Chapter 19 - The Reception
Tobias
The ceremony lasted about three hours and now I'm heading with Christina to the reception.
They're holding it in another room off of the main building that the ceremony was in.
"Let's sit over there at that table." Christina points to a table over on the other side of the room.
"Works for me." We walk over to the table.
It's not to big of a room. There's about eight tables with five or six chairs at each. But it also wasn't to huge of a wedding, so a big room isn't needed. There also is water and many bottles of various fizzy drinks on a table in the back that would have been a bar if it were a Dauntless wedding. What surprises me is that there isn't a dance floor or anything. But again, Erudite do things differently.
It looks like just about everyone is already here by the time we sit down, so the reception should start soon.
As if on cue to my thoughts, everyone starts to clap welcoming Caleb and Cara into the room. I stand up and clap for them like everyone else. God, why does he have to look like his sister when he smiles like that?!
They go over to a table and have a seat. People now begin to go around and get fizzy drinks or get up and chat quietly with others.
It's a very boring party... No music, no alcoholic drinks, no dancing nor dance floor at all, barely no noise at all. It's basically a dead party.
As if reading my thoughts Christina whispers so only I can hear. "Is this a joke or something? No music, real drinks, any noise at all?! Am I the only one a little freaked out by all of this? Do they even have cake?!"
"I know, right? Dead party if I've ever seen one!" I exclaim.
"It's probably a weird question if she isn't, but is Cara pregnant?" I ask.
"Yeah, she's around three months or so." She tells me.
We have an awkward silence between us for a little while until she speaks up.
"I'm going to go get one of those disgusting fizzy things. You want to come?" She asks me.
"Yeah, sure."
We walk back to the table with someone pouring plastic cups of different colored bubbly drinks. I take a darker colored one, Christina takes an almost clear colored one. We head back to the table and run into Cara and Caleb on the way.
I smile as a greeting as Christina and I walk up to them.
"I'm so glad you made it!" Cara exclaims gesturing toward me.
Caleb holds out his hand to me, offering a hand shake which Icautiously accept. Those eyes, the nose, he looks so much like her.
"Yeah. Thanks for inviting me!" I feel my palms begin to sweat.
He looks just like her. Why do they look so alike? The smile, nose, everything! I rub my hand not holding the cup on my pants to try and keep them from shaking.
It doesn't work.
Chris and Cara are going on about how beautiful the ceremony was, how the dresses were so pretty, all of that girl stuff. Caleb walks over closer to me to talk. I want to step further away from him, but I don't want to act rude.
"So," he starts, "How've you been?"
"Good, thank you. Chris told me that you two are expecting. Congratulations!" I try to sound happy for him, but honestly, I'm terrified inside.
"Thanks!"
I really don't know what to say... But I'd feel rude if I'd just walk away like I want to right now.
"So..." Oh crap! What should I say?
"Do you know the gender yet?" I find something to say.
"No, we are finding that out on Friday. 2 days from now."
"Oh. When is he or she due?"
"Around November maybe... She's three months pregnant now." He says.
We have a uncomfortably strange silence between us for what feels like forever. Then I come up with an excuse to leave.
"Hey," I ask Caleb, "Do you know where the restrooms are at?"
I just need an excuse to get away from him before I burst into tears or just walk away from the resemblance of his sister.
"They're around the drink table." He points across the room.
"Thanks! And if I don't run into you, congratulations!"
"Thanks!" I hear him call as I walk to the restrooms.
I go into the men's room dump my disgusting drink, toss the cup in the trash and wash off the sweat from my palms.
Reluctantly, I go back out to the reception room and sit at the table Chris and I were at earlier. I sit alone for a little while until Chris gets back. Then we sit for hours and eat some cake that is trash compared to Dauntless cake back home, but as for the moment, it will do. We don't say much, but we both k ow that the other wants to leave.
"I'm going to go change out of this dress, then why don't we try to catch the 11 o'clock train back to Dauntless headquarters." She says.
"Works for me." I say suddenly wide awake to the fact that I won't have to be in the same room with Caleb anymore.
It's probably about ten or so minutes until Chris comes ready leave. We walk all through the compound and finally find our way out. There isn't many people out concidering how late it is. It's kinda weird because Dauntless is most alive at eleven at night. How different factions can be...
We made it just in time because I hear the train whistle blow and see the light on the front of the train coming toward us. Christina starts to run and I follow; letting her get on first. We sit in silence for the twenty minute ride back to Dauntless.
I can't help but wonder if she sees Will in Cara like I see Tris in Caleb. If so, she's really good at hiding it. I would ask her, but I don't think I have the courage to.
I'm too much of a coward to ask.
Judging by our surroundings, we jump off the train and head back to the wing of the compound where the apartments are at. Her apartment comes first, so she's fiddling with her purse to get out her key.
"Thanks for dragging me along, honestly I'm really greatful. I haven't been out that much, and I wouldn't have gone if you hadn't forced me... So, thanks." I ramble on a little from the awkwardness.
She smiles.
"We both kind of needed each other to lean on; for support. I think I can speak for both of us when I say that wasn't too easy." She says looking down at her shoes, not making eye contact.
I nod not knowing what to say.
She smiles; a sad, sorrow filled smile, one I haven't seen her give anyone in a while... since shed coped some with their deaths.
"See you tomorrow." She says.
I wrap her in an embrace. Not a boyfriend/girlfriend like embrace, but an I'm here for you kind of one. I hold in tears and I feel some of her tears soak onto my shirt.
She is right. We need each other to lean on for support, because we know what the other is going through.
A/N-
Hi humans!
Remember that I told you all earlier on that Christina and Tobias won't be a couple! They are just... I'll call them coping friends. That will stay the same throughout this fanfic.
I have chosen (more like Google has chosen) the name for Tobias's German Shepard puppy! It will be announced in an upcoming chapter!
Stay amazing!
Thanks for reading!
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