Maybe is a Loser's word ~ Benny Watts Fanfic

Chapter 2 ~ 1955 ~ The green eyed girl

When I was 12 I started to save money from my chess winnings so I could save up and buy a little apartment to live in on my own without the burden of my druken mother. Now I am 14 and I've found an apartment that is cheap enough to move into. Well I guess you could call it an apartment....its more of a mancave. I've lived in New York all my life and I can't bare to leave such an amazing place, so I decided to stay. If my mother ever needs me (even though I don't need her) I can come round to her apartment and drop off money.

My apartment is small and underground with one bedroom and one bathroom; a peculiar smell wafts through the small space and I can't quite tell where its coming from. I walk into my filthy little kitchen and set up a camp table and chairs. I place my chess set in the center and now I can finally call this place home. I walk into the small bedroom and sit down on the smelly futon "just think about all the things I can do now that I'm alone and finally free" I said out loud letting my voice echo into the empty open space. I don't go to school anymore because chess is my life, besides, I'm pretty smart. I was top of all my classes. I don't need anyone except from my chess board. "who needs friends anyway. I have chess" I say outloud again, comforting myself.

A few months later I get a phone call from life magazine. "Hello is this Benjamin Watts?" a womans voice says through the phone "Um yes, It's Benny Watts actually not Benjamin" trying to sound as manly as possible. "Ah okay, this is Darcy Mckenzie from Life Magazine and we would just love to have you Benjam- Benny Watts on the cover" she says hardly taking a breath, I think to myself for a moment before answering "yeah sure that would be great". Darcy sighs through the phone "Ah that's lovely, I can imagine it now Benny Watts : A young chess prodigy" I grimace but force a happy tone "um okay great bye then" and hang up before she could say goodbye.

The next day there's a knock at my door. I open it startled and I see a Reporter and a photographer. The reporter, a middle aged woman with brown hair and glasses, extends a hand and says "Hello, I'm Darcy Mckenzie from Life magazine, we spoke on the phone yesterday" I reach forward to shake her hand and say "oh hi, I didn't think that you would be here this quickly, do you want to come in?". Darcy and the guy with a camera steps into my apartment, I notice her face as she comes down the few steps "well isn't this just... lovely" she mutters to the photographer on her left. I look down at my feet and realise I'm still wearing my pyjamas. "I'm just gonna go get dressed I will be back in a minute".

I feel my face slowly going red as I exit the room and close the door to my bedroom. I scramble to the wardrobe practically throwing everything across the room in order to find a nice outfit to be photographed in. "I can't be dressed like a boy, I need to find something more..." I think as my eyes find a leather trucker jacket in the back of my wardrobe. I grab the jacket off the hook and feel the smooth material between my fingers. The jacket used to belong to my father. It was too big on my skinny body; the sleeves draped over my hands (which were strangely oversized for my age). I slip my arms into the soft jacket which I paired with some black jeans and a black shirt. The layers of fabric are strangely comforting. I look at myself in the mirror. "there's something missing" I thought staring at my messy blonde hair. On the floor next to my shoes I find a cowboy hat. "meh it's worth a try" I think as I pull the hat on to my head.

I walk out into the living room where Darcy and the photographer were sitting. "Well don't you look handsome! ah this is perfect... just what the magazine likes!" says Darcy looking me up and down. "okay so im going to ask you a few questions about chess, and life as a chess prodigy" she continues, I nod unsure what to say. Darcy begins asking me questions. "So Benny, how old were you when you started playing chess?" I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes at the generic question. "I played my first game at six years old. But I didn't play in a tournament until I was eight." I said with as much enthusiasm as I could gather.