tobias | ✔

three - tobias

“Happy New Year’s Eve, bitch.”

Tris rolled her eyes at the greeting she got as soon as she picked up the call. She stirred the eggs around in the pan, tilting her head to steady the phone between her ear and shoulder. The few month old Australian Shepherd puppy whined from the floor, where he sat with his bright blue eyes staring up at Tris.

“Good morning, Christina,” Tris said, reaching to get a plate from the top cabinets. She emptied the eggs onto a plate, turning the stove top off and getting the carton of strawberries out of the fridge.

“How’s Beau doing?” Christina’s breath was labored and Tris knew she was on her daily run. Tris moved to the kitchen table and sat down at a chair, picking up the puppy from the ground and placing him in her lap. He sniffed toward her food and Tris lightly patted his head away, whispering a word of disapproval before placing the phone down on the table and putting it on speaker.

“Good,” Tris said, picking up a few pieces of egg with her fork and putting it into her mouth. She didn’t speak again until she was done chewing before saying, “Are you going to Uriah’s tonight? Do you think my mom is invited?”

“Of course she’s invited,” Christina paused to breathe deeply, “her and Hana are friends, right? It’s a party all-around, not just for us. I’m sure Uriah’s place is going to be crowded.”

The door from the garage of her mother’s house opened and Tris looked up, smiling as her mother walked into the house. Usually on these school breaks, Tris always went to stay with her mother. Caleb has never come back ever since he left off to college. Their mother was usually all alone in this house, which was why Tris took every chance where she wasn’t doing anything else to see her.

“Hey, uh,” Tris let the dog down from the table as Christina began talking again. She furrowed her eyebrows at the tone in her friend's voice. “You do know that Four is going to be there, right?”

Tris’s eyes widened and she put a hand over her eyes, the realization setting in. Of course Tobias was going to be there. He was friends with Zeke, Uriah’s brother, who was also hosting the party. Tobias was also a part of the same police force Uriah was the chief of, which Tris found out when she scrolled more on his social media profile.

Christina called it stalking and told Tris to just go on a date with Tobias if she wanted to know more about him. Which is something Tris doesn’t want to do.

“Four from high school?” Her mother was the next one to speak and Tris looked back up to her. “Why is it so important he’s going to be there tonight?

“Hey Ms. Prior!” Christina’s voice came excited through the speaker. “How are you?”

“I’m good, Christina, how are you? How’s school?”

“It’s going great, and so I am, thank you for asking!” Tris got up from the table, putting her dishes into the dishwasher and letting Christina talk. “Did your daughter not tell you? She met her soulmate--”

“Christina--.”

“Okay, I got to go! See you both tonight.”

The call beeped off and Tris closed her eyes, slowly lifting them to her mother’s. Surprise lit her mother’s face, but her lips formed a small smile.

“So? Are you going to tell me all about him?”

And Tris knew she was screwed.

+++

“I haven’t seen you in so long, Tris!” Uriah said, opening the front door of his home wider to let Tris and her mother inside. As soon as he saw the puppy in Tris’s arms, Uriah reached for it with a grin on his face. “Beau! Aren’t you just a handsome little boy?”