After the USPS creates a penpal pairing program, Elizabeth Mills is encouraged by her friends to sign up and talk to someone new. Spencer Reid, bored with only getting bills and advertisements in his mailbox signs up for a penpal.
The two get paire...
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Elizabeth found difficulty in getting up that morning. She felt weighted to her bed, as if something was holding her down. She wanted to curl back into the sheets and go back to sleep and let the world fade from her mind.
She found herself feeling this way some mornings, though she usually forced herself out of it, she supposed from years of her mother dragging her out of bed in order to make sure she made it to high school on time. She numbly pushed herself out of bed and into the shower in an attempt to put some life into her.
Slipping into some clothes and getting herself ready for the day, Elizabeth felt sick with nerves. Despite the obvious nerves, something still felt off to the young woman. She knew she was supposed to feel nervous, excited even, but all she felt like was crawling back into bed and going back to sleep.
It must be nerves. She thought, I'll get over it when I'm playing, I always do.
She got changed into her nicest clothes, choosing a bright yellow sundress, hoping the colour will cheer her up a little, as well as give her a little bit of luck.
She couldn't eat that morning either. Something was telling her that if she ate, she'd throw up. Once again, she assumed it was nerves. Still, she needed something, and a light breakfast of fruit would keep her going.
She took a deep breath as she approached the chess table that morning. Second chair wasn't somewhere she ever saw herself. And yet, there she was, sitting across from Alexander Crone, the man she'd looked up to ever since she was a child. She shook his hand, the flash of camera's dazzling her as she sat down. She was playing black, an automatic disadvantage.
He moved his first piece, c4. "Are you okay?" He asked. "You seemed quieter than usual at breakfast."
"I'm fine." She said, moving a pawn to e5, accepting the English opening. "I just didn't sleep very well, that's all."
"That's a shame." He said, moving to e3. "How's Portland been?"
She moved to f5, taking the centre. "Good. How's Rhode Island been treating you?"
"It's been good." He advanced to d4, and Elizabeth quickly took with her pawn on the e-file. "The twins are heading to high school in September." He took her pawn back on d4. "And Ellen's just gotten a promotion at the gallery, so she's spending a little more time at home."
"That must be nice getting to see her more." She moved her knight to f6. "How old is your youngest now?"
He moved his queenside knight to c3. "He'll be turning 13 in November."
"Wow." She said, bringing her bishop to e7. "Your oldest is going to college this year as well."
Crone bought his kingside bishop to d3. "Yeah, hard to believe how old they're all getting."
Elizabeth moved a pawn to d5, and Alexander quickly took it with his pawn on c-file. Elizabeth quickly stole the space back using her knight.
"So, I hear you've made a friend while you've been here." He said, lazily moving his bishop to c4. Elizabeth moved her knight to b6, to which Crone quickly responded by moving the bishop back to d3.
