Forged: A Spark

Two

I had seen Tobias around the factionless sometimes, exiting out of a warehouse surrounded by so many people. I have never seen the inside of one because of the restrictions that keep my curiosity at bay. But sometimes during my routes I had seen him, not until this moment remembering it was him. If Robert seems to notice it is Tobias, he does not mention it.

"You too, Four, it is a pleasure..." I reply, timidly. It sounds weird, the name foreign against my lips, something I had never heard of. But the name Tobias is about as foreign to me as the number is. My mind rattles with questions, and I pick at my dinner and try not to notice. The chatter is minimal, just a leisurely dinner. When it is over, I realize everyone else is done.

Christina smiles in delight and places the napkin on her plate. "That was a lovely meal. Who cooked it?"

"Beatrice." Robert replies for me.

I smile faintly at the two of them. "It was nothing. I am used to cooking for others."

Christina looks as if she is contemplating to say something, and then she does. "So you two are married, yes?"

Robert and I both nod our heads. "How long have you been married?"

Four clears his throat and nudges her. He shakes his head. "Christina, dear, that isn't any of your concern." Christina slides back in her seat, and Robert chuckles.

"Four, it is nothing to be ashamed of. We do not talk to many people, but that does not mean we are not open as the others, right Beatrice?" Robert asks, turning to me. I give him a curt nod, and a smile brightens up my face, but it's not because of him.

"We have been married a while now, maybe six or so years." Robert replies, and he does not say much more. Four offers to help me clean the dishes for Robert, who was feeling a little sick after dinner and excused himself to rest. It would be selfish of me to beg him to not be left alone, but Tobias and Christina would be leaving soon. It is awkward cleaning the dishes with me. Every once in a while, I can't reach to put something back and he takes it for me. I am drying a few of the final dishes when he looks at me.

"Beatrice." He says, and I don't move. I place the partly dry dish on the counter and turn my eyes to look at him.

He doesn't say anything. His navy blue eyes are soft and considering, and his face softens. "You can't ignore me."

"I can." I mutter place, placing the dish cloth back on the faucet. "And I will, because you ignored me." I spit back, and I didn't realize my tone was so harsh to him, but I can't stop myself. "You ignored me, and you left me, Tobias." It feels so weird to say his name again. "You chose this on your own. And you know what, I chose this. And it is selfish of me to say that, but not everyone is perfect."

"I did care about you, you know." He mutters, still looking down at me. I shake my head and inwardly scoff to myself in disbelief, but judging by his sigh he heard me, and he knows I don't believe him.

"I can make things better, you know." He states, trying to almost pull me back into something. I don't know where he's going, and I can't help listening. "I can change this. We can-"

"There is no "we"!" I hiss, and turn to make sure that Christina did not hear us. She is in the other room, socializing with Robert once more. I turn to look back to Tobias.

"You made your own choices, Tobias." I say, formally. "And you chose this. Can you not live with it?"

"Guilt plagues me, Beatrice." Tobias replies. "The guilt that tells me every day that I left you, but my heart also hurts because you didn't follow me."

"You know what?" I say, turning to him. My eyes are bright with tears and they burn, and I blink them back as best as I can. "I didn't know you were leaving, because you didn't tell me. And that was selfish of you. I was selfish to believe you would stay for me. Just do me a favor, and get out." I never knew I could be so cold to someone, someone I trusted every emotion with, every being.

Christina calls for Tobias. "I'll be right there." He states, before walking past me.

"Sparks don't die, Beatrice." He says, once he passes me. "They can ignite at any point in time."

I shake my head and refuse to listen to his nonsense. I finish drying the dishes and Robert approaches me with a small, shy smile. He senses my discomfort and places a hand on my forehead. "Are you feeling alright, Beatrice?"

I shake my head. "Do you mind if I go give something to my mother? I will not be gone long."

Robert kisses my forehead. "Of course, just make sure you are resting when you come back, okay?"

I nod my head and walk around the corner and up the steps. I reach for the old worn gray slacks and hold them in front of me. I blink back the remaining tears and walk from the house. My parents' live just a block and a half away. All the houses are the same shape, the same style, and no numbers of identification to separate them. I turn the corner and hear a few voices talking.

"I don't get what your problem is, Tobias." It sounds like Christina and Tobias are arguing about something close to the faction line, which is right around the corner from where I stand.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He states.

Christina scoffs at his remark. "Tobias, I know she was your best friend-"

"It's not just that." Tobias replies, shaking his head.

"What?" Christina says, almost in a snap. She chuckles without humor, and the bluntly states, "Don't tell me you love her?"

I turn my head back around the corner. I don't like to eavesdrop, I don't, and I never have, and if anyone else heard me right now I would be in trouble.

I listen to the blunt tone of Tobias. "No." He states to Christina. "I don't love her."

I can't take it anymore. I turn and walk quickly to my parents' house. I knock twice quietly, before entering. My mother is sitting at the table. I close the door behind me and she notices my discomfort. Tears stain the old rags I held close to my chest in my arms.

My mother stands up and rushes toward me. Her hair is hung down against her shoulders. My father must not be home. He goes away sometimes on missions for the city, and can be gone overnight on a few rare occasions.

"Oh Beatrice..." She coos, pressing her cool hands against my cheeks. She frowns a little at me and takes the gray rags, putting them aside. She leads me over toward the couch and sits beside me, taking my hands and holding them in hers and placing them on her lap.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" She questions.

I nod my head. "I do..." I say quietly, once my tears have stopped. "But I don't know where to start."

"Say the first thing that pops in your head." My mother replies, softly. "Say the first thing that started it all."

"Well..." I begin and trail off, and then begin again once I catch my breath. "It starts when Robert invited Tobias over for dinner."