Dauntless High School

Chapter 33

FOUR

I am awoken by sunlight on my face and keep my eyes squeezed shut. My back stings and aches; for a moment I think I am back in my old house with Marcus and vaguely wonder why I am on my side. Usually after one of Marcus's "lessons" I stay on my stomach all night.

But then I freeze as I become aware of the warm body pressed against my chest, which seems to be wrapped much more neatly than I usually manage on my own, and I open my eyes to see a mess of wavy blonde hair. That's when I come back to reality: I don't live with my father, not any more, it's just that this is the first time I've been punished since Mom and I moved out. If not for the pain my back I might think I had died and gone to heaven, because I am spooning Tris Prior, in her bed.

A bolt of panic shoots through me remembering that it was Tris who I called for help last night ― that she knows my deepest secret now and for a second all that goes through my head is, What the hell were you thinking, Tobias?!

I take a deep breath and focus on my memories of last night, and I quickly calm. Because I remember. I remember that I only saw anger in her eyes, not pity. I remember the way she took care of me. I remember the way my name, my real name, sounded on her voice and lips, and it makes me smile. And instead of feeling panicked, I simply feel free, and maybe even loved.

Ten peaceful minutes pass before an alarm begins to blare from Tris's phone. She mumbles words that sound like they might be curses and reaches forward to fumble for her phone, eventually having to pull away from me to reach it. I feel cold where her body had been pressed against mine. As soon as the alarm stops, I automatically reach to pull her back to me, but stop short feeling the pull on my wounds.

Tris rolls back toward me, turning to face me and I drape my arm over her waist. "Good morning, Tobias" she says with a soft smile. Hearing her say my name makes me smile back. That, and just seeing her beautiful face. Then her brow creases with worry "How are you feeling?"

"A bit sore, but I'll be fine. Football practice is gonna be a bitch, though," I lament, feeling a flash of worry for the game against my old school, Erudite, tomorrow night. To play badly tomorrow would not only be a hit to my pride, Marcus would certainly have something to say about it and it would not impress the scouts that are sure to be present.

"You can have another one of my pain pills but maybe just half while we'll be at school?" she suggests.

"Yeah, that would be good. Thanks," I say. "Uh, any chance you could give me a ride back to my car tonight after practice?"

"Of course," she agrees. To my disappointment, she sits up and stretches. "We should get ready for school. Do you want the first shower, or...?"

I blush just at the thought of Tris in the shower... naked. "You first, yeah," I say quickly, "I'm sure you have to like, do your hair and all that... girly stuff."

Tris laughs and rolls out of bed.

-o-o-o-o-o-

At lunch, Christina shows us all the proof of the latest dare. We watch and listen to the video she took with a hidden camera placed in her living room as she very convincingly informs her parents that she's pregnant and isn't sure who the father is. Most of us end up nearly rolling on the tile floor laughing as her parents hit the roof, both of them yelling and her mother bursting into tears. Then there's the lecture about how she has ruined her life, how is she going to manage college with a baby, and other hurtful words.

When her mother tells her in no uncertain terms that she needs to get an abortion, Christina finally tries to calm them by admitting that it was only a dare. When the lecture on safe sex starts, Christina shuts off the recording. "God, that was embarrassing. You know my mom went on at me for over an hour after that? Thanks for that," she whines, throwing a crumpled burrito wrapper at Shauna.