Into the Night

Chapter 21 - Tris POV

Sunday, December 7th

Finals are coming up. Anyone walking through campus can feel it. The air, although colder, is heavier. Under eye-bags are more prominent. The coffee line at the on-campus Starbucks is a mile long. The library is crowded with upperclassmen and a few freshman who have figured out that you need to start studying weeks in advance for college finals. Everything feels slower, more run down, and my bed sounds more comfortable than anything right now. Maybe that's why I haven't gotten out of bed yet, and it's almost noon.

Christina got up not that long ago, and I can hear her in the shower. Hot water beating down on me sounds good, but I really don't want to get up. I recently added a new blanket to my bed since our heat is a little sketchy in the apartment, and it feels like heaven.

I checked my phone for any new messages, emails or calls. Nothing except a text from Christina the night of December 2nd, letting me know that she was heading home while I was still collecting my tips for the night. She came down with the flu that night and Eric let her off the hook for work on Wednesday.

I ask Christina how my message sounded when I called her that night in my drugged state. She had given me a blank look, and said "What message? You never called me."

She showed me the logs in her phone to prove it.

A slight panic had run through me, because if I didn't call Christina, who had I called? I looked through my phone, but Eric must have deleted the data when he snatched my phone away from me.

It isn't until around 1:30 that Christina finally bangs on my door for me to get up. She threatens to pour cold water on my head if I don't. It scares me and my newly found warmth even though I know she would never follow through. She knows too well that I'd get her back for it.

I drag my body, still wrapped in a blanket to the bathroom and turn on the hot water. Surprisingly, Christina left some for me.

Taking a quick peak at myself in the mirror as I shed my night clothing, I look over my skin. The bruises are yellow and faded, and the scratch marks Molly gave me just look like under-scab skin, an off white color. Those pain meds that Eric shot me up with on Tuesday after I knocked Peter out really took it's toll on me. I could barely move the next morning. But most of the pain was gone. Shauna told me how she had a similar experience with whatever Eric really shot me up with. It was in her first year as a dancer and she had a mental break after almost being assaulted. He gave her the drug and she was much happier in seconds. She called it Peace Serum.

Then there's the whole deal about my new body experiment. Max doesn't know that Eric and Jeanine are testing on me together. Some of my new C cup bras still have the tags on them just in case the experiment isn't permanent. I had my seventh and final shot of the trial last night. I really hope the change isn't permanent, and that if they deem the trial a success, that they leave me out of the real thing. I wonder if there were any other girls on the trial, maybe in Erudite.

After washing my hair and shaving, I walk back to my room, towel around my hair, and my blanket back around my body. Christina was making some hot soup and asked if I wanted some.

"Is it tomato?" I ask, a slight discomfort on my face. The last time I had tomato I got sick, but it was because of food poisoning the night before. Ever since, the smell of tomato soup has made my stomach roll in a less than comfortable manner.

She shakes her head. "Chicken noodle."

"I'll have some." I walk back into my room, depositing the blanket back on my bed. Dressing in plain dark blue jeans, and a dark gray long sleeved shirt. I throw on my black Central Chicago University sweatshirt on over top. And for even more warmth, I slide on some lime green fuzzy socks I got for Christmas from Lynn and Shauna last year, and step into my slippers.