By the time Mike finished freshening up and grabbed a bite to eat, he headed into the side parlor to find the two little geniuses. However, the vibe in the room was definitely off.
[Intelligence +1]
After picking up another stat orb from Sheldon, Mike's mood was soaring. He said with a smile, "What are we discussing? Thinking of playing some video games? I can recommend a few good ones."
At the sound of Mike's voice, Sheldon looked over, his expression a complicated mess. It was clear that the "youngest child" of the prodigy world had taken Paige's earlier comments to heart. He was even looking at Mike with a hint of newfound "hostility."
"We're not interested in games," Paige said, her eyes lingering on Mike, who looked even sharper after cleaning up. "It's Sheldon. He's convinced he's smarter than you."
Paige wasn't exactly twisting Sheldon's words, but the mischievous curl of her lip suggested she was more than happy to stir the pot and watch the fireworks.
Mike glanced at his current Intelligence stat of 173. From a purely objective standpoint, he knew he wasn't on Sheldon's level yet—at least, not in terms of raw IQ.
But the future was a different story.
Feeling confident in his long-term growth, Mike wasn't bothered by Paige's prodding. He simply admitted, "Sheldon is smarter than me. I can't really argue with that right now."
Hearing this, Sheldon's expression softened instantly. In fact, he actually felt a pang of guilt. Ever since that one math test, Sheldon had been obsessed with proving he was the superior mind, but he'd never quite managed a definitive win.
Now, hearing Mike admit defeat so casually felt... strange. Was he proud? Not exactly. Sympathetic? That didn't feel right either—after all, Mike was still exceptional in his own right.
"No, Mike, you're wrong," Paige interrupted, clearly not ready to let the drama end. "You can't know who's smarter until you actually test it."
"I agree!" Sheldon chimed in immediately. Part of him wanted to bail Mike out of the awkwardness, but the other part desperately wanted to see how he stacked up against Paige.
Seeing the fire in Sheldon's eyes, Paige knew exactly what he was thinking. "Perfect. Since all three of us are here, we should have a three-way battle of the brains."
Mental math and speed-reading were too basic for this group. Besides, between Mike's Memory Palace technique and Sheldon's Eidetic Memory, a memorization contest would just end in a permanent stalemate. As for solving complex academic theorems, that felt unfair since Sheldon was still building up his foundational knowledge base.
"How about a game of Chess?" Sheldon's eyes lit up as he made the suggestion.
Chess was the ultimate brain-teaser, requiring deep calculation and foresight. To most people, how well you played was a direct reflection of your raw intelligence.
Plus, Sheldon had a secret ace up his sleeve. He had spent plenty of time in the school's chess club, and even the faculty advisor couldn't touch him. Suggesting chess was basically like starting a race with a hundred-yard head start.
"Chess?" Paige pondered it for a moment before nodding. "I don't play much, but it's definitely a high-level cognitive exercise. I'm in."
As a prodigy, Paige had her own brand of pride. She suspected Sheldon might be good, but the idea of beating him at his own game was too tempting to pass up.
Seeing the two of them already mapping out the tournament, Mike sighed. "Can I sit this one out?"
Mike had played Sheldon before, and it wasn't exactly a "fun" experience. Nobody likes losing over and over again. Usually, Mike was lucky if he won two out of ten games—and that was only if he was having a peak performance day.
"No!" the two of them shouted in unison.
Sheldon's reason was simple: Mike was one of the few opponents who actually made the game interesting for him. Plus, this was a two-for-one deal—he could enjoy a good game and prove he was the smartest person in the room simultaneously.
Paige's reason was even simpler: she wanted to get a real reading on Mike's "power level."
"I'll go get the board!" Sheldon didn't give Mike a chance to argue. He turned and bolted toward the main house.
---
In the Cooper living room, the two sets of parents were getting acquainted.
Paige's mother, Linda, was politely complimenting the house's decor. It was clear she had done her homework on how to be a gracious guest. Her charm immediately set a relaxed tone for the visit.
Mary, feeling like she'd finally found a kindred spirit, busied herself serving up snacks for the Swallows. Everything was going swimmingly.
"Can I get anyone a drink? Something other than tea or coffee?" George asked with a cheeky grin.
"I'll take one," Barry Swallow said, raising a hand. "Got a Lone Star beer in there?"
Mary laughed at Barry's request. "George can definitely help you with that. He's practically the reason that brewery stays in business. He's their #1 customer."
"It's the nectar of the gods," George joked, smoothing things over as he headed for the kitchen. In his mind, any man who drank Lone Star was a friend of his. To be honest, since George started working at the sporting goods store, he'd been craving some new "guy talk."
Back in the living room, Mary continued the chat. "So, Barry, Linda tells me you're a dentist?"
"That's right. I have a small private practice in town," Barry said, before adding with a touch of fatherly pride, "You know, Paige has been doing the taxes for my clinic since she was tiny."
In the States, taxes are a nightmare of complexity. If you know what you're doing, you can save a fortune through clever deductions—balancing business expenses against personal ones and navigating luxury tax loopholes.
"Really?" Mary felt a surge of connection. "Sheldon's been doing our family taxes since he could hold a pencil!"
The Swallows looked at Mary like they'd found a long-lost sister. Barry continued, "When Paige started, I used to pay her in stickers and stationery. But this year, she's actually started asking for a paycheck."
Barry sounded like he was complaining, but his face was beaming with pride. That's the "prodigy parent" lifestyle for you.
George, returning with the beers, caught the tail end of the conversation. "Hey, don't let Sheldon hear that. We're still paying him in pocket protectors and book clips!"
George wore a similar boastful grin. The two couples shared a knowing laugh, bonded by the unique struggle and pride of raising "high-maintenance" kids.
"Dad, I heard my name. Is something wrong?" Sheldon walked in just as the adults were cracking up.
"Cough—nothing, we're just talking," George said, quickly composed. "Weren't you over at Meemaw's? Why are you back by yourself?"
"I'm just grabbing the chess board," Sheldon explained, briefly mentioning the upcoming showdown with Mike and Paige.
"Well, it sounds like you and Paige are getting along great," George said, completely missing the competitive tension Sheldon was trying to describe. He just figured the kids were finally making friends.
After a quick lecture about being a good host and playing nice, George shooed him off to go get his board.
---