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Azrael placed a chess set in front of Samuel with a loud thump, causing him to look up from his work. He eyed the wooden board carefully as Azrael slid into the seat before him.
‘What are you doing?’ he asked warily as Azrael took out the pieces and began to arrange them on the board.
‘We are going to play chess,’ Azrael announced happily.
‘Let me rephrase, why are we going to do that?’
Azrael shrugged. ‘No reason, I was just in the mood for it. Besides, you would be surprised by the number of things you can learn about a person from the moves they make. I’ve found that a game of chess provides an interesting window into how your opponent’s mind works.’
‘That’s all well and good,’ Samuel replied. ‘But there’s just one little problem.’
Azrael looked up curiously. ‘Oh? And what is that?’
‘I’m not very good.’
‘All the more reason this is necessary. I can’t believe Jayden has neglected your education this badly. I ought to have a word with him.’
‘Do we have to?’ Samuel whined. ‘I don’t even think he would care.’
‘Whether he cares or not isn’t the issue here. It’s about principle.’
‘Why? It’s not as if chess is that important.’
‘On the contrary, chess is a very important game that can be useful in life. Life is just one big game after all, and if you want to win you cannot do without the skills chess provides.’
Samuel dropped his head into his hands with a groan. ‘Can we just not?’ he pleaded. ‘I have enough of my plate with actual school without trying to learn about chess.’
Azrael made a derisive sort of noise at the back of his throat at the mention of school. ‘Please, formal education is one of the most useless and time-wasting things mankind has come up with. It has always been a long-standing belief of mine that schools are where imagination and curiosity go to die.’
Samuel stared at him. ‘That’s a very gloomy outlook to have.’
‘Doesn’t make it less true,’ Azrael responded. He gestured to the board. ‘Go on, white has the first move.’
Samuel had no choice but to swallow his complaints and comply. After all, the sooner they got this over with, the better.
It turned out that the game was over far sooner than either of them expected. It didn’t even last for two minutes. Within short order, Azrael had decimated his defences, captured all his pieces, and was holding his king hostage.
Samuel placed his head on the table tiredly. ‘I told you. I wasn’t joking, I really am terrible. I can’t even beat Leo.’
Azrael frowned as he considered the half-empty board. ‘I’m sure I wasn’t playing at an advanced level. I was barely above beginners.’
Samuel groaned and covered his face. ‘You don’t need to rub it in.’
‘What level would you say your friend Leonardo is at?’
Samuel felt a headache coming on. ‘I don’t know. Intermediate, maybe more.’
‘And he’s the least skilled in your friend group?’
Samuel nodded. ‘Cam always beats him. Jayden is obviously the best, followed by Noel. Then there is Paul, then Cam, then Leo. I’m the worst.’
Azrael sat back and contemplated his words. He was quiet for so long that Samuel’s eyes began to droop close. It had been a long day and the table felt cool beneath his head.
Before long, he was snoring softly in the cool quiet of the library. He slept for more than an hour and when he awoke Azrael was already gone.
He wondered why Azrael hadn’t woken him up and he felt a little miffed at being abandoned. He checked his watch and after packing his books, he made his way out of the library and towards his dorm.
Jayden was already in his room waiting for him and he smiled at him as he threw his backpack on the ground and dumped himself on the bed.
‘How was your day?’ Jayden asked, reaching out to run his hand through Samuel’s hair.
‘Depressing,’ Samuel mouthed into the covers. ‘Yours?’
‘It was alright. What happened?’
‘I played chess with Azrael.’
Jayden stared at him. ‘And?’
‘I lost.’
Jayden raised an eyebrow. ‘Is that all?’
‘Terribly.’
‘Obviously. You weren’t expecting to beat him, were you? He is a grandmaster.’
Samuel snorted and sat up. ‘Of course, I wasn’t. I can’t even beat Leo. It still was a bit of…. Why are you looking at me like that?’
Jayden was staring at him as if he had suddenly sprouted two heads. ‘You can’t beat Leo?’
‘Yeah, I mean…’
Jayden winced painfully as if the words physically hurt him. He closed his eyes and held his head as if warding off a migraine.
Samuel rolled his eyes. ‘What’s with the reaction? It’s not as if you didn’t know.’
‘Of course, I didn’t!’ Jayden exclaimed. ‘I wouldn’t have let it continue to stand if I did. I can’t believe this. I’ve been neglecting your education.’
‘That’s what he said,’ Samuel muttered. ‘It’s not even a big deal.’
‘Of course, it’s a big deal. No boyfriend of mine is going to be walking around, being horrible at chess. Think of how that reflects on me.’
‘I didn’t know you cared what other people think,’ Samuel mumbled.
‘I don’t. But no one in their right can ever claim that I am a fool and I would be damned if people start thinking I surround myself with them. I’m a tolerant person but you know that’s the one thing I can’t stand.’
‘It’s just chess,’ Samuel mumbled.
‘It’s not even about chess it’s about the principle of things,’ Jayden stated.
‘That’s what he said,’ Samuel noted.
‘Besides, chess isn’t just chess. Chess is an art form with real word implications. If you want to be successful in life mastery of chess is not a choice but a necessity.’
‘Again, that’s what he said,’ Samuel stated.
Jayden shook his head. ‘When this whole mess is over, the first thing we are going to do is make sure you get a proper education.’
‘What am I in school for then?’
Jayden rolled his eyes. ‘Please, formal education is one of the most useless and time-wasting things mankind has come up with. Schools are where imagination and curiosity go to die.’
Samuel stared at him. ‘I don’t think you realize just how much alike the both of you are. You just stated the exact thing he said, word for word. It’s eerie.’
Jayden grimaced. ‘You don’t need to rub it in. It’s bad enough I agree with him on this.’
‘You agree with him on most topics,’ Samuel remarked. ‘This isn’t the first time either.’
‘Hopefully, it would be the last.’
Samuel laughed at the displeased look on his face. He reached up to place a kiss in the middle of Jayden’s furrowed forehead and immediately the lines lifted. Jayden looked down as Samuel made himself comfortable in his lap.
‘Enough about my day, tell me about yours,’ Samuel said, blinking up at him.
Jayden looked away. ‘Nothing to say really.’
Samuel frowned. ‘You still haven’t found his weakness?’
Jayden shook his head. ‘I’m close to figuring it out, I can feel it. It’s like this wisp of shadow at the back of my brain but every time I feel as if I’ve wrapped my hands around it, it vanishes like smoke.’
‘Maybe you are going about it the wrong way,’ Samuel suggested. ‘Instead of looking for his weakness why don’t you look for yours? You two are alike so what can beat you might be able to beat him.’
Jayden shook his head again. ‘That won’t lead anywhere. The only thing that can hurt me is you and that’s why we are in this mess in the first place. He is not like me, he doesn’t know how to love.’
‘Then look at your dissimilarities. Maybe that’s where the answer is. How are the two of you different?’
Jayden thought about it for a minute. ‘For starters, he’s addicted to excitement. That could be a good thing for us because he’s always willing to sacrifice his safety if it means it would give him a moment of pleasure. It’s one of his worst flaws. Take for example his sanity. Remember how I told you that he’s as sane as I am?’
He waited until Samuel had nodded before he continued. ‘That’s the problem, if only he was insane then he would be much easier to handle. However, though he’s sane his grasp on reality is tenuous. He is always skating on the edges of his sanity because of the rush of adrenaline it brings him. The risk just adds to the fun.’
Samuel’s eyes widened as a piece of the puzzle finally clicked into place. ‘So that’s why it always feels as if I’m dealing with a madman. But he’s not mad he’s just almost mad.’
Jayden nodded. ‘Exactly. Apart from the adrenaline it provides him, it also serves the purpose of throwing his opponents off-guard, lulling them into a false sense of security. After all, a madman is much easier to beat.’
Samuel frowned as he considered Jayden’s words. ‘So all it would take is one shove to throw his mental health out of balance. One push and he would be plummeting straight into madness.’
‘The problem is finding the thing that can push him off the cliff.’
‘Is that what you’ve been looking for?’ Samuel asked.
Jayden nodded grimly. ‘He is not a fool. He knows what he’s doing is dangerous so he has erased all traces of anything that could even remotely be used to imbalance him.’
Samuel’s eyes grew despondent and Jayden, noticing this leaned over to kiss him on the nose. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out sooner or later.’
‘What if there is no later?’
‘Do you trust me?’
Samuel looked up into Jayden’s eyes and realised that he did indeed trust him to figure it out. He felt a sudden surge of confidence and nodded.
‘I trust you.’
Jayden smiled. ‘Good. Now tell me, you’ve spent a lot of time with him. Have you noticed anything strange about him?’
Samuel snorted. ‘Everything about him is strange.’ He paused. ‘Although, there is this thing he does which is especially creepy.’
Jayden glanced down at him. ‘Hmm? What is that?’
‘He likes to whistle and hum the tunes of nursery rhymes. It starts light and jaunty then turns dark and haunting pretty quickly.’
Jayden made a noncommittal noise at the back of his throat. ‘Yes, I’ve noticed.’
Samuel looked up at him. ‘Why does he do that?’
Jayden shrugged. ‘Who knows, you should ask him the next time you see him. I have no doubt there is a delightfully macabre story he would be gleeful to impart on you.’
A memory of Azrael humming Ring around the Rosy rose up in Samuel’s mind and with it, images of the black death and a tall, hooded figure with a beaked nose wielding a scythe were conjured up in his mind’s eye. The figure took off his mask and Azrael’s shining blue eyes smiled at him from within the shadows of the hood.
He shuddered. ‘No, thank you. I have enough trouble sleeping at night.’ A question appeared in his head. ‘Azrael is the name of the angel of death, right?’
Jayden hummed in affirmation.
Samuel frowned. ‘I don’t understand how a parent can give their child such an ominous name.’
A wry smile appeared on Jayden’s face. ‘That wasn’t his original name. His parents named him Ariel when he was born. He changed his name to Azrael after his mother died.’
‘Why did he change his name?’
‘I’m not sure. In fact, his mother’s death was a very mysterious affair. Official reports were she took her own life, but those who knew Lady Sariel found it impossible to believe. I never met her personally, but my mother had great respect for her. She told me Lady Sariel was the embodiment of virtue and in her presence, no one found themselves capable of being dishonourable.’
‘She sounds impressive. So what happened?’
‘At the time, there were whispers that Azrael was responsible for her death but no one took them seriously.’
Samuel’s eyes widened. ‘Was he?’
Jayden shook his head. ‘There was no proof to believe he was and even knowing what I do about him, I strongly doubt he killed her. He may be psychopathic but there’s a method to his madness. As hard as it is to believe, he rarely commits murder.’
Samuel’s lips curled in disbelief and Jayden laughed at his expression. ‘I know it sounds ridiculous but it is true. I don’t know how she died but he didn’t kill her. I asked him about his name once and he told me he took it to honour his mother. He seemed fond when he spoke of her which is strange because it almost reminded me of…’
Jayden grew silent and Samuel glanced up at him in curiosity. The expression on his face made Samuel sit up at once.
‘What is it? You just thought of something, I can tell from your face. It’s like a light just went on in your brain. Have you figured something out? Is it something that would help?’
Jayden’s distant eyes refocused and he looked into Samuel’s earnest face with an amused smile.
‘Calm down. It is probably nothing, just something that had been going through my mind for a while.’
‘But is it going to help?’ Samuel demanded impatiently.
‘Maybe, maybe not. It’s best not to think too much about it. Why don’t we talk about something more interesting? How is your work with the student council coming along?’
Samuel reluctantly agreed to the change of topic and started telling Jayden about all the meetings he had to attend and how tiring it was trying to get everyone on board with his new plans.
Later that same day, when he woke up in the middle of the night, Jayden was gone.
~
The following day, he was working on student council papers in the library when Azrael plopped down in front of him. He took out a chess board and placed it before them with an eager look in his eye.
‘Alright, ready to get started?’
Samuel glanced down the board wearily. ‘Haven’t we already been through this? There’s no point, I’m horrible at it.’
‘You would be with that horrible attitude,’ Azrael scolded light-heartedly. He wagged a disapproving finger at him. ‘The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty. Why I remember when I wanted to learn about human anatomy. I didn’t shy away from the more gruesome aspects and literally got my hands dirty -in this case bloody- and cut open human bodies to gain a more in-depth understanding. My knowledge of the human physiology is now almost unparalleled. Do you follow what I’m saying?’
Samuel’s mouth was hanging open as he stared horrified at him. ‘You what?’
Azrael caught his expression and waved his hands dismissively. ‘Don’t worry they were already dead and before you ask, no, I didn’t kill them. I just borrowed a few bodies from the morgue.’
That didn’t lessen Samuel’s horror. ‘You what?’
Azrael huffed impatiently. ‘You’re focusing on the wrong thing here! Besides, what are you so hung up about? It’s not like the owners had any more use for their bodies.’
‘Haven’t you ever heard of respecting the dead?’
‘Why? They are dead, they wouldn’t know the difference. Besides, what is more respectful than aiding in the attainment of knowledge? I would be honoured to think that is what my body would be used for instead of just wasting away in the ground.’
Samuel gave him a long look. ‘You’re really something, you know that right?’
‘The point,’ Azrael continued, ignoring his statement. ‘Is to never give up and to let nothing stand in your way. Now, are you ready?’
‘That’s a nice sentiment and all,’ Samuel replied. ‘But it still isn’t going to make me better.’
Azrael’s eyes brightened. ‘That’s where I come in. Yesterday -after your disastrous performance, I took it upon myself to track down your friends and I managed to corner each of them into a game of chess.’
Samuel’s look turned suspicious. ‘Is that why you left me here?’
Azrael’s mind had already begun to wander. ‘Do you know that you drool a little when you sleep? And you make this curious sound with your throat precisely every half-hour. It was very entertaining to watch for a while.’
‘Isn’t there a point you’re trying to make?’ Samuel asked impatiently. ‘How is playing chess with my friends going to help me?’
‘Hmm? Oh, right.’ Azrael snapped back to the present. ‘Since your skill in the game was sorely lacking, we needed to go back to the basics. I’m obviously far too advanced for you so in order to teach you I would need to significantly dial back my skills. I figured it would be more effective if I had a model to base on and it would be even better if it was a model you were familiar with. Hence, I sought out your friends.’
Samuel’s expression filled with incredulity. ‘You played with my friends to learn how they play?’
‘Exactly. You mentioned Leonardo was the least skilled in your group so I started with him and worked my way up. It only took three games on average to grasp their respective styles. So, if you are able to beat me when I’m playing as them you would be able to win when you come against the real thing. Isn’t that exciting?’
Samuel glanced down at the pieces on the board. ‘Exciting is one word for it.’
Azrael clapped his hands together in enthusiasm. ‘Let’s get started then. Leo favours the white piece so I would play as white this time.’
The game went on for hours and as they played, though Samuel expected it, he was still surprised to discover that Azrael played exactly like Leo. His replication was flawless down to even the most minute detail. He even repeated the same mistakes Leo always made and even copied his little habit of twirling his captured pieces absently as he moved the pieces on the board.
Samuel for his part, paid keen attention to Azrael’s pieces of advice, however, it wasn’t enough and after losing for the fifteenth time in a row, he gave up.
‘This is pointless,’ he said, throwing his arms up in defeat. ‘Sometimes the real victory is acknowledging that you can’t be good in everything.’
Azrael didn’t pay attention to him. He frowned as he considered the pieces contemplatively. ‘You’ve definitely gotten better but something is still missing. You are too bold with your knights, sacrificial with your pawns, too protective of your queen, and not protective enough of your king. As for your bishops and rooks it’s like you forget they even exist.’
‘I know,’ Samuel groaned. ‘I’m hopeless.’
‘Not hopeless just…,’ Azrael looked up. ‘Who did you first learn chess from?’
Samuel blinked at the suddenness of the question. ‘Erm… my sister I think.’
‘And how would you describe your sister? Bold? Assertive? Aggressive?’
Samuel snorted. ‘That would be an understatement.’ He paused and looked curiously at him. ‘How did you guess though?’
‘I told you that you can tell a lot about a person from the way they play chess. You play exactly like her and that’s the problem. You’re copying a style that isn’t yours.’
Samuel looked down at his hands. ‘I am?’
‘You are. We tend to replicate the mannerisms of people we learn from, however as most people grow those behaviours evolve with them to perfectly suit their needs. You, on the other hand, are still clinging on to the original. So much so, that they are impeding your growth.’
Samuel slowly processed this new piece of information. ‘How do I stop?’
‘Forget everything she told you.’
Samuel gave him a derisive look. ‘That sounds like one of those things that are much easier said than done.’
Azrael smiled encouragingly. ‘It’s actually much simpler than you would expect. Instead of going by what she taught you to do, just rely on your instincts. It may seem wrong at first but it would soon feel right.’
Samuel didn’t look convinced but he was willing to give it a try. ‘Alright, let’s go again.’
He soon noticed a visible change in the way he played. He lost the next four games but in the fifth, he experienced his first victory.
‘That was amazing,’ he said breathlessly, looking excitedly up at Azrael. ‘Does that mean I can beat Leo now?’
Azrael snorted. ‘No.’
Samuel’s excitement deflated. ‘But-‘
‘That was just one game. How do you know that wasn’t a fluke? If you want to be at the level where you can beat Leonardo with ease you would have to win against me consecutively.’
Samuel’s hope returned. ‘Does that mean that one day I would be able to beat Jayden?’
‘No.’
Samuel stared drolly at him. ‘Aren’t you supposed to be inspiring me? What’s with the bleakness?’
Azrael shrugged. ‘I’m just being honest. You have a realistic chance to beat your friends so I am helping you. Jayden, however, is another story altogether. I cannot copy his style and use it to teach you because he and I exist on the plane of players whose styles are dynamic. We never use the same form twice and we make up new strategies in every game we play. We are always evolving and it is at a much faster rate than the average player which means it is almost impossible for you to catch up.’
Samuel slumped back in disappointment. ‘Then what’s the point of all this?’
‘The point,’ said Azrael, ‘is that now, whenever you play you would not disgrace yourself and him -and to a larger extent myself since I’m the one who taught you. Now stop sulking, we have a few more games to play.’
They spent the rest of day playing and with every game Samuel got better and better. After a week, he was able to win consecutive victories with ease so Azrael ramped up the difficulty level and began to play like Cam and it took only five days for Samuel to beat him in this form.
The length of time it took for Samuel to win kept getting shorter and shorter and after a few weeks, he was confident enough to take on the real deals.
So on one Friday, a day that also happened to mark exactly one month since he had started to learn from Azrael, he organized a game night.
Dusk had started to fall when Jayden arrived with Noel. They were followed immediately after by a bickering Cam and Leo.
‘For the last time Leonardo, just because you happen to share the same name does not make you Leonardo Da Vinci,’ Cam was saying exasperatedly.
‘And why not?’ Leo shot back. ‘I could paint the Sixteenth Chapel if I wanted to. It’s in my blood.’
Cam rolled his eyes. ‘First of all, Leonardo Da Vinci didn’t paint that you idiot. It was Michelangelo and second, it is called the Sistine Chapel, not Sixteenth.’
‘Nah, I’m pretty sure it was the Sixteenth cause it was the sixteenth one he painted.’
Cam threw his hands up in frustration. ‘We went there two summers ago, how could have forgotten so quickly?’
They dissolved into another fit of angry bickering, causing the rest of their friends to let out a collective groan of frustration.
Samuel gave Jayden a look, causing him to sigh and step in. ‘Alright, that’s enough. You’re both wrong. Leo, Cam is right though its original name is the Cappella Magna, it is called the Sistine Chapel not the Sixteenth after Pope Sixtus IV who commissioned its restoration in 1477.’
‘Ha!’ Cam exclaimed triumphantly.
‘And Cam,’ Jayden continued. ‘If you’re going to correct someone do it properly. Saying Michelangelo painted the Chapel is disingenuous. He was responsible for painting the ceiling and the wall behind the altar. Be specific. Most of the wall paintings were done by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino. Raphael also had a hand in creating most of the tapestries that adorn the lower wall.’
Leo stuck his tongue out at Cam who rolled his eyes in return.
‘Now stop fighting before I send you both back to your rooms,’ Jayden threatened.
‘Yes, Father,’ Cam and Leo intoned monotonously.
‘Very funny,’ Jayden remarked drily.
It was very funny, however, and everyone couldn’t hide their giggles much to Jayden’s chagrin.
‘How did this argument even start?’ Noel asked curiously after the laughter had subsided.
‘Da Vinci over here thinks he inherited his namesake’s talents,’ Cam explained. ‘He made a painting for the art exhibit and to cut a long story short, I just know that the original Leonardo is rolling in his grave.’
‘Just because you are artistically impaired doesn’t mean my painting was horrible,’ Leo retorted. ‘Just say you are colourblind and move on.’
‘Anyone would be colourblind after seeing that criminal explosion. Just because you have every colour doesn’t mean you should use every colour.’
‘It’s called being bold. I’m trying to make a statement.’
‘If that statement was “I can’t paint” you succeeded tremendously.’
‘That’s enough,’ Jayden cut in. He gave Noel a look as if to say, ‘See what you’ve caused.’
‘Fine,’ Leo stood up. ‘How about I go bring my painting and we let the rest of them decide?’
‘No,’ Cam stated firmly. ‘Absolutely not. I’m not going to have that offence to humanity before my eyes to ruin my appetite.’ He turned to Samuel. ‘By the way, what’s for dinner? I’m starving.’
‘Oh,’ Samuel glanced at Paul. ‘I think we ordered pizza, right Paul?’
‘Are you sure it’s pizza, cause it smells like chicken,’ Leo mouthed.
‘Alright, that’s it.’ Cam turned to Leo. ‘Go get that horrible painting and let everyone see how hard I work to stop you from embarrassing yourself in front of the whole school.’
Leo beamed and run out to their dorm to grab his painting. He arrived breathless a few minutes later carrying a canvas in his hands.
‘Alright guys,’ he stated proudly. He turned the painting around to face them. ‘What do you think?’
The others crowded around him as they took the picture in. After a few seconds, Paul was the first one to break the silence.
‘I don’t get it, what am I looking at here?’
‘Art,’ Leo beamed proudly.
‘Is it though?’ Noel asked with a slightly horrified expression on his face.
Samuel cocked his head to the side hoping a change of angle would make it look better. ‘What were you going for?’
Leo frowned. ‘I was painting whatever came from within.’
‘Oh, so it’s vomit,’ Paul stated. ‘Makes sense now.’
‘Thank you!’ Cam exclaimed.
Leo huffed and held his beloved painting close to his chest protectively. ‘You guys don’t know anything about art.’ He turned hopefully to Jayden. ‘You think it’s good right?’
Jayden blinked as suddenly all eyes were on him. ‘Well, it is bold I can tell you that. The brush strokes hint at a melancholy that is a perfect allegory to the futility of life. The rich splashes of colours offer a rousing juxtaposition to the racial divide that is currently polarizing the modern world. Very bold indeed.’
Leo beamed proudly. ‘See, Jayden thinks it’s good.’
‘Oh no, I think it’s trash,’ Jayden stated. ‘But it’s a good kind of trash if trash can ever be called that. It looks like something that “contemporary artists” would love.’
His nose wrinkled in disdain as the words “contemporary artists” left his mouth. He obviously held them in little regard that was almost borderline contempt but Leo didn’t hear the disgust in his voice. All he heard were the words “good”, “contemporary”, “artists” and “love”, and he decided to run with it.
‘It’s settled then,’ he declared proudly. ‘This is going on the art exhibit and it’s going to win first place.’
He happily placed the painting down in finality before walking to the kitchen to scrounge for the pizza he heard Samuel mention earlier. Cam had by then given up on trying to talk sense into him and decided it was better to leave him to his delusions.
‘Enough talk about art,’ Samuel said as Leo walked back out with a box of pizza in his hand. ‘Time for game night.’
‘What games are we playing?’ Leo asked excitedly as he munched on a thick crust.
‘And why are we doing this so all of a sudden?’ Noel added. ‘We’ve never had a game night before.’
‘There’s always a first time for everything,’ Samuel answered vaguely. ‘Besides, it’s not as if any of you had plans for tonight.’
‘I’m with Samuel on this,’ Leo stated. ‘I can’t take one more night of studying. My brain feels as if it might burst.’
‘How’s that possible when there’s nothing in there?’ Cam muttered.
This would have led to another round of arguments but fortunately for everyone, Leo didn’t hear him.
‘What games are we playing?’ Paul asked curiously.
‘I was thinking we could start with a chess tournament,’ Samuel replied innocently. ‘I have already drawn up the slots. Winner gets the pot, with the pot being a free one-month coupon to the cafeteria, paid for by the student council.’
‘Does it cover ice cream?’ Leo asked excitedly.
‘Yes, Leonardo,’ Samuel said tiredly. ‘I specifically made sure it covers ice cream as well.’
‘Yay!’ Leo exclaimed, clapping his hands together happily. ‘Let’s get started.’
‘I don’t know why you’re so excited,’ Paul said amused. ‘It’s not like you’re going to win.’
‘No, but you are,’ Leo whispered conspiratorially. ‘I took a peek at the slots when I was in the kitchen and Jayden isn’t on there. He is the timekeeper which means you’re the next person who is most likely to win. If you win then you can get me the ice cream.’
‘Not always, Noel beats me sometimes.’
‘But you have to win this time,’ Leo said. ‘Think about what’s at stake!’
‘Ice cream?’ Paul asked amusedly.
‘Yes, ice cream! What’s more important than ice cream?’
‘Oh God,’ Paul muttered.
Leo’s face was dead serious as he reached over to rub Paul’s shoulders. ‘Give it all you got buddy and win this one for the team. I’m counting on you.’
To Leo’s dismay and to everyone’s surprise -with the exception of possibly Jayden, Samuel won every single round.
He had a gleeful expression on his face when he made the final checkmate against Paul which won him the tournament.
He turned excitedly to his boyfriend. ‘What did I tell you? I told you I would win. Come on, Jayden pay up.’
Jayden rolled his eyes but he had a fond expression on his face as he handed over the money to Samuel who took it giddily.
‘When did you get so good?’ Paul asked him as he merrily counted the wad of cash in his hands.
‘Have you been practicing secretly?’ Cam asked.
‘Hold on,’ Noel chimed in. ‘Is this why you wanted us to have the game night?’
‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Samuel answered jovially. ‘I suppose you’ll never know.’
‘But how did you get so good?’ Cam demanded.
‘I’m not answering that,’ Samuel answered in a singsong voice. ‘Just take the loss and move on.’
‘I think I know how,’ Noel said. ‘He’s been spending a lot of time with Azrael in the library lately. I’m sure he taught him.’
‘Wait a minute, is that why he forced me to play chess with him last month?’ Paul asked as he slowly pieced it together.
Noel glanced at him in surprise. ‘You too? He cornered me as well.’
‘Me too,’ Cam stated.
Everyone glanced down at Leo who was lying on the ground as he groaned dramatically in pain over the loss of ice cream. Cam gave him a sharp kick on the leg, causing him to look up.
‘Huh? I don’t know what you all are talking about. I’ve been playing chess with him since first year.’
Cam gave him a look. ‘You what?’
‘I don’t know why you’re so surprised, we are both in the chess club. Of course, we would be playing together a lot of the time.’ He suddenly sat up. ‘Oh right, speaking of Azrael, I met him when I went out to grab my painting. He gave me a note to pass to Jayden. Where did I put it…’
He rummaged through his pockets before pulling out a crumpled note. He handed it to Jayden.
‘He told me to also tell you to meet him tonight. He said you would know where.’
Jayden took the note and calmly unfolded it to reveal an elegant scrawl. Samuel looked over his shoulder and he felt as though a heavy rock just landed in his gut. All of a sudden, the light and laughter of the night seemed to disappear and was replaced with a dark chill that closed in from all corners.
On it was written only three words.
Time is up.
Author’s Note: I really need to break this habit of updating in the middle of the night. I’m ruining my already cursed sleep schedule. But oh well.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know it is sooner than expected but I got caught up with all my school work much quicker than I expected, and my creativity burst out of my block like an overflowing structurally unsound dam so I really had no excuse to put it off. Which is a shame, cause I was hoping to catch a couple days of break. But as any artist can tell you, whenever you are struck with inspiration you have to get it all out immediately.
I hope you are having an amazing month so far. Love y’all.
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