Soulmates

Chapter 19: Party of Three

On Friday night, Christina convinces Tris to go out for dancing and drinks in the pit. She agrees, but gets more than she bargained for when Christina and Marlene are waiting for her at her apartment after work, their arms laden with clothing, shoes, and hair and makeup implements.

Tris uses her leadership comm device to let Eric know that she’s been hijacked by makeover artists and won’t be at dinner with him and Tobias. He replies asking where the girls are taking her when they’re done primping. She tells him, then begs him to come and rescue her before Christina can follow through on her threat to start waxing Tris’ eyebrows. Eric doesn’t respond.

The crowd in the Pit is rowdy as always. The main lights are out, and colorful laser lights dance around the walls and floor. The music from the deejay booth is cranked up loud, and Tris can feel the bass beat pounding through her body.

As soon as their stiletto heels step into the room, Christina and Marlene begin dancing. They move through the crowd with their arms raised, hips swaying. Tris is less comfortable as she follows her friends toward the bar, where they’re meeting Uriah and Will.

The boys are waiting for them, and wave for the bartender to come get their drink orders. Tris asks for cola with coconut-flavored rum. She hasn’t gotten into the drinking part of Dauntless life very much, but she tasted Christina’s once and knows that she likes the flavor.

When their first drinks are consumed, the group moves out to the dance floor. Tris feels self-conscious at first, but as the alcohol hits her bloodstream in the semi-darkness of the club, she gives in to the crush of the crowd and the pulse of the music. She raises her hands and moves her body to the beat. Around her, bodies press in close, the crowd moving as one.

Tris gasps as a pair of large hands grab her hips. She spins and finds herself face-to-face with a young man she hasn’t met before. He appears to be about the same age as Eric and Tobias, and quite drunk. “Dance!” he slurs above the music.

“Move your hands!” Tris tries to yell over the din. He either doesn’t hear her or chooses to ignore her, keeping his hands planted on Tris’ hips and dragging her closer to him as he dances. She struggles against the stranger, but he slips his hands lower, onto her backside, as he tugs at her.

Suddenly Tris’ two soulmates appear behind the man, their faces set grimly. Tris is beyond relieved to see them, and makes a motion for the stranger to turn around. He ignores her direction again, so Eric taps him on his right shoulder. When the young man turns, he is face-to-face with the stony expressions of Eric and Four. Eric makes a motion for the stranger to leave, and he wisely obeys.

Tris throws her arms around the two trainers in a group hug, which they awkwardly return.

“Dance with me!” she yells over the noise.

Eric smiles, but Tobias shakes his head. “I’ll get drinks,” he says instead. “Meet me by the bar.”

Tris and Eric yell their drink orders at Tobias, then Eric grabs Tris’ hips and turns her so her back is to his front. They sway together in time to the music, getting a lot of looks from the Dauntless members around them.

“You look beautiful tonight,” Eric says, his mouth close to Tris’ ear, making her shiver. She turns her head and grins at him, sneaking a quick peck on his jaw.

After a few more minutes of dancing, Eric leans in to Tris’ ear again. “Let’s go get those drinks with Four,” he says. She nods, and takes his offered hand as he leads her out of the crowd and toward the bar.

They find Tobias sitting at a table with three drinks, and join him.

“We always end up like this,” Tris says, pointing at the three of them.