Tris smiled at the waitress who dropped off her coffee at the table, thanking her before she left, busy with other orders.
The Lewis girl looked at Nick, who was sitting in front of her. "Talk," Tris sighed, sipping her coffee.
"How do you know Cristina?" Nick questioned, and Tris was thankful he going straight to the point.
"She was my best friend," Tris answered, her heart swelling up with hurt. "She, uh, she knew me since I was three and she was five. She was like my sister."
"And were you there with her when she. . ."
"Yeah," Tris swallowed, nodding. "I was there when she died."
Nick looked out of the window, and Tris knew exactly what was going on in his head. The newspapers on his walls, connected with different colored threads, it made him look like a detective desperate for an answer. And he needed the answer to whether she had killed herself.
"She did."
"Huh?" Nick looked towards her confused.
"She did kill herself," Tris nodded lightly, watching as Nick's grey eyes got glossier before he regained himself.
"Why?" He meant it to be a little louder, but it was a mere whisper.
"That's a question I've been thinking about since that day," Tris answered. "I don't know how messed up her life had gotten to the point where she killed herself."
After a few minutes, Nick spoke up, "You know, maybe we really should break up."
Tris let him continue.
"Tris, I love you, but I think it's best if we stay friends, yeah?"
"Yeah," Tris whispered, forcing a small smile. "Love you, too."
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Tris knocked on Jace's room in the institute and walked in as she heard a "come in."
She found the blonde boy packing with a tiny frown etched on his face. "So, what do you need help with?"
"Not much, actually," Jace admitted with a shrug. "Keep me company."
"All right," Tris said, walking towards the empty space on his bed and holding her back upright on the headboard and stretching her legs, putting one over the other.
She smirked as she found a pair of his boxers that had SpongeBob figures on them and she held them up by the waist band. "These are sexy."
Jace looked up in confusion before his eyes widened and he snatched his boxers from the girl, who was doubling over with laughter.
"Don't take my underwear, Tris!"
"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. SpongeBob Underpants," Tris choked out through laughter.
Jace stared at the girl who was now on her knees, laughter leaving her lips as she hit her hand on the bed repeatedly.
The blonde cracked a smile, too, as he placed his hands on his hips, and he let out a genuine laugh, joining the Lewis girl.
After a few more minutes of plain laughter and bad jokes, Jace was done packing.
"Wow, that was fast," He said, staring at his bag that was now completely packed.
"Perfect," Tris smiled. "And I kept you good company, didn't I?"
▪▪▪
Tris walked beside Isabelle as she was explaining how there was a storm coming, which always increased demonic activity.
As they met up with Alec and Clary, Isabelle informed that Cleophas, an Iron Sister, was missing, and Magdalena was missing.
Quite easily, everyone in the group thought it to be Valentine. Alec left by saying he had to go check on a meeting, and Clary turned to Isabelle and Tris.
"Guys, I need to tell you something about Sister Cleophas," the redhead began.
"That you told her about your new rune?" Isabelle snapped.
"How did you know-"
"What rune?" Tris asked, confused.
"Does it matter?" Isabelle sighed. "You should know what it's like to have the people you care about shut you out."
"Izzy, Jace told me it would be dangerous for anyone to know," Clary explained.
"So now we have to be protected?" Isabelle asked with a sigh. "I welcomed you in, Clary. Saw you through training, helped Simon out of trouble which was almost all the time. And after your mom-"
"I'm sorry, Izzy and Tris. Look we all care for the Iron Sisters. We need to find Sister Cleophas. We can do it together."
"You know, I'm kind of over this whole togetherness thing," Isabelle said, grabbing Tris' hand and pulling her away.
Once they were in another room, Tris looked at Izzy. "Iz, what happened?"
She sighed and explained how Clary had the ability of making her own rune, and that she didn't tell anyone except Jace and Sister Cleophas.
"What is wrong with her? We're her friends, she should be telling us about this," Izzy exclaimed.
"Izzy, maybe she just needed some time to tell us," Tris said. "You know, it's like when you get engaged to a boy your parents hate."
Izzy just chuckled, shaking her head. She was grateful she had a friend like the brunette in front of her.
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