Thanks for the game
1007 Words
It was already 8:30 PM.
As Julian walked toward the living room, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
A missed call.
He glanced at the screen for a moment, his expression changing slightly.
Without saying anything, he quietly headed upstairs to his room.
Inside, Julian quickly changed his clothes. He put on a black jacket, jogging pants, and a pair of sneakers.
He checked the time again.
Then he carefully opened his door and listened.
The house was quiet.
Slowly, he made his way down the hallway and slipped toward the back door of the house, trying not to make any noise.
Just as he stepped outside—
"Sir Juls?"
Julian froze.
It was their maid, Susan, standing near the back porch.
Julian scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Susan... please don't tell my parents again, okay?" he said quietly. "If they ask, just say I'm already asleep."
He gave her a hopeful smile.
"I won't be long. Promise. Thanks, Susan."
The maid looked worried but nodded.
"Sir Juls... please be careful."
Julian gave a reassuring grin as he stepped backward toward the yard.
"I will."
With that, he slipped into the darkness beyond the house.
—
Theo Alvarez sat quietly at the desk inside his room, surrounded by open notebooks and scattered papers. A small desk lamp cast a soft circle of light over the pages as he continued studying.
The house was silent.
After a while, his eyes drifted away from his notes and landed on a book resting beside him — the one he had borrowed from the library earlier.
The same book Marin had mentioned.
Theo picked it up slowly, turning it in his hands before setting it back down on the table.
"She doesn't like butterflies..." he murmured to himself.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"And yet she recommended a book about chasing them."
He leaned back in his chair, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling.
"Until now... I still can't read her."
His gaze shifted again, this time toward the small wooden Go board placed neatly on the side of his desk.
White stones were scattered across the board from the game they had played earlier.
Theo reached out and picked up one of the white stones, rolling it between his fingers.
He had always been good at board games. Chess, strategy games, puzzles — they all came naturally to him.
But Go was different.
It was his favorite.
A game of patience, control, and reading your opponent's mind.
Yet earlier that day...
He had lost.
Theo stared at the arrangement of stones again.
"To think that I couldn't beat her... at my own favorite game," he muttered quietly.
He placed the white stone back onto the board.
His eyes narrowed slightly in thought.
"What kind of girl are you... Marin?"
——
The park was quiet at 8:45 PM. Most of the lights around the park had already turned on, casting a soft yellow glow over the empty playground. The air was cooler now, and the night breeze moved gently through the trees, making the leaves rustle softly.
A pair of swings creaked every now and then as the wind nudged them.
Marin sat on one of the swings. She wore a gray sweater with black pants and black shoes. Her hands were tucked inside the pockets of her sweater to keep warm. The swing rocked slightly, but she wasn't really swinging. She just sat there, gently moving back and forth.
In front of her stood Caleb.
The dim park lights reflected faintly in his eyes as he looked at her.
Marin glanced at him before speaking.
"Thank you for not telling them about me," she said.
Her voice was calm but confident.
"It's not that I wanted to be mysterious," she continued. "I just don't want them to know that we met this summer. Is this bothering you, Caleb?"
Caleb shifted his weight and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked a little uneasy, like he had been thinking about this all day.
"I tried not to tell them that we actually met this summer," he said slowly. "You know Adrian saw you in the guidance counselor's room... and I just don't know how to explain that to them."
He let out a small sigh.
"With Julian's attitude, Theo's curiosity, Marcus' rage, and Adrian's questions... you know I don't like answering all of that. I literally don't want to stress out."
Caleb was never good with stressful situations. He hated explaining things over and over again. He preferred to stay laid-back and avoid anything that would cause unnecessary problems.
He looked back at Marin.
"How can I tell them that we actually had the best summer, right?" he said with a small laugh. "I never had a girl best friend before. With you, it's like a dream come true."
He looked down at the ground for a moment.
"We played online games together, and knowing that you like all those games too... that's honestly a 10 for me. You're so cool, Marin. I just don't want them to distract you. I'm sorry."
For a moment, Marin just stared at him.
Then she suddenly giggled.
"I just don't want anyone to know that I'm a nerd girl too," she said.
Caleb blinked, confused.
"Who said you are?"
Marin pointed at him playfully.
"I said you are."
Caleb tilted his head and gave her a big confused look.
"Huh?"
Marin burst into laughter. The sound carried lightly through the quiet night park.
A second later, Caleb started laughing too.
The awkward tension between them disappeared, replaced by the easy comfort they always had when they were together.
After a moment, Marin stood up from the swing. The chains rattled softly as the seat swayed behind her.
She looked at Caleb with a small smile.
"We should head back home," she said.
Then she added,
"Thanks for the game, Cal."
The two of them slowly walked away from the quiet playground, leaving the empty swings gently moving in the cool night air.
- Writer
