852 YEARS LATER - BEATRICE
Tobias and I sit on the park bench, just watching little kids chase after other little kids through piles of autumn leaves. A little girl shrieks as her pet dog licks her face clean. The crisp air blows past my face, making me involuntarily shiver. I pull my scarf closer to my chin.
"You alright?" Tobias asks me. I nod and look up at him.
"I just shivered Tobias. It wasn't like someone was abducting me," I tease him and poke his arm. He smiles a little. Tobias almost never smiles anymore. Ever since his senior year started three months ago, he has been more reserved, strangely quiet, and avoiding people. It is strange.
"Are you okay Tobias?"
He sighs and returns his gaze to the children. His eyes focus on something beyond my help, beyond me, beyond the world. He nods uncertainly. "Yeah. I'm okay." That's all he can say?
"It's just that you have been a little, well, isolated lately. What's wrong Tobias? You know you can tell me," I say quietly, "You can trust me."
Tobias shifts on the bench so that our hands are just inches from each other. He looks down at the ground and bites the inside of his cheek. He only does that - the biting - when he is hiding something or nervous about something. What is wrong?
"I'll tell you some day, just not now," he mutters. I slide closer to him so I am pressed closer to his side and lean my head against his shoulder. His hand rests on top of mine. But this is only friendly. I could never date Tobias.
I am not pretty enough for someone like him and have no body; unlike the other girls that wink or wave at him in the halls at school. Some even give him their numbers. He just throws the little pieces of paper away in the trash once the girls walk out of sight.
But what Tobias and I have is different. We are close friends, but not together as a couple. We're always hanging out together that people think we are together, but we're aren't. Tobias is a great man; the perfect man for a girl his type. But it won't be me. We both know it.
"When?" I ask. I just want to know. I want to help him.
"In time Tris."
A year ago, Tobias decided to call me "Tris" as a shortened version of my name. He only calls me that when we are together, alone. In return, I call him "Four." Because he only has four fears and four wishes for the future ahead of him. The nicknames bind us closer, really.
So we just sit there quietly, watching the children play in the leaves.
"Are you going to the Fall Formal this year?" Tobias asks quietly.
I shrug. "Why go if no one is going to ask me? Zeke is taking Shauna. Will is taking Christina. Uriah is taking Marlene. And Lynn might be going with Al. Why do you ask?" I glance up at his face.
Each year our school hosts a Fall and Spring Formal. Only the Juniors and Seniors can attend. The only way a Freshman or Sophmore is allowed to go is if they are invited by someone in the two higher grades. But it is very rare for Freshman to attend. But a considerable amount from Sophmore go. Tobias, Shauna, and Zeke are Seniors. Will, Al, and Uriah are Juniors. And Marlene, Christina, Lynn and I are Sophmores. The chances of me going to the Formal are very slim.
"If I'm not asked - which I won't be - I will just stay home. You know I don't like loud parties where everyone just ends up getting drunk Four."
Last year, at the Spring Formal, Zeke had gotten so drunk that he went missing for a day. We all searched high and low for the idiot. It turns out he passed out in the bushes of his backyard when he tried to walk home.
"You make the Formals sound depressing and stressful," Tobias says, his thumb rubbing circles into my palm. His hand is so warm and careful.
"Well it is stressful. I hate the fact you have to go out and buy a fancy dress that I would only end up wearing once and just have to just give it away or return it." The idea of having to buy a dress for some stupid dance really makes me feel like I am wasting my time: which I would be doing.
Tobias smiles just a little bit more and his eyes meet mine.
"What if you went with someone you really would not refuse and actually like the idea of having to go get a dress?" I feel my cheeks redden and pray that the blowing wind covers their changing color.
"Maybe. It depends, I guess."
"Then… do you want to go to the Fall Formal with me?" Tobias asks.
I stare at him. Did he just ask me to the Fall Formal? Does he have feelings for me? No, he must be doing this just to make some prettier girl jealous. Or maybe he is just playing with me.
"Me? Go to the Fall Formal with you?" I use my pointer finger to motion from him to me and back to him, just making sure. I raise my eyebrows testingly. Tobias nods and gives me a serious face.
"Yes. I want to know if you want to go to the Fall Formal with me."
Is it me, or did his cheeks just redden? Did mine?
"I… yeah. Yes. Yes! I'll go with you." My voice comes out in a rasp.
Tobias smiles the brightest smile I have seen him smile in weeks and puts an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer into his side. His hand that was rubbing circles into mine immediately stops and laces with mine.
Oh. My. God. Does he like me like me?
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