Five Times I Wanted To Say "I Love You"

Chess Match (Rewritten)

'Pro: I'm in the top two so that means we'll be on the same level

Con: but she's always managed to win anyway

Pro: I'll still be second in the county

Con: I'll be second in the county for the third year in a row to the same person who'll be first in the county for the fifth year in a row

Pro: my team will be glad I made it this far

Con: we've made it this far! Again! I can't give up just yet'

"Final match will start in two minutes."

Bay sighed. He plucked a biscuit from the tin he'd brought with him. Maybe eating something would help ease his nerves.

"It's quieter than I thought it'd be."

Bay jumped at the sudden but familiar voice.

"You scared me," he grumbled as he turned around.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to." Conn looked around them. There was something clutched in his hand. Looking closer, Bay saw that it was a small green pennant with thick gold letters spelling 'BAY CRESSWELL' on it.

Bay smiled fondly. 'That's sweet.'

"Wanna try some?" Bay offered his biscuit tin to Conn as he scanned the crowd for Cove. "You'll like it. Promise," Bay added when he noticed Conn's hesitance.

"Mmm." Conn raised his eyebrows but accepted a biscuit. "Hey, is it usually this quiet or..." Conn gestured broadly with his pennant as he bit into his biscuit.

"What's wrong, Connor? Sad that you can't be a proper cheerleader?" Cove clapped Conn on the shoulder when he reached them. He pointed a thumb to the large banner at the entrance. "In case you can't read, this is chess. Not hockey, hockey boy. There aren't supposed to be cheerleaders."

"I know! But I'm different." Bay had to laugh at Cove's look of disbelief when Conn spoke. "There's no rule against cheering anyway." He raised his eyebrows again, a questioning look in his eyes. "Is there?"

Bay shrugged. "You'll probably be fine as long as you don't disturb the other players."

"Connor." Cove smirked when Conn turned to him. "I bet that you don't even know what all the pieces are called."

"Pffftt. I do!" Conn puffed up his chest. "There's king, queen, knight, pawn, bishop, and roop!"

Bay raised an eyebrow (because he actually could raise only one brow, so take that, Conn!). "Rook?"

"Oh..." Conn munched thoughtfully, swallowing the last bite of the biscuit. "That does make more sense."

"I saw your match, Bay." Cove tapped his shoulder. "It's Amy Lee."

"Amy?" Conn looked back and forth between the brothers. "Who's she?"

Bay furrowed his eyebrows at the thought of his upcoming match. He had come close to winning before... Maybe this time around would be his lucky break?

His brother didn't mind the lack of response. Instead, he fixed his attention on Conn. "She's the one who always takes first place in chess," Cove explained.

Conn's eyes lit up then. He wrapped an arm around Bay in a half-hug. "But not today! Not in this competition!" Conn waved his pennant with just as much enthusiasm. "She'll find out what defeat is today. Right, Bay?" Conn looked to Bay for confirmation.