Resurgent

chapter 15

Chapter 15

~Tobias~

After initiation is done for the day, Tris and I go straight to our room to try and sleep before paintball tonight. Once we get in the room, I glance over to the clock and see it reads 6:45. Tris and I will wake up at 11:40, and then go wake up Christina and Uriah, and then the initiates at 11:50, then meet at the trains at 11:55.

Tris and I head to bed and sleep as long as we can before we have to wake up.

The alarm goes off at 11:40, and I gently wake Tris up. We both get up and get ready to leave for paintball. When we finish, we walk to Uriah and Christina's rooms, and wake them up. Then we make our way to the initiates room to wake them.

"Initiates!" I yell. "Time to get up! You have 5 minutes to get ready and meet us at the train station!"

Tris and I leave them to their moaning and groaning, and together we find Christina and Uriah and wait at the train station. The initiates arrive exactly at 11:55, just as I see the train's lights appear.

Once the train gets in front of us, we jump on and the initiates get the memo for them to jump too.

"What is so important that we have to do at 12 o'clock in the morning?" Jason asks.

"Don't you remember?" says Uriah slightly nastily. "I'm sure Tris and Four told you. Tonight is paintball, a Dauntless tradition."

"Everyone will get a pack of ammo and a paintball gun," I explain. "The game is played like capture the flag. You will be split into two teams, one team under Tris and me, and the other under Christina and Uriah. Each team is responsible for hiding and protecting its own flag."

I look out at them, and everyone looks like zombies. No one is awake and moving, but they will be soon.

"You guys can pick first," Christina says to Tris and me.

Tris looks over to me and smirks, and I just nod my head already knowing who she wants.

"Becky," says Tris.

Our team in the end consists of Becky, Sarah, Susie, Rachel, Mikey, and Ethan. We jump off first, and we end up where my team was last year, by the Ferris wheel.

I can tell Tris remembers this day because I see a smile form on her face. I pull out the bright neon glowing yellow flag and address the initiates.

"This is our flag, make a plan," I say and leave them to it.

They all begin to argue about plans, and that's when both Tris and I see an initiate wonder off: Becky.

I look over to Tris and see a look of pride come across her face. Becky reminds me of her, and I think Tris can see the resemblance too.

The place where Becky heads is unlikely, but unsurprising; she goes straight to the Ferris wheel. Tris and I leave our group to their arguing, figuring it will take them a while to agree on at least something, and we follow Becky. When we reach the bottom of the Ferris wheel, Becky has already started to climb it.

The similarities to Becky and Tris just keep growing.

I remember this day years ago perfectly. From the day Tris first jumped, I knew she was different, and that led me to pick her first for my team. When she climbed the Ferris wheel, she looked both determined and beautiful. She was the one who kept me climbing higher and higher; she helped me to not think about my fear. Because of her, my team won the game.

Now, I look up and see Becky climbing the Ferris wheel for the same reason that Tris did. Tris starts to climb, and I have no choice but to follow her. Once we reach the first platform, where Becky has stopped, we stop as well.

"What are you doing?" Tris asks, even though she already knows the answer.

"Reaching higher ground, to find their flag," says Becky, confident in her answer.

"Okay, well lets keep climbing then," says Tris, hidden pride lacing her voice.

Becky starts off, climbing higher, and Tris follows her. My head swims when I think of how high up we already are, and I wish I could stop climbing, but I can't let Becky get suspicious.

I climb.

Once we reach the top, we can see the other team's flag in a high building unable to be seen from the ground.

"I found it!" says Becky excitedly as she points to the tower.

"Yes you have, excellent. Lets go now," I say a little more impatiently than I meant to.

Tris looks down to me and reaches for my hand and gives it a little squeeze. She mouths "It's okay" to me, and though her words incite little comfort, I appreciate the thought.

We make our way back to the ground and go back to the group and tell them our plan.

The plan is like the plan the last time I played: four people charge and attack the opposite team, and four go to the flag. I'm in charge of the group that attacks, and Tris is in charge of the group that goes to the flag. Once everyone knows the plan, we head out. I lead my group straight to center of the buildings, where I know Uriah and Christina's team are waiting.

I look at the corner if my eye and see Tris leading her group straight for the building.

Once we reach the city, paintballs fly everywhere. I see Rachel go down, leaving Mikey, Ethan, and me left in my group.

We manage to get through the first group of people waiting for us, and we then head into the city ready to fight the rest.

When we reach them, things really start to get crazy. Ethan goes down next to me, and I manage to get two initiates and Uriah down.

I look up to shoot more people and see no one. Everyone is down but me. It's now up to Tris's group to get the flag.

I look up and stare at the building, waiting for someone to proudly hold up the flag.

After waiting for a couple minutes, Becky walks out, proudly holding up the flag and waving it in the air. A giant smile is spread across her face. Our group starts to cheer and pump our fists in the air. We're rowdy up to the train tracks, where silence suddenly falls.

They way back to the Dauntless compound is completely silent. Why, it could be many reasons. No one wants to ruin it, people are just tired, or any number of guesses.

Once we arrive back to Dauntless, people go back to their rooms to sleep. In our apartment, Tris and I just lie together on the bed.

"This is our second year winning," she says with a smile.

I laugh and say, "Last time we won because of you; this year, we won because of Becky, who is a lot like you."

"Yeah, I guess she is like me," Tris says.

"She is," I say, kissing the top of her head. "And that's a good thing."

"Good night Tobias. I love you," she says.

"I love you too," I say.

We lie there, and finally I hear Tris fall asleep.

She is beautiful when she sleeps, and I always remember the first day I met her. I'd fallen in love with her the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then suddenly all at once.

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hey guys! so I really don't have much to say, but I'm about to reach 2k reads! I will post the next chapter most likely tomorrow because it is already written and edited! Thanks everyone, ily!

~hannah😋