CHECKMATE - When life plays game with you

4

It is Tuesday. D-1

Tomorrow, I have an early morning flight scheduled. My parents will be driving me to the airport. There's no worry about missing the flight since my family is known for arriving at the airport a good three hours before departure, even though our home is just a 45-minute drive away. I wished my parents could join me on this trip, but they have their work and responsibilities to manage. Instead, they packed some snacks and gifts – not for us, but for our neighbours in Crystal Lake Town. They reminded me to distribute these goodies to them as soon as we reach our destination. Later that night, Samantha texted me

- Hey we are finally me going tomorrow, YAYY!!

- YESSS, I am so excited to go. I hope the sky remains clear and there are no delays in the flight schedule.

- Don't worry girl. I checked the weather forecast, the sky is going to remain clear for at least a week. BTW does your friend still live there?

- Who? Eddie?

- Yes

- Of course, he still lives there. This morning I was texting him if he could pick us up from the airport. And he agreed to it.

- Great. He is a good friend of yours.

- Yes, after all, he is my childhood best friend. Even though he likes to joke around and tease people, he is still a good guy.

- Indeed it seems. So G'night Charlotte. See you tomorrow at the airport. I will be there by 5:30 am-ish.

- g'night Samantha. I love you. See you tomorrow.

- Night.

D - Day

At the airport, Samantha and I bid our farewells to our families and headed toward security. The process was smooth, indicating a promising journey ahead. With about an hour left until departure, we grabbed some coffee and cakes. Samantha commented,

- this isn't a business, they are robbing us with our permission. Have you seen the price of coffee?

- Yeah, probably made of liquid gold.

- Liquid gold, my foot. By the way, how far is your town from the airport? I forgot about that.

- Yes, that's because you slept until we reached.

- I was a baby back then and I was tired.

- 16-year-old baby?

- Let the past be in the past, pwease.

- Ok fine. I have a good heart, that's why I am letting you go.

- You are the best.

- It will take around 1hr to reach.

- Ok, this time I promise you I won't sleep.

- We will see that.

The announcement for our flight's boarding was made soon after, and the plane took off shortly thereafter. As the flight reached cruising altitude, I watched Samantha peacefully doze off.

In the meantime, let me introduce you to Eddie – Edward Byers. He's the kind of friend you'd fear losing. We attended the same Pre-K school, but we didn't really interact until he moved to my neighbourhood. From then on, we became inseparable, whether it was going to school, the beach, or even pranking people. One time, when our parents took us to the beach, I remember him saying, "When we grow up, we'll get married, right? Promise?" I still chuckle when I recall that memory. I like to tease him about it, and he gets shy and tries to change the topic whenever I bring it up. We were so used to each other that when my family moved to Brooklyn, we begged my parents not to go. My father told us that our friendship wouldn't be affected by distance, and sometimes, moving away can make friendships stronger. He suggested we write letters to each other and assured me I could visit him during long vacations. He even came to see me off at the airport, though his sadness was evident beneath the facade of happiness. My father was right; our friendship grew stronger despite the distance. The last time I visited, with Samantha, we had a wonderful time. But I can't say Samantha and Eddie get along well. Every time Samantha tries to build a connection with him, Eddie subtly blocks her. Maybe they just need more time for their friendship to blossom.

- I heard someone saying that they won't sleep, huh?

- Did I? I don't remember.

She quipped as we approached the airport exit. I gave her a "disappointed but not surprised" look. The warm atmosphere of Crystal Lake Town welcomed us, but my eyes were searching for Eddie.

- I swear he will see my anger if he doesn't show up.

- Don't worry he will come, maybe he's stuck in traffic.

"Lottie aren't you searching for me?", Eddie said as he came towards us with his cocky smile. I ran toward him, hugging him tightly. And yes, he calls me Lottie. It had been such a long time since I'd seen him in person. I missed that weirdo. Samantha stepped forward to hug him too, but he extended his hand for a handshake instead. Caught in this awkward situation, I shot a silent message to Eddie through my eyes that said, "Come on, what's your problem? She's my best friend." He responded wordlessly, "Shut up. I don't even know her properly." Samantha seemed to sense the tension and quickly changed the subject:

- I think we should head out now.

We loaded our luggage into the car and embarked on the journey to our final destination. And this time, I made sure Samantha didn't fall asleep. As we drove along the beachside road, with coconut trees reaching toward the sky and cool breezes caressing my skin, I felt a sense of familiarity.

- I need to call my parents. They must be worrying about us.

I was about to dial their number when our car screeched to a halt. The California Police team was conducting checks on every passing car.

" What is happening? " I wondered.

Sneak Peak to the next episode - " 'Hey what's going on here?' I asked Eddie. He replied 'Crystal Lake town is not safe anymore. Things changed.' "