PRESENT DAY"Liam Nobert Suen!"
"PRESHENT!!"
"Mateo Rivera!"
"Present."
"Marco Villanueva!"
"Present!"
The Teacher coughed and explained "So, as you may know, This school years district meet is coming up rapidly! Usually, We'd use the students from the board committee... Wait! That reminds me, None of you got to really meet anyone from the board didn't you? Wait.." He walked out of the classroom
A few minutes passed until he came back with a tall, lanky student. His vibe contrasted the teachers, while our coach gave off a more happy vibe, this student was more dark and brooding. He walked inside the classroom slowly with his right hand gripping the door frame as he walked inside
"OKAY! So! Drum roll please! (imitating drum roll noise) The president of the Chess Club!!"
"This guy's our president?" Mateo murmured, the face of someone he used to know took him back to times when the world was less gray
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"Dude, I still cant believe it... You quit chess!"
Michael sat down on a bench, replying "Dude, calm down.. I'm quitting professionally, I think I need a break."
"Yeah, but won't that mean we wont be the top 2 in the world?"
Michael seemed irritated, replying "Dude, you know that whole 'top 2 in the world' shit is bs right? We made that dream when we were kids, don't expect us to actually follow through, idiot."
"Sorry."
"What's the point of sorry if you're gonna keep nagging me about it. Christ, I thought I was done with ear-cancer after my dad finally stopped nagging me about it. But it seems like it has only transferred to you, I didn't hang out with you only to talk about chess y'know?"
"Bro, I'm sorry-- I just can't believe it I mean chess was our entire lives at one point."
"Yeah, that's what YOU knew, I never wanted anything to do with chess I was just born into it. You are for real starting to piss me off-- No-- You make me fucking sick."
"What..?"
"I don't know what got into you. Recently, you've been bugging me with this chess shit and I'm done with it. At one point, You really did mean something to me, But at this point.. Nah. Just, stop talking to me." He said walking out
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The president of the chess club slowly glanced at Mateo, as if to say "I heard that."
He fixed his posture, standing up to his true height, he was over 2 meters tall! "There's no way this guy is human." I thought, I mean I've met tall people before, But he was way too tall for someone in the chess club, not to mention... His relatively long hair kept his eyes from being seen, like a thick curtains against a window.
"You still have that shit-ass annoying hearing." Mateo murmured again
Our Coach faced the president and asked "You hear something
Michael?"
After glancing at Mateo, he looked back at our Coach saying "Nothing Teach."
"Anyways, What was I saying! Right! This is our schools chess-club president! Meet.... Michael Fauente! Woohoo!"
No one clapped, the room was dead silent. Our coach remarked "Come on, you guys could have at least a little bit of class! Anyway, this guy's no easy folk to topple over. He's one of the best--"
Michael Grunted
"Sorry, He's the best chess player here! But second to me! Of course. Me and him devised an idea; any of you will get the chance to play against him to be a part of this schools district meet representatives. Don't forget, We'll only be picking two per gender! So make the most of it will ya. Alright pres! Have the stage!"
Michael looked at the teacher, confused.
"Oh right, He's the shy type. Anyways, Michael proposed to me that he would play against all of you! And whoever could pique his interest would be the ones chosen for this years district meet!"
Michael grabbed a chess board from under the table and set it up and opened his arms inviting anyone from the crowd to play.
While everyone took their turns to play against Michael, I turned around to Mateo and Liam who were sitting right behind me
"I know that kid." Mateo noted, pointing directly at Michael
"FOREALSH??"
"Yeah, Me and Mr-I-keep-a-cold-exterior were great buddies back then, we had similar circumstances, my dad and his dad were the ultimate rivals... No-one could beat them except each other, each game was like a deathmatch deciding who was ultimately the real greatest at chess in this city. Buuut.. Suffice to say that It'd always end up in a draw, Ironic."
"So who's better between you two?"
"Me, It's not even close. But I don't like to talk about it. Hell, me and him don't even talk anymore. Last time we spoke it was around 2-3 years ago at some tournament.. He got the bad end of the stick. Similar to mine, he would get berated and pushed around if he wasn't good at chess-- It's not my story to tell but-- damn I wish I could go back and give him a squeeze."
"Bad end of the stick?" I asked
Mateo didn't reply, instead focused his time on staring at Michael, crossing his arms and bouncing his leg. After a minute, Mateo stood and up and vowed "Yeah this time I'll be sure to beat you."
He walked up to Michael while we followed closely behind
"After all this time you aren't even gonna say hello? Shitty-old-friend. Don't think I'm gonna go easy on you just because you're dark and broody now."
Michael, not responding, slid his pawn on d4. Mateo grinned, replying with d5 and mumbling "Still sticking to the old moves huh?"
Michael developed his pieces with precision, knights to f3 and c3, pawns controlling the center. While Mateo one played aggressively, recklessly and pushing pawns too far and leaving his position unstable
Mateo thought "This scenery is reminiscent of how things were, with Coach Jorge being at our side, classmate and peers being next to us and the feeling of every move being essential. But, this time, it won't end with me losing."
While, Michael pondered "Will you stick to your old moves? How much have you evolved in these 3 years, Michael?"
By move 15, the board was a mess of pieces. Mateo had sacrificed a knight to open an attack, his rooks looming over the quiet one’s castled king. “You’re too passive,” he taunted. “You always wait for things to happen instead of making them happen.”
Michael, unbothered, responded with 16. Nd5, planting his knight in the center of the board like a flag of defiance. It threatened everything—the queen, the pawns, Michaels recklessly planned pieces.
Michael chuckled and glared at Mateo, hesitating before making each move.
“Say something,” Mateo yelled out after another failed attack. “You used to talk, remember? You used to laugh.”
Michaels response was a move—a bishop sliding to g5, pinning Mateo's queen to his king.
By move 30, Mateo was out of options. His pieces were scattered, his king exposed. Michael had turned the tide with patient precision, each move was like tightening a noose.
Mateo leaned back, staring at the board. “You’ve changed,” he muttered. “You’re not the same person I used to know.”
Michael finally looked up, his cold eyes meeting Mateo's. “Neither are you,” he said softly, the first words he had spoken all game
"Something's off." Mateo thought, His thoughts rattled like a caged crow. His mind wandered off to a more familiar time, when the stakes were lower, where they were both happier.
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"No!! Mateo!! If I were you, Id put my knight here to defend the bishop!"
"Oh, wait but doesn't that lead to a checkmate?"
Coach Jorge chuckled "You two are so competitive, It's almost time for lunch, Pack your things!
"Wait Coach! But I'm still teaching Mateo how to continue this opening! He's not really good at defending."
"Shut up! As if you're any better! Little did you know, I was hiding my queen here to plan a sneak attack!"
Coach Jorge said "Well, don't beat each other up for it. Chess builds people together not drive them apart. I mean, look at you both, You guys have become the bestest of friends!"
Mateo nudged Michaels shoulder "Yeah, this loner squirt would be so lost without me!"
Michael muttered "Yeah but you'd be even more lost without me!" letting off a faint chuckle
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With a final move—queen to f7—it was checkmate.
Mateo stared at the board, then at his old friend. “So that’s it, huh? You win, and we just… what? Go back to pretending we don’t know each other?”
Michael stood up, gathered his things and said "We already don't"
Mateo bit his lip, looking directly up at Michael. Mateo looked conflicted, after that long match, the class was empty except them, our Coach, Me and Liam. The room was filled with quietness, Mateo gripped his hand and looked down, as if to hide himself from the embarrassment of losing.
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