Skweeker's head appeared upside-down from the top bunk. "Would ya stop that?!" she snapped.

"I can't go back to sleep, thanks to you." I didn't stop. In fact, I tapped harder. Why not have a little fun? I'd had enough of Skweeker McCain to last me a lifetime, and I had no more patience for her.

With a murderous look in her eyes, she grabbed hold of my ankle. "Stop!"

Yanking my foot away, I shot back. "Well, you woke me up with those stupid cards."

She rolled her eyes. Disappearing back up onto her bunk, she mumbled, "Stupid girl." She was silent for several minutes, but then, she climbed down off the top bunk. "Get up."

"Why?"

"Do ya remember what I said about askin' why? Get up!"

I was about to relent, but then, I looked her square in the face. "I'm not getting up. Go back to bed."

"Listen, kid, do ya want another black eye?" she exploded, balling up a fist. "'Cause I'm ready here and now to grant your wish."

"No, thank you. I'm happy with my right eye just the way it is. Why don't you just get your cards out and do some more shuffling?"

"Fine! Why don't you just tap one some more stuff wit' ya feet, huh?"

"Fine!"

She sat down in the corner, and I continued to tap my feet against the boards, but somehow, it just wasn't fun any more. I curled up in my blanket and drifted off to sleep to the rhythm of Skweeker's shuffling cards. I slept soundly the rest of the night, until I was awakened by the tip of Warden Simons' cane poking into my side.

"Get up," he said, poking me with the cane again when I closed my eyes.

Reluctantly, I swung my legs over the side of the bunk and stood up on the cold floor.

Next, Simons started poking Skweeker. Amused, I watched as she threw a few blind punches into the air and landed one in his face. Angrily, Simons grabbed her and pulled her down off the bunk. Skweeker, her hair tousled and her eyes still half-closed with sleep, had a smirk on her face.

"Breakfast, ladies," he said, pointing to the tray that rested on the small table in our cell. Simons left the room, slamming the door behind him. Skweeker and I turned to the tray. On it were two biscuits and two cups of water. I nearly swallowed my breakfast whole, despite the horrid taste.

"Bollocks, that's the worst bread I've ever eaten!" I gagged.

Skweeker nodded, taking a drink of her water. I attempted to drink mine, but immediately spit it out onto the floor.

"What's in that water?" I asked her.

"No tellin'," she answered, finishing her cupful. "It smells like cat piss."

"Taste like it, too?" I asked with a smirk.

"Now how would I know what cat piss tastes like?" She cursed. "You are a stupid girl."

Ignoring her, I looked down into my water - there was something floating in it, a film on the surface - and wrinkled my nose. "I'm not drinking that."

"Fine by me." She pulled her cards out of her pocket and sat down in the floor, shuffling them. "I need to play a game or somethin'. I don't guess you wanna play, do ya?"

That took me by surprise. "Well, I suppose."

"Now just because you're playin' cards with me, don't mean you're my friend, see?" I saw a grin playing on the corners of her mouth. "Take a seat."

I sat down on the floor. "Do ya know any games?" Skweeker asked me.

I shook my head.

"Doesn't surprise me. You're a sheltered child! Here, I'll teach ya how to play somethin' simple...War, how's that?"

Skweeker dealt the cards quick as lightning. As I watched her, slightly amazed and bemused, I realized that I had never really gotten a good look at her face. She wasn't wearing her hat now - she had hung it on the bedpost the night before - but in the morning light that made its way into the cell, I now took notice of a long, jagged scar that made its way down the side of her face. "McCain, can I ask you something?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"What happened?" I asked, tracing my finger down the side of my own face.

"My past," McCain sighed. "You ask too many questions." She became completely absorbed in the Queen of Diamonds for a long, awkward moment. "Why don't we play this game, then?"

"Fine," I answered.

Skweeker taught me the game in no time, and we were somewhere in the middle of it when there was a loud knocking at the cell door.