"Your turn, princess." A hoarse voice abruptly brought me back to the present. "I don't intend to spend the whole night here."

"I'm not a princess," I replied curtly as I moved one of my knights. "Your turn, old man."

Harry glared at me. In reality, I didn't know how old he was, or how he ended up homeless and living in the park where we played chess every morning. But I did know he was an amazing opponent.

"You're a terrible person," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the chessboard.

With the next three moves, I had beaten him. "Checkmate! You know what that means, Harry."

He shot me an angry look. "I have to let you buy me breakfast." Those were the terms of the bet we had made some time ago. When I won, he was obliged to accept a free meal.

To my credit, I didn't boast much. "It's nice to be the queen."

I made it to school on time, though just barely. I had a habit of always showing up at the last minute. I was walking a tightrope with my grades too. How could I get an A with the least possible effort? I wasn't lazy. I just had a practical mind. Was it worth getting a 17 instead of a 19 if it gave me the chance to take on an extra shift at work?