Chapter 3- Gazes.

"Alright! Huddle in!" Four says loudly. I push myself over to him, and see he's stood before a bowl. We've just come down the mountain, working our way back for lunch.

"Before we start again, I have some improvements." He lifts his goggles, resting them on his helmet. He's a black dot in the white landscape. "Uriah and Peter," he starts. "You're over-extending before your turns. Try to keep your knees bent, otherwise, as you may have noticed, you can lose contact with the snow. Try to focus on shifting your weight from one leg to the other."

Uriah nods. I turn my head to see Peter. The only thing that is moving on his face is a slight eye twitch. I raise my brows to myself as I turn around, pressing my lips together. Peter's never been fond of being told he could improve.

"Tris," Four says. I look at him, feeling myself tense. Hopefully he doesn't go in too harshly. "You're perfect," he says. My heart stutters as my eyes widen, and satisfaction seeps through me like some kind of drug. I'm perfect?

"Or you would be, if you were balancing your weight correctly. Try to keep it between your heel and the balls of your feet." He turns away, dismissing me entirely.

"He really brings you up just to kick you back down again, huh?" Uriah whispers to me as he moves his attention onto Lynn.

I nod, but have already started thinking about where my weight naturally falls when I'm wearing my skis. He's right. I can feel more pressure on the balls of my feet. How have I not picked that up before?

"Start dropping in, I'll follow you up." Doing as he says, we drop in one by one. The steepness only lasts a second, then I'm moving up and down the sides, slowing down then speeding back up. I watch my weight, trying to keep my balance centred. It feels a bit unnatural, but I can already feel my turns becoming sharper.

...

"Good advice?" Four asks when we're back to the bottom of the slopes, getting ready to go inside.

We all nod, too exhausted to talk. I take my hot helmet off, and push back the wet pieces of hair that have come loose from my braid. I unclip my skis, bunching them together with the poles, and hold them under my arm.

"Good, I'm expecting to see improvements tomorrow." He walks past us, moving towards the other lodges. I watch as he goes, seeing as his shoulders fall. Do we really stress him out so much that he's holding tension all lesson? We do as he asks and none of us fall behind. How could we be?

"Hey, Tris?" Uriah calls.

"Yeah?" I say, turning around. A clump of snow hits the side of my face. I wipe it away slowly, getting Uriah back in my vision again. "Your aim is shit, Uri." I bend down, clumping together enough snow that the ball is as compact as I can make it.

"My aim's bad?" He gasps. "I just hit you in the-"

I bring my arm back, targeting his forehead. I let the snowball fly, watching as it hit exactly where I wanted it to. Uri drops to the floor, squirming around.

"It wasn't that hard, Uri," I laugh, watching as he drags himself up onto his knees.

"You weren't the one getting hit!" He's suddenly moving towards me on his hands and feet, looking rather determined. He's at my feet before I have time to figure out what he's doing. I'm down on the floor with him in no time, having pulled out my legs. "Bet you couldn't have done that," he boasts, his face hovering over mine, "look at these muscles!" He goes to lift up a fabric coated arm, when I shove some snow into his face, pushing him away from me.

I laugh as I watch him try and spit out the dirty snow, scraping his tongue with his gloved hand. "That's not going to make it any better, Uri. I don't think they sanitise the poles." I stand, holding out a hand. I look up, still smiling. When I do, I spot Four. He's stood with people I don't recognise, looking straight at me. I freeze, unsure what to do. I'm put off by what seems to be disgust on his face. His eye's flicker downwards, just as the girl next to him squeezes his arm. His attention averted, I realise I've left Uriah on the floor.

"Oops!" I pull him up, averting my gaze as I seem him eyeing me.

"What happened there?"

"Huh?" I play dumb, "I thought I recognised someone."

"Okay," he says dubiously. His eyes flicker past me, his face lighting up. "Mar and Will are back!"

He runs clumsily to them, his boots heavy on his feet. I watch as he engulfs Mar in a bear hug, pulling her off her feet. I try to resist, but turn my head to look behind me. He's not there anymore.

"I saw that."

My head spins around, coming face to face with Lynn. Her brows are raised, and a stupid grin pulls her face.

"Seen… what?" I ask innocently. I start unbraiding my damp hair, trying to act natural.

"You tell me," she says, then moves towards the others. I watch as she goes, unsure what just happened. I run a hand through my hair, pulling on it. I don't go over to my friends, instead walking straight into the boot room.

...

When the day was over, Uriah persuaded us to go down to the bar, halfway down the village. My legs were aching, and I felt exhausted, but the thought of missing out won.

For most of the day, I've been able to avoid Al. I feel bad, distancing myself from him for no apparent reason. I don't know if he has any idea, his demeanour hasn't changed since yesterday. My score came to an end when we entered the bar. It's small.

"I'll get the drinks." I offer again. I squeeze Uri's shoulders, trying to convey a message.

Instead, I get a confused look over his shoulder.

"I'll help, Tris!" I resist the urge to close my eyes in frustration.

I smile thinly at him, "Thanks, Al."

I walk to the bar, not waiting up. The others head to a couple tables near the back.

"I've been meaning to catch up with you all day," Al says cheerfully, "where've you been?"

I look over the board above the bar, scanning the options. "I skipped lunch. I wanted to ski a bit on my own."

I see him nod from the corner of my eye. Guilt starts to seep in, and the need for this awkward feeling I've shoved onto myself to be gone is overwhelming.

Making an effort, I turn to him, "How are you faring? Off the green slopes yet?"

He nods, "Yep. We went up the mountain for the first time today, practised our snow plough."

I laugh to myself, thinking of Christina struggling to get the technique. "I would love to witness Christina learning to ski. Maybe I'll force her out after class one day."

He, too, chuckles, "It is quite amusing."

The bartender comes over then, and asks for our order. I make it simple, ordering the same cheap beer for everyone. He starts pulling pints as Al starts speaking. "So, uh, I've been wanting to talk to you about something that's been on my mind-"

I hear familiar laughter behind me. "Is that Zeke?" I look over my shoulder, and see Zeke and Shauna have just come in. They walk to the bar, spotting Al and me.

"Tris!" Shauna cheers, pulling me into a hug. The bartender places the beer on the bar, then starts speaking to Al. "Beer? Gross." She shakes her head in disgust.

I shrug, "It's not like they have cider here." I reply, taking a sip of the malty drink. It's not great.

"Come down tomorrow and I'll order you lot something palatable." She turns towards the bar, flagging the bartender back.

"Do you want to join us?" I ask Zeke, watching as he takes a sip of one of our beers.

He peers around the bar, looking at our friends, "Maybe in a bit. We're meeting Four here, and you know how he is." He puts the beer back onto the tray, giving me a wink, "Uriah can have that one."

I shake my head with a smile, grabbing the tray as he hugs Shauna from the back.

I start to move away, but Al puts his hands on the tray. I look up at him, dread coursing through me. His big round eyes seem determined, and I feel myself losing grasp of the situation.

I let him take the tray, and just when I think he's going to confess, I hear my name behind me. His voice pierces through me, and when I look around, his mischievous face stares into mine.

"Peter." I acknowledge. I stand there, puzzled as to why he's speaking to me.

"Can I have a word?" His eyes flick to Al, who has moved right behind me. He's close enough that I can feel his body heat burning into my back. "In private."

I look at him with caution. I haven't had a conversation with Peter in years, let alone a private one. The only time we've been made to talk is when we've been shoved into a group together.

But, in this situation, I'll take anything to avoid Al's love confessions.

"Sure." I give Al a sympathetic smile. "Don't wait up."

I follow Peter outside, putting my coat back on. I pull my hood up, trying to save my dry hair from the fresh snowfall. I watch as he paces a bit, his hands shoved into his coat pockets.

"So did you need something or…?"

He stops moving, and looks at me, running a restless hand through his hair. "I need help."

I choke on a laugh, "You want help from me?"

He points an accusing finger, "Don't make this worse than it already is, Tris. I wouldn't be asking if I had any other option."

"Fine." I cross my arms in front of me. "What do you want."

"I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend." He says with finality. My jaw drops without hesitation. I go to deny, but he doesn't let me get a word in. "Just, hear me out!"

I pick my jaw off the floor, sceptically waiting for him to carry on. Fake date Peter? I could think of nothing worse.

"Nita hasn't shown an ounce of interest in me since we broke up in year 10. I know she's jealous of you, Tris. I think now we're older, she may finally listen to her heart and realise she does like me back." He waits in silence as I process what he's just said.

"God, you're soppy now, aren't you?" I remember back when we were going out. I think he tripped me over more times than he ever held my hand. "What's in it for me?"

He looks at me like I'm delusional. "Am I the only one who sees how you react to Al? He likes you and you don't like him. This is the perfect reason for him to back off." If I had some guts I would allow Al to tell me what he's been wanting to say. Who knows if it's even some big love confession. But I don't have any guts it seems, and this way around it is way more enticing. I guess there was something worse than dating Peter.

"No kissing, no hugging- no physical anything."

He groans, "But, Tris! How's it going to be believable if we don't do any of that?"

I shrug, "Get creative." Thinking logically, I know he's right. But the logistics say this is doomed from the start. "We haven't shown an ounce of interest in each other for three years, Peter. How are Nita and Al supposed to believe this? And are we meant to keep it from our friends? There's no way they'll believe it."

He shrugs mockingly, "Get creative."

"I could just tell them? Only Al and Nita need to believe it."

"No!" He exclaims. "You know how secrets work! You tell one person and the next thing you know, Myra is about to tell Nita. No, this has to stay between us."

I look around helplessly, feeling my energy leave my body. Is it worth it?

"Come on, Tris, please?" He begs. "I'll owe you!"

I leave him hanging for a bit longer, enjoying the power this decision holds over him. I watch him try to soften his features, making himself seem as innocent as possible.

"Wipe that shit off your face, Peter. It's creepy." I sigh dramatically, "I guess I'll help."

"Great!" He says, holding out a hand, "This partnership goes on until I say so."

Why am I surprised he's trying to take control? "No. This goes on until I say so. I'm the girl, I'll know when Nita is ready for our relationship to break." I wait for his response, watching as he thins his eyes at me.

"Fine, deal." He concedes.

I shake his open hand, smirking at him. "Alright then." I look back into the bar when we release each other. "Let me go back in and tell them I'm leaving. Wait out here for me and we'll go somewhere and talk." Just as I finish talking, Four makes his way around the corner. I lock eyes with him, and every thought leaves my head. What is wrong with me?

He seems looser somehow, his jaw isn't set as tight, his shoulders lower. It could be because his work week has ended?

He nods his head in greeting, then walks past us.

"Hurry, then," Peter pushes.

I run back to the door, and see Four keeping it open. "Thanks," I walk past him, my shoulder nearly brushing his chest. He doesn't reply, just lets the door close behind me. He walks to the bar, and I overhear him talking to the bartender in French.

If only his attitude was better, he would be a 10.

"Hey! What did Peter want?" Christina asks as I stand at the head of the table.

I grab my drink, "Nothing." I take a few chugs, then push it into the middle of the table. "Someone can finish that off."

"Where are you going?" Lynn asks sceptically.

I walk backwards, giving them all a wave, "See you later." I run past Four, still at the bar. I think I see his head turn, but the door's closing behind me before I'm certain.

...

"No way did you actually say that to her!" I laugh.

Peter chuckles, nodding his head, "She wasn't happy. That's why I was in the exclusion room for the rest of the week."

I kick the snow with my boots as we walk through the picturesque town. This place could be the set of a cheap T.V Christmas movie.

"Well, you've always known how to get under people's skin."

He looks down on me, cocking his head, "You'd know first hand?"

I look away from his presumptuous expression. "Why did you stop talking to us, Peter?" It's hard to believe now, but Peter used to be a part of our friendship group. It was only when we broke up that he separated himself from us all.

We come to a stop by the ice rink. He leans on the barrier, watching as a couple skate in the middle. They spin in fast circles, the man holding onto his partner's waist as she extends her body outwards.

Peter shrugs in response, his eyes locked on the dancing duo.

"I didn't mean to- I didn't think you'd become a stranger to us all after I broke things off. I know I ended it baldly-" The words stop in my throat, thinking back to how I finished it. He doesn't look at me, but his body is closed off. "We were 15, Peter."

Talking to him, actually having a conversation with him makes me miss what we had. Not the dating, but being friends. But I know he's changed. You can't help but slowly morph into the people you hang around with, and Peter hangs around with Drew and Molly.

"I know you won't believe me," he starts, turning his heavy head, "but it hurt me the way you left it."

That night I felt stuck. I felt low and confused and didn't know what to do. I knew we weren't going anywhere, we both did. And I felt stupid for holding on just for the sake of it. I didn't want things to become awkward, but they did anyway. I told myself life goes on, and it did. Just without Peter in it.

"I shouldn't have been so blunt- I definitely shouldn't have done it in front of our friends." I play with a piece of hair, rapping it round and around my finger. I regretted what I had done straight away. It was heartless. "I'm sorry."

He nods, pushing off the rail, "There's no point holding grudges, not when I need your help." He holds out his hand, "Truce?"

I nod, shaking his hand. "Now, how to make this believable."