Open Your Eyes, It's Just a Dream (Escape From Furnace Fanfic)

Chapter Eleven

I woke the next morning in a cold sweat again. My night had been filled with nightmares and my body was throbbing from the day before. I rolled out of bed before Alina woke and the lights came on. I had always been an early riser and now I was just waking up earlier- or later- I'm not really sure. Rowan was leaning against the wall next to Alina's bunk with his head slouched forward. I ripped the sleeves off of my uniform and tossed it to the side, revealing my few tattoos. I heard someone groan and I looked over. "Morning." Rowan mumbled, shifting from where he was sitting.

"Hey..." I smiled slightly and ran my hand along the bars.

"Happy birthday by the way." I looked over at Rowan and could just barley make out him smiling. I laughed half heart-idly and looked at the floor.

"Thanks... How did you know?" I asked, looking up again.

"Alina told me, I guess she heard it from someone. Christian maybe." I nodded and a siren went off. I covered my eyes quickly as the lights flashed on. "Hey. Wake up." Rowan whispered. I dropped my hand and looked over at him. He was poking Alina gently and grinning. She mumbled something and slapped his hand. Rowan chuckled and stood up, his joints crack in the process. I pulled a face, causing him to laughed again.

"Gary could crack his back and fingers but I never heard him crack his whole body." Alina sat up and laughed at my remark.

"After this many years of chipping you'll sound like this too." Rowan replied, walking up to the bars.

"You make it sound like you're some old guy!" I exclaimed.

"Well then I'm very fit for an old guy." He grinned, pulling his hair into a pony tail and waited for the cells to open. We sat in a comfortable silence before a second siren went off. Rowan smiled at me a few times like he knew something but stayed quiet. The cells rambled open and the inmates flooded the path. Unlike me, Rowan pushed us into the mob of people and worked his way down the the main floor quickly. We spilled off the steps and into the court yard.

"MELODY!!!" I spun around just in time to see Christian running towards me. He tackled me and spun me around, hugging me. "Happy birthday idiot! You're sixteen!" He yelled, crushing me. I slapped him and laughed.

"Christian! I. Can. Breath!" I gasped. He dropped me, grinning. "You're violent on birthdays." I mumbled and he laughed. There was a tap on my shoulder and I turned to see Donovan standing behind me, four bowls of slop balanced carefully in his arms. Chance was standing next to him grinning. Two more bowls were sitting in his hands. "Donovan! How are you holding those!" I exclaimed, grabbing two of the bowls before they crashed to the floor. He shrugged.

"Practice maybe. Now come on! I didn't carry all this crap and get down here early just for fun!" He yelled, pushing me with his foot towards the stairs. Christian came up behind me and slapped his hands over my eyes. I squealed as grabbed his arms.

"Christian! What are you doing!" I whined and carefully walked up the steps.

"Just trust me."

"Christian. I know you too well. There is NO WAY I am trusting you when you say that." He chuckled behind me and finally we stopped walking. From the amount of stairs we climbed I figured we were in front of Donovan's or Rowan's cell. Two people walked passed me and I heard the bowls being set down.

"Ready?" Christian asked. I nodded and he laughed. "Not you." I stuck my tongue out and tried to lick his hand. Shifting his hands so I couldn't get to them, then licked my ear.

"Christian!!" I yelped and jumped away from him. He laughed and finally dropped his hands. We were standing in front of Rowan's cell. They had pulled the mattresses out of D's, Rowan's, and my cell and tossed them on the floor, creating a weird pile that vaguely resembled a couch. The they had pulled the sheets off and managed to get them tied to the bars and bunk bed, creating a roof. I grinned and spun around to Christian. "You made a fort!!" I squealed. I jumped on him, wrapping my legs around his waist and hugging him. "You're AMAZING!" He laughed and hugged me. Jumping down, I turned and ran into the fort, plopping down on the mattresses. I grabbed a bowl of food and motioned for the others to join me. Alina and Chance grinned and ran in sitting down next to each other. Christian and Donovan sat in on either side of me and chuckled.

"If I didn't know better I would think you were turning ten not sixteen." Donovan said, talking a bite of his food.

"Hey!" I slapped his arm and he grinned. "I'll have you know that forts are very fun." They started laughing and we finished eating. There was loud foot steps and Rex and the other Skulls appeared in front of our cell. He started to say something then paused.

"I'm not even going to ask what's going on." Rex mumbled, crossing his arms. I grinned and winked, laughing. "Anyways. Jobs start soon. You three have chipping duty," He pointed to D, Rowan, and I. "You have cleaning, laundry it think," Christian nodded. "And you two have slop duty again." Alina and Chance grinned and a Skull stepped forward.

"You guys get to hang with me today." He grinned. Alina giggled.

"Thank, but, uh, why are you telling us?" I asked, looking at Rex and pulling my legs up so I was sitting cross legged. Rex shrugged.

"You two are Skulls and you four are friends of Skulls." He leaned back and spat something over the railing. "If we're stuck here for the rest of our lives we should at least get to know each other." Christian scoffed and I slapped him.

"Thanks." I smiled and he nodded.

"Oh, by the way, I heard a rumor we might be getting some new fish soon." Rex stated, starting to way away.

"How do you know?" I asked. They laughed and walked off.

"Don't ask." Christian looked at me skeptically and I shrugged. I turned and kicked my legs onto Donovan's lap, laying my head on Christian's legs.

"Since we all have work today," Siting up, I pointed to everyone. "I expect you all to be back here after work." I grinned and laid down again. Donovan poked my leg.

"Well your stuck with Rowan and I today anyways." I groaned, making them laugh.

"Again!" Donovan grinned and nodded. "You guys are idiots." I smiled at Christian and he rolled his eyes. "But I'm sure glad you're here." I spun around so I was sitting again.

"Really?" Donovan asked, slightly surprised. I smiled.

"Really. Christian already knows he saved my life. Him and the rest of the Skulls." Donovan laughed.

"Skulls saving lives? That's a first." Christian's hand snapped out and whacked the back of his head, earning a glare from Rowan and a laughed from Donovan.

"Shut up D, I'm trying to be nice." Donovan chuckled but kept his mouth shut. "I don't think I would be turning sixteen if I wasn't with you five. I definitely was considering," Donovan's face hardened and I stopped. "Well you know. But I didn't." I smiled at Donovan. "Maybe your remark the first day I was here helped." Christina raised an eyebrow and I brushed him off. "Thanks guys." I smiled and Alina hopped over to me. She hugged me tightly and sat back.

"I like you. You're like the sister I never had." She stated, twirling her hair in between her fingers. I smiled.

"I would hope you like me. I am your cell mate." She giggled and leaned against Rowan. A siren blasted through the air. I grinned and stood up. "I'll see you guys later." Christian nodded and I took off down the stairs, Rowan and Donovan behind me.

A/N: Hey! Sorry this chapter was REALLY short but I wanted to do a shorter, fluffier one for her birthday. But yeah! I promise the next one will be longer! Until then who do you guys like better? Christian, Donovan, or Rowan?? Thank for reading!