Chapter Text
17 year old Rebecca hated Fridays. And for a good reason; gym practice. Honestly she’d rather be checking out the new Chanel designs in the magazines, wandering about NY or reading about the next royal gossip. She hated High School. Not every bit of it of course, but gym and track she couldn’t stand. She’s rather play chess for 24 hours straight then run.
But unfortunately, there was no way out of it for young Miss Watts.
45 minutes later and the class had finished and it was time to go home. Home, she had spent the majority or her life having vacations in Kentucky. She’d lived in NY all her life and considered herself to be both a city and country girl. She was here for a couple of months yet. Her and her brother were. Her brother settled in more then what she was currently.
They’d come to Kentucky after their house in Upper Manhattan needed redecorating, they’d found some old Asbestos in the attic and they needed to leave the house whilst the decorating was being completed. So they’d packed up and drove to Lexington, KY. Where they’d been for the last month now. Becky didn’t get on well here. She was too city for the school. But she’d spoken to a few girls here. She loved the state and had spend many a days here in her and her brothers childhood running about the fields and the garden in her mother’s home they they rented out other times of the year as a holiday let.
Walking home was rather beautiful affair though, the small city of Lexington (it was small compared to NY ok). The people were nicer, she’d give them that, and the small shops were sweet. Not as noisy as NY. Nowhere was as busy as NY. She’d be glad to get back home as soon as possible, there was a chess match she had to play in two months time.
Enough time to practice, oh, her parents were chess grandmasters. The famous Benny and Beth Watts. Or Harmon as her mom preferred to known as professionally. As to not confuse the federation.
She went by Rebecca. Because nobody needed yet another B. Watts in the chess world. Her dad was a chess pirate but she loved him. Cocky and a bit too confident at times but he was genuinely a gentleman when he chose to be. Her mother, elegant and beautiful. She wondered how two people so incompatible could get together and have kids. Not that she needed an answer, mom and dad often had random silent conversations without even saying a word. It was a language that she’d never properly mastered. She could sorta get it, but it was a skill she didn’t really want to learn. That we between her parents.
She opened the front door to the house, it was then she smelt her favorite dinner; Sausage Casserole. It was a family favorite and it seemed to bring them together no matter what had happened that day or week. It being a Friday she could relax a bit.
She popped her bag on the sofa and ran up to the kitchen to sneak a taste of the casserole but was slapped away by her mother.
“Nope, not until 7pm” Her mother gave her a stern look.
“But mom, I’m hungry” she stopped herself from wanting to roll her eyes.
“There’s fruit in the basket and water in the fridge”
Just as she was about to say something her dad came in behind her mom, put his finger to his lips and grabbed a spoon and took a bit from the pot.
“Hey!!! Dad no fair!!!”
Her mother turned around and frowned/ smiled at her dad. One hand in her hip and the other on the counter.
“Benny.. honestly.. what’s this teaching them hmm?”
“What? I’m not harming them and it smelt too good not too” Her dad smirked and leaned on the backdoor frame casually.
Her mother sighed. “Honestly Benny I don’t know what to do with you sometimes”
“I’ve got a few suggestions” Her wiggled his eyebrows at her. And kissed her lips, too long for a Becky’s liking.
“Ewwww...nope. That’s disgusting” She pretended to puke.
“How do you think you and your brother got here hun?”
“I don’t want to know. You two can get it on after I head up to my room and put my headphones on”.
“Dinners in an hour then” Her mom was blushing but had that smirk on her face.
Becky grabbed a apple from the bowl and all but ran up stairs, taking the chess board on the side with her.
“Be down at 7!” Her dad called from the kitchen.
“Yep!”
She shut the door to her bedroom, she wondered if she could learn to accept KY fully. Her mother praised it because it was beautiful and her father, well.. he loved it because of her mother. There was nothing for her here, not really. Memories and vacations don’t count. But maybe she could find her own “something beautiful” here too.
Later that night after dinner. She was playing chess with her dad, the only time she played chess with either of her parents was for fun, practicing for a game or to talk. She guessed it was the latter.
She moved her knight to capture his knight. And then went to take his pawn.
“So.. how’s school?”
“Mmm. S’alright I guess.” He took her knight in one swift movement. Shit
“Nope km not buying it. Why don’t you like the school?”
She glanced up at him as if he had to heads. “Uh, because 1) We’re not going to be here long and 2) they hate me”
“Becca c’mon that’s not true. Your brother is getting on well, it can’t be that bad?”
“I’m a 17 year old girl who plays chess for fun and who has a chess playing pirate for a father and a beauty queen for a mother and oh yeah! I’m from New York. I’m about as country as your are with your hat and it sucks, they think I’m the weird ass city girl who only thinks about fashion and chess, it’s fucking shit”.
“Becca...” He sighed. “You know that’s not true. You’re my beautiful little girl. You’re amazing. Who cares with they think. We won’t be here for long. But can you try to make a go at this...y”
“No dad. I don’t want to. There’s no point. I just want to go home. Kentucky is lovely but I miss NY. What is there for me here?”
She moved her pawn to take his.
Her dad took her hand. She looked up at him.
“Listen it’s been hard on all of us. Not just you, you know. Your mom is really trying and... look..just please promise me you’ll give it a go before you write off this state whilst your living here for the time being”
“Ok... I’ll try” She didn’t know what it was, but she felt something change, hope, madness. Latter more then the former but she’ll have to see. Surely she could try to have a go at getting to know KY other then holidays? Right?
20 moves later and she’d won the game. Her dad claimed it was due to always due to her being younger and quicker then him. Or him just getting old but she wasn’t going to tell him that.
She went to sleep that night feeling different. Her dads little talk had done something to change her train of thought and option on this state for living in.