𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆: 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒔 𝒙 𝑶𝑪

Think Faster

"You're not going to finish what you were talking about?'

"No that's for you to figure out," there was the ghost of a smile on Benny's face like he was enjoying bickering with her but didn't really want her to know that.

They ended up at a random table. Benny started to unload his pieces onto the board and noticed her eyes on the nearby bar.

"You drink?"

"I'm only 17," Emilie said refocusing herself on the pieces in front of her

"That wasn't my question,"

"Still no,"

"Probably better for a young person like yourself," He took the two queens and put them in his hands. Emilie pointed at one, she was playing black. Against the U.S. champion. Shit.

The first game started off okay but he baited her and after that, it was a swift defeat.

"I guess being the U.S. champion does mean you're decent at chess,"

"Well I mean you don't do chess seriously but for a casual player, you pretty damn good," He was sending her slight praises but his expression still showed how proud he was of himself.

They started another round.

"Where you from Mr. Watts?"

"New York." He said with a nod. "I'd ask you the same but with how your sister wiped out Beltik I sort of already know where you're from"

"You know I played Beltik too?"

"Well then Ms. I don't really play," he moved his pawn forward one and then leaned forward, resting with head on his palm. "Oh do tell,"

With a sigh Emilie told the story.

"Yikes... That must have felt awful,"

"I felt like a fucking idiot," she moved her bishop across the board, "mate in three," Emilie got up and went to the bar to get a coke. She brought it as she sat down. Benny looked down at the board, a little confused,

"Damn Harmon, does it run in your blood or something?" looking back up at her.

"I don't know maybe," with a gloating glance she took a sip of her drink and almost spit it out.

They had given her a rum and coke. It almost came out of her nose.

He chuckled quietly, "Oh does it really?" The sarcasm clear.

"I would help Beth practice. I mean she would always beat me but still. When I wasn't drawing, we were playing. She was cut off from Mr. Shaibel early on so I was her main opponent,"

"Shaibel?"

"Long story and not my story to tell,"

"And I guess the drawings are what that is," his gaze lowered to the book on the table.

"Yes it is and I really should be going-"

" We should play speed chess,"

"Huh?"

"Basically all the time is gone, and you have to move the piece immediately after I move mine,"

"Speed chess," she thought about it, "one round only,"

"Fine, one round for now,"

They weren't kidding when they called it speed chess. It went very, very fast and despite her previous sentiment, they didn't play just one round. Worst of all, he annoyingly kept winning. She thought to herself

If I beat him once, why is this any different?

They played about three rounds, Emilie was finally going to leave Mr. Winner winner Benny Watts.

"Come on Harmon, you just have to think faster,"

"You're just better and now I'm going to go back to my room and cry myself to sleep," she said sarcastically, even dramatically turning around, hitting him in the face with her hair slightly.

"Goodbye Harmon..."

As she grabbed her sketchbook which was a sketchbook, scrapbook mutant with drawings on the actual pages and dozens of small random pieces of paper sandwiched between. It wasn't the most secure but a piece just happened to slip out right then, and that piece just happened to be the one drawing that included Benny Watts, and that picture just happened to fall right into his lap.

He glanced down at the picture, confused for a second, he then looked at the girl walking away, he muttered, "Who knew..."

She was becoming more and more of a puzzle, and he was starting to get enough pieces to tell an idea about who the older Harmon was, but not enough for him.