Tris's Contenders

chapter 29

Tris POV

The sheets clung to me, waving the salty aroma of my hours of tears they have soaked up. I have lost track of hours, maybe even days. I have taken little notice to the sun rising or falling. My phone lays in pieces at the foot of my bed after the many hours I starred and waited for Tobias's name to flash across the screen. It never did. He never called, he never texted. He was silent and I swore my whole world was empty, frozen, if it wasn't for the cracking I kept feeling and hearing in my chest.

I never replied to the calls from my mother and father for dinner. At one point my mom came in and sat a plate of something on my table, but I ignored the food's beckoning. I didn't acknowledge anyone or anything. They say that the first cut is the deepest...your first love leaves the biggest mark. For the longest time I though Eric was my first cut, but no he was just the hilt of the knife that cut my heart right open and let the only one I ever loved bleed out. Tobias was my first cut. That wound won't heal.

I felt my body disentangle from my cocoon of heart ache. "Tris get up." Chris's tone was stern as she yanked harder on my thin sheet and finally broke me free of it. Sun smacked my ass wide awake the moment it touched my eyelids. "Get up! I know you aren't dead. You smell like you are, but you aren't."

I groaned, "Chris what do you want?"

"Well let's see, oh yeah I want my best friend back! I want her to get up out of her nasty bed, jump in the shower, get clean clothes on, and get her ass in my car so we can go to school."

I glared at, "I don't smell."

Her hands went to her hips, "You do. Get up Tris."

"Why should I?"

Anger flamed from her brown eyes and I swear smoke came out of her ears, "Life isn't over because of some asshole who can't hear you out. It is time to suck it up. It is Wednesday. Your parents can't get you to budge so I will!"

"I don't want to see him Chris. I go to school and if he is there...."

"Oh he is there Tris! He is there with Lauren wrapped tight around his fucking arm at any chance she gets."

I felt that sinking feeling grab whatever could possibly be left in my chest and drag in down to my stomach. The tears began to burn behind my eyes, but after days of this my body took in the tears like it was dehydrated. I probably was. "I don't know if I can do it."

Chris sighed taking a seat next to me. "I will be with you. You don't need to cry anymore tears over him and if you have to, come to me."

Chris's eyes held so much worry and care it made the slightest feeling of warmth course through me. "Okay."

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I walked out of the shower swatting the steam away. I don't know how long I was in there, but Chris kept nudging the door open checking on me. Before I entered the shower I didn't dare look in the mirror, but now I wipped the fog from the mirror and saw the dark circles taking home under my eyes. I looked skinnier than usual and even with the touch of red kissing my cheeks from the heat, I still looked deathly pale.

After dressing in clothes that Chris decided to pick out for me because she wouldn't let me wear my sweats and a baggy t-shirt, she decided to lay out concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow for me. The end result; I looked like a tired, but normal Beatrice Prior. "Thank you." I leaned my head on Chris's shoulder.

"I'm always here for you. Now let's go we have already missed two classes."

I reached the last step on the stairs and my mother looked up from her book and closed it as she stood from her chair. "I see Chris did what I couldn't." She gave Chris a quick hug and turned to me pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear, "Be brave Beatrice. You shouldn't let anyone bring you down. Now get to school because if I let you stay home another day your father will kill us both." She kissed my cheek and nudged us out the door.