𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 - 𝘥. 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳

04.

ミ★ chapter four:
specks of sunlight

BORED OUT OF HER MIND, Magnolia spun around in her rolling chair, her inability to sleep becoming more prominent by the second. With no new books to read, she was itching for fresh material. Peeking out of her duffel bag were the books she had in her possession, crammed with highlighted annotations and vibrant tabs.

She sighed, shutting her eyes. Exhaustion did not sweep her into a benign state of slumber as she wished it would. Breaking her concentration, Dean snored loudly. He, on the other hand, had no trouble relishing the temporary peace. Searching for some food, Sam left her unsupervised.

Her eyes opened as an idea popped into her head. Amusement already beginning to stream in her veins, she chuckled and grabbed a black marker from her bag. Magnolia did her best not to wake him, doodling on his face. Despite normally being able to awaken at the slightest hint of danger, Dean didn't open his eyes, simply scrunching his nose and using his hand to brush off whatever was grazing against his face.

Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she drew glasses on him and a bunch of other random doodles. She smiled when she was done, appreciating her work and snapping a picture. Her smile fell upon hearing Sam's arrival. The sound of the door creaking open was enough to stir Dean awake, making him reach for the weapon under his pillow. He opened his eyes to meet Magnolia's, her brown ones holding specks of sunlight — bold yet delicate at the same time. Feeling like a deer detecting some approaching headlights, she parted her lips slightly, eyes slightly widening.

Her being so close was completely foreign to him, but he couldn't find the strength to break her gaze, drawing him in.

"Morning, sunshine," Sam said. Magnolia recuperated her composure and redirected her gaze quickly.

Sam arched a brow, dubious of what he just walked in on. "He had something on his face. I got it off."

When he spotted the drawings on Dean's face, the lie was made clear. "Did I interrupt something?"

Unable to get Magnolia's piercing eyes out of his mind, Dean groaned and changed the subject. "What time is it?"

"It's about 5:45."

"In the morning?"

"Yep."

"Where does the day go?" Dean said, turning over onto his back. He ran a hand over his face, unknowingly smudging some drawings on his face. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

Sam and Magnolia exchanged a knowing glance, struggling not to crack a smile. "Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours. Mags, on the other hand, was up reading all night. Why don't you complain about her sleeping habits?"

"I was not," Magnolia muttered, eyes narrowed.

"That is the worst lie you've ever told."

"Listen here, college boy, I won't hesitate to run you over with a bus Regina-George-style —"

Dean sighed. "You guys are both liars because I was up at 3, and Sam was watching a George Foreman Infomercial while MJ was more than halfway into a book."

"Hey, what can we say?" Sam shrugged, holding their breakfast with care. "It's riveting stuff, man."

"When's the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Dean questioned.

Sam answered, "A little while," while Magnolia said, "Couple years."

Both the Winchester brothers turned to her with flabbergasted expressions. They repeated, "A couple of years?"