"Where the fuck were you Andrew?!" Jason instantly shouted, his face enraged as he cut off Andrew after his English Literacy classes. "I was busy." The response eliciting a sarcastic chuckle from Jason. "That was your one chance of making it to the tournament with no complications and yet you blew it."
Claire who was done packing her books intercepted the two. "So what if he missed? He can qualify like the rest of us." Andrew added on, his banality making Jason appear like a lunatic in comparison to him in the school hallways.
"I quit chess." The casualty of his voice catching the two off guard. "What do you mean you quit?" Clara was the one who asked. "I quit, I won't be playing any more." Claire inwardly grew suspicious while Jason was more direct with his outrage. "What?!Why? You've easily proven to be our best and most promising player and now out of the blue you quit?"
Andrew's slow nod felt like insult to injury. "You-I-Maybe it was for the best that you quit given you have no passion for the game." Jason concluded before storming off. Claire however stuck with Andrew, following him to the shades.
"Is it because of me?" Her voice meek as she began to toy with her thumbs. "No, I've simply grown bored." She looked at him, his sudden resignation seemed normal to him,as if it wasn't a big deal to him. 'I guess he doesn't have the drive that Jason has and why would he? He hasn't been in the club long enough to understand our struggles.'
Her eyes narrowed as something popped in her mind."Andrew, do you have any aspirations? Any dreams? Goals? What do you plan to do after you're done with college?" So far she has been trying to get into his mind without asking herself the most basic question about him, his needs and priorities.
'No wonder it felt like I wasn't making any progress.' She pondered, waiting for his response. "I have no goals, no dreams. I simply drift through the moment and do what is required of me by those around me." The answer strangely enough felt fitting of him to Claire.
"If you don't really care about the future then why bother yourself with chess? Bother with trying to instruct Brittany and give her tips in tennis? Because I refuse to believe that you have no set purpose. You must have, if not then do you mind explaining how you're so good when it comes to chess and tennis and driving?" The last word was a slip on her end as she quickly covered her lips.
"I'm acquainted with these skills to help pass the time." His face seemed to suggest so, indifferent as if he was forced to be here as a whole. 'So he doesn't mind that I know that he's the one who was in the pursuit? But given his apathy, he doesn't to mind. As if drifting through the motions.'
She looked down, her fingers digging into her palms as she cursed at herself for making such a mistake. 'Maybe it would've been better for me never to help my uncle with this case.' A groan left her lips. "Let's go for a walk, so far you've been trying to see what makes me tick, trying to gauge what goes in my mind."
He rose and ushered his hand to her, she looked at it,lost on whether to take it or not. 'I've been failing uncle Connor so far. This could be my chance to prove myself useful.' Steeling her nerves, she let out a short breathe before taking his hand.
"Very well." The two shortly after left school grounds, done with their classes and as Andrew had said did nothing more than go for a walk. "I guess I suck at covert operation if you're letting me see what goes on in your mind." Claire's murmur catching his gaze.
"Your plans were destines to fail regardless of how hard you tried. Even if I didn't know that Connor was uncle, the gaps were still there." The two walked into a park barely populated and easily found a bench to rest on. "Firstly you showed a keen interest in me and I alone which was more than enough to raise questions. Your questions back with Pauline were too direct and your friends too had their own flaws."
"But most importantly, you suck when it comes to tailing someone. You're too loud or too present to the point I had to intentionally ignore you just to entertain you." Claire heard the list, a helpless laugh leaving her pursed lips. "Your efforts were commendable but it amounts to nothing when your function isn't to win but rather to entertain." There was something in his delivery that felt final despite his flat tone.
She didn't talk and he didn't push letting the two drown in the silence.
*Ring*
An ice cream lady snaked into the park, trying to sell to people who weren't particularly interested., Andrew made his way and made a purchase, one, before coming back to Claire. She grabbed the cone stretched out to her, her brows furrowing. "How did you know that my favorite was mint chocolate chip?" She mused, taking a lick. "Lucky guess." His gaze focused on nothing.
"Really? Then let's see just how lucky you can get." Her dare landing as she rushed to finish the frozen treat. 'Brain freeze.' The two leaving the park and making their way to a nearby carnival, Claire taking the lead. "You said you have the skills to pass the time, right? So let's see just how lucky and how skillful you really are. By the way you're paying."
Andrew followed as he was led to the first game. A ring toss game. "Try to toss the rings into the bottle necks to win a prize. Hit all three and you get the special prize." The person manning the booth said with lazy enthusiasm. Andrew didn't delay, his first throw a perfect score into the bottle neck, the second as well as the third came shortly after.
"You…actually did it!" Claire said, half shocked half glad. He had expected Andrew to take his time but his hands moved before her eyes landed where he would throw in a blink done with the game. "Congratulations on sinking all three, the grand prize being the ability to choose what prize you pick." Claire gleamed a smile as she pointed towards a giant fluffy cat.
With it Andrew made another purchase, buying a trolley. 'He must be confident then.' The two moved on to another game, balloon dart. The game didn't last long before they moved on to the next, grabbing another prize now hauled onto the trolley while Claire clutched the cat from before.
Be it milk throw bottle, dunk tank or high striker, the sounds of congratulations came from each booth before Claire was handed her toy which piled onto the trolley. "How about a stop?" She agreed as the two headed inside an arcade building which presented a plethora of games. The two quickly found a seat, given that it wasn't during the weekend, the place wasn't that packed.
A waiter made their way to the two, asking for their order and leaving. "Do you mind if I took one?" A voice echoed, shrill and coy directed at Andrew. It was a kid no older than six asked. "Of course, take whichever you want." Claire said and the child looked amongst the trolley before scurrying off with a huge chameleon plushie.
Their meal arrived, one that Claire seemed hesitant to dig into. "I'm taking martial classes and eating something like pizza isn't exactly on my diet." Before Andrew respond, another voice cut the two. "Hello, do you mind if I took one?" This time a little girl accompanied by their parent. "I'm so sorry but she's been bothering me the moment she saw your cat plushie."
Claire smiled, handing over her cat plushie. "Oh, I don't mind, you can have it little girl." The girl quickly turned ecstatic. "Thank you so so very much lady." Claire brushed her off. "It's nothing really, my friend over here could win me another." Her hand gesturing at Andrew who was busy gorging his pizza. "Hi." The little girl's smile vanished when seeing Andrew, hiding behind her parent.
"She's rather shy when meeting other people. Anyway thanks for the plushie." The parent flashed a smile towards Andrew who didn't bother returning as he watched the two leave. "Would it kill you to smile every once in a while? You scared that little girl away."
Claire reached for the same pizza she had complained minutes earlier about being unhealthy, the hunger too much for her. "No." She furrowed her brows. "Then why don't you?" Andrew. "There's no reason for me to do so at the moment."
'No reason?' She was unsure of what would be a reason for him to show some teeth. "Well what is it that would make you smile then?" Already done with her second slice and starting with her third one. "Some one who understands where they stand and come to terms with it." She stopped, her mouth full of half chewed pizza.
"And what's- mnn!" *Gah* Claire puffed her chest and letting out a loud cough, clearly struggling from both talking and masticating. "My apologies!" her eyes tearing up as Andrew watched as she tried to catch her breathe. "What I meant to ask is what does that mean? We're all humans so what other role do they have to? And drop the vague stuff. It's annoying if anything."
Andrew didn't reflect on her question as he switched topics. "Let's leave, I've got curfew." The two made their way to the exit, on the way Andrew stopped and played the milk bottle throw game. "It's you, how about another match, maybe this time you'll be as lucky."
This time it was Andrew who picked the prize, a cat similar to the one they had won prior. "When it comes to stealth, other than being as silent as possible, try to be in the mind of the person you're following and gauge whether they could feel as if they were being followed." Claire stared at the cat that stared back at her, his words marinating in her mind.
"You do know that Eliot has affections for you, right?" The two arriving at the school gates, by now the evening classes were already over and oceans of students poured out, indecipherable banter following suit.
"No, did he tell you?" The two waiting with Claire clutching to her stuffed gray cat. "It's written all over him." She looked at him before Eliot and Pauline's voices cut through the air. "Claire, where have you been and what is up with the stuffed cat?"
Andrew wordlessly left Claire's side even before she realized it. "I…went on a carnival trip with Andrew." Her revelation eliciting a playful grin from Pauline while Eliot's face instantly soured. 'How did I miss that before?' Claire wondered as Pauline took the cat from her hands, checking the softness and fluffiness of the toy.
"Claire Hale, how dare you go on a date with the suspect? Do you know that such an act is punishable by instant revocation of your rank as a secret espionage officer?" Claire didn't share the smile Pauline had, her focus on Eliot."Andrew told me that you had feelings for me, is this true?" Pauline's smile evaporated, letting a nervous chuckle as she returned Claire's stuffed cat and dipped. "I'll catch you two later."
Eliot. "He did huh? Well yes, I've been meaning to tell you however I couldn't bring myself to do it." Claire was at a loss for words. "Eliot, don't take this the wrong way but I don't see you in a similar way. You're a really good friend and I-" Eliot didn't wait for her to finish her words before storming off. "Eliot…" Before she could chase her, a familiar honk from her uncle echoed behind her. She looked at Eliot's departing figure, her jaw tightening before heading towards the car that sped off.