Hey readers, I'm updating slightly early so here is the next chapter. Thank you to everyone who continues to support this story through your various ways. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I don't own Divergent. I only own the plot, any military-related mistakes are mine. Just a reminder I have taken some liberties in regards to the military. Happy Reading!
Chapter 27: Pictures and Polaroids
Skidding to a stop in a parking lot outside of an airport, Christina jumps from the car excitedly. A smile spreads across her lips, her eyes meeting mine. "Hold this!" She commands, handing me a sign with two small American flags. She runs, tugging me into a hanger. "Where the hell are we?" I ask, my eyes moving around the landscape, unsure about the geography of this state. She points, giggling, "It's part of the Norfolk Airport, but this part isn't really public. This is part of the National Guard base," pulling me further into the crowd of men, women, and children. Suddenly, I feel claustrophobic in this crowd of people! My breath hitches momentarily, my eyes catch on a small group of soldiers standing in a windy field, waiting in lines holding guns. I watch each of them hand their weapons over to a man sitting behind a computer. After handing their rifle over, the men form into lines again. Suddenly, the rows disappear, everyone goes in every which direction. That's when my eyes catch a hint of a man with a beard, who looks like Will in his Army Camouflage Utility Uniform. He's wearing a green beret. "Will!" Chris and I scream in unison, catching his wandering eyes, drawing his attention toward us.
His head snaps automatically toward Christina, a smile plays on his lips. He attempts to slowly walk toward her, but he has a hard time keeping a measured pace. Chris giggles, "I'm sorry, Tris!" Letting go of my hand eagerly, breaking out into a full run. I yell after her, "Go, Chris, go!" She runs, meeting Will halfway across the field, jumping at him. He catches Christina in his arms, pulling her to his chest, and wipes her tears away with his fingertips. My heart clenches, watching them both from a distance. I miss Tobias. Only three more months until I can do the same thing with him! I can do this! The end is in sight. Will and Chris lock their lips in the background, and a shiver goes down my spine. I feel like I have eyes on me. Subconsciously, I glance around for anyone looking in my direction, but everyone is too busy with their returning service member to be paying attention to me. A male voice from behind groans, "Homecomings make me feel nauseated!" My heart leaps out of my chest. My eyes shoot over my shoulder, meeting Sam's light blue ones. He lightly smiles, "Prior."
"Sam," I greet, raising an eyebrow at him. I don't understand his statement about homecomings completely. "I have always found homecomings lovely. Maybe, it's because you have no one to come home to. You should work on that." I grin. He smirks playfully, "Maybe, I should, or maybe it is because I haven't found the right person yet to make coming home worth it for me from overseas." I roll my eyes at him, teasing, "Sam McKenzie, all the girls were after you in high school and college. I'm having a hard time believing you can't find the right girl. You could have your pick, and I don't accept your lame excuse of you can't pick up a girl like you have shared previously with me. You better find the right girl since you aren't getting any younger." Sam raises his fingers to poke my shoulder, grinning, "You sound like my mother. Are you sure you aren't her?" I flinch away from Sam's quickly raised hand, shutting my eyes. My breathing accelerates with fear lacing my chest. I open my eyes to find Sam standing before me, paralyzed with fear. "Tris, I would never," He whispers. "I know you moved your hand too quickly. It caught me by surprise." Sadly, he whispers, "I'm sorry."
Changing the subject, I ask, "What are you doing slumming it on a National Guard base?" Not needing to see the sadness or the guilt in Sam's eyes over my past trauma. I see enough when I flinch from Tobias's hand. My ghosts haunt me enough. They don't need to haunt Sam as well. I tease relentlessly, "Did you give up on the Coast Guard and join the Army? Don't you have better things to be doing with yourself like saving the world with that fancy helicopter of yours, or whatever the Coast Guard does with their pilots?" Sam's cheeks turn bright red. He shrugs his shoulders, answering, "Nah, that's Four's job. He is the one who gets to save the world. Depending on the day, I get to save lives doing search and rescue, which is pretty cool if you ask me." His shoulder touches mine while he speaks. He pulls away quickly, muttering, "Sorry, I'm falling into old habits with you, remembering all of our old gestures we did in college and high schools. I can't help but notice how happy you look every time Four's name is mentioned. You never smiled like that when anyone ever spoke about Peter, even in the beginning. You must really love him, don't you, Prior?"
I smirk, "It's Eaton, now! Of course, I love Four more than anything in the world. He is my husband, after all. Now answer my questions. What are you doing here?" Sam smiles, "You will always be, Prior, to me, no matter what your last name is. Perhaps, I was looking for you, and Christina told me exactly where I could find you. I thought you could use some company. I'm off duty for the next twenty-four hours." His eyes connect with mine, continuing, "I'm glad Four makes you happy. That's all you have ever deserved in this life." Glancing at Sam, I ask, "Why are you looking at me?" Wondering why Sam is staring at me. He grins, "I was wondering if you needed help moving furniture or heavy boxes." I smirk, "Actually, I could use help moving some of the furniture, if you would be willing to help. I need help hanging the pictures on the wall as well." Sam rolls his eyes, "Let's go find Chris and Will, and we can all work on your house together. We can have a work party as we used to in high school, but this time with furniture and boxes instead of books.
Christina and Will spot Sam and I in the crowd. They walk toward us, hand-in-hand. Will happily says, "Tris, you made it to Virginia, finally!" Picking me up, spinning me around. A giggle escapes my lips. Christina greets, "Sam," her eyes glued to Will and me, a smirk spreading across her lip when she notices him standing next to me. Will set me on my feet beside Sam. Christina smirks, "Thanks for meeting us here. Now, I have found the perfect girl for you. You will absolutely love her. She is a hard-working girl, currently working as a counter girl at the local Wawa in town. She told me she is attempting to get into the Coast Guard, and she recently moved here. I told her you would be more than happy to show her around. You will have to meet her one day. I can't wait to introduce her to you. Her name is Emily, I think, or is it, Sarah? Wait, her name's Stacy! That's her name!" Chris excitedly says, jumping up and down, grabbing onto Sam's arm, "She has shoulder-length red hair, beautiful blue eyes. She seems like just the type of girl you would go for, full of life." My heart drops, hearing the name Stacy come from Christina's mouth.
Sam shoots, "I didn't know I had a type, Chris, but thanks, I'm not interested." His eyes meet mine. I shout, "What, Stacy?" My mouth, catching up to my brain. My heartbeat quickens, my breathing accelerates, remembering my interaction with Stacy this morning, recalling her sharing with me she works at a local Wawa while waiting for Christina's answer. I feel like I'm going to pass out, and I feel light-headed. There is no way Sam and Stacy can date. Stacy almost destroyed Tobias. I can't let her do that to Sam. Chris cannot play matchmaker between those two of all people!
Quickly, I change the subject before Chris can speak anymore about Stacy. I ask, "Would anyone be willing to come over to help move furniture and maybe help decorate?" Christina's eyes light-up at the word, 'decorate,' she asks, "Yes, when?" I giggle, "Right now," tugging at my jacket. Shrugging her shoulders, answering, "I'm game as long as Will is." Will sighs defeatedly, "Will there be beer and pizza involved?"
Rolling my eyes at him, I giggle, "Of course!" Chris loops her arm through mine and Will's, dragging both of us toward her VW bug. My hand reaches for Sam, but he doesn't take my hand. Chris yells, "Meet us at Tris's house. She will text you the address." When Chris shuts the car door, I whisper, "I don't have his cellphone number," looking through my phone. My phone vibrates with a notification from Christina. She sings, "Now, you do." Quickly, I send him my new address.
Christina races away from the airport and down the streets toward the house. She groans, "No fair, he cheated!" She side-eyes the blue Dodge Hellcat sitting in the driveway next to the Raptor. Will laughs, "Maybe, if you had a car that drove faster than fifty miles an hour. You would have beaten him here." A laugh escapes my lips, "Go find the pizza and beer." I push the car door open and leave them behind, arguing about; how Chris's VW bug is better than his Dodge Challenger. Sam is sitting on the steps leading to the house, his leather jacket wrapped tightly around his broad shoulders. His eyes lock with mine, as a smile plays across his lips when he stands. Behind him, I spot a bouquet of sunflowers lying on the porch. Cocking my head, I ask, "Did you buy me flowers?" His eyes glance to the doorstep, answering, "No, I assumed they were from Four." My eyes snap to an envelope next to the flowers. Slowly, I walk to the envelope to pick it up. My name is written across the front in black, neat print.
I tear the envelope open, my curiosity getting the best of me. What's inside? Inside the envelope: Tobias's orders. I already received a copy of these. He told me he was sending me these in Maryland. The most concerning thing, on his orders, handwriting that doesn't belong to Tobias. The script looks familiar, but I can't place it. A message is written: You can run, but you can't hide forever. I will find you. You still owe me a life. From inside Tobias's orders: photographs of me today with Stephen and outside, me getting out of the truck with Christina waiting in her car, and me sitting on the side of the highway changing a tire. My eyes land on Sam's curious ones. Panic pounds in my chest. I whisper, "You didn't bring this, you swear, Sam!" Who the hell is taking pictures of me? "I swear, Tris, it wasn't me. Who is it from?" Sam asks concern lacing his voice.
A shiver courses up my spine, I mutter, "I don't know who this is from, but whoever it is, I think they are following me." Sam tightly smiles, his shoulder touches mine, "You just got here, and you are already made an enemy. I want to know how you accomplished that one? How do you know someone is following you?" Shrugging my shoulders, I answer, "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach." Sam optimistically replies, "Stop being such a pessimist. You were never like this in high school." I roll my eyes at him, attempting to brush the tight feeling of anxiety spreading through my chest, replying, "I'm not a pessimist!" Pushing him down the steps toward Christina and Will carrying the boxes of pizza and beer.
Thoughts and opinions on this chapter. I can't wait to hear them. Any guesses on who is behind the photos? How would you feel if you were Tris and you received these items in the mail? The next chapter will be updated on the weekend of February 13.