Free Rein

|Chapter Thirty-One|

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-Washington DC, USA-
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Tris was on a helicopter on her way back to America. She really wished she wasn't, but she knew it had to happen someday. She'd much rather be on a train with Tobias, snuggling on the uncomfortable green benches. Much rather have one hand in her pocket and one hand in Tobias's. Much rather be somewhere that wasn't there.

Tris arrived at her home at about seven o'clock at night. Bud and Tori were the only ones on the helicopter to apprehend her and take her home.

Her mother and father were standing in the foyer in front of the staircase when she walked in. While she'd stepped in, Caleb was making his way downstairs. Tris grinned, ran around her parents, and hugged her brother. While she was running toward Caleb, she saw that her parents thought she was going to run into their arms.

Boy, they really didn't have any idea.

"Go get your acceptance letter," Tris said to Caleb quietly when they split. "This is happening now."

She turned around, away from Caleb, and heard him go back up the stairs. She faced them, thinking she was quite brave.

"Beatrice," her mother began, "you've scared us half to dea—"

Tris cut her mother off while Caleb came back down the stairs and stood at her side. "I don't want to hear any of your bullshit, Mom. I know that I'm speaking to you with disrespect right now, but, in all honesty, I don't care. The first thing I want is all of them out."—She motioned the guards—"Now."

Natalie dismissed them with a wave.

"Thank you," Tris went on. "Now," she said as she descended the staircase to stand in front of them, "I want you to tell me what this is about." Tris turned to Caleb and held out her hand. He handed her the original acceptance letter to KCL. She smoothed it out and held it in front of their faces, Caleb doing the same.

"You want to tell me why I found these in my desk?" Caleb calmly asked their mother.

"Caleb Prior, you did not go through my desk," she said sternly.

"Do you, of all people, want to talk about what's right and what's wrong?" she retorted.

"Yes, I hid your acceptance letters. It was only for your protection though."

"Natalie," their father said, his expression unreadable. "You wouldn't."

"I'm afraid I have."

Tris and Caleb looked at each other, sad.

"I'm not allowing you two to go anyhow."

"My ass you aren't letting me go!" Tris exclaimed. "I've worked too hard to let this all go!"

"Beatrice Prior, watch your language," her mother warned.

"No! I'm done pretending to be perfect for you. I've done this my entire life. You're so involved with your job that you can't even see how much Caleb and I love what we do. Caleb wants to be a writer, if you didn't know. Which you probably didn't. And he is one hell of a writer, at that. His stuff is amazing and he deserves to go to Oberlin. And me. Oh, god, you're so oblivious to me. You're so oblivious that you don't even notice the freakin' camera I have hidden in my nightstand because I love photography so much. You two really have no idea. And not to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty damn good at what I'm doin'. And, by the way, I'm living in London once I graduate. I don't know what you're thoughts are on that, but, frankly, I don't give a damn."

"Well...," her mother began, "that's a lot to take in."

"I'm going to my room. Care to join me, Caleb?"

"I'd love to, lil sis."

So they marched up to Tris's bedroom, then sat on her bed.

"I have to tell you something," said Tris hesitantly.

"And that would be?"

She leaned against the headboard. "I fell in love with that agent," she said quickly, looking down.

He laughed. "I know that."

Her head snapped up. "What?"

"I knew something was up. You seemed extremely happy on the phone and... I guess it all just clicked."

She smiled. "You're the best brother ever."

"So tell me about him."

"He loves photography. He's from England. He likes it when I say the word winklepickers," she said with a small chuckle. "He tells me I'm beautiful and amazing and perfect and... I don't know. Maybe I'm just a naïve, young girl, but I think he really loved me. We made a plan to meet back at the place we met in four years."

"How do you know he isn't taking advantage of you?"

"There were plenty of opportunities to do that and he never did. Even if I never see him again, he'll always be my first love."

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A day later, Tris was packing for London. Dorms opened that day.

Caleb came in while she was packing and said, "How's your heart?"

She sighed. "A little bit broken," she said.

Her brother pulled her close and squeezed her tight. "I'm gonna miss you, lil sis."

"I'm gonna miss you too, big bro."

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