two in a million,, tommyinnit.

xvi

A/N — I don't remember how to play chess so correct me if I make mistakes in the rules please 😃

Once I've prepared a microwaveable meal of leftover spaghetti for for Annie, I grab a can of Sprite from the box I keep at the back of the kitchen cupboard and start to head upstairs like usual.

"Wait, you're streaming tonight?" she asks, her fork paused in mid-air.

I shrug. "I have homework. But yeah, after, I guess."

"Again?"

My brow creases. I don't stream that much, do I?

"Well, yeah."

Her eyes flicker with sadness and she stares down into the squiggly pasta coated in thick red sauce, as if she can find some form of entertainment in there.

"Oh. Okay. Gotcha."

I soften.

"Well, I can probably spare a few hours for my least favourite baby sister," I tease, pulling out a chair beside her.

She gives me a small smile. "Thanks. You don't have to, you know. The people need their 'comfort' or whatever." Her fingers make air quotes and she grins mischievously.

"No. I do," I say, firmly despite my smile that matches here. Because, well, I do. Not only because she needs me, but because I'm chickening out of talking to Tommy again.

Pussy.

I shake off the voice and flash her another smile. "What do you want to do?"

She puts the fork down. "Can we play Ro-"

"Rule number one," I interrupt. "No. Roblox."

She scoffs and folds her arms. "You don't know that was what I was gonna say."

I tilt my head to the side, mirroring her pose. "Okay then, what were you gonna say?"

Giggling, she looks down, shifting in her seat.

"Mmhm. That was what I thought."

"And the only other rule is no talking to my friends. I don't want you to scare them all off."

"Not even Niki?" she whines.

I give her a sideways look. "Last time you talked to Niki you asked her what the German word for 'cheesecake' was."

"It's something I use in everyday life!" she argues. "And now I know! And now I can call all my friends a 'käsekuchen' on a regular basis."

I sigh. "I'm starting to regret saying I'd talk to you."

She sticks out her bottom lip, and I shield my eyes. "No, no, not the puppy eyes! Fine, fine, what do you want to do?"

I mean, surely it couldn't be that bad. Right?

Wrong.

"Checkmate," Annie smirks for the twelfth time, as she takes my last knight from across the board.

"FUCK!" I curse, flicking the rest of the pieces over. "I mean-" I let out a pathetically weak sound of pain. "You know I don't know how to play this game!"

She arranges her pawns in a line in front of her crossed legs, smoothing down the creases in her pleated school skirt. "Yup. Ready for another game?"

I swig from my second can of Sprite. "Do I have to?" I whine.

"Fine, fine, you can go play stupid video games with your stupid friends," she sighs, gesturing her hands around.

"Hey." I point at her with the can. "Neither of those things are stupid."