CHAPTER 30

TRIS POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I quickly run back upstairs to everyone. They are all just waking up and looking around for me, I guess.

"You'll never believe what just happened!" I say excited.

"What?" Tobias asks motioning for me to come over by him.

"Marcus is in a business trip till Tuesday!" I say.

"Yay!" Evelyn says walking towards the door.

"No don't!" I yell running to grab her wrist.

"What?" She asks.

"Marcus set up cameras everywhere around the house, to watch me." I say looking around my room.

"Well, then you can run away!" Tobias says.

"No. I can't. He would find me. And there is this really complicated lock on the front door. And everything." I say disappointed.

I wish I could have a loving family. I mean technically, I do. But, since I live with Marcus, well you know how that ends.

"Loop it." Mom says.

"What?" We all ask.

"Loop the video. We find every camera and loop it. We record you doing something and then hack into the system and loop the video. He'll never know." Mom says beaming.

"That could work. Now, I just have to find the cameras now, since he is driving and most likely won't be watching me." I say.

I walk out telling everyone else to just wait in my room.

I locate the one by the door. Two in the family room and living room, and one in the kitchen. I run back upstairs and find one in the long hallway. That's it.

"Okay there's a total of seven cameras. One up here and six downstairs." I report.

"Okay." Mom take out her laptop and iPad and begin hacking or something. I'm not good with computers as you can tell.

I sit next to Tobias and he intertwines my fingers with his. I smile up at him and he gives me a quick peck on the lips.

"Got it!" Mom says. "Beatrice, since you're already in your pj's, go walk from the top of the stairs to your room and then I can loop that for a specific time."

I nod and do as I am told.

"Okay Beatrice, you will be going to bed at 9:34."

"Nice time." Tobias says with a smirk.

"Do not mess with me, Tobias." Mom says sternly.

Tobias just rolls his eyes at me.

PAGE BREAK TO AFTER THEY LOOPED~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have to do a list of chores." I tell Tobias grabbing the list off the fridge.

"Well, that's annoying. We'll do it together okay?" Tobias says his dark blue eyes searching mine.

"Okay." I say with a smile.

Mom and Evelyn had left through the window because they couldn't figure out the lock on the door.

I hear a buzz and Tobias takes his phone out of his pocket.

"Uriah and Zeke are having a party tonight." Tobias tell me.

"I am not going." I say as I get a text.

I take out my phone and it's from Christina.

C- you are so going.

T-nope.

C-yes.

T-Chris I am not going to the party.

C-I'll be over 4's house in an hour.

I sigh looking up at Tobias. "Chris is making me go." I whine.

"It won't be so bad." Tobias says taking my hand.

"Really. Last time wasn't so bad was it." I say with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay. When you put it that way..." Tobias says jokingly.

"We're going to have to climb the tree. Chris doesn't know that I live here. And she won't. Okay?" I ask.

"Don't you have a back door or something?" Tobias asks.

"Yeah, but I looked and there is another one of those locks and even if we figured it out, there might be cameras that aren't looped and I don't want to find out." I say.

Tobias nods and asks, "what time is she coming?"

"An hour."

"So what I'm hearing is that we have an hour to spare here."

"Tobias--" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"Tris, I didn't mean it like that. I meant if you wanted to play wii or something." Tobias says with a smirk.

"Oh." I feel myself start to blush as Tobias leads me to the TV.

"What game do you want to play?" I ask. "We have Just dance, Wii sports resort, Wii party, and this animal game thing."

"The sports one." Tobias says getting the remotes.

I slide the disk in and the machine whirs to life. "It might be a little slow. I barely use it anymore." I say.

"That's okay." Tobias says fastening my remote on my wrist for me.

"What a gentlemen." I say with a smirk.

"Oh shut up." He says.

We begin playing and find our way to fencing where I beat Tobias. Alot.

"Ha!" I say.

"No! Another game!" Tobias says wiping his sweat.

"Nope. Christina is going to be at your house any second."

"Fine. Are you sure you want to climb the tree?" Tobias asks worriedly.

"We don't really have a choice, do we." I say.

"No we don't, but--" I cut him off.

"Do you not think I'm strong enough?" I ask with visible annoyance.

"No, but--"

"Good then we don't have as problem here." I say walking up the stairs.

I open the window and step on the windowsill. I reach out for the nearest branch and grab onto it.

"Be careful!" Tobias yells.

"I know." I breathe out.

My small figure affects how far I can reach, so it is harder than you might expect.

I quickly swing my leg onto the nearest branch and Tobias follows nimbly breathing hard.

"You're afraid of heights." I say.

"Everyone is afraid of something." Tobias says looking down.

"I didn't think you were afraid of anything." I sag beginning to walk again.

We are practically halfway there and I know that I have to be more careful here. During the night last night, the wind brought down one of the thicker branches. Now, there are only thin ones that don't support much weight.

I carefully step out on one, testing my weight and decide that this branch is fine.

I walk out further to it with my hands above me on another branch.

All of a sudden, I hear a gigantic crack from below me and the branch behind to fall.

"TRIS!" Tobias yells grabbing for me. He narrowly takes my hand and he only has my fingers.

"Tris don't move!" Tobias says urgently.

"MOM! DAD! MOM!" Tobias begins to yell.

I feel myself begin to slip as my hands start to sweat.

"Tobias!" I practically scream looking down at the grass which is almost thirty feet away.

Tobias quickly falls to his knees on the thick branch that he is on and takes his free hand off of the branch and reaches down pulling my hand up.

I see Tobias start to slip and he quickly tries to nudge his foot into one of the holes.

"MOM! DAD!" Tobias yells.

Tobias adjusts his hand farther down, so he is at my wrist and grabs the branch behind him.

He hauls me up and I crawl up hugging the big branch of the tree.

"Tris. Are you okay?" Tobias asks pushing me onto my back so he can see my face.

"Tobias." I say shakily.

"MOM! DAD! MOM, DAD!" Tobias yells urgently.

I hear the front door slam and they both come running out looking around.

"Up here!" Tobias yells.

"Oh my--" Mom says when she sees me lying on my back with tree branches broken next to her in the ground.

"Don't try to climb down! The branches are all dead!" Dad yells.

"The what are we supposed to do?" Tobias yells just as Christina's car pulls in the driveway.

"No." I mumble with dread.

"Tris. It'll be alright. Sit up. We're going back into your house and we will use one of the lower windows."

"The windows are protected by a code Marcus set." I say.

"Tris! Oh my gosh! What's happening!"Christina yells running over to where my parents are.

"To--four how much do you weigh?" Dad shouts up.

"I don't know. Why?" Tobias yells down.

"Because we can catch you. I know it is risky, but that's the only way. Christina dear, would you mind getting Caleb and Evelyn." Dad says.

Chris looks from us with frightened eyes and runs inside.

"How much do you weigh?" Mom yells.

"Like 120 through 130. I don't know." Tobias says. Caleb, Evelyn, and Christina all come rushing out and stand next to mom and dad who tell them something.

"Four drop down." Mom says.

"Are you crazy? You're going to get me killed!" He yells.

"It's the only way." I whisper.

"There has to be another way!" Tobias yells.

"Do it." I tell him.

"Tris. I can't. I can't." Tobias whispers.

"You can and you will." I say.

Tobias cups his hands under my chin and kisses me with passion. "I love you Tris."

And with that he steps over me and hangs on the branch above us with his feet dangling.

"Go!" Dad yells.

Tobias looks at me and drops.

I stifle a scream and look down.

Mom, dad, Caleb, and Christian are all yelling what way to move and then they catch him. Tobias rolls off and starts kissing the ground. "Grass I missed you. I missed you ground."

I breathe a sigh of relief that he is okay.

Tobias looks up at me and nods. He is fine. Thank gosh.

"Tris how much do you weigh?" Mom yells.

"96 pounds." I say.

Practically all of their mouths drop. "96 pounds? That's insane." Christina exclaims.

"Okay Tris do what Four just did okay? We will catch you. I promise." Mom says.

I stand up and do what Tobias did. I hear dad shout 'go' and I put my faith in everyone. I let go and feel as if I am flying like a bird.

Soon, though I feel the impact of hands all over me. Head, shoulders, stomach, thighs, and feet.

I feel all the wind get knocked out of me and I can't breathe for a second.
I scream as the pain suddenly comes rushing in. From the stitches in my head, to my back, to where the belt hit me on my thigh last night.

I begin coughing from loss of air and they all lay me down on the grass.

Tobias instantly comes to my side. The coughing fit continues and I can't breathe.

"Water." I manage to get out and I see Christina run inside coming back outside moments later with a glass.

I eagerly drink it down and stumble to my knees. I move over to a corner of the house and puke up the bite of eggs I had and the water.

I sigh and fall back against the grass and breathe once again. Everyone comes rushing up to me.

"Tris. Come on let's go inside." I hear Tobias say through my closed eyes.

I nod and I feel him start to pick me up.

"No." I say opening my eyes.

"No? What?" Tobias asks.

"I can walk." I say while mom, dad, and Caleb exchange worried glances.

I slide out of Tobias's arms and stumble into the house.

I find my way to the couch and fall upon it holding a hand to my head.

Everyone follows me in and mom goes on to the kitchen. She comes back a minute cater with an aspirin and water. She knows me to well.

I quickly swallow it down and glance at Christina who is just watching me.

"So, hi." I say.

"Hi. If this is a bad time, I can go." She says.

"No it's fine. I'm fine. Stay please." I say.

She nods. "What were you doing in the tree?"

"We were uh..... playing hide and go seek." I lie biting the inside of my cheek.

"You're lying. You bite the inside of your cheek. Four's is he looks away and scratches his head." Christina says.

"What!" Tobias says sitting down next to me.

"You know you guys can trust me. I promise I won't tell anyone." She says sincerely. "Were you." She raises her eyebrows.

"What? No!" I say in outrage.

"In a tree? Really Chris." Tobias asks as if the question was nothing.

"Tell me." Christina says looking at me.

I look down at my hands and begin my story.

"The uhh.... trial was on Friday and I lost. I live with Marcus now, but he's on a business trip. The door was locked with this big thing. I couldn't get out. So I went out the tree with four."

"Oh my-- Tris. I'm so sorry!" Christina exclaims engulfing me in a hug.

"It's fine. That was why I screamed out there. He umm... he beat me last night and I got well, you know." I whisper as Tobias wraps his arm around me..

"Tris. I'm sorry. We don't have to go to the party of you don't want to." Christina says looking at me with pity.

"No. Let's go. Get my mind off things." I say.

She smile and Tobias decides to go help Caleb and dad with some project that they're doing.

I quickly run upstairs with Christina and she gives me my orders. Get showered. She picks out what I wear. She does my hair. And then my makeup. By seven pm. I am ready to go.

I am wearing a black skater girl skirt that end right before my knee and a blue sweater tucked into it. My hair is straightened with the beginning of the sides pulled back into two braids leading down my back with my otherwise straight hair.

My makeup is amazing. She does the mascara and a light blue eyeshadow with winged eyeliner.

She spins me in a chair and takes me to the mirror. "Wow. You made me pretty." I say.

"Are you kidding? You were always pretty. I just made you even more noticeable. Bold.

I smile and admire what Christina is wearing. A light blue flow lay dress that stops right before the knee.

Her hair is straightened, too and the makeup is the same as me. We both walk downstairs and stop to get Tobias and Tobias and I stop to talk to mom and dad.

"We might spend the night there. Because you know. We're his close friends and that's the tradition." Tobias says.

"Fine. But no funny business." She says with a smirk. "And no prank phone calls. And at truth or dare, please keep at least some of your clothes on. And please have fun. Don't tell your father I said this, but if, no there is going to be alcohol there tonight and you can have one drink if you want. You've been through a lot and since you're staying the night." She smiles at us.

We smile and begin to walk away.
"There is one rule."

We turn around and mom motions us forward.

"I want to make sure you guys understand that when I say one drink, you understand I mean one drink. People die from drinking to much. You get one drink for the whole entire night. And Tobias, don't think I don't know that you haven't had one before, so you have a higher tolerance for it. I want you to make sure that you guys don't do anything stupid. And please stay together the entire time. Be like kindergarteners. Hold hands the entire time. I don't care but stick together. I mean it. You protect each other. Please be safe." Mom says.

"We will." Tobias says and begins to walk away.

"But what about cops? They drive around busting stuff like this." I say confused.

"Oh honey, I am great friends with the police and I know that they will be pretty busy by theirselves tonight." Mom smiles and gives me a hug, whispering in my ear. "You don't have to drink if you don't want to. I'm just allowing it. And sweetheart, stick by Tobias the whole night. Even though he might be a little drunk. He knows even though the haze, when danger comes, to protect you."

Mom pulls back and shoos me off to be with my friends. I walk outside with Chris and Tobias arguing about what type of food is better and then we get into Christina's car and drive away.

HOW WAS THAT??! OKAY I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE THINKING! WHAT KIND OF PARENT LETS THERE CHILDREN HAVE ALCOHOL WEN THEY ARE UNDERAGE? BUT THATS NATALIE FOR YOU. TRUST ME SHE KNOWS HER CHILDREN AND THINKS THAT TRIS AT LEAST NEEDS A BREAK FROM REALITY. SHE ALSO KNOWS THAT TOBIAS WOULD NEVER DRINK IF THERE MIGHT BE DANGER OR WITH WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME. TRUST ME. NATALIE KNOWS BEST!

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