Dauntless High School

Chapter 11

Sorry this one took so long. My computer broke and I don't like writing on my phone. But I'm back! Thank you so much for the votes and reads, makes me happy! Yes, Fourtris will happen... eventually. Some other things have to happen first.   

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URIAH

I feel determined, like I am on a mission and nothing can sidetrack me. I'm going to Tris's favorite pizza parlor to pick up a large pizza with her favorite toppings. Then I'm going to get back to her place as quick as possible so that she knows how serious I am about making all this right between us. It was Tris that started this whole fight but since she is more stubborn than a bull, she's not going to see past my screw-up last night at this point.

Tris and I have been together for a long time― since the end of our freshman year of high school. I've had plenty of opportunity now to learn how to fix it when we have a fight. Tris needs to feel heard, know you're really listening to her, but I also have to be careful not to be too "you were right" about it all because if I go overboard with that, she might start to think that maybe she actually under-reacted and that could make it all even worse.

We've been fighting more often lately, and anytime I think that maybe we might not make up one of these times, it makes my chest tight. Tris has been important to me for half my life now and I've wanted her to be my Tris, have thought of her as my Tris, since the seventh grade. But I was too chicken to say anything about it. Sure, there were times I was distracted by other girls, or by an argument, but it has always come back to Tris. If I were to let her go, I might never have a chance to get her back. I was afraid I had lost my chance when she briefly dated Peter in ninth grade. When they broke up, I just wanted to be with her even more than before, to protect her from ever being caught up with an asshole like him again.

I pick up the pizza and start toward Tris's house, but I've only gone a few blocks when I notice the car pulled off on shoulder of the highway. I recognize that car, it's Al's... and that's Al's large body hunched over the open trunk, and Marlene standing off to the side watching.

I pull up behind them and turn off my Jeep. "Need some help?" I call as I approach them. Marlene's face lights up in a winning smile and Al hits his head on the door to the trunk as he stands.

"I'm not sure how much you can do," Al says, rubbing his head. "I've got a flat and my spare..." I peer into the trunk and see where he has pulled up the carpet to reveal a donut-type spare tire... flat as a pancake. "I'm going to have to call a tow truck."

"That sucks, man," I say. Marlene runs her fingers through her hair and shifts impatiently. I know she's worried about our chapter test in math class tomorrow and wanted to get some extra study time in tonight. She has been having a hard time getting the hang of this unit, I've been helping her with the homework all week in the second half of algebra class, when Mr. Parker lets us work on the homework.

"Marlene, you want a ride home?" I offer. Al will have to stay here and wait for the tow truck, but there's no reason Marlene needs to go with him to get the tire fixed.

"Yeah, thank you," she says quickly. She grabs her bag out of the backseat and hurries past me to hop in the Jeep. Al thanks me for stopping and I say goodbye and get back in the car.

Marlene glances at me and says, "So... what habit are you choosing to change on your own for the psychology project?"

Marlene and I are doing a psychology project together. It's about behavior modification and changing habits. We are testing what makes a person more successful in changing habits. Everyone had to choose one of the tips for changing habits and prove or disprove it by choosing one habit to keep a secret and change/kick/make, and one to work on with a partner and support each other and check in through it. So Marlene and I chose the mutual bad habit of staying up way too late. We both have committed to be in bed by midnight every weeknight for the two weeks―the duration of this project..