Starting Over

Chapter 51

We quickly ride up to the top of the building and climb the ladder onto the roof. The wind whips through my hair, blowing a few stray strands around my face. I love this feeling. I feel like I'm on top of the world. I feel free.

I walk over to the zip line with Zeke and Uriah who are going to be the ones strapping people into the harnesses. I decide to wait with them for my turn. I kind of feel like a third wheel standing with Christina, Nick, Alex, and Lynn. They're couples and my boyfriend isn't here.

"Tris," Zeke says, snapping me out of my thoughts, "did Four ever tell you about the time he went zip lining?"

"No," I answer, amazed that I didn't even know that he went zip lining. "I never knew he went. When did he go?"

"Ah, it's his story to tell. I really shouldn't have said anything. I thought he'd told you," Zeke tells me as he straps the first harness onto the line. "You're going first, right?" he asks with a smile.

"I'm not even in line!" I exclaim with a laugh.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Uriah laughs. "Get in!"

"I'm not just going to jump in front of all of these people who have been waiting in line!"

"Pansycake! You just don't want to go first!" Uriah yells.

"That's not true!"

"Then why won't you go?" Zeke stands there watching and laughing as Uriah and I bicker like siblings.

"I already told you-" Uriah interrupts me.

"Pansycake!"

"Uriah! I'm not just going to push my way into line in front of the people who have been waiting!"

"I'm not just going to push my way into line in front of the people who have been waiting," Uriah mimics me. "Well I have a solution to that." He clears his throat and starts to talk over everyone. "Does anyone object to Tris Prior going down the zip line first?" After a second with no response he turns back to me. "Problem solved, get in."

"Fine," I reply.

"Great!"

"You two fight like brother and sister," Zeke tells us as he helps strap me in head first. I tell him that I know. Uriah tells him that we don't.

"You remember how this works, right?" Uriah asks as he gets ready to let me go.

"No, I-" I'm cut off by Uriah pushing me off.

"Have fun!" Uriah yells after me. It's a good thing I was being sarcastic when I said that I didn't remember how to do this.

I scream in delight as the wind pushes against me and my braid blows behind me. My hoodie swirls around me in the wind. I feel like I'm flying. I laugh and scream as I throw my head back and spread my arms out like a bird. I look back down to watch the world zoom past beneath me. I do a weird combination of laughing and screaming again but can barely hear it over the wind.

Too soon I'm at the end of the line and have to get off. Unfortunately since I'm the first one there's nobody already down here to help me down. I jump down and roll with the impact. I roll back up onto my feet and brush myself off.

Soon I hear some else coming down the line. Once they get to the end of the line I can tell that it's not anyone I know. He drops to the ground and I try to help him soften the landing but we both end up on the ground. He helps me up and then we wait for the next person.

With the growing number of people waiting at the bottom of the line it gets easier and easier to catch the people coming down. Eventually Uriah comes down the line shortly followed by Zeke and we start to walk back to the train. By the time we get there it's close to midnight and I'm exhausted. As soon as we get into the train I lean against the wall and close my eyes.