"Your turn."

"Huh?"

"It's your turn! How many times do I have to say it?"

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"I can tell." She bit back. Her oponent visibly flinched.

"I'll play knight to e4." Angelica offered.

Keala rolled her eyes. "You can't do that." Angelica looked at the board for a few seconds then glanced at Keala. "Is my king in check?"

"No, but he will be if you move your knight."

"Oh, why?"

"My Bishop! You know what, fine. Let's just say you won and I'll go do something else. You odviously aren't wanting to play."

"No, I do want to play. Please, I want to learn. I've been asking to play chess with you for months."

"Fine, three more turns but you have to actually know what's happening on the board."

"Ok."

A few seconds later Angelica was staring at the board again, thinking over each move individually. It tooks fifteen minutes to decide where she should go. As soon as her queen left its square her opponent's rook moved. _Splat, _the sound of the pieces chinking flowed around her head. "Wha... why? My pawn was... "

"The queen is worth more than a pawn and I had time to think through your potential checkmate."

Keala settled, resting her chin on her hand and tapping her fingers against ger cheek.

"Well, you're going to get my king next turn." Angelica stuttered.

"Yes." She continued to stare.

"Fine, knight to e4."

"But you can'-"

"I'm giving up. This isn't fun anymore."

Startled, Keala took amoment to compose herself. "Ok then, I'll see you next time."

"Next time what? The next time you complain about how I play? No, there will be no next time."

"Ok." she gave a little wave. Some how that infuriated angelica all the more. It took will power to move away. It should have been easy but a competitor like that was hard to ignore. _Fine_, she thought, _game on_. In a single practiced move each chess piece floated into the torn up bag they used as a container. Angelica slammed her hand on the table. "I'm going to play you every single day until I win."

"K, I wish you luck with that. Maybe the fisrt step will be waiting until the end. It's hard to win a game if you can't finish one."

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said, leaving the room and giving lazer eyes with her fingers back at her opponent; the one girl in school who learned to play chess. Well, now there would be two.

These two girls played everyday until one of them had to leave, until they felt sorrow at the loss of their enemy. They built a middle school friendship that seemed unique at the time. Nothing else could compare. There ain't another human who remembers their names, but they remember each other. They remember the days they sang together at marveled at the potential of their own defeat. Every night brought new engagement and each day brought a wait. One day Angelica won, and that day was ecstasy. Keala had a faint amile at her lips. When their last game was done they reached accross the table and shook, saying, to a friend who knew they had a mind of steal "Good game."

"Good game." and the the game was done, but they were not. Not for quite a long time.