Checkmate ⚢

Chapter 30 Loathing

Althea's heart was a trapped bee in a drum, beating wildly to find an escape.

Everybody gawked at the oldest person in the vicinity. Noise from the utensils clashing together in a meal died down until everything is silent and still, and it's a silence that can only come from an open space filled with few people all holding their breaths, hesitant to even move.

There it was... the anticipated revelation. The one time opportunity that Althea's mother had not been able to finish, the one being presented to Althea herself with a perfect box and a beautiful bow.

Professor Oakley smirked, amused at every person as she waited for a moment, teasing them. The anticipation made Althea dizzy and painfully aware of the birds chirping among the trees and the barking of her dogs down below.

Althea willed to listen to the words coming out of Professor Oakley's mouth, but the more she stayed focused, the more her mind wandered. There was a buzz in her ears. She was distracted by Professor Andrea's fidgeting when she cleaned her glasses again until it seemed suspicious after numerous observations.

Her dyed blue hair, normal for French women making a rebellious streak, the glasses that she didn't seem to need since she was able to stare at everyone without her eyes squinting, and the fact that she and Professor Tosca seemed to have a kind of falling out.

"Each generation the muses grant someone the ability to channel a great amount of creative energy..." Professor Oakley finally began, "and one muse chose Miss Hanako Yoshida."

Althea paused. She took a second to absorb the words just said, the sound waves that came from Professor Oakley's mouth and went through the air until they reached her.

"SERIOUSLY?" Hana asked. She stared at her mentor for confirmation. When Professor Andrea nodded with blissful tears in her eyes, Hana yelled in hysterical joy. "Yay! I did it! I can meet Andromeda Danton! I'm getting near her I can feel it! Oh, I have a lot of questions to ask! Where do I start?"

Althea had never felt so conflicted in her entire life. There was one side of her that was in high spirits for Hana but there was another side that was dark and bitter. Althea had no idea how Hana felt last night until she practically experienced it firsthand. She had no idea that this sinking feeling was grave and bone-chilling.

This was all her fault for expecting so much of her abilities that she has been completely blinded by the fact that Hana's talent has the capacity to surpass her, as both continue to learn from experience and their mistakes.

"Althea! Professor Andrea! Can you believe I did it?" The voice of her lover is cut off by a sudden, sharp ringing in her ears.

Her vision blurred. She could only differentiate who was who based on their hair color. Chocolate brown from Hana's lovely tresses, a blub of dyed blue hair from Hana's mentor, silvery gray from Professor Oakley, and the short slicked back lilac from her mentor.

She was met with a deathly stare and slow rhythmic clap. Professor Tosca's whole demeanor screamed. "Second place, congrats, second place. Do you really think you are worthy? Do you really think you are living up to your mother's name? You're a complete disgrace, losing to a second-rate artist who has no name for herself—"