𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭 ♕From Beth the Eyes of Beth Harmon

VI-Old Habits Die Hard

Episode 2

Exchanges

Part 2

Kentucky, 1963

Old Habits Die Hard

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I woke up tangled in fluffy pink comforters after the first night spent in my new home when I awoke to the sound of voices outside. I went to the window and Mr. and Mrs. Wheatley were talking in the driveway. From what I could hear Mr. Wheatley was leaving for a business trip. I don't think this was uncommon based on Alma's reaction to the conversation.

I went downstairs for breakfast to the sound of lovely music coming from a piano. I sat on the stairs and watched Alma play. Her face showed an expression of melancholy but the music was flowing from her fingers through the piano and into the room, filling it with sweet notes. She was lovely. I told her she was very good and she said that her dream was to play in an orchestra. "As luck would have it, I have a terrible case of stage fright." She said. It made me smile. 

She also said something that I wasn't expecting. Apparently she had a child. Had one. Past tense. My brows furrowed in confusion. I wanted to ask about it but I figured it was a touchy subject, so we had breakfast instead.

Then, the worst part of the day. School.

My experience in the social field was lacking, given my upbringing at Methuen. But it took no genius to figure out that nobody liked me. Apparently my clothes were ugly and my shoes were atrocious. I remember one of the girls whispering to the other about how annoying it was that they had "another fucking brain" in their class. Though I had many, highschool was one of the worst experiences of my life. My mind kept retreating to my happy place: chess.

At lunch I sat at a table with nobody because I would've been publicly executed if I had tried to even introduce myself to one of the popular girls. But as I was picking at my unappetizing pizza another outcast came and sat down across the bench from me.

The tension was awful and really awkward so I spit out the first thought that came to mind.

"Is there a school chess club?" I leaned across the table. She seemed surprised to know that I could talk. "Is there a chess club- here at the school?" I spoke slowly in an attempt to elaborate on my previous statement.

"Oh... um. I don't think they have anything like that." I looked down at my food. I knew that would be the answer. But then she slide her tray over and sat directly across from me.

"But, a lot of the girls belong to social clubs." She said, slightly smiling.

"Social clubs..." I said like I was sounding out each letter.

"Yeah. There's the Apple Pi club and some other ones. But they don't bake apple pie. It's pi, like the greek letter."

"Oh." It was a concept I didn't understand. "Are you in one of those?"

"You have to be invited to join." She said it like she was breaking really bad news to me. I figured all hope was lost in that case and I stuffed a bite of pizza into my mouth.

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I was flipping through a dress magazine that evening when Mr. Wheatley came home early. Alma ran upstairs to cover the undergarments she was wearing while vacuuming with a dress. I said hello as he entered, and he returned the phrase as if he forgot that he adopted me and was surprised to see me in his living room.