Medical Center. Adam's Office.
Round two, and both Sheldon and Adam were giving it their all. Neither of them wanted to lose.
One couldn't afford to lose.
The other didn't want to dampen his double dose of joy.
By the midgame, their mindsets couldn't have been more different.
Adam, realizing it'd be tough to beat Sheldon, quickly shifted gears. He went from "I've got this" to "Let's play it safe and hope for a win." Sure, losing wouldn't cost him anything, but tonight? He really didn't want to lose.
Sheldon, on the other hand, was teetering on the edge of a breakdown as the game got tense. Yup, you heard that right—he was losing it! 😬 His telltale signs? Wide eyes glued to the chessboard and a slight twitch in his face. Anyone who knew him could spot it a mile away—this was Sheldon's big "I'm about to crack" signal.
As time ticked on and Sheldon's facial twitches got wilder, Adam started smirking with confidence. Chess isn't just about smarts—it's a mental game too. Adam's sneaky first-round win had already rattled Sheldon, laying the groundwork for victory in round two. The trick? Survive Sheldon's early onslaught, steady the board, and watch his "Get serious and you're toast" mindset crumble.
Once Sheldon couldn't win fast, he'd basically already lost.
"It's over. Seven moves, and I'll checkmate you," Adam said, sliding his rook forward with a grin he couldn't hold back.
"No!!!" Sheldon's eyes darted around the board, his brain racing through calculations. Adam was right—no matter what he did, checkmate was coming in seven moves max. Cue the classic Sheldon panic scream! 😱
"Wait, don't—"
Adam was about to celebrate with Paige behind him when his super-sharp senses caught Sheldon's pre-table-flip wind-up. He almost stopped him, but at the last second… he didn't.
Beating Sheldon at chess? That's one milestone. Forcing him to flip the board? That's a whole other level! It's what happens when Sheldon's IQ feels seriously threatened—an uncontrollable meltdown.
Or, as some might say, Sheldon's official "You're smart enough to beat me" stamp of approval.
Paige had made him flip the board once before. Now Adam didn't want to miss his shot at this epic moment.
BAM!
He flipped it! He actually flipped it!
Ding!
Mission accomplished! 🎉
Click! Click!
Adam and Paige's eyes turned into cameras, snapping mental pics of this legendary scene. Last time Paige saw this, she was shocked. This time? She was giggling like crazy. 😄
"Round three?"
Adam, fresh off his "check-in" success, picked up the scattered pieces, set the board back up, and flashed a smile at Sheldon. "Eight more games to go. You've got this—come on!"
"…"
Missy's mouth twitched. She stared at Adam like he was some kind of evil genius. "Nah, forget this. Let's just head back to the party."
"What's fun about a party?" Adam waved her off. "Sheldon, we agreed—battle till dawn. You're not bailing now, are you?"
No way was he letting this go. Sheldon's mental game was toast—Adam could win every round now! And every win? Double the fun! 😎
Sheldon just sat there, zoned out, completely checked out from reality.
"Eh, let's call it," Paige said, shaking her head. "Sheldon's got no fight left. It's no fun anymore. Night's over."
"No way!" Adam protested.
"Reward system's off," Paige shot him a look.
"Fine," Adam said, straightening up. "Beating this version of Sheldon's no thrill anyway. Let's wrap it up."
With that, he stood, grabbed Paige's hand, and started heading out.
"Where are you two going?" Missy shouted after them.
"Home to shower and crash," Adam replied like it was obvious. "It's late—you guys should hit the hay too."
"What about Sheldon?!"
Missy's eyes widened. "Look what you've done to him!"
"He's fine," Adam said, glancing at Sheldon with a chuckle. "He's just struggling to process the beatdown. Take him to Mrs. Cooper—she'll cuddle her little genius and make it all better. If he cries it out in Mommy's arms, he'll bounce back in no time."
And with that, he dragged Paige off, no hesitation.
Sure, the office was nice, but it couldn't compare to his apartment. On a night this good, he wasn't about to settle for "meh." A cramped office? No thanks!
"Adam, you jerk!" Missy flipped him off from behind.
Adam caught it out of the corner of his eye, tossed back an "OK" hand sign, and strolled off with a grin. Cool as a cucumber—good vibes and great nights were all that mattered.
---
VIP Ward
"What's wrong with Cousin Sheldon?"
The party was over, and Emilia had just gotten back to the ward. She saw Aunt Mary and her mom shaking their heads and frowning, and for a second, she panicked—had something gone wrong? But Missy quickly pointed her to the real issue.
Sheldon was slumped on the couch, staring into space.
"He got wrecked," Missy said with a smirk. "By a total jerk."
"Ugh… ahh…"
Right as Emilia was about to ask more, zoned-out Sheldon let out a sigh and a pitiful groan.
"Seven years. Just seven years!" Sheldon muttered. "Adam—this dumb Earthling who used to not even understand me—beat me at chess, a game that tests pure IQ! Ughhh…"
"Enough already!" Missy snapped. "Adam beat you, big deal. It's not like no one's ever done it before. Paige has been owning you since forever—what's the fuss?"
"You don't get it!" Sheldon shot her a look. "Paige is just a girl. Adam and I are guys. If Mars colonization happens someday, Paige wouldn't steal my title as the first man on Mars. But Adam? He's my direct rival! And right now, he's got the edge…"
He slumped back, looking crushed, shaking his head. "Ugh… I can't deal with this…"
"No one's moving to Mars!" his mom, Mary, finally exploded. "And no one can! That's God's territory!"
"Mom, please," Sheldon glanced at her. "If tech had kept up with my calculations, I'd have cracked reusable rockets back when I was 9. Cheaper launches would've pushed space travel forward by leaps and bounds. Nine years later, I might already be growing potatoes on Mars!"
"…"
Little cousin Emilia's jaw dropped, totally lost. She had no clue what Sheldon was rambling about.
Missy jumped in, explaining how 9-year-old Sheldon had gone to high school, chased down a NASA scientist who'd spoken there, and schooled him. Emilia stared at her quirky, kid-like cousin in awe.
My cousin's a freaking genius! 😲
(End of Chapter)