Checkmate

When I get home, I tell Little Raven all about how my day was amazing and I wish that everyday could be this nice. She of course tells me to go and write a book about what I want to happen. I shake my head in amusement because she is just like the real Raven. Thinking about Raven reminds me that I should probably tell her about how it went.

Me: You would not believe the day that I’ve had. It was awesome.

Raven:Cool, but can we talk about it in person? I don’t really want you to blow up my phone. I actually thought that it would be nice if I helped you a bit with chess tomorrow. You can tell me all about it then. I’m still working on my writing assignment now anyway.

Me:OK. I’ll ask my parents tomorrow. Although, they probably won’t care. I’ll see you then.

She doesn’t text me back, but I’m fine with that. Although I already finished my assignment, I kind of figured that her’s wouldn’t be done yet. Raven used to push things off until the last minute, and it appears that she hasn’t changed. With nothing to do, I go over to my desk and look down at the notebook with the song in it. It just has lyrics, so I start to write down some simple chords. I look on my computer to hear some of them again just so they are fresh in my mind. By the time that I am completely done, I’m satisfied with it. It would have been better if I had my guitar, but there is nothing that I can do about that. It’s a good thing that we don’t have to perform them. I’d hate for it to sound weird and out of place. Of course it’s going to sound that way anyway since it’s suppose to have music. Why did my dad have to break my guitar? Yeah, now I can have a reason to hang out with my cute teacher, but it still would be nice to have it in my hands right now instead of a mouse and keyboard.
~
“Hey Mom? Can I go and hang with Raven again?” I ask her around lunchtime the next day.
“Of course,” she smiles back.
With that answer, I head out the door and start making my way towards the park since that is where Raven wanted to meet. Raven. I’m pretty sure I know the real reason why they want me to hang with her. It not only makes their families closer, but she is probably a good “influence” on me. Raven is very close to her family unlike me. They probably think that I’ll want to actually do what I’m told the more than I hang out with her. Well, that is never going to happen. Actually, Raven thinks that I should do what I want to do. She only does what her family wants because she wants the same thing. They get along and have similar ideas, so she’s never had a problem with not wanting to do something that the whole family wants to do. When I get to the park, I spot Raven at one of the tables. She has a chess board set up. I make my way over to her and sit down across from her.
“Are you ready to learn?” she asks me with a smirk.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“Good. Now tell me how your day went first.”
“He, um, told me what all the pieces did and what they were. Then we played some Blink.” I smile at the thought. “Alex started singing. He’s voice is really amazing.”
“Alex?”
“Oh, I meant Mr. Gaskarth.”
“Did he tell you to call him Alex?”
“Um, yeah, he did. He told me to when we were leaving.”
“Hm. Well, I still don’t like him, but there isn’t anything that I can do about that. Now, why don’t we get started?”
Raven quizzes me about the pieces a couple of times in order to make sure that I had them memorized before she moves on to talking about the pawns. It’s rather confusing, but I eventually pick up on it a little bit. After some time, she stops and looks at the time on her phone.
“I’m getting hungry. Why don’t we stop and get something to eat?”
“Alright.”
“I assume that you want a burger or something like that.”
“You know me far too well.”
“You’re very predictable.”
“True.”
Raven puts the board away and into her purse, and then we start walking into town. I pretty much just follow behind her since she seems to know where we are going. She turns down different streets, and then I realize where we are. Considering that she probably hasn’t been here in years, I almost find it hard to believe that we’re going there, but it’s the only thing here. Even though I haven’t been here in years either, I still remember that much. We enter the small restaurant and sit down in the familiar seat.
“I can’t believe that you remembered where it was at.”
“Well, I do have a pretty good memory.”
“No, you don’t. That’s why I can’t believed that you remembered where it was.”
“Well, I may have used Google Maps before I left...”
“I figured, but this is amazing. I haven’t been in here since you left.”
“I haven’t either. I wonder if the food is still good.”
“Same.”
This isn’t just a restaurant. This is the restaurant we used to go to all the time when we were younger. After she left, my parents wouldn’t take me here anymore. I always thought that they figured that she might still be coming here, and it might have been the same for her parents as well.
When the lady came, Raven and I both ordered what we used to get all the time. Well, we both asked for the version that wasn’t on the kid’s menu. I got just a simple burger with fries and a drink, and she got the same thing, but her’s was a veggie burger. I forgot that she was a vegetarian. It’s a good thing that I was reminded before I took her some place to eat that had only meat or something like that. Once we got our food, I was transported back to us as kids. There were no worries or problems. Everything was perfect. Everything is perfect.
Well, it was until I saw someone enter the place.
“Hello Jack,” she says to me with her annoying voice. “I thought that you were gay, but it looks to me like you’re on a date. I wonder what your parents will say.”
“We aren’t on a date,” I told her.
“You’re not? Oh. Is this that O’Brien girl that you use to hang out with all the time?”
“Yes, now leave us alone.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“No.”
She huffed and turned to Raven. “I’m Lyall, and I’m Jack’s fiancée.”
“No, you’re not! Now, would you please leave us alone!”
“No.”
I grab my wallet and put the money down on the counter before grabbing Raven and walking out of the building. I walk quickly in hopes that she won’t follow us. At this point, I’m pretty much just dragging Raven. I feel her grab onto my arm which reminds me that she’s there and that I should probably stop. I do.
“What was that all about?”
“That was the girl that won’t leave me alone. She’s the one that my parents want me to marry because they still can’t get it through their heads that I’m gay.”
“They picked her. I didn’t even get a chance to speak with her, and I think that she’s the worst match that they could have made for you.”
“Exactly.” I look around and realize that I have no idea where I am. “Great. You wouldn’t happen to know where we are?”
“Nope, and it doesn’t look there is anyone that we can ask.”
It’s true. There’s no one around. We walk a couple of feet, and then we sense someone behind us. Raven and I turn around and find three guys smirking at us. Raven’s hand tightens it’s grip on mine. I look at them and realize...
While her hand still holding onto mine, Raven starts running as fast as she can. I do the same thing, so she isn’t dragging me like I did earlier. We keep looking behind our shoulders. I don’t see them, but I know that they are there. With panic written all over my face, I turn to Raven. She notices and mumbles something under her breath. After this, she gives me a smile, but we still run all the way back to my house.
“Are you going to tell your parents about this?” she asks me. I shake my head. “Me neither.”
“Are you going to be OK walking home?”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that we lost them.”
“Alright.”
“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you.”
“Hopefully, I can go to school tomorrow. That’s the most running that I’ve ever done.” She gives me a smile.
“That just shows that you aren’t apart of this family.”
“And that just makes me even happier to say that I’m an O’Brien. Anyway, I’ll see you.”
“See you.”
I go into my house and up to my room. As soon as I’m there, I flop down onto my bed and then think about what a day this had been.

Notes

Well, I'm back and staying. I didn't want to write my last month of school because of all the school stuff that I was doing. I'm no longer a high school student now though, and I'll be updating weekly again. (I actually have the next five chapters written, so this one will definitely not be late.)
This isn't my favorite chapter, and the ending of it just came to me while I was writing, but I think it's fine. Secrets. Secrets. Secrets.
Anyway, I hope that you liked it, and I hope that you continue to read. :)