The Other Harmon (Benny Watts TQG)

Part 10 : Letter

I hid my most recent letter away in my shoebox under my bed with everything I needed for my trip and all the other things I wanted to hide,

"What's this?" I heard beth ask from leaning in the door in her usual dress and hair tie she was holding a letter

"A uhh a letter," I said

"Yeah, a letter" she smiled "Mom accidentally put it in my pile, not in yours," she says

"Ohh well accidents happen," I said going to take it but she shut the door locking it

"Little sister, I want the Truth, what is this letter?"

"Well I don't know until I open it"

"No... you already know. You know exactly what is in this letter and exactly who it's from"

"Do I? I seem to know a lot I must be very smart"

"You have never gotten mail, you only started getting letters after my last championship," she says "who are they from?"

"Well, I don't know until I open-"

"It's from New York. Who do you know in new york?"

"I'm not sure maybe you read it wrong or it is junk mail or wrong address" I explain "or maybe it is your beth after all"

"Open it" she says offering it to me "open it and read it to me"

"No,"

"Why? What's in it you don't want me to know? Should I take it down to mom?"

"No, give it" I said so she handed it to me the moment I had it in my hand I knew everything the handwriting the style of the envelope the new york postal stamp I knew what it was but I couldn't get out of this, she was going to find out sooner or later, I opened it and before I could even finish she snatched it from my hand and began to read

"Dearest honeydew,

I have to admit I'm counting the days until Austin" she reads

"Beth please-"

"I already have a few ideas of spots I want to take you before the start of the championship. In closed you will find some money, I know you've been saving up for a new dress for Austin so I figured I'd give you a hand out if my last prince money" she explained her face dropping from the look of joy at her sisterly jokes to genuine concern

"Beth please just listen-"

"I feel so terrible about abandoning you for the flight but remember I'll be in the airport when you get there, and I rang the hotel to ask about our room and they said they didn't know about the view so I guess it's a surprise when we get there, talk soon

X BW'

"Y/n what is this? What's going on?"

"It's nothing-"

"Nothing! I am your sister, tell me. And tell me the truth"

"What do you want to know?" I sighed sitting in my bed

"Well we'll start at the beginning," she says sitting on her own "Honeydew?"

"It's what he calls me, like a... nickname"

"Counting the days till Austin? Is that talking about the southern championship tournament in Austin next month?" She asks and I nodded "money? Y/n there is almost two hundred dollars in here"

"I didn't know about that, honest I didn't that's as new to you as it is to me"

"Hotel room? One hotel room?"

"There was a mix-up-"

"I don't wanna hear it, who is this, who has this much prize money, and plays chess championships and is taking you to Austin with him?" She asks

"Beth please-"

"Who is it? I know who it is?" She says "BW.. brain Westen, Bolton Warwick...be- BENNY WATTS!"

"Beth please it's not what it looks like"

"Benny's older than both of us y/n you can't be serious!"

"Beth please just let me explain it's not as bad as it looks"

"Fine... explain" she sighed

"Look we talked a lot of letters on the phone, he always comes to see me at tournaments. We're just friends there's nothing else going on I promise. He wanted to take me to Austin with him for the championship so he paid for my ticket and the hotel, but there was a mix-up and it's only one room, but it's single beds he promised. I swear there's nothing else going on you have believed me"

"Friends don't pay for someone's cross country trip for no reason, what did he make you promise in return?"

"What?"

"Y/n only enough I play against him enough I know what he's like he won't give something for nothing it's always a trade with Benny now what did he make you promise?"

"To play in the championship..."

"To play? You've never played chess in your life, not properly there's no way I believe it"

"It's true"

"Even if it was the prize money isn't enough to cover the both of you, so he's still losing money which means as Benny sees it you still owe him, but he won't tell you that till you're already in his trap! He'll wait till your in Austin with no money and no way home and spring a little something else to repay him on you I know he will''

"Just because you hate him!"

"I'm trying to protect you, it's obvious you're still lying to me, knowone starts a letter with a nickname like that-"

"Benny does"

"No no one knows if the only time someone writes like that is if it's a pet name, and honeydew does rather sound like something pet name ish" she explained "what did he say it's because you're sweet? His sweet little honeydew? You do realize what it means right?"

"No?"

"What are Honeydew y/n?"

"Fruit..."

"What kind?"

"Melons"

"And when guys say melons they don't mean fruit they mean your boobs,' he explained "and you think I believe nothing's going on"

"Call him," I said

"What?"

"Here" I sighed, getting my box of stuff and getting the number "Benny's number. Ring him yourself and ask him, beth I swear to you, I didn't know about the money, I didn't know about that name, all I knew was that he's nice to me. And he makes me happy, we haven't done anything I swear, he kisses my hand sometimes and last I saw him he kissed my cheek but it was an accident he didn't mean to" I explain she looked at me a while before she folded the letter putting it back in the envelope and handing them to be with the number

"I believe you, just... be careful with Benny. He's good at getting what he wants." She says going and unlocking the door "you should probably start packing it's a long trip" she says.