Author Note:Sorry for the ridiculously long delay, but my life has been so frenetic right now that I truly had no time for this. I have the story all typed and everything, but I usually double check the chapters before updating the story and I couldn't find the time to do it. I sincerely apologize. Also, some parts of this story might seem quite unrealistic, OCC, or just improbable: I am sorry, but I would like to stay true to the way I originally planned it, so please deal with me. It is also my first story (second fan fiction, but the other one was a one-shot). Anyway, here you are. Please review and I promise I'll be more prompt.
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"And what forms atoms?"
"Electrons, protons and neutrons," Freddy answered, barely repressing a yawn. Summer had been questioning him for the last three hours, and he could not stand another second of that agony. The most annoying part was that even if he had answered correctly to almost every single question, at first nearly shocking Summer and now barely receiving a reaction at all, she kept going on and asking about the same topic over and over again. It was already the fourth time that he had been asked about subatomic particles.
Summer, composedly seated (and gradually sinking) in a massive armchair, book in her lap, searched the pages for another question. Freddy, however, sitting on the carpet with his legs crossed, toying with a chess-set in front of the fireplace, had completely different intentions. "Hey, Tink."
"Hmm?" She answered, not even looking up from her immaculate chemistry book, turning its pages more and more frenetically. "Here, what's electrical current?"
"A flood of electrons," He answered automatically. He could recite that book backwards by now. "Listen, wanna play?"
She looked up to see the chess board ready, all the pieces in their proper spot, prepared to battle each other. "No," She replied curtly, turning back to the tome.
"C'mon, I know all of that stuff. Atoms, electrons and protons, electricity, poles, magnetism, everything. Can't we take a break?" He pleaded.
"Freddy, I don't know how to play, therefore, let's stick to chemistry, shall we?"
"You don't know how to play chess? Are you serious?" That was quite surprising. Chess sounded very Summer-like, all that strategy and concentration seemed to suit her type of game much more than Freddy's.
"No, I don't. Would you stop being so annoyingly shocked and focus, please?" She replied, a little bitterly.
"How about this," Freddy said, a crooked smirk on his face. "We stop this chemistry review right now and I teach you how to play."
Summer looked up to Freddy and considered briefly: he was, indeed, prepared for the quiz, and she certainly wasn't having much fun studying. Besides, chess seemed to be rather fascinating. "Ok," She said, smiling and sitting on the ground on the opposite side of the board. "Teach me."
Her tone sounded rather challenging, but Freddy was too amazed at how quickly she had been persuaded. "Ok, these are the puns," he started explaining, pointing at the pieces as he named them. "They move only straight ahead one square at a time but take prisoners diagonally. And their first move can be two squares, if you want. Then you have the rooks that can move ahead and backwards and sideways for as many squares as you want; the knights move in L-shapes; the bishops move diagonally. Then you have the queen, which can move any direction any number of squares, and the king, any direction but just one square at a time. The goal is to trap the other king, it's not too hard, but requires a little practice. Ready?"
"Sure," She said with a smile.
"White goes first," He said, waiting for her first move.
Summer, who had the white pieces, turned the board around as to have black. Freddy chuckled and moved one of his puns. She mirrored him, not really knowing how to start attacking his king. He moved a bishop.
"Check." Summer looked up questioningly. "It means that if you don't move your king, I'll win," Freddy clarified.
She turned back to the board and Freddy couldn't help but notice how pretty she looked, silent and concentrated, biting her lower lip while trying to escape such an early defeat. Her dark eyes were scanning the board, looking for a move that will lead her king to freedom, but she could not find it. She decided to move another pun, slightly pursing her lips.
"Check mate." Freddy declared, moving his queen. "But," he added placing back his piece as well as Summer's pun, and moving another one of hers. "You could have moved this one and it would have blocked me."
"How?" Summer was not getting much of this.
"'Cause I would have never moved my queen there, you would have taken her with your king and I would have lost the best piece," He explained. "The queen is practically the most important piece. You know, 'They say in chess you've got to kill the queen and then you made it.'" He sang. Summer was still looking rather puzzled, and slightly entertained by his musical reference.
"Ok, let's start over. Now, the trick is thinking one step ahead. Every time I move a piece, try to think why I do that. Can that piece take any of yours? And if so how can you escape? Or how can you take mine back? It's not hard, you just need a little practice," Freddy smiled at her encouragingly, and Summer smiled back ever so slightly.
"Fine," She said, putting the pieces back. "Let me try again."
Once again, Freddy moved a pun and Summer did the same, then he moved his bishop. Summer stared at it reflecting, but did not seem to get to any conclusion. With a small frown she looked up at Freddy, mutely asking for a hint. "Well…" He started. He wasn't really good at teaching and did not even know how to begin. He had learned chess more from practice than from explanation, and it came natural to him. "Let's see. Do you remember how bishops move?"
"Diagonally?" She replied tentatively. It was weird how roles had switched and she had become the scholar.
"Right! So, where can my bishop go and take your pieces?" Summer followed the diagonal lines with a finger, pointing what pieces were in danger, and Freddy nodded approvingly. "Good, now, which one of these is more important?" He asked, guiding her to the next move little by little.
"The knight, I think. But I can save him, can't I?"
"Yep, you can." Freddy agreed with a smile. "See, that is kinda the thought process you have to follow every time you move."
Summer looked at him incredulous. "You mean I have to analyze every single move like that?" No wonder a chess match usually took forever.
"Technically," Freddy said, chuckling at her reaction. "But believe me, it will become faster and faster and in the end you won't even think about it." Summer mumbled, unconvinced. "Of course," Freddy said, with a growing smirk. "The only way to improve is to practice several hours a day. You know, this is serious business, we should just go on and play for the rest of the night, and at least one hour every time you're here."
Summer shook her head lightly, beaming amusedly. "Sure, Freddy. Dream on."
But she started putting the pieces back once again and Freddy helped her, lightly brushing her hands while retrieving his pieces. They were both unaware of the lighthearted smiles on their faces.
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