Never Alone || Fourtris

Chapter 13

Finally, after an hour of English, the bell rings and I pack my things to get out of here. Tobias is already out the door but the time I finish putting my book in my backpack. I rush out to my locker, again trying to avoid all these people bumping into me. Once I reach my locker, quickly I put in my combination and grab my math notebook. I close it and rush to math, luckily the classroom isn't that far from my locker. Tobias sits at the far corner when I enter in the room. I walk over and sit down next to him.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," I say.

I drop my bag under the desk and pull out my math homework. We don't say anything to each other, he seems to be busy writing something, so I don't bother him and just let him do his own thing. Sitting here doing nothing is boring, I don't want to bother Tobias and no one talks to me, so I just pull out my book. I read it in peace until the bell rings and disrupts my imagination of the characters in the book.

The teacher comes in and sets her things down on the desk. Tobias puts his book away in his backpack and turns to me as the teacher starts calling roll.

"Sorry, I was writing a few things down for my dad. He gets a little tense when I don't do what he asks," he says.

"It's fine, I was just enjoying my book," I say.

"Wait, To Kill A Mockingbird, the one assigned in class?"

"Yep, im in love with it," I say, almost getting interrupted by the teacher.

"Eaton?," she says.

"Here, Mrs. McKinley," Tobias says raising his hand.

Tobias doesn't say anything after that and just pulls out his math homework. I look at the clock, but I know looking at it won't make time go faster.

"Prior," the teacher calls out.

My gazing at the clock stops as I say here with my voice cracking. I clear my throat and say here really fast, my cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Finally, McKinley's done calling roll. She starts the lesson on who knows what and I stare outside the window looking at the trees swaying from the wind and the grey skies moving ever so slightly. Not a bird in sight. My mothers face pops out of no where in my mind and I shake the feeling of her in my mind and try focusing on the lesson.

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I wait at the lunch table with my food already gathered. I pull out my book and read it until Christina and Tobias come over. After a few good chapters I look up and see Tobias standing a few feet away from me. We make eye contact and I wave over at him smiling. He walks towards me and sits down across from me. I put my book away and take my backpack off the table. My sandwich stares at me from the tray, I grab it and take a big bite.

"So wheres Christina?," Tobias asks.

"Probably with Will somewhere," I say covering my mouth from the food in my mouth.

From the corner of my eye I see Christina walking in the lunch line with Will's arm around her shoulder. Sometimes I wish I could have that, but then I shake the feeling out knowing I won't be loved. I turn to Tobias and smile at him.

"After school, want to go for a walk in the park again?," he asks.

"Sur-," I start, but the horrifying image of Bud's angry face pops into my head and I stop myself. "I'd love to, but I can't today."

"It's okay, well go another day."

"No you say it first." Christina's perky voice appears from behind.

They both sit down not looking away from each other saying something about someone saying something first. It turns out Christina won and Will ends up saying I love you. I roll my eyes and get Christina's attention.

"Christina, this is Tobias," I say.

"Oh hey, I remember you, you sat with Tris one time, I had to leave to finish a lab though," she says. "Is that your camera?"

She points to a brown leather small bag. Tobias smiles and reaches for it, taking out his camera that I suppose his grandfather gave him. Seems to be really old, I think he told me about the year it was made.

"This is a 1970 camera, my grandfather gave this to me when I was fourteen years old," he says.

"Do you know how to use it, its really old," Christina says.

"Yeah, I took classes, but then dropped out, didn't have time to continue."

"Take a picture of me and Will!," Christina says nesting up against Will.

"Sure, I guess," Tobias says.

Christina and Will pose for the picture. Christina hugging him around the waist and Will hugging her around the shoulders. Tobias takes a step back and tries different angles until he finally finds the perfect one. Christina and Will smile wide and Tobias snaps a picture.

"Can you get that taken out and give it to me," Christina says.

"I actually want to take more. Throughout the school year and then get them taken out," he says.

"Sounds good," Christina says. "Anyway, I have to go, Will and I have some things to do."

She gets up immediately grabbing Will's hand and dragging him out of the cafeteria. Tobias smiles and packs his camera back in its case.

"Well that was something," I say.

"Yeah, I guess. Hey the bells going to ring in one minute, think we should head to P.E. and get dressed," he says.

"Okay," I say.

I get up and throw my trash in the bin. Tobias stands next to me while we walk to the locker rooms. We say our 'see you laters' and walk into our locker rooms. The room smells like perfume and sweat, not a great combination, it burns my nose. I walk all the way to the back of the locker room were my locker stands against the wall. The metal feels cool against my skin when I touch the lock. Not caring for anyone else, I quickly put on my P.E. cloths and walk out, heading to my number.

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The day hasn't been going good, but it's wasn't as bad as it usually is. My bed is a mess with the blankets looking like mountains and the sheets almost fully off the bed. My book lays in my lap as I examine the wallpaper i've never noticed before peeling away, like when someone gets a sunburn and there is skin is peeling off.

The door slams under the stairs and I put my book on the nightstand. Random singing comes from the kitchen and then another door slams. Bud is probably drunk off his ass again. I get up from the bed turning off the lights and carefully watching my steps as I get back. I lay down pulling the covers over me and I try to doze off, hoping the next day will be better.