Fearless

chapter 6

"Stop fooling around." I said laughingly, and shook the sheet.

"Look, you might not like the idea, but my room is... cozier." Ian said, twisting the bracelet on his arm.

"Cozier?" I asked again, glancing around my room. Dusty, dark, some chairs scattered around.

"Well... maybe that's not such a bad idea..." I said thoughtfully.

"That's great." Ian nodded happily as he gathered up my sheets and pillow. "Carry the backpack yourself, it wouldn't break your bones." He grinned cheerfully, and I rolled my eyes.

His room did look better, more lived in and basically cleaner. Ian put my stuff on the dark gray couch and looked at me.

"How do you like it here?" he asked, ruffling his hair awkwardly. "It's a little messy, though..."

"No, it's fine." I chuckled, sinking into the couch.

Dense twilight was already falling on the sleeping town, hiding all the secrets in its darkness. The desk lamp burned quietly, illuminating the room with a dim, yellowish light. Ian was lying on the bed, hastily made from wooden crates and a mattress, reading some shabby book.

I wanted to talk to him about something, but at the same time I didn't want to disturb the mysterious silence, through which I could hear only the gentle hum of electricity and the rustling of pages.

I wrapped myself in an old woolen blanket, lay down on the pillow, and covered my eyes. Quietly, calmly. I felt so peaceful, as if it were not me who had broken into the administrative prison today.

I drove away the gloomy thoughts and slowly fell asleep.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!" Liam shouted and threw cold water on me.

"Are you out of your mind?" I jumped up and looked around.

"Good morning." He grinned and pulled the blanket off Ian.

"Dude, piss off." Ian muttered, pulling the blanket over his head.

"And what have you two been doing here all night?" Liam asked with a sly grin, but immediately jumped out of the room when Ian threw a pillow at him.

"Yeah... you have this much fun every morning?" I asked, sitting down on the couch and trying in vain to wring out my shirt.

"Today was the exception." Ian shook his head and looked at me. "You're all wet." He added, getting up from the makeshift bed.

"Here's a towel. Go take a shower." he said, tossing me a terry towel from the closet and opening the door to the shower.

Despite the fact that we're in an almost abandoned building, the shower here is pretty well set up. The guys have done their best.

Quickly rinsing myself under the hot jets, I washed my hair with some man's shampoo and wiped myself with a towel. Yeah, it was a rousing awakening, there was nothing to say.

I pulled on my beige sweatpants and black tank top, and got out of the shower.

"Did you find the shampoo?" Jack asked good-naturedly, sitting in the "line" in the shower - which was on my couch. Okay, this is not my couch...

"Yeah. Only it smells like... menthol." I said, playfully wrinkling my hair and wringing it out with a towel.

"That's the way it is." He said cheerfully, and disappeared behind the shower door.

"How did you sleep?" Ian asked as he made his bed. "Did you dream about your fiance?"

"What fiancé?" I asked, momentarily confused.

"Well, as they say.. - Ian winked cheerfully. - When you sleep in a new place, you must dream of your fiancé."

"Mmm, then I'll have a harem. - I laughed and folded the plaid neatly. - I dreamed that Liam pushed Jack into the river, and then you pushed him, too, and jumped in after them. You tried to get me to swim, but it was cold. And then Matt threw me into the river just as Liam doused me in the water."

"It was like Santa Barbara." Ian shook his head with a laugh. Without waiting for Jack, we went to breakfast.

Almost all the Fearless ones were in the room, but they were more like Sleepyheads now.

"What do you usually eat here?" I asked, plopping down on the couch next to Matt. Ian sat down near me, his feet lightly touching mine. It's weird, but I kind of like it. Just don't you dare fall in love, my mind raced.

"It depends on mood. - Ian answered and pulled out his phone. - Chuck is in charge of breakfast today."

The boys were discussing softly as they waited for Chuck, and I watched Ian curiously.

"See anything interesting?" he smirked, glancing at me questioningly. I lowered my eyes in embarrassment and shook my head.

"No, you just have a feather... right there." I answered, pulling the feather off his cheek.

I looked at him thoughtfully, and then I put the feather on my finger and blew on it lightly. It swirled lightly, flying across the room in a silent waltz.

"Miss me?" Chuck burst into the room, carrying large paper bags. "Kicki chiki!!! I recognize them from a million!

"We missed the food more!" I said, impatiently fidgeting on the couch and inhaling the delicious smell of chicken.

"It depends." he smiled as he put the packages on the table.

The boys began to eat with gusto, and only after the first hunger I remembered about Jack.

"Guys, leave it to Jack! I'll go get him." I said as I stuffed the rest of the burger in my mouth and shook my hands off.

"But hurry up, or there won't be any left." Sam smirked as he chomped down on his fries.

I ran out into the hallway and searched Ian's room from memory. To my surprise, I found it right away. The shower door was closed, so I tentatively knocked on it. It was suspiciously quiet inside. After a few moments, the door was opened by Jack, pale as snow.

"What's the matter?" I asked, instantly becoming serious and ready to do anything for my friends. Friends? Yes, that's right. In such a short time they had become something to me.

"My sister was... kidnapped." Jack exhaled, leaning on the iron doorjamb with a trembling hand.