Chapter 16
Tris' POV

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Usually when I wake up in the mornings, I am blasted with the nettlesome sound of my alarm clock. I would have to drag myself out of bed and continue with my morning routine.

Today, however, is different. I wake up an half an hour before I usually do, which annoyed me a little. However, I moved passed that. I was all giddy and smiles.

I got dressed in simple blue jeans, and plain white t-shirt and a sweatshirt over.

After my encounter with Tobias, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I bike to school with a simple smile on my face. I turn fifteen and a half next month. I still can't drive yet.

"Tris!" Tyler runs up to me.

"Hi?"

"Do you want to hang out later?"

I'm a little wary of that idea. After our discussion yesterday before his football tryout, he made it clear to me that he won't try to do anything.

"Friends. I even invited Uriah and Mar so it won't be just us two." I raise an eyebrow.

" I don't know, Ty."

"Please? We're just going to get ice cream and that's it."

"Okay, fine. You're lucky my practice was cancelled today."

"Thank you." He hugs me and bids farewell.

I sigh. That boy, I swear.

As usual, I make my morning routine. Go to my locker, grab my books and then head to class.

When I read my locker, I quickly open it and is met with rose petals falling out for it. Not just a few, it must have filled up my whole locker.

Great.

People gather around to see what just happened. I'm going to kill Tobias.

"You like it?" He practically skips to me.

"Not really, because now I have to clean this up." I feign annoyance.

He sighs. "I'll help you." He drops down to the floor and takes out a bag from his pocket.

"It was really sweet though." I tell him softly.

"It was supposed to be romantic." He says.

"It was cute." His eyes turn darker and he looks at me.

"Did you like it?" His lips turn a tad upwards.

"Maybe."

When all the rose petals are put into the bag, I hand it to Tobias and walk away.

"I'll see you later." I say with a smirk.

"Wait! What am I supposed to do with this?" He holds up the bag of rose petals.

"Compost? I don't know!" I walk away with him standing there.

And then I realize, I forgot my books!

"How exactly do you dissect a flower? I mean like do you just cut it or something?" He's been blabbering for the past half an hour.

"Tobias, will you shut up? I'm trying to concentrate."

"Tris, it's not even that hard. You don't even need to use the knife. All you have to do it peel the petals from the stem or whatever." I roll my eyes.

"You're not helping. Number one, what is the process of photosynthesis? How the hell am I supposed to know?" Our teacher doesn't teach shit.

"Uhm, well sunlight goes into the plant. Then, it goes through the flower or whatever. Stuff happens and bam! You have cholesterol and sugar!"

"You mean chlorophyll?" I ask.

"Right. Chlorophyll. Now write that down." He hands me my pencil.

"Tobias, you're explanation really sucked."

"Well thanks Tris, I'll try harder next time." He mumbles sarcastically.

"My parents asked me about you yesterday." I tell him. We were having dinner last night and my parents brought up Tobias. They asked how he was and why he hasn't been to our house in a long time.

"They did?" He says whilst raising both eyebrows.

"Yeah. They did. They want to know if you would like to go on a 'special trip' with our family tomorrow." Special trip as in fruit picking with us. I knew if I told him he would refuse to come.

"Special trip? Where?"

"I don't know they didn't tell me." I lie. My uncle has a twenty acre farm. It's one of his passion, farming that is. I've been there three times and I enjoyed picking fruit, mainly because they're all organic and really sweet and juicy.

"Sure, why not?" I almost laugh. "It's won't be that bad, right?" He smiles.

"Right." I nod my head.

"When is this?"

"Tomorrow, Saturday." I answer. Maybe I should tell him. It's an hour and a half drive from home and it's going to be freezing cold. Well, we're mostly going to be ducking the crops in my uncle's greenhouse.

"Come to my house at ten." I tell him.

The bell dismisses before he can say anything else. I turn in the worksheet, and Tobias disposes of the flower remains. After packing up, I head to my next class.

"Hi." A boy around the age of eighteen greets me. "What flavor would you like?"

"May I please have a mint chocolate chip, small on a sugar cone?"

"Sure thing." I watch as he takes a cone and a ice scream scooper for the ice cream.

I'm currently with Uriah, Mar, and Tyler, getting ice cream in the thirty degree weather.

"Tris!" Ashley, a mid-thirty year old woman greets me. "How are you?"

Around April I usually come to this ice cream shop for work. I've been working here for two years. Well, I come to work from April to late September just to make a little extra cash.

"Hi Ashley, how are you?"

"Great great. I see you come for ice cream." She says with a full smile.

"Hi Tyler." I forgot to mention, Tyler and I worked here for a few months together as well.

"Do I finally get my free ice cream you promised a while back?" He teases. They had made a bet back then saying whoever can make ten milkshakes in the east amount of time wins something. Tyler free ice cream for a month, Ashley, fifty bucks. He had won, and she never gave him his gift.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." She waves him off.

The boy hands me my ice cream and I silently thank him.

"This is my nephew, Dave." The boy gives a shy smile and then excuses himself to go to the back.

"How much?" I ask her. I don't want to keep Uriah and Mar waiting.

"No charge." She says kindly.

"Not happening. How much?" I say pulling my wallet.

"Tris, I can pay." Tyler stop my hands from reaching my pocket.

"Oh no you don't. I'm fully capable of paying for this."

We start bickering silently.

"For the love of God, it's fine. No charge." Ashley cuts is off.

I thank her, but end up putting a five in the tip jar.

I hear Mar and Uriah enter and sit at a table.

"So, how are you two?" I clear my throat.

"Oh, we're not together anymore." I shake my head.

"What?" Ashley asks, bewildered. "Oh I see." I can feel the awkwardness creeping in.

"Yeah, just friends." Tyler says emphasizing the 'friends'. I give him a wary look.

"It was nice talking to you, Ashley." I say politely.

"Yeah, you too, Tris and Ty. I'm hoping to see you back in April."

"You will, don't worries." He and I leave and sit where Uriah and Mar are.

"Took you two long enough." Uriah says with a mouthful of ice cream.

"Oh my gosh. You're such a child." Marlene takes a napkin and wipes his mouth.

I smile. Those two make such a lovely couple.

"Walk you home?" Tyler asks.

"Uhm, sure."

"So." He starts. "How's life?" I just want to run away. Now.

"Good, good. Everything's still the same, I guess. You?" I fiddle with my fingers.

"I miss you." I sigh deeply.

"Tyler. You have to stop." He needs to give up on me. We had or have, I don't know, a thing but now it's gone.

"Tris-" he pleads.

"No Ty! You keep getting me to say that we'll try being friends and next next moment, you're saying you miss me and implies that you want to get back together? You need to-" I sigh. "Please, just. I-I- I have feelings for somebody else." I've only admitted this to myself a few times and later on I'd decline any feelings for Tobias what's so ever. But now? I don't even know anymore.

"You mean for Tobias?" His voice cracks and I can't stand this. I can't stand this any longer.

"Yes. No. I don't know! I guess, yes." I mentally face palm myself.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just really like you. A lot." He tells me while grabbing my hand.

"I like you too, but not in that way anymore. I'm sorry." I hug him one last time. "I'm sorry."

So yes. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Laugh because Tobias feels the same way as me or cry because I keep hurting Tyler over and over again.

Ugh. This is so complicated.

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed. I like author notes because you get to talk about random things and sometimes people actually read them:) I'm an incoming freshman and all the band kids have a band camp two weeks prior to school starting. We go over our music for two hours and learn how to march another two hours. It's fun, I guess. I learned that the seniors and sophomores it hilarious people. They always make inappropriate jokes and tease one another. My band teacher he's great! He has a fun relationship with all the students and likes to make fun of them. What I hate is that when school starts I'll have to deal with 3x the amount of fuckboys and bitches. Ugh, high school. My cousin says college is so much better because of you get into a really good school, there's usually only smart people. So you don't have to deal with all the annoying ones. But I'm excited.

Moving on, review, comment, let me know what you think. I absolutely LOVE when you do comment. Anyways, check out my other story, Finding Home. Have a nice day, and I will see you soon. Bye!