Starting Over

Chapter 24

I wake up the next morning to somebody screaming. Great. That's how you know it's really simulation time. That means I won't get a solid nights sleep until after initiation is over. I check the clock. It's too early to go to breakfast but it's too late to go back to sleep so instead I change clothes and go for a morning run.

As I pass the training room I hear somebody inside and wonder what's going on. I poke my head in and see a shirtless Tobias punching a punching bag. I silently walk up behind him and press a hand to his stomach.

"Keep tension here," I tell him as he whirls around.

"Tris! What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, there's screaming in the dorm because of a nightmare based off a simulation. I decided to go for a run to get away and saw you in here. Why are you here?"

"I couldn't sleep."

We stand there for a second before he tells me that he needs to go shower before breakfast. I kiss him and then head off to eat. I know it's still early but I don't want to run anymore and don't have anything else to do.When I get to the cafeteria Uriah is the only one there. I grab some food and go sit across from him.

"Hello Uriah. I hadn't expected to see you here."

"Hey Tris. Why are you up so early?"

"It's nightmare time in initiation. I woke up to somebody screaming."

"Who?"

"Well, I'm hoping it was Thomas, but I'm pretty sure it was Laurel. I didn't stick around long enough to check."

He laughs. "You little Pansycake!"

"I'm not a Pansycake, I just don't like nightmares or people who scream over nightmares. I'm not going to get a good nights sleep for a while."

"You know, I have a spare bedroom you could use. I don't scream like a little Pansycake over a little simulation."

"No thanks, there are only a few days left in initiation and after that I'll have my own place. Also, you don't scream because you know the simulations aren't real. I'm the same way."

Tobias walks in right then followed by Christina. Tobias sits next to me and Christina sits next to Uriah. All through breakfast we laugh and talk. Tobias leaves about 20 minutes before we're supposed to meet at the simulation room. I leave too a few minutes after he left. When I get there I see Tobias setting up the simulations so I go in the room with him.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Did I say something was up?"

"No, but I just assumed you'd still be in the cafeteria right now."

"I had something else I wanted to do."

I see him open his mouth to say something else but I quickly stop him by pressing my lips to his. Eventually he pulls away because he has to finish setting up the simulations before everyone else gets here. I go wait in the hall. When I look up I see that he's already made a list of the order again. I'm still last, right behind Laurel.

Everyone finally shows up and Tobias starts calling people in. I sit there, not talking to anyone, for over an hour and finally drift off to sleep. I'm eventually woken up by somebody sticking their finger in my mouth. I wake up gagging and see Uriah shaking with laughter. I realize he must have been the one who stuck their finger in my mouth. I'm strangely comforted that it wasn't someone else in this room and I start laughing. At least I know and trust Uriah. If it was someone like Thomas I might have puked.

"That's so mean!" Laurel whispers. She sounds horrified and I only laugh harder.

Another hour goes by before Laurel is finally called. I'm left alone in the hall with Uriah. He sits down next to me.
"Why did you stick your finger in my mouth?"