Chapter 9

I wake up the next morning, still on the floor. I try to get up but it hurts too much. I roll over, my back to the floor, hoping the coldness of the floor helps. At this moment, Tobias is already coming down the stairs.

"Oh my god," he says rushing down the stairs. He tries to lift me, but it hurts too much so he stops. He helps me sit up, and I notice that my back feels.. different. I turn my neck to look at my back, blood. The back of my shirt is drenched with blood. Tobias just looks, not knowing what to do. By now the blood is already dry. I didn't feel the blood, I just passed out. I guess that didn't stop Marcus - knowing that his only son might leave him- he hurt me more thinking it will get Tobias to stay.

Marcus then comes down the stairs and just walks right past to the kitchen. I look over to Tobias and he doesn't look sad, or confused, he looks enraged. His face starts to turn red, and he gets up to look at Marcus, who has his back to him.

"Are you crazy?" Tobias says quietly, but loud enough for Marcus to hear. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT! HOW MUCH DID YOU BEAT HER!" He says yelling.

Marcus turns around "Don't use that tone with me?" Marcus says quietly, not a good sign.

He begins to walk over to the table but Tobias continues. " YOU SAW THE BLOOD, AND YOU JUST LEFT HER THERE?! ALL NIGHT?!".

"HEY!!" Marcus yells. " Do you think she wanted me to carry her up?! Why didn't you take her up then?!".

"If I had known, I would have. " Tobias says quietly "Besides. I thought you cared a little more about your daughter than to let her bleed on the floor. I guess I was wrong, I won't be again"

At that Marcus goes silent, and takes his seat at the table. Tobias comes over to help me up. "Come on, on 3," he says. I grab his shoulders, and he counts. "1.2.3". I try to lift myself as much as I can, but he does the rest. He walks me up to my room, steadying me when I almost fall over since my legs ache as well.

" I think it'll be fine," I say, when we make it to my room, trying to sound grateful. It's hard to when you're in so much pain. "Thank you", I say giving him a small hug.

"Of course" Tobias replies, hugging me back " I'll make your breakfast for you". I give him a small smile and nod, and he walks downstairs. I then make my way over to the shower, the cold water helping my back. By the time I'm done getting ready, my legs are used to the pain and able to move a little better. I put on a shirt that won't scratch as much and put the robe over it. When I'm about to put my hair in a bun I stop. When I was younger, my mom taught me how to do my hair, without a bun. It had different patterns (braids) in it, and I still do it now, with my door closed so I don't get in trouble. She said " When it's your choosing ceremony, and if you decide you don't want to be in Abnegation, you can wear this hairstyle. Imagine your father's face if he saw it". She knew I hated him, even at that age, so she told me little things that would enrage him. Even Tobias knows about it since I told him. He just smiled. I bet he still remembers what my hair looked like when my mom did it for me that day. I sit looking in the mirror. I still have 3 more years until my ceremony, I'll do it then. I comb out my hair and begin to make the patterns in my hair, putting pins in the correct places. Screw it.