Chapter Text
“No, you can’t move the knight like that!”
Danny was hiding a smile, while Rusty laughed with no shame. They were sitting on pillows on the floor, next to all the chess pieces they had eaten during the game.
Debbie groaned lightly, staring at the algebra homework she had already problems with, even without the two of them having fun without her, and the snow covering the world outside.
Annie was at the kitchen table, studying some planimetries.
“And who said that?” asked Rusty.
“Chess rules.”
“And I decided I don’t like them.”
Danny shifted in his place, irritated.
“You have to learn to follow rules.”
“And you have to learn that, sometimes, you can break them.”
Danny glanced at his mom, then he took Rusty’s knight and moved it back where it was.
“Rules are there for a reason.”
Rusty smiled and moved his knight again, this time in the right way, eating one of the other’s pawns.
“Says the one in a family of thieves” he whispered.
Debbie covered her ears in a theatrical way, hoping they would get the signal.
Danny straightened his posture and went back to studying the board.
He moved his bishop a couple of squares.
“Check mate.”
Rusty’s eyes widened as he couldn’t hide his shock. The other smirked.
“How???”
The boy shrugged.
“See, this proves what I was saying.”
Danny threw him an unamused look. Rusty crossed his arms, not even trying to hide how fun he was having in antagonizing him.
“If I had moved the knight in the way I wanted to, this would not have happened.”
“Will you two shut up???” Debbie finally snapped, turning toward them.
The two boys looked at her, like they were just noticing her presence.
“Debbie is right. Go exercise, instead of distracting her” Annie scolded, without raising her eyes.
The girl sighed in relief as the boys silently got up and left the room.
