Free Rein

|Chapter Twenty|

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-London, England-
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Tris woke at 8:23 A.M., and she figured Tobias was already up, so she quietly went downstairs. She reached the bottom only to see Tobias still sleeping on the couch. She tiptoed into the kitchen and saw Evelyn making some eggs.

"Good morning, Ms. Johnson," Tris said with a smile.

"Oh, I didn't even see you there. Good morning. And call me Evelyn. Please. You're making me feel like an od woman," she chuckled.

"Okay," Tris said with a small laugh.

"So," Evelyn said, "I hear you and my son have got a little something going on, yes?"

Tris blushed. "Um, yes, I suppose we do."

"I hope you like scrambled eggs," Evelyn said, completely off-topic. "I'm afraid I don't know how to make any others," she chuckled.

"Scrambled is perfect."

"Anyway, what's your story, Tris?"

She hesitated and moved to the opposite side of the counter from her. "Listen, I know I may sound like a nut-job, but... I'm the First Daughter of the—"

"Oh, yes, dear, I know," Evelyn said, smiling.

Tris's eyes widened. "Do you think Tobias knows?"

She shrugged. "I, personally, don't think he knows."

Tris let out a breath. "Okay. But I don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of him or anything. I feel like he'd treat me differently if he knew who I was though."

Evelyn smiled at her. "Maybe if you tell him your secret, he'll tell you his."

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Tobias and Tris bid Evelyn their goodbye, packed up their stuff, and headed to... well, Tris didn't know where they were going. Tobias said she'd just have to wait.

So she did.

As they walked on the sidewalk to wherever they were going, Tris said, "Why did you kiss my forehead last night?"

Tobias had a mildly worried expression on his face. "You were awake?"

She chuckled. "Of course I was awake." Smiling up at him, she added, "Don't worry. I don't think you're some kind of freak or anything. I was just wondering."

He shrugged. "I don't know. It kind of just felt like the natural thing to do."

She just looked down and smiled. She popped her head back up, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed his cheek.

"Well, what was that for?"

"It kind of just felt like the natural thing to do," she said with a wink.

He chuckled. "We're here."

Tris just noticed the big sign that read "King's College of London."

"Oh my god. You didn't. Are we going on a tour?"

He nodded.

Tris grinned. She jumped into his arms, just about knocking him over. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tobias."

"Of course," he said as he reciprocated.

So they took the tour, and Tris thought everything was fascinating. Even the dorms. This tour only made her even more excited about attending and being accepted there. If she got accepted, there was no way she'd decline. And there was no way she was going to let her parents hold her back. She loved her mother and father; she did. But she knew they had this perfect vision of her embedded in their minds. She'd grow up to be the perfect child, and they had the same clouded vision for Caleb. They wanted them to marry into good families, be a politician, follow in their footsteps. Be a legacy.

But Tris wanted to be a photographer.

And Caleb wanted to be a writer.

Looked like they'd both disappoint.

Caleb understood her more than anyone. Caleb knew everything. He knew about KCL, knew about her love for photography, and knew about how she felt like she was trapped in the freest of countries. He knew about these things because he felt exactly the same. Only he wanted to go to Oberlin University in Ohio for writing. They got along like best-friends, not siblings. Tris just wondered for the first how he'd been holding up without her. Once the tour was over she would ask to borrow Tobias's phone and call him.

She missed him. She wished they'd gotten out of there together, because Tris knew he'd want to this too. Caleb was the better of the twins. He learned how to bite his tongue rather than poke the bear. When she wanted to say something, though, she said it. Especially if it was something she truly believed. She always stood up for people too. Like in school. If she saw a kid getting bullied, there was no question whether or not she stood up to the bully. She didn't do it to keep her perfect record. In fact, she'd even gotten into a few (four, to be exact) fights with bullies. She'd never thrown punches though. She just blocked the ones coming at her.

Point was, she didn't know how to hold things in. She'd gotten better over the years, but there would always be something there.

Once they were done with the tour, a woman came up to them and asked Tris, "So, I presume that one you will be attending? Oh, and I'm Head Professor Charlotte Brooks."

Tris reached out to shake her hand. "Hello. I'm Tris. I've applied here, and I'm extremely hopeful to be accepted."

"A word in my office?" Charlotte asked, then looked at Tobias. "Alone?"

"Of course. I'll be waiting outside, Tris," he said, then walked out.

The Head Professor led her to her office. "I have not had anyone named Tris apply here. If you are a fraud I can and will have you arrested. Care to explain?" she asked as she stood behind her desk.

"Please forgive me, Ms. Brooks. My name is Beatrice Prior."

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