Starting Over

Chapter 18

I see Christina pale and everyone stops eating. I can hear my heart pounding as I wait for someone to say something.

"Beatrice, like Beatrice Prior?" Uriah asks.

"Exactly like Beatrice Prior," I tell him calmly.

"Beatrice, as in Tris?" Christina asks.

"Yes Christina, Tris."

"I thought you were-"

"I faked it. I thought you all would be safer if you thought I was dead."

"Wait, how do we know she's really Tris?" Uriah asks.

"Good thinking, Uriah. I'll ask her some questions only Tris would know. What fear of mine did you see first hand during our initiation?" Christina asks.

"Moths. You're afraid of moths."

"What did you admit to under truth serum that made me angry?"

"I shot Will."

"What did I ask you to do before I told you about Will?"

I laugh at this question. "To act like a girl for once, which I did!"

"It's really you!" She exclaims as she hugs me. I can feel her tears dripping onto my shirt but I don't care. I'm crying too. I'm so happy I don't have to hide it from her anymore.

"Why did you fake your death?"

I give everyone the same explanation I gave Tobias. Everyone sits in stunned silence for a minute until Uriah speaks up.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner? When did you plan on telling us? Why was Four the first one to find out?"

"I was going to tell you all after initiation. I wasn't sure how you would react. I had planned on telling Tobias the same day that I told you all, but one day I accidentally called him Tobias so I had to explain how I knew his real name."

"I'm just happy you're alive, Tris!" Christina exclaims. She looks up at me, startled. "This morning..."

"What about this morning?" I ask.

"I'm so sorry! I saw you with Four and I thought he was attracted to you because you look exactly like Tris, which makes sense since you are Tris, but I didn't know, and-"

"Christina! Stop! I know what you were thinking!" I hug her again and sit back down next to Tobias. He wraps his arm around my waist and smiles at me. I smile back.

"So, do you want us to call you Tris or B?" Uriah asks.

"Tris outside of initiation."

"Are you ever going to go back to Tris completely?" Marlene asks.

"Yes, after initiation."

"Good!" Zeke exclaims then turns to Tobias. "Does Tori know? You know she needs to know."

"No," Tobias tells him. "I was actually thinking about taking her to go see Tori tomorrow."

This is news to me! I give him a startled look and he grabs my hand reassuringly.

"Are we going to get back to our game of Candor or Dauntless?" Uriah asks with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Sure! Uriah, Candor or Dauntless?" I ask.

"Dauntless!"

"Then I dare you to go to the Pit and quack in the first person you see's face before you run away."

"Ok, but you're coming with me."

Tobias, Marlene, and I follow Uriah to the pit. When we get there Uriah walks right up to Malachi and quacks in his face. Malachi looks really confused. So do Tamra and Austin.

"B?" Malachi calls after me. I keep running with the others, I can worry about him tomorrow.

We burst back into Uriah's room, still laughing, but the laughter dies quickly when Uriah asks me how I know Malachi.

"When I jumped on the train the day of the Choosing Ceremony I got in the car with the Dauntless born initiates. His friend Zach was trying to tell me that I was on the wrong car and calling me a Stiff and all that. Malachi stuck up for me and introduced me to all the Dauntless born initiates. Since then they've been the only initiates that have been nice to me," I explain.

"Does he know who you are?" Tobias asks.

"Of course not! Why on Earth would I tell him that?"

"I was just making sure."

"Yeah, just making sure she didn't tell him before you!" Zeke jokes, but I look over and Tobias is avoiding looking at me so I guess it must be true.

I laugh and place my hand on Tobias' cheek. "Hey! You know I wouldn't do that! I love you; you were always going to be the first one I told!" I wrap my other hand in his hair and kiss him.

"Stop! I think I'm going to be sick!" Uriah groans.

We break apart and I move to sit in his lap.

"Wait!" Christina practically shouts. "I thought you said you were going to tell all of us at the same time!"

"No, I said the same day. I was always going to tell him first."

"Well!" Christina says, looking hurt. "I guess best friends mean nothing!"

"That's not fair and you know it!" I shout . "You know you're my best friend!"

"I know!" she says, looking smug now. "I just wanted to see your reaction!"

"Just for that I'm giving you an awful dare next time!" I try to act serious but I'm laughing too hard to pull it off. "Uriah, can we continue the game?"

"Of course!" he says with a wicked grin. "Marlene, Candor or Dauntless?"