Eaton

20. Be Brave Tobias

*A few days later*

Tris p.o.v.

Never in my life have I wanted so desperately to be wrong. Never in my life have I had so much hatred directed at a single person.

Ever since that night, Tobias and I have gotten much closer. We walk home together everyday and sit next to each other at lunch. We haven't been out on a real date yet, now that I know his...situation... I realize just how difficult it's going to be for him to leave the house unnoticed. I have become more observant. I've started noticing how he limps slightly and how it takes him an extra moment to get up and sit down. So many things that I would have normally overlooked.

I wait for Tobias at our table in the cafeteria. Christina is talking to me about some new dress she wanted to buy but I'm just nodding along. Suddenly she stops.

'Tris?'

I look at her.

'What's up?'

'Nothing I... everything's fine Chris, why do you ask?' She shakes her head at me.

'Well you and I haven't talked in a while and you seem kinda spaced out. Do you wanna go out today? Like after school we could grab a coffee and just talk. Me and you? We rarely do that anymore.'

She offers me a kind smile and I feel guilty for wanting to turn her offer down.

'Or what do you say you come over to my house tonight and we can have a good ol' fashion sleepover, yeah? We can watch movies and eat popcorn, ooh and I can show you the new dress... What do you say?'

I smile and nod.

'Let me check with my parents'

'Me too'

She pulls out her phone and so do I. I decide to call mom since dad is probably busy. Besides, mom is better for these things. While I wait for her to pick up Tobias walks in and takes a seat, with some strain, next to me. He smiles at me and I return it.

'Hello?'

'Hey mom'

'Beatrice honey, is everything alright?'

'Yeah yeah everything is fine, listen mom can I go over to Christina's house tonight, for like a sleepover?'

Tobias pulls out an apple from his bag and starts eating.

'Christina... is she the perky one who talks a lot' That, ladies and gentlemen, is how my mother classifies my friends. You wouldn't believe what she recognizes Uriah as. I chuckle.

'Yeah mom'

'Oh yeah, she's sweet. I like her. Sure you can go, if it's alright with her parents'