Since You Been Gone

Chapter 22

Tris P.O.V.

"Table for five," Christina says to the man standing at a podium in the front of the restaurant. He quickly scribbles something down and then tells us to follow him. All five of us walk in a line behind him. He sets down five menus at a booth with a chair at the end and tells us the waiter will be here soon.

"What do you think you'll get?" Christina asks about five seconds after I have sat down, put my bag in the floor in front of me, and opened the menu. All that is on the front page is beer, steak, and wings.

"I'm not sure. I don't drink, or eat wings," I announce over the cheers of the groups watching the games on the television screams around us. She rolls her eyes and we all flip through the menu in silence. My eyes land on a chicken wrap that sounds good. I end up ordering that when the waitress walks over.

"So, how do you plan on picking up a guy from Tris?" Lynn asks after our waitress walks away. Christina shrugs a little and looks around the restaurant.

"I'm not sure. I hoped that just dressing nice and going to a sports restaurant would grab a guy's attention," she replies. I roll my eyes and take a sip of my water. My eyes move over to a television screen where they are broadcasting sports news. "So, have y'all enjoyed your time in Chicago?" Christina asks, causing me to rip my eyes away from the screen.

"Of course, it has been great to see all of you. Lucas has changed so much from the last tie we saw him. We definitely need to come back more," Shauna replies. I nod in response but I can't help the uneasy feeling of what might happen on the television behind Shauna and Marlene.

"Tris, look. A group of cute guys at 11 o'clock," Lynn whispers in my ear. I turn my head in the direction she mentioned. A group of five guys all sitting around a wooden table, each of them with a tank glass of beer in front of them. One of the guys is staring at me. For some reason, he seems familiar.

"Do you know that one?" I whisper. She shakes her head. I advert my eyes from him and stare at Shauna and Marlene, who are laughing at something Christina is saying. I sit in silence for the next few minutes, taking occasion peeks at the television. The closest thing to it being Tobias related is about someone from the same league using drugs.

"Um, excuse me," a voice says from beside me. I look over to see the guy who was staring at me standing at the table. Christina gasps next to me.

"Al! It has been so long since I've seen you! How have you been?" she says. He has unique, dark brown eyes and dark hair. He seems kind and warm just by looking at him even though he has a large, muscular build. The name reminds me of where I know him from: he was friends with Will when Christina and Will first started dating.

"I'm good. Do you mind if I sit?" he asks. Christina shakes her head and scoots over. I automatically scoot over too and he sits down next to me. He gives me a warm smile and I can't help the bubbly feeling that snakes its way up my spine. It has been so long since I felt this it almost feels foreign. "So, what are you girls doing out?" he asks.

"Just trying to find some Saturday night fun," Christina replies. He replies only with a grin before Christina can redirect the conversation. I stay silent as the others at the table talk excitedly about numerous things. Al's part in the conversation fissles out little by little until, like me, he is silent.

"Your name is Tris, right?" he whispers. I nod and give him a warm smile. "You've been awfully quiet," he comments.

"It's hard to talk when you don't have much to say," I reply. He gives me a humerous expression.

"Well, tell me about yourself, Tris," he says. I smirk a little, not really sure where to begin when explaining my messed up life. Do I begin with the part where I have a child or I am famous for a failed love story?

"Why don't you tell me about you instead?" I ask. He smirks a little and tilts his head.

"I don't know. I think I would much rather hear about you," he replies. I sigh to show that I am not happy with this defeat.

"Well, where do I begin?" I ask. I give him a grin and my eyes briskly shift over to the television screen where a Northern Illinois football player with the number four is wrote across his chest. I move my eyes back to Al but when I realize what I just saw, my eyes move back to the television where a picture of Lucas, Tobias, and I at the zoo is being broadcasted.

"I guess that is where I begin," I say, pointing at the screen. Christina sees where my finger is pointing, just now noticing Al and I had began our own conversation. Christina gasps, causing the rest of our table to look at the screen too.

"I thought you looked familiar and not just from being friends with Will," Al comments. I ask him to get up and he sldies out of the booth with a concerned look on his face. Quickly, I put up my bag and walk outside of the restaraunt. Why I am so upset, I am unsure. Of course silly high school mistakes would continue to mess up my life. Nothing could ever be so simple that it wouldn't be changed by that stupid trip.

"Tris, are you okay?" Al asks from behind me. I stop my pacing to turn and look at him. I am kind of shocked that he followed me instead of one of my friends, though.

"Yeah, I am fine. I shouldn't that a silly high school night get in the way of a fun evening," I say before walking back towards the doors to the restaurant. He grabs my wrists as I try to walk past him.

"Tris, it isn't that big of a turn off," he says. This causes shivers to run up my spine. I figured he was into me before the news cast, I just figured he stopped when I got up.

"And why would I assume that it is?" I ask. He smirks a little.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we should try to figure that out by going out next week?" he asks. I grin a little and nod.

"I think that would be an excellent time to figure out your theory," I reply.

First of all, I apalogize for this update taking so long. I just wanted it to be perfect. I also realized I left out Al so I plan bringing him back. (And a few other characters might be coming back soon, too. Hint Hint.) I have had big exam like tests for the last few days and I am really tired so the editing portion of this chapter has not recieved the attetion it deserves. So, yeah... Please comment and vote!

Insuregent! Like, that was amazing! It was more like the book than I figured it was and Lynn, Marlene, and Uriah kind of came out of nowhere but it was still amazing! Was I the only one that was kind of upset about that one sexual scene that never happened in that book? Yeah, I'm more upset that I got in trouble for reading "smut" but whatever. It happened in Allegiant so... Why am I rambling about this? So, yeah, that movie was awesome!

Disclaimer: Since I am not the amazing Veronica Roth I am the owner of Divergent.