Candor or Dauntless: Truth or Dare (Watty Awards 2013)

Part 21: Home sweet home

We walk to our room and pack our things. I grab both of mine and throw them over my shoulder. Tobias puts his arm around my side and pulls me close to him. I smile.

We walk to the edge of the grounds. Tobias bends and types in a code. The gates slide open slowly. I walk into the gates, with Tobias at my side as the gates creak closed. The train horn blares in the distance and the rails clatter. I look at my feet. My shoe is untied.

I drop both of my bags and bend over to tie my shoe. I stand and reach for my bags. Tobias has one of them. I roll my eyes, he's always trying to help. The train brakes squeal and I jump, landing triumphantly on my feet. Tobias pulls himself in gracefully. I sit on the floor facing the door. I have to tell him. I've been avoiding this subject the whole trip, but now I have to tell him. He sits next to me.
I turn to face him, "Tobias, I don't know why I pretended we could actually be together. I'm with Alex. I...I...I like him. I really do." He stares at me, unblinking.
|"I knew this was coming. I didn't get my hopes up. I wanted to believe it was all real, but I knew..." He pauses, "But I knew, in my mind that you couldn't go through with it. You had Alex, an innocent victim." He says, his face and tone placid. I wish he would yell. It would make me less afraid. I won't cry. I look up and clench my teeth, willing for the tears to go away. I finally look down at him, he still has that placid look on his face. Anger swells through me. My blood turns into fire.

I try to stay calm, "You always had a chance." The anger pours through my voice.
He looks into my eyes and shrugs, "No I didn't, I'm not nice or handsome or even like-able. I honestly don't know why you were even with me in the first place." His voice stays steady.
I shake my head, "You know exactly why I was with you." I spit at him, "You are handsome and like-able. Kindness is something you struggle with, but you do have it. The old you was the one I loved!" I scoff, "Not the one who cheats whenever I leave him alone or tries to kill my boyfriends!" No tears threaten to spill over. My cheeks are warm with anger. The train picks up speed as we leave the city and back towards Dauntless Headquarters. I run a hand through my hair as the awkward silence fills the train car. My blood, heated before, has cooled. I'm no longer angry.

"Tobias, we can be friends. Can't we?" I say, my voice steady and cool.
He nods and shrugs, "I guess so. I don't know if...I don't know if I can control myself around your boyfriend though." He cringes as he says boyfriend. I nod. Maybe he can't control himself, maybe he loves me too much. I lean over and kiss his forehead. We both rise to our feet. The roof of the building appears and I jump. I don't look to see if Tobias made it. I hear his feet hit. I run down the stairs and to the Dorms. I open the doors and see all my Initiates.

Jess and Dylan are laying on a bed, sleeping. Jess's head is by Dylan's feet. I smile. Anna and Bekkah are asleep on their bunks. Jaden is snoring loudly in the far corner. Where's Alex? I walk down the aisle to the last row of bunks. On the last bunk, is Alex and Cleo, sleeping together. Alex is cheating on me?! Alex?!

A.N. 
EVERYONE CHEATS ON TRIS. Shit happens.