Divergent High School

f i v e : do you have a first aid kit anywhere?

   FOUR POV:

   God, what am I even saying? I've been in love with her forever, and when I finally get a chance, I screw it up! This always happens! I can't get one girl close to me without ruining it all.

  "Son." Marcus says, and I snap my attention to him, saving my daydreaming for later. "Yes?" I say, and wring my hands. We came to eat at Caro's Steakhouse, and we're waiting for our food. "You can calm down." he says, and I stop wringing my hands. That's when I spot her. She smiles at me, and I only nod, like I'm acknowledging her. She's trying to get my attention from across the room, and points to the door. I nod, and stand. "Marcus, I'll be back in a moment." I say, and hope he doesn't stop me. He doesn't, he just nods. I walk out the door, and wait for her to come as well. She says something to her family, of which I haven't seen in very long time. It's been years since I've seen her parents, considering they shipped Caleb and Tris off to Chicago years ago, and stayed in California. It's been awhile since I've seen Caleb, maybe a couple months.

   She walks out the door, and her nose twitches to the sour scent of alcohol everywhere. If I wasn't used to the smell in my own house, then I'd feel the same way, but Marcus drinks nonstop, and stays passed out for hours. The rest of the time, he beats me. And I can hardly bear it, though I've learned to live with it.

   We walk together, behind a shelf that's next to the bar, and we stop. I cross my arms, and breathe heavily, but slightly regret it. I'm not annoyed at her, I want to talk to her. She probably thinks I'm mad at her or something now. "What did you need?" I ask, in a much harsher tone than intended. "My parents are here, and they finally moved to Chicago with me and Caleb. They are asking me about which faction I chose, but there is no way I can tell them!" she says, and runs a hand through her hair. She's cute even when she's stressed, but she's actually worried now, and I can't let my feelings get in the way of the advice she wants from me.

   "Why is that?" I ask, and establish eye contact, hoping she doesn't think I'm being rude. "Because they're Abnegation, and they will never approve of me being a Dauntless." she whispers. "They'll understand. You need to trust them." I say. While you still can. I think.

   She shakes her head, and apparently disagrees. "No, Four, you don't understand. They don't like Dauntless, and they would never approve of this!" she says, and pulls her smooth black tank down so I can see the tattoo she has. I didn't know which one she got, but we all got tattoos together when we first transferred to Dauntless, except for the Dauntless-borns, like Uriah and Zeke, but they came anyway. I didn't see what tattoo that Tris got, but I knew she got one. And it's beautiful, almost as much as herself.

The tattoo is of three ravens, and they fly towards her heart. They each look a bit a different, but share similar qualities. I want to touch her, not in an inappropriate way, but just to feel her skin against mine, would be unforgettable.

I give in to my desire, and step closer to her, running my fingers along the tattoo, across each wing, each tail, and every detail. I relax my fingers, and they feel as though they absorb into her soft and smooth skin.

She steps back, pulling her top back up, and I want to slap my own face.

Seriously? You can't do anything right! Maybe Marcus is actually right about you...

I take my hand away, and feel my cheeks heat up. "If they ask again, just say you chose Dauntless. I promise, no matter what, they're still going to love you." I say, breaking the awkward silence. I smile slightly, to reassure her, and she seems happy, nodding. I can't resist what I do next.

I pull her into a hug, wrapping my large arms around her small waist. She stands there for a moment, probably shocked, but then slides her arms around my neck. We hug for a few moments, and I press my face into her hair. It smells nice on her, like roses. I realize I shouldn't have done that, and pull back quickly. Both of us have red cheeks, and I cram my hands into my pockets, wishing I could disappear.