The dry leaves made rustling sounds as the evening wind dragged them across the ground.
The rays of the evening sun were conveniently blocked by the tall trees.
On one side of the concrete table were two men well over their eighties. Looking for a strand of black hair on their balding head would be tedious, as all their hair had turned gray. They still wore clothes that were trending over a hundred years back.
Mr. Martin squinted hard at the two persons at the other side of the table, and it caused the wrinkles on his head and around his eyes to double.
"Are you ready to lose again, young blood?" Mr. Martin smirked.
Cole scoffed at his cockiness.
"I didn't know oldies could be this proud. It's either you've been blinded by your pride, or by old age. Or did you not see that I brought company with me today?" Cole questioned.
"You brought a child to play chess against vets like us. It's either you're trying to put on an act, or you're just desperate to get a victory. Does this boy look like a threat to us?" Mr. Harper, Martin's friend, questioned with an evil smile on his face.
"I hope you both are hungry, because I'll make you eat your words," Cole threatened and turned to Tris.
"Young prince?" He called.
Tris turned to him. "Yeah?"
"Imagine these two are my arch enemies. They've taken something from me, and the only way for me to get back what I lost is for you to help me win them in a game of chess. Will you be able to do that for me? Will you fight this war for me, and bring me back victory? Will you restore my pride?" Cole looked into Tris's eyes as he spoke.
"Are we going to get some ice cream after this game?" Tris questioned innocently.
His questions not only disrupt the air of suspense in the air, it stunned both Cole and the old men.
"Uhmm... Yeah, I guess. If that's what you want," Cole shrugged, still confused.
"Okay, then. Deal," Tris said as faced the chess board.
Martin and Harper stared at each other, shocked by the little boy's flippancy.
"You think you're going to win that easily? Against an expert player with over sixty years of experience? Do you realize that no one has won him for the past twenty years?" Harper hyped his friend up.
"Just wait until he crushes the both of you," Cole smirked.
"Let him start first," Martin offered.
Tris pushed the pawn at the farm right to the next box, and the game began.
Mr. Martin and Harper were former soldiers of the pack. They had gone through and seen different wars. They were heavily celebrated when they retired. From the war front to a chess table, Mr. Martin was more than ready for Cole and Tris.
"Are you sure you made the right move bringing this boy to play for you?" Mr. Harper taunted when Martin seized two of his pawns.
What Mr. Martin - or any other person - didn't know, was that he was falling into the trap Tris was quietly making for him. Once he took the second pawn, Tris used his knight to seize three of his pawns and a rook.
Until Tris played his move, they never saw it coming. They were shocked beyond reasoning, wondering where a young boy could've learnt that from.
Definitely from Cole.
"I told you I brought a competent fighter who's not going let me down! Keep going, my boy! Take them all!" Cole kept hyping him.
Martin tried to be more careful, but it felt like this was a set up. No matter what he did; it didn't the move he used. He always ended up losing. Sooner than he expected, his queen got exposed, and Tris finally invaded and conquered Martin's side of the chessboard.
"Yes!! I told you!! I told you my son would beat you both!! He's the new champion!!" Cole carried Tris on his shoulder and gave him a hailing befitting of a champion.
"Your son? You didn't tell us he's your son," Harper said.
"Did I need to? Can't you see the resemblance?"
"The boy carries your physical traits, but that's about it, I guess," Mr. Martin three shade.
"I won't let your insults get to me. Pay me what you owe me immediately," He said with a smirk as he crossed his legs and watched them. The old men mumbled as they reached in their pockets and brought out some cash.
"You know what, you both can have the money. Use it to get yourself a new set of teeth. I owe my son some ice cream," he said as he took Tris away from the old men and went to the cool park. He just wanted to teach the old men some lessons, that a young blood could easily defeat them.
~~~~
"Mr. Stranger, I'd like the chocolate flavor," Tris said with excitement as they neared the ice cream shop. Coke complied and got him a cup of chocolate ice cream.
"Tris?" He called once they had a seat.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you still call me Mr. Stranger, when you know I'm your dad?" Cole asked.
Cole didn't want to say anything about it, but it began to get to him recently.
"I don't know. I'm not used to it. This is my first time having a father," he shrugged and continued with his ice cream.
"Well then, why don't you try it?"
"Try what?" Tris asked.
"Try calling me your dad. The only way you can get used to it is by trying. So why don't you try it?"
"Okay. I'll say it more often from now on... Dad," Tris made out, and it got Cole smiling from ear to ear. His wolf was jumping in jubilation at the sound of the title.
"So you told me yesterday that your mum's birthday is coming up?"
"Yeah. In a few days, dad," Tris answered.
"Okay. I want to ask you a couple of random questions about your mum. Are you ready?" Cole asked as he brought out a note and pen.
"Yes, I am," Tris answered.
Whooping Mr. Martin's ass was a major reason for bringing out here, but it wasn't the only reason.
Since when Tris told him about Amy's birthday, he hadn't been able to sleep. He was up all night, thinking of what to buy her.
He didn't want to mess it up by getting something she wouldn't appreciate, so he stylishly found a way to get Tris to himself, so he could the necessary information he needed to prepare for her birthday.
He kept asking him random questions until they were done with their ice cream, and ready to go.
"Oh, and one more thing," Cole stopped him.
"What's that, dad?" Tris asked.
"The number aunty Kayla always asks you to recite, why does she make you do it?" Cole questioned.
"It's her number. She makes me recite it in case I ever find myself in danger. If I do, I'd find a phone and dial the number," he explained.
"Oh? You see... Daddy wants the number. Just in case daddy gets in trouble, daddy wants to have someone he can call," Cole said.
"You want aunty Kayla's number?"
"Yes. Can you recite it for me?"
****
Kayla yawned loudly.
Everyone else was asleep, and it was way past her bedtime, but she was too tired to walk to her room, so she forced her herself to watch boring programs on TV.
She was fed up with the changing channels over and over, so she decided it wasn't worth it.
She gathered herself together and was about to get up when her phone came alive with a call.
It was from an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kayla. Did I wake you up from sleep?"
Kayla facial muscles began contracting immediately. She knew that voice.
"What do you want? How the hell did you get my number?" She demanded almost immediately.