“C’mon man! Take the knight and kill her Queen already!”

“mmm… Hol’ on…. Lemme think…”

“You’re supposed to be on _my side_, Will!

“Alright. Alright.” Will raised his hands, “I speak no more.”

He fell back into the bed.

Surrounded by an audience of stacked cardboard boxes, Avery waited for Alex’s next move. What started out as _Unpacking Boxes after moving_ was now evolved into a Chess match.

Alex grinned. It wasn’t always he got to one-up his best friend like that.

“Cut the monkey-business and move your piece already” Avery groaned.

“Let me try!” Will hopped off the bed and joined them on the carpet below.

“But—“

“Hmm… let’s see…”

He picked up a rook and slid it across the checkered board, taking out her knight.

“NO!”

“YAS!……_what_?” Will’s enthusiasm died as soon as he saw Alex scowling at him.

Avery bit her lip in a poor attempt to hide her smile.

“Go on, Avery!” Alex let out an exasperated sigh.

“_Ay_.”

The carpet beneath Will suddenly felt hot. His little move with the knight paved the way not only for her bishop to take his Queen but…

“Check.” Avery declared with a sly smile.

Will felt he’d been hit with a chess board in the face. “I didn’t think about that…”

“You don’t think about anything!” Alex irked, “Now, _what_?”

“AHAHAHAHA!!!” Avery burst out laughing.

“We need a redo!”

“NUH-UH!”

“AVES, PLEASE!”

“NoT gOnNa HaPpEn!—“

“_Mija_!”

A voice from downstairs immediately cut them off.

“_Si, Mama_!” Avery sprang up.

“Help me here with these boxes, please!”

“Coming!” She called out. “Alright guys, you start setting those books. I’ll be back in a minute”

She said all of it in one breath and ran downstairs leaving Will, Alex and a huge empty bookshelf.

“Let’s… get started.”