Lost

22

Tobias POV

"Okay. So there are two people in this world. Those who understand binary and those who don't" she jokes.

I furrow my eyebrows, "Uh. I don't get it"

"Binary? High school algebra?"

"I skipped high school" I state.

"Oh. Oops" she says.

"It's okay. I don't take it personally" I say, as we both push through the crowd, trying to squeeze past each other.

I eye an isolated purse, laying on a bench. I grab it as I walk past, and search through its contents.

"What are you doing, that's not yours?" she whispers aggressively. I nervously tense up when she does. I fear the trust wall I've built up may have been knocked down. May be it blew up or something.

"It's our access pass" I reply, truthfully, hiding my shaky voice.

"Oh no. We are not stealing money"

"I know. We're not" I say, "In fact, using it will help the owner get it back as well. So it's a win-win"

She seems reluctant to my factual speech, but concedes, allowing us to use the purse.
I search through the purse, and find the iPhone. I find it unlocked, so I go through it, setting an alarm of in twenty minutes. I then turn it off, placing it back in the purse. I know Tris is confused, but it will make sense later.
The entrance fee is free, it's just getting to the very top is thirty extra bucks. And that's thirty more bucks than I have right now, so, why not cheat?

I drop the bag in a corner, and suddenly a beeping noise comes from it. My alarm.

We walk to the elevator, ticketless, and suddenly, the officers are clearing the premises because of a "suspicious bag."

Hint hint, that's my suspicious bag.

So the crowded people exit the elevator, and we enter. By now, the roof should be empty, so we ride to the top.

"That's cheating, you know" she says, amidst the silence.

"What is?"

"Everyone else has to pay to get up here, and we're just......cheating"

"I'm sorry. We can go back down, if that's what you want" I say unconvincingly. For a moment there's silence. I crane my neck to look at her.

"You know what, let's do it"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The top of the Empire State Building never ceases to amaze me. I love watching all the tiny people with their tiny lives leaving to work. I like seeing things from this angle. It makes me feel great and powerful.

Strong.

I wonder if this is why my father beat me when I was young. So that he could feel the power and strength he never had.

I place my hands on the glass separating me from falling to my death. Tris slides next to me.

"It's so nice from here" she says.

"I know. That's why I brought you here" I say, wanting to add. I've thought about this moment for years, but it ended in us falling in love.

"It's nice" she says. The fact that no one else is present on this roof makes it feel a million more times special than it is. We spend twenty minutes in pure silence, the sun's hot rays shining upon us. The day is crystal clear.
The sky is one shade of blue, not a single cloud in sight. It must be, minimum, eighty five degrees (30 degrees C for my British readers ;) and the back of my neck burns without a hat.
I crane my neck to look at Tris, who stares out into the distance, her lips turned down.
"You okay?"
She smiles, "I'm fine"
I smile back, and reach out for her hand. I don't know what propels me to do it.
But I place it on hers, and she stares up at me, our fingers intertwining hers.
"Tobias-" she starts.
"I know. You have a boyfriend. But we're doing this as friends"
I don't want it to be like that, but I'm afraid that's how it's going to be.
I feel a drop on my hand. I stare at the sky. Completely blue, without single cloud. Then I realize, it's Tris.
She's sweating.
How could she not in that sweater?
"You okay?"
"Yeah" she says, shifting, "I just think we should go back. They're going to be suspicious"
I smile.
"Do you want to take the stairs?"
She returns the smile, "Hell yeah"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't know why I agreed to this" she pants, "This is so exhausting"
"Hey, ten more floors to go" I encourage, walking down the stairs with relative ease. The training I had undergone for nearly five years has helped me stay unbelievably fit, since we're required to do physical activities everyday.
I explained that to Tris when she started becoming jealous of how easy it was for me.
"You make ten floors sound like a walk in the park" she says.
"Okay, I'll carry you" I say, reaching for her, carrying her bridal style.
She moans, "Tobias, you don't-actually, never mind, please do"
I laugh, and carry her downstairs. She's lighter than a feather. Maybe not a feather, but she's awfully light for a human girl her height.
"Are we there yet?"
"No"
"How about now?"
"I climbed like two steps. No"
"Now?"
"Nope"
"Now?"
"I think you're tired. Let's take you home"
As if she way struck by lightning, she clutches me tighter. Her nails dog Ito my skin, and I keep myself from wincing.
"No. I don't want to go home"
I laugh amidst the pain, "You sound like a three-year-old right now"
She doesn't laugh like I expect her to. Instead, she buries her face in my shoulder, mumbling, "Please
don't take me home. I don't want to go back home"
Judging by the way she grasps me so tightly, she's serious. But what can I do? I'm supposed to steal from her, so I can't bring her to the compound.
"Tris, you have to go home"
"No, please. I don't want to"
"Don't act childish" I frown, hating myself for calling her that, "Tris"
She sighs, suddenly changing her mood, "Sorry. I don't know where that came from"
I nod, and then continue walking until I reach the door.
"You must stand now"
She stands, mimicking me, "Must? Strange choice of words, misuere"
"I don't know why you're speaking in a French accent, madam"
"Because I'm tired, very tired"
"Too tired for Central Park?"
"Tomorrow?" She suggests.
"Sure" I reply immediately, "Let's go home"
"Noooooooo" she drags on again. I'm glad we're not in public, so no one can see her act like this.
"Why not?"
"Please, I want to stay with you" she says. Suddenly, she inhales sharply, "Al does bad things"
Those words. Hearing those words makes me want to throw a tv at him. Scratch that, I'll throw the Empire State Building at him.
Just the simple fact that he's not being the person Tris wants him to be the pure enough reason to be mad. But I have a feeling something worse is coming.
"What kinds of things?" I ask, gently laying her down on the stairs.
"I don't like to talk about it. Lies you didn't like to talk about Marcus"
So Al doesn't just to bad things, he does bad things to her.
"Okay. I'll take you with me. But we have to be secretive"
"My head hurts"
"We'll treat it when we get to the compound" I say.
"Tobias, I feel sick"
"Oh no, not now"
"Actually, never mind, I'm fine"
What the hell is wrong with Tris?