"Brilliant Mind" by Analise I.

 

 

She's waiting until he makes the next move as he looks at the empty board. Katherine had just turned ten before she ended up in a foster home. When she was growing up, it used to be her and her mom doing so many fun things like skating around the house, making funny jokes, and eating as much chocolate as possible until their stomachs hurt. Katherine was born very smart and could do high school-level math when she was only 9. Sadly, her mother passed from cancer and her dad had since separated from her life. Six years had passed with her in the foster care system, but she managed to have a close relationship with one of the girls named Anita. One day, Katherine's foster parents wanted to make it official and have her as their daughter. It was a long, heavy process, but it was finally official. She had a new family. The husband's name was Tom and the wife was Mary. Tom never really seemed very interested in Katherine being there. He just went on business trips and was not home often. A little after Katherine got settled in they enrolled Katherine in a beautiful school near a lake, Mary found out that Katherine was very smart and needed to be placed in a better program so she had sent her to Colony Ridge College. There was a competition where universities would time their smartest kids to see who could solve mostly impossible questions the fastest. The winner would win up to $1000. Katherine was determined to win that prize, but there was an entry fee of $30. She sent a letter to her former teacher from when she was in foster care, asking if she could loan her the money. She promised to give half the money if she won the prize. Katherine ended up getting a letter back with $30 to enter the competition. Not many women at the time were skilled in math or even allowed in these types of things. So, when the competition started, she was placed with another woman who shared the same ambition. She won against her and waited for the next player. This happened until she faced the city's best player, whom she beat 30 minutes before he finished. Her mother questioned where she got the prize money, but Katherine gladly explained. The next day, her mom started planning more games in different cities and states. Katherine decided to go on the trips with her mom, giving her 30% of her winnings. They traveled together to support themselves, especially since Tom hadn't come home in over 2 months. A couple of months later, they received a call from Tom, saying he wouldn't be coming home and was staying in Washington. Mary and Katherine didn't mind, as they had each other. They traveled all over the country until Katherine turned 21, but then Mary fell ill and sadly passed away in Mexico City before Katherine's next match. Katherine called Tom to inform him and he left her the house, wanting nothing to do with her. Katherine kept playing these big events until she faced the top player in the world. The competition was in Florida, and when she started, she noticed he wasn't writing. She waited for him to make a move and questioned his approach. He finished before her, which frustrated her because she was confident she would beat him. Despite the loss, she continued playing and beating others. But then, another man beat her, and she asked him to teach her to be faster. They both learned from each other's strengths. To play against the top player again, she had to beat the other top ten players day by day. She played and beat each one, even the second top player who took two separate days to find the solution. She eventually beat him just seconds before the time ran out. Nervous but determined, she faced the number one player and won by a landslide. She became a math teacher for foster children and continued to excel.