask you out. He only likes girls with big boobs" Peter says.
"Really?" Tris asks, her right hand to her chest, while her left hand is over her mouth. "And here I was thinking he actually liked me when he asked me out."
"He asked you out? Four never asks girls out" Peter says, more to himself.
"I guess he either likes me a lot or a brain tumor makes him do all kinds of crazy stuff" Tris says mockingly.
"Your loss" Peter says and gets up. As he turns to walk back to the bonfire he faces me. "She's all yours. I don't want her anymore" he says, as if she was his to begin with.
"Hey, there you are" Tris says smiling. "Did you hear the good news?" she asks while I sit down next to her. I shake my head. "I'm all yours. Peter doesn't want me anymore. It feels so good to finally know to which boy I belong" she says in a ridiculous southern voice. I can't help it but laugh.
"OMG, I was so totally hoping Peter would lose interest in you, since otherwise I wouldn't stand a chance against him" I say copying her.
"Like totally no chance" Tris says and we both laugh. "But seriously now. Where have you been? You left me here exposed to the creeps" she says punching my arm lightly.
"Sorry, I needed to take care of something. So, about our date. How about tomorrow I take you out for a lunch picnic?" I ask.
"A picnic?" she asks raising an eyebrow and suddenly I realize maybe she expected me to take her some place fancy. But then her eyes sparkle and she smiles brightly. "I'd love that. I can't wait" she says.