The Trials of a Misunderstood Teenager | ✅

Chapter 8 - The week before Christmas

A/N: I want to thank everyone for reading this. I am glad you guys enjoy reading as much as I do writing it.

To 6DIVERGENT4ever: It is actually not that uncommon for a fourteen-year-old to date an older guy. It is also part of Tris's maturing process. As for the cussing, also not uncommon. I knew a lot of people during my time in high school who both dated older guys/girls or cussed a lot.

I've also been asked about my other stories. I am working on FUME at the moment, having written a few chapters. they are now with my Beta for proof-reading. I will resume posting FUME chapters in the coming weeks. As for the other stories - The Gift, Covert Operative and Divergent Guardian - I have to re-read them and plan out a few plot lines.

As for the length of the chapters, they are basically as long as they need to be, but also as long as I get to write any given day.

For now, enjoy this new chapter.

Mom still wouldn't buckle after all my efforts to convince her to let me go stay with Grandpa and Grandma. I know she isn't as pushy as Dad when it comes to making me reconcile with my sister, but now shit hit the fan. Big time! We are all invited to spend Christmas at a beautiful cabin the Eatons rented. Under normal circumstances, that would have been nice. I love skiing, and all my friends would be there. But also Shauna would be there. And even if I could avoid her and ignore her just like I did so far, there was still another matter. Tobias.

"Tris, I really don't want to hear another reason why you don't want to come with us. I know you and your sister don't get along very well, but could you please make the effort? For me?" she asks, and it breaks my heart. Tears gather in my eyes, and I shut them close to keep them from spilling.

"It's because of Tobias!" I practically shout. I keep my eyes closed, feeling how the moisture tries to escape.

"You still love him, don't you?" Mom asks, her voice soft and calm.

I can only nod. I refuse to open my eyes, because not only would tears run down in streams, but Mom would see how much it still hurts me. But my mother was always very perceptive, and knew about my aches before I even noticed them. I decide to be brave and look her in the eyes. I immediately feel tears running down my cheeks.

"My poor baby," she says, and opens her arms for me.

I step forward and the moment she hugs me to her chest, I start wailing. I didn't even know it still hurt me so much, but the sole thought of having to face Tobias for so many days is unbearable.

After the fight we had on the phone on his prom night, I didn't even talk to him. I avoided him. For me, the relationship was over the moment he betrayed me. He tried to talk to me, but I refused. Even Marlene tried to convince me to listen to him, but I asked her, on behalf of our friendship, to not interfere. I knew she did it because he is her brother, and I respect that. But I couldn't think straight in the weeks following the prom dress incident.

I end up telling Mom everything. I expect her to tell me I should have talked to him, I should have given him a chance, I should have just let it go. But she doesn't. Instead, she understands why I was hurt. She understands why I didn't want to fix my relationship with Tobias. She understands that I was scared he would cheat on me. However, she tells me she doesn't believe he actually would.

"I know, Mom. But as selfish as my reasons are, I even considered the reverse. What if he does meet someone, and falls in love with her? I know he is a stand-up guy, and deep down I know he wouldn't cheat. But what if she is the one for him, and he only holds back because he is in a relationship with me?" I ask, crying again.

"I think you need to have more faith in people. You already decided that this is the only likely scenario for you two. You didn't think of what he wanted. You decided for him, and that's wrong. I know you were scared, baby. But that's life. Sometimes we need to take risks. Sometimes it's worth it, others it's just heartache and unbearable pain. But you know what?" she asks, and I look up at her, shaking my head. "Whatever the outcome of one situation is, you always come out a winner. Because you learned something, and it helped you grow."

"I still don't want to confront him. Please, Mommy, don't make me go to that cabin. I'll do anything. I'll be good. I'll even be nicer to Dad. Even to Shauna. But please don't make me go," I plead, and cry so hard I can barely breathe. Mom pulls me close into her arms, and tries to comfort me. She doesn't say anything, and I doubt I could even hear her over my own crying.

It takes me a while until I calm down, when mom finally tells me what I was hoping to hear. I am allowed to stay at Grandpa's ranch, and will be even joined by Matt, my cousin on my mother's side.