Farm Stay

Chapter 3

Hannah's POV.

It's at this moment when all jaws mate with the floor. "You don't know how to play chess?"

"Um... no?" It comes out more as a question, because nothing is making sense here.

"So you don't even know what chess is?"

"Is that a problem or something?"

"Well... It's just that we've never met anyone who has never heard of chess, so we're just a little shocked," one of the older girls, a few years younger than me, speaks up.

"I see," Jack comments. "Well, why don't we get started?"

The room turns into a flurry as everyone debates who's on which team and whether they should start again or keep the game going. I glance around the room and see a teenage guy who isn't too much older than me – I mustn't've noticed him before.

I wander over to him. He doesn't look overly friendly, but I guess worth a shot. I have to know someone other Jack here. "Hey, I'm Hannah," I say.

"Ethan," he greets. Nothing else comes out of his mouth, so I decide to keep the conversation going myself.

"Are you the oldest here?"

"Yeah." His eyes are glued to the floor

"So you live here?"

"Yeah."

"Do you speak English?"

"Yeah."

I crack a smile. Blondes can be so dumb sometimes. Ethan's face stays poker-straight, and I have to cover my mouth to stop from bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Hannah! We're ready to teach you how to play chess," calls the girl from before. I walk over to join them, looking around at my team. "You'll be with me, Henry and Nick. Jack's with Sally, Amber and Luke."

"And you are..."

"Oh, I'm Hillary, sorry."

"Got it." Henry look to be around Hillary's age, and he was pretty hot, too. Boy, this family is gifted with beauty. All the girls have pretty faces, long legs and nice personalities; the guys that can, have a sturdy build with defined muscles and tanned skin. I can only imagine what the little guys will look like in ten years time...

We get carried away with the chess game for the next hour, and I have to admit it was actually fun – chess is a fascinating yet complicated game. Our team loses, but we have a great time figuring out what to do and I learn a lot.

It turns out that Hillary and Henry are cousins born three days apart, Hillary being the oldest. Henry has a great sense of humour and keeps us entertained the whole time. Hillary certainly has that authority radiating off her, but I just roll with it. Nick is only five, and he's certainly in Henry's wake with looks and personality. I think he's cute, but he would murder me twice if I ever told him that.

Jack seems to be transfixed on Amber, which I find a little weird because she is a few years older than him. But boys will be boys. Sally, Hillary's younger sister, is one of those beautiful girls full of wisdom. She almost seems perfect, but that's not really possible when you're fourteen. Well, not at any age I suppose.

At about nine, the younger kids get sent to bed. Which includes Jack, but he'll probably stay up playing games until I get there to tell him off; no one's there to stop him after all. After saying goodnight to everyone, what's left of us just laze around on the couches, talking.

"So you come from the city, right?" Hillary asks.

"Yeah, I live in an apartment just outside the city centre."