Tris had never thought the dormitories were that far away but this heat had a way of proving you wrong. Maybe people should sell lemonade in little booths along the paths of Winding Circle-every five feet sounded fine.
"Lark, are we there yet?" Tris moaned.
Lark and Sandry themselves looked hardly affected by the heat compared to Tris. There faces were slightly sweaty but their stride wasn't faltering as Tris' was.
Maybe it's not the clothes, she thought. Maybe it's the extra insulation of all my fat.
After they curved around the library, the dormitories were finally in sight...as was Zak.
"Tris!" she grimaced. "Wait up"
Sandry and Lark turned around. Tris kept walking. "Tris, stop. Zak's calling," Sandry said.
"Oh is he?" she asked.
Zak caught up and nodded to Lark and Sandry who smiled back. "Tris your book is in"
"What book?" Lark asked.
"It's about snow. I don't recall the title," he responded.
"Thank you," Tris said shortly. "I'll pick it up later. Right now I just want to get out of this heat"
"The library's cooler and we could get this book so you're not bored while Sala fits you," Sandry offered.
Tris looked at Sandry, "I have a feeling pins in my side aren't going to make it easy to read. Besides the dormitories are right there"
"Very well. Zak, we'll stop by on our way back," Lark said.
His face well up. "Very well, Dedicate," he rushed back to the library.
"Zak is a nice boy," Lark said.
"Very nice," Sandry added.
The two shared a grin. "And he's very attractive," Lark continued.
Tris turned to look at them. "No, no. There is nothing between me and Zak"
"Zak and me," Sandry interrupted.
"Whatever. He just got me a book I asked for. It's no big deal. Dedicate Willow does it all the time. This doesn't mean she likes me. Discussion closed," she turned and headed back to dormitories.
So what if he hadn't got the book because she'd asked. Well she pretty much had asked because after all she had been looking for one. So it wasn't a big deal. Besides she had humiliated herself in front of him. He couldn't like her.
The other two followed behind quietly. As they entered the door to the dormitory Sandry whispered in Tris' ear "He likes you and you know it"
Odd she didn't seem too upset about this.
Sandry led them to a room two flights up. "Sala is really nice just be careful about her weight," she advised.
The door opened to reveal a large girl with curly black hair that was cut short and made her look an overstuffed doll. "Sandry! It's good to see you again. It's hard to leave the room sometimes due to my large size," she giggled. "So what are you doing here"
"Well Sala, we need for you to make some dresses for us," Lark said.
"For all three of you! Well I'm sure I could cut you a discount," Sala said.
Sandry smiled, " Sala, no. Lark and I might need some dresses soon but they are fine with this head. It's Tris here that needs a new dress"
Tris stepped forward.
"Oh my! You must be burning up! Come in. I have a pitcher of water in here. You can drink that while I fit you." As she ushered them in, she added, "Only water for me sadly. No calories and sugar. The physician doesn't want me getting any fatter"
Sandry and Lark found places to sit amid the scattered cloth and such. Tris just stood in the middle of the room.
"Oh Tris it's so nice to work for someone who's not rail then,. No offense Sandry but skinny people like you and Lark make me so sad," Sala turned to Tris. "It's so refreshing to see someone who's not skinny but who's still so pretty! Come over here"
She led her over to stool where Tris stood. Her face was turning a few shades of red, but that could have just been the head and not embarrassment.
"Well, first thing's first. Let's get you out of this hot dress and just into the undergarments," Sala ordered. As Tris took it off, she became aware of just how heavy her dress actually was.
When Sala picked it up, she exclaimed, "My is this heavy. Tris, with this dress on, you must weight nearly as much as me"
Sala proceeded to wrap a ruler around her waist, hips, chest and back all the while murmuring to herself. "Well, it may take me a few days to make this dress, but I think I have one here she can wear since it's so hot right now. Am I correct in assuming that you want more than one dress"
Lark and Sandry nodded.
"Okay, give me one second. I will come back with fabric and that dress," she hurried off.
"It's not that bad," Lark said with a smile.
"I never said it would be painful, "Tris retorted. "What did you mean by saying she was touchy about her weight? She seems fine to me"
"Oh it's all a cover,' Sandry explained. Tris looked at her skeptically. "Sure"
"I'm back!" Sala cried. "And look I found two dressed"
The dresses were simple with thin fabric. The colors were a chocolate brown and an emerald green.
"Those look lovely," Lark said.
"Oh they are, but listen to this. The fabric looks light so it'll keep you cool, but in the winter months it will keep you warm as well. It's my own special type of weaving"
She held the dresses up for them to see. Sandry exclaimed," Oh Tris, these will look lovely on you. "
"Yes, thank you Sala, We can't get her out of these petticoats and such for the life of us but at least we can give her a lighter dress," Lark commented.
"Oh I understand perfectly. I'm 17 but I didn't get out of petticoats until a few years ago when I came here," Sala said. She handed Tris the emerald dress while she and Sandry discussed colors.
Tris walked to the window that overlooked the Emerald Sea. The clouds were all gone. How was she going to bring them all the way over here to get rain for the poor farmers?
After 30 minutes the three left to go back to Discipline. The texture of the dress was quite soft and cool. She felt she could feel the wind flow in and out of her dress even though there was no wind. She might be able to get used to this.
When they passed the library Tris thought that maybe they had forgotten about their trip to the library, but no such luck.
"Oh Tris! We forgot to stop by and get your snow book," Sandry said.
"Oh yeah, " Tris said.
"Come on, let's go and get out of this heat"
Once they entered the doors, Tris felt much cooler than usual. "I wasn't aware of how cold the library actually was," she whispered.
"New dresses will do that to you"
She walked up to the check out. "Umm..is Zak here"
The Dedicate looked at her, "I'm sorry Tris, he just left. Are you here for your book"
"Yes"
"Well here you go. He told me you might drop by so we already had it checked out for you," the Dedicate passed a two inch thick book to her. "He definitely wanted to make sure you had the right book. He even had Niklaren Goldeye stop by to make sure it's the right book"
Tris was happy Lark and Sandry weren't close enough to hear this.
"Oh, well if you see him will you thank him for me"
"I will sweetie"
As she left the library Tris felt actually sad that she hadn't seen Zak, but the feeling was pushed away with her excitement to read her new book.
"Lark, are we there yet?" Tris moaned.
Lark and Sandry themselves looked hardly affected by the heat compared to Tris. There faces were slightly sweaty but their stride wasn't faltering as Tris' was.
Maybe it's not the clothes, she thought. Maybe it's the extra insulation of all my fat.
After they curved around the library, the dormitories were finally in sight...as was Zak.
"Tris!" she grimaced. "Wait up"
Sandry and Lark turned around. Tris kept walking. "Tris, stop. Zak's calling," Sandry said.
"Oh is he?" she asked.
Zak caught up and nodded to Lark and Sandry who smiled back. "Tris your book is in"
"What book?" Lark asked.
"It's about snow. I don't recall the title," he responded.
"Thank you," Tris said shortly. "I'll pick it up later. Right now I just want to get out of this heat"
"The library's cooler and we could get this book so you're not bored while Sala fits you," Sandry offered.
Tris looked at Sandry, "I have a feeling pins in my side aren't going to make it easy to read. Besides the dormitories are right there"
"Very well. Zak, we'll stop by on our way back," Lark said.
His face well up. "Very well, Dedicate," he rushed back to the library.
"Zak is a nice boy," Lark said.
"Very nice," Sandry added.
The two shared a grin. "And he's very attractive," Lark continued.
Tris turned to look at them. "No, no. There is nothing between me and Zak"
"Zak and me," Sandry interrupted.
"Whatever. He just got me a book I asked for. It's no big deal. Dedicate Willow does it all the time. This doesn't mean she likes me. Discussion closed," she turned and headed back to dormitories.
So what if he hadn't got the book because she'd asked. Well she pretty much had asked because after all she had been looking for one. So it wasn't a big deal. Besides she had humiliated herself in front of him. He couldn't like her.
The other two followed behind quietly. As they entered the door to the dormitory Sandry whispered in Tris' ear "He likes you and you know it"
Odd she didn't seem too upset about this.
Sandry led them to a room two flights up. "Sala is really nice just be careful about her weight," she advised.
The door opened to reveal a large girl with curly black hair that was cut short and made her look an overstuffed doll. "Sandry! It's good to see you again. It's hard to leave the room sometimes due to my large size," she giggled. "So what are you doing here"
"Well Sala, we need for you to make some dresses for us," Lark said.
"For all three of you! Well I'm sure I could cut you a discount," Sala said.
Sandry smiled, " Sala, no. Lark and I might need some dresses soon but they are fine with this head. It's Tris here that needs a new dress"
Tris stepped forward.
"Oh my! You must be burning up! Come in. I have a pitcher of water in here. You can drink that while I fit you." As she ushered them in, she added, "Only water for me sadly. No calories and sugar. The physician doesn't want me getting any fatter"
Sandry and Lark found places to sit amid the scattered cloth and such. Tris just stood in the middle of the room.
"Oh Tris it's so nice to work for someone who's not rail then,. No offense Sandry but skinny people like you and Lark make me so sad," Sala turned to Tris. "It's so refreshing to see someone who's not skinny but who's still so pretty! Come over here"
She led her over to stool where Tris stood. Her face was turning a few shades of red, but that could have just been the head and not embarrassment.
"Well, first thing's first. Let's get you out of this hot dress and just into the undergarments," Sala ordered. As Tris took it off, she became aware of just how heavy her dress actually was.
When Sala picked it up, she exclaimed, "My is this heavy. Tris, with this dress on, you must weight nearly as much as me"
Sala proceeded to wrap a ruler around her waist, hips, chest and back all the while murmuring to herself. "Well, it may take me a few days to make this dress, but I think I have one here she can wear since it's so hot right now. Am I correct in assuming that you want more than one dress"
Lark and Sandry nodded.
"Okay, give me one second. I will come back with fabric and that dress," she hurried off.
"It's not that bad," Lark said with a smile.
"I never said it would be painful, "Tris retorted. "What did you mean by saying she was touchy about her weight? She seems fine to me"
"Oh it's all a cover,' Sandry explained. Tris looked at her skeptically. "Sure"
"I'm back!" Sala cried. "And look I found two dressed"
The dresses were simple with thin fabric. The colors were a chocolate brown and an emerald green.
"Those look lovely," Lark said.
"Oh they are, but listen to this. The fabric looks light so it'll keep you cool, but in the winter months it will keep you warm as well. It's my own special type of weaving"
She held the dresses up for them to see. Sandry exclaimed," Oh Tris, these will look lovely on you. "
"Yes, thank you Sala, We can't get her out of these petticoats and such for the life of us but at least we can give her a lighter dress," Lark commented.
"Oh I understand perfectly. I'm 17 but I didn't get out of petticoats until a few years ago when I came here," Sala said. She handed Tris the emerald dress while she and Sandry discussed colors.
Tris walked to the window that overlooked the Emerald Sea. The clouds were all gone. How was she going to bring them all the way over here to get rain for the poor farmers?
After 30 minutes the three left to go back to Discipline. The texture of the dress was quite soft and cool. She felt she could feel the wind flow in and out of her dress even though there was no wind. She might be able to get used to this.
When they passed the library Tris thought that maybe they had forgotten about their trip to the library, but no such luck.
"Oh Tris! We forgot to stop by and get your snow book," Sandry said.
"Oh yeah, " Tris said.
"Come on, let's go and get out of this heat"
Once they entered the doors, Tris felt much cooler than usual. "I wasn't aware of how cold the library actually was," she whispered.
"New dresses will do that to you"
She walked up to the check out. "Umm..is Zak here"
The Dedicate looked at her, "I'm sorry Tris, he just left. Are you here for your book"
"Yes"
"Well here you go. He told me you might drop by so we already had it checked out for you," the Dedicate passed a two inch thick book to her. "He definitely wanted to make sure you had the right book. He even had Niklaren Goldeye stop by to make sure it's the right book"
Tris was happy Lark and Sandry weren't close enough to hear this.
"Oh, well if you see him will you thank him for me"
"I will sweetie"
As she left the library Tris felt actually sad that she hadn't seen Zak, but the feeling was pushed away with her excitement to read her new book.