Tobias and Tris - Best Friends

Chapter 4

TRIS

I get up the next day in my own bed for once, since Andrew isn't there to lock me up in the closet. I cherish this while it lasts; I bet he will beat me even more today due to the events of last night. I dress into a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. I'm looking forward to school today... I really want to see Tobias.

When I arrive at school I avoid as much contact or interactions with others as possible and scuttle towards my locker, trying to keep myself in check. I stuff my books in my locker. Christina is leaning against the locker next to me, waiting for me. I follow her and the rest of the gang to our first class of the day.

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It's lunch, and things couldn't go slower. The only class that I have with Tobias is Music and Biology, none of which we have today since our school follows a block schedule. I almost enter the cafeteria when I see Four and Peter walking towards me. This could not be good. Marlene, who shared the class that I just had, is in the bathroom and insisted that I start lunch without her, so I am walking alone. They snatch my backpack that was hanging on my shoulder, dump the contents on the floor, and walk away. I sigh, frustrated and gather my belongings again. Seriously, how could Four be Tobias? It makes no sense, but all evidence points towards it. I'm starting to doubt even telling Tobias that I am Bea. He seems to be doing fine without me.

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It's been another month, and I have given up on all hope of telling Tobias that I am Bea. He always bullies me. During the first week, he kept slamming me against lockers. On the second week, he teased and called me names in the hallways, turning my peers against me. The third week, he would take my apple, the only lunch that I carry. This week, he started putting mean and rude notes in my locker. I'm going insane, but I can't tell him that. I have to be strong.

Today, though, life seems to be completely against me. Last night, Andrew beat the crap out of me for putting too much salt in the dinner, then this morning I woke up late with a sore back, during Gym the cuts from my back nearly reopened, and now Four and his posey are walking towards me. Kill me now, please.

I hide behind the locker, trying to avoid them, but as usual, it does nothing. Four slams his hand against the locker, causing me to flinch. They erupt into laughter once they see my weakness.

"Hey Trissy," Four says, using the nickname that I absolutely despise. "Where are your friends? Are they not there to save the day?" he asks as his friends smile smugly.

That is it. I am done. Done with being weak and most certainly done with him.

"What do you know about friends, Four? Last time I checked, you left one behind," his face pales slightly, but he quickly gains his composure. I feast on his weakness and continue.

"I know that you visited her last month. But she didn't want to see you, did she?" by now his face is as white as a sheet of paper and he's lost his charm.

"You...You know Bea?" he whispers, seeming weaker and weaker by the moment. I didn't know that I had such an affect on him. It makes me feel good, but I quickly get back to my original mission.

"Bea doesn't exist anymore. She died." I say. It's true. Tobias left Bea behind when he moved. Tris took the place of Bea.

"What?" his voice is scratchy and can barely be heard. He sinks to his knees. By now, a crowd has gathered around. This would surely make quite a lot of gossip.

"How do you know all of this?" he finally asks.

"How do I know?" I take out the necklace that he gave me years ago. "I know because I am her."

A few moments of silence pass by. Then a tear escapes Four's eyes and he lays on the floor, crying quietly into the palms of his hands. The bell rings and people leave to go to their next class, but him and I remain.

He extends a shaky hand in my direction. "Beatrice," he whispers. I step back.

"Don't touch me," I demand, and walk away. Sure, this wasn't the way I wanted the events to play out, but now that it has happened, there is nothing we can do. All I can hope is that one day Tobias and I can be friends again.

But so far, it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon.

FOUR

School has been great. Tris, the new girl, is such an easy target. It has been pretty fun to watch her break as we teased her. If I have to admit it, however, I sometimes I think that these actions are turning me into my father, but I quickly remind myself that Bea is the one who I am protecting.

Speaking of Bea, I haven't seen her at school or around town. I've searched for almost two weeks straight following the dinner, but no one seems to know her. What if something happened to her?

I am snapped out of my thoughts once I see Tris opening her locker. Quietly, I walk over to her locker, then slam her hand on her locker. She jumps, frightened, and I laugh. Fear isn't supposed to shut you down, it should wake you up.

"Hey Trissy," I say, using that nickname that I know she hates. "Where are your friends? Are they not there to save the day?" I ask. I watch as her face changes from one of sadness to one of anger.

"What do you know about friends, Four? Last time I checked, you left one behind," she says. Bea. I can feel my face pale slightly, but I am certain that I must have left a few notes about her here or there. She defiantly doesn't know about her. Apparently no one does.

She must take my silence as an invitation to continue speaking, because she says, "I know that you visited her last month. But she didn't want to see you, did she?" Bea. Bea. Bea. She knows Bea. How? Words and actions become hard for me as I picture my best friend, crying when I tell her that I'm moving.

"You...You know Bea?" That's all I can say. Thoughts are buzzing through my head quickly, but I can't seem to express any of them.

"Bea doesn't exist anymore. She died," Tris says, and something inside me deflates. I sink to my knees. She died? All I can imagine is that twelve year old girl in a pool of her own blood. I refuse to believe that Bea has died.

"How do you know all of this?" I ask in a last attempt to remain sane.

"How do I know?" she says, taking out a necklace. One that looks all too familiar. "I know because I am her."

No.

No, no, no.

I feel like my whole world is collapsing. Bea is the one person who made me feel alive. She made me feel things that I never felt with anyone else. I bullied other people to feel superior, so that they wouldn't pry and ask questions about Bea. And now I find out that Bea is Tris, the girl whom I've been bullying. I've hurt her so much, she's never going to come back to me.

Slowly, I extend my arm out to her. "Beatrice," I whisper, testing the name on my tongue for what seems to be the first time in years. If she doesn't accept my hand, then I know that I have failed her. And if I fail her, then I've failed at life.

"Don't touch me," she says and walks towards her next class and what seems to be out of my life.

I've failed. I'm done.

But the only thing that is going through my mind as I see her mix in with the swarm of teenagers is

Come back to me.

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A/N: Another chapter because once I started typing I couldn't stop :)

Did I do justice to Tobias' POV? How was this chapter? Comment with your thoughts! And don't forget to vote!