Check-Mate

CHAPTER 8: PART 2

The joystick felt loose under my grip. I lined the claw up perfectly with the plushie's round head and hit the button. The metal fingers dropped, gripped the fabric securely, and began to lift. My heart leaped. But right as the crane reached the top bar, it gave a violent, deliberate mechanical jerk. The cat plushie slipped out of the metal claws, tumbling backward into the furthest corner of the glass box, completely out of reach.

"Are you kidding me?" I groaned, banging my forehead lightly against the glass. "Rigged. Absolutely rigged."

"Kai! Jessa’s leaving!" Menchie’s voice called out over the arcade noise.

I wandered back to the front counter to find Jessa holding her vibrating phone, looking apologetic. "Hey, guys, I’m so sorry, but my dad just called. He and my mom are actually downstairs buying groceries, so they want me to just head home with them now."

"No worries, Jessa. Go ahead," Menchie said, waving her off.

Once Jessa disappeared into the elevator crowd, a sudden wave of exhaustion hit me. The hangover, the lack of sleep from yesterday's early wake-up call, and the frustrating defeat at the crane machine all caught up to me at once. "I think I want to head home too, Mench," I admitted, slinging my bag higher up my shoulder.

We checked on the boys, but Kyle merely waved his ticket boa at us. "Go ahead, girls! We’re probably grabbing drinks down the avenue later anyway!"

"Don't do anything stupid, Kyle!" Menchie shouted back. She turned to me as we walked out of the arcade entrance into the main mall corridor. "Kai, wait for me outside the grand exit, okay? Go first. I completely forgot I need to drop by the pharmacy department on the lower floor to restock some vitamins for my mom."

"Sure, take your time," I told her, making my way down the long escalators toward the glass exit doors.

While standing near the grand exit lobby, my phone suddenly buzzed in my hand. I pulled it up, seeing a message from Menchie.

Menchie: Kai! I ran into my aunt down here at the lower level pharmacy. She's driving directly past our street, so she's making me ride home with her instead. Don't wait for me anymore! Take a cab!

I quickly typed a response.

Kaisha: Oh, okay! Tell Tita I said hello. It’s starting to rain pretty hard out here, so please be careful. Don't worry about me, I can totally handle going home alone. See you tomorrow!

I shoved my phone into my uniform pocket and stepped onto the covered outdoor driveway. The moment I moved past the threshold, I froze. The bright summer sky from earlier had completely vanished, replaced by a sudden, heavy grey sheet of clouds. A torrential tropical downpour was slamming against the pavement, the rain falling so dense it looked like a solid wall of white water. The summer heat had been completely broken by the storm, the air turning instantly cool and damp.

I stepped back against the dry concrete pillar, crossing my arms against the sudden chill, realizing I didn't have an umbrella and a cab would be impossible to hail in this mess.

"Kaisha?"

A familiar, sharp voice broke through the loud roar of the downpour. A sleek, dark SUV had pulled up directly to the curb of the driveway. The passenger door opened, and Katherine leaned out from the plush interior, a massive, bright smile on her face.

"What are you doing standing out here in the cold? Get in!" she called out over the storm.

"Katherine! Hi!" I blinked in surprise, running a few quick steps through the light spray to hop into the back seat, the vanilla scent instantly enveloping me. "Wow, what a massive coincidence."

"Tell me about it. I was just buying some kitchen utensils upstairs," Katherine laughed, shifting in her seat. She immediately shifted over into the passenger side, leaving the driver's seat empty. "Elijah's actually driving today. I hate navigating through zero-visibility storms."

Before I could even process the sudden spike of panic in my stomach, the driver's side door clicked open. Eli slid into the vehicle, bringing a sudden scent of fresh rain, cedar, and cool mint into the car. He pulled the door shut with a heavy, solid thud.

In his right hand, he was holding a cardboard tray containing three large, sweating cups of natural fresh fruit shakes. He had just run across the open gateway road from the popular juice stall across the highway. In his left hand, he was gripping a small paper bag. It had the distinct, neon arcade print stamped across the front—looking exactly like the prize bags they handed out at the upper-level counter. He had clearly played today too.

The moment Eli shifted into his seat, he quickly and smoothly tucked the arcade paper bag down between his side of the seat and the center console, completely hiding it from view. It was a swift, calculated move, clearly designed to avoid any prying questions from his older sister—or to keep me from getting a clear glimpse of what was inside. I stared at the spot for a second, wondering what he was hiding, before dismissing the thought entirely. He probably just won some stupid keychain, I told myself, shifting my gaze away.

Eli turned around casually, passing one cup toward Katherine and then extending the remaining tray directly toward the backseat.

"Cucumber," Eli said smoothly, his voice deep and completely calm.

I reached out and instinctively picked up the green cup. It was my absolute favorite flavor, the crisp scent of the fresh blend immediately rising from the straw. I took a slow sip, privately relieved that he hadn't tried to assume what I liked or say something smart like yesterday. The cold liquid was incredibly refreshing against my throat.

"Elijah, your shoulder is completely soaked," Katherine scolded, reaching into the glove compartment and tossing a small, folded white towel onto his lap. "Wipe your hair before you catch a cold. You're supposed to lead the council orientation on Monday."

Eli didn't argue. He picked up the towel, casually rubbing it through his damp dark hair as he shifted the SUV into drive, smoothly navigating the vehicle out of the mall’s crowded driveway and onto the rain-slicked highway.

He was completely quiet, his eyes focused entirely on the flooded road ahead, his hands steady on the steering wheel. Katherine, on the other hand, was a burst of energy, completely unbothered by the silence in the front seat.

"So, how was the rest of your Thursday?" Katherine asked, turning around to face me again. "I'm so sorry I passed out so early last night. The London jet lag finally caught up to my system. We didn't even get to finish our chess discussion."

"It was really nice, Kath," I said, taking another long sip of the crisp shake. "My family actually had a pool hangout yesterday because of the suspended classes. Menchie’s parents came over too."

"Oh, that sounds lovely! Next time you have to invite—" Katherine's sentence was cut off by the sharp, rhythmic ringing of her phone console. She glanced at the dashboard screen. "Oh, it’s Dr. Aris from the research department. Hold on, guys, I have to take this."

She tapped the screen, and the car became entirely quiet except for the low, muffled sound of Katherine speaking rapid-fire English into her earpiece about a thesis amendment.

The silence stretched on for miles. I leaned my head against the cool glass window, staring out at the roadside as the wipers rhythmically swiped across the windshield. The city lights were starting to flicker on through the dark, rainy fog, casting long, watery streaks across the asphalt.

I pulled out my phone, quickly opening my messaging app to text my mom.

Kaisha: Mom, I’m almost home! Katherine and Eli are dropping me off in their car. It’s pouring heavily out here. Can you please bring an umbrella outside to the gate when I arrive?

I locked the screen and looked up toward the rearview mirror.

My eyes slammed directly into Eli’s.

He was casually glancing at me through the glass reflection, his expression unreadable, deep, and quiet. He didn't smirk. He didn't give me that infuriating tilt of his head. He just watched me through the mirror for three long seconds before his eyes smoothly slid back to the road ahead. My heart did that same strange, heavy thud against my ribs, the anger from the morning suddenly feeling incredibly distant and complicated.

Twenty minutes later, the SUV slowed down, smoothly pulling up right in front of our residential gate.

Before Eli could even put the car in park, our front door opened. But it wasn't my mom who stepped out onto the porch. Kuya Migz had taken the message instead, holding a large, golf-sized black umbrella. He jogged down the driveway, opening our metal gate to shield the back car door from the gray sheets of rain.

"Perfect timing, Kuya!" I called out, opening the door as the cool, damp air rushed into the cabin. I turned back to the front seats, keeping my voice polite. "Thank you for the ride, Kath. Thanks for the shake."

"Anytime, sweetheart! Tell your mom I'll call her over the weekend!" Katherine waved warmly, briefly pausing her phone conversation.

I glanced at Eli one last time. He gave me a short, simple nod of acknowledgment from the driver's seat.

I slid out of the car, stepping under the wide safety of Migz’s umbrella. "Thanks, guys!" Migz called out loudly over the roar of the rain, waving at the vehicle as Eli smoothly steered the SUV back into the traffic of the wet street.

We watched the red taillights disappear into the dark, rainy fog before turning toward the house.

"Who was that?" Migz asked, guiding me toward the porch. "Looked like an expensive car."

"Just Katherine," I said quietly, taking one last sip of the cucumber shake. "And her brother."