FOOL'S GOLD, jess mariano [REWRITE]

1 - NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

FOOL'S GOLD
CHAPTER ONE

CHESS WAS A CALCULATED GAME. The whole goal was to use statistics and strategy to determine your and your opponents next moves. The chess club in it's early days, was not a popular extra curricular along with robotics and Quiz Heads, the school's own competitive quizzers that took part in national championships. None of these things were even considered by most of the student body until Annie took part in them. Annie never intended to be a trend setter. All she did was show up and once the school caught wind she was somewhere, they followed. Some was because they wanted to be around her infectious personality and others was because they wanted to become her. She was in fact perfect to everyone. But in this moment, she was losing and it was pissing her off.

Every Friday, people crowd around the math classroom that's used for the school weekly chess competition. Usually people are there for no longer ten minutes after Annie effortlessly defeats anyone who wagers a game. But today, she was losing and against Robert McConnell of all people. You could tell he had been practicing by the wicked grin on his face. You could tell he had been up every night for weeks practicing every opening and defence that could trap Annie into failing in front of so many people. Annie could sense his smugness and it irked her. God, she needed a cigarette. Annie scratched her forefinger nail against her thumb so hard she thought it would bleed. She chewed her lip as she concentrated. There had to be a way out of this. The clock was ticking. Her eyes flickered to the clock, to the crowd, to Robert's smug face. She was running out of time. Annie reached forward towards her rook. She saw Robert raise his eyebrows as if to ask if she was sure. Doubt flooded her body. Her fingernail pressed further into her skin. She took a gamble. She moved her rook.

Robert tried to maintain his poker face, but he wasn't nearly at skilled at deception as Annie was. His throat bobbed. He moved another piece. Annie's chewed lips upturned as she tried not to laugh. It was too easy. Robert should've known better. In three moves she had him. The crowd clapped Annie's victory as the two competitors shook hands. Annie didn't wait around to exchange pleasantries. Annie weaved through the crowd and moved hastily towards the fire exit.

Annie pushed up the doors and finally felt herself breath when the fresh air graced her lungs. She pressed her back against the wall From the pockets of her skirt, Annie removed a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. As she took her first drag released a loud sigh of relief.

Her father would be so disappointed to know that she smoked but Graham didn't understand how much stress his daughter was under. It would never find out anyway. If he was to place money on one of his kids to take to smoking, he would've guessed his rebellious fourteen years old over his picture perfect seventeen year old. What he didn't know, wouldn't hurt him.

The fire exit doors creaked open and Annie prayed to God that it wasn't a nosy teacher about to catch her in the act. A head popped around the frame and Annie relaxed. "You got another?"