Tris's Contenders

ch 36

Tris POV

"Okay Beatrice and Caleb, it does seem your parents wrote up a very simple will. All property and items found or registered under Andrew Prior and Natalie Prior will become ownership as equally to Son, Caleb Prior and Daughter, Tris Prior." My parents' lawyer sat behind a mahogany desk reading the will my parents gave him after I was born. I don't know when they last updated it, but I didn't care. I don't want their things. I want them. "They have shared stocks in the Erudite Book CO. that are to be equally split between you two, as well as their house, cars, and anything within those."

He set the papers down and looked between Caleb and I. I uncrossed my legs only to recross them making my skin peel from the brown leather. I glanced to Caleb as his eyes stayed fixed on Mr. Brody. Caleb's words stirred in my head, my stomach, and pinged against my heart. "This is your fault. This is on you." Those lines have haunted me these last few days. Like bile building up after being viciously poisoned with rattlesnake venom.

"Now..." Mr.Brody spoke and sighed dragging out my attention to him. "Caleb you are eighteen is that right?"

"Yes sir."

"And Beatrice you are about to be seventeen soon?"

"Yes."

"Any family?"

"Not here. We have a grandmother in another state." Caleb spoke for us both.

"Yes. Well I'd advise you to get hold of her about guardianship, of you Tris." I felt my mind go blank. "That is unless you want to petition for emancipation which in cases like this..." he picked the papers back up. "You still have your parents house to live in and if you sell the stocks your portion should be about $750,000. So I don't see emancipation being a problem. Is that something you would want to do?"

"Umm.." I was at a loss for words.

"Miss Prior you can have a few days to think about it."

"Thank you." I studied my hands as he continued to Caleb.

"Caleb seeing as you are eighteen and already considered an adult, you are on your own with your own choice."

The rest of the meeting went blurry and I stuck myself in my mind's shadow. Swirling around Mr. Brody's words. We said our goodbyes and before I walked out he stopped me, "I'll need to know what you will want to do by Friday Beatrice." I nodded my head. He placed a fatherly hand on my shoulder. "Don't let this put your future on hold. They would want you to be happy."

Mr. Brody had known my parents for over twenty-five years. He use to be good friends with my father in high school and I could see the pain surface in his eyes from their death. "I know." I gave him another nod before I turned to leave.

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I sat in the passenger seat while Caleb drove us home. "don't put your future on hold" Mr.Brody's words become my father as I replay his and Tobias's last conversation. Who am I to bring this all down upon him. Tobias has held me these last couple weeks. Took me as his number one priority leaving everything else far behind. He sat with me until I cried my last tear. He held my and spoke comforting words while stroking my hair until my pain broke into slumber. And when the fiery nightmares of their deaths woke me with screams of terror, he was there fighting sleep deprivation for me.

I put myself on hold. I put him on hold. My future is frozen from three deaths, I won't put this on him.

"I think I will sell my shares as soon as possible. If I get that money I can ask Principle Matthews to sign me up for mid-term graduation and head out to Ball State or Princeton or...we could sell the house too and get...."