"Check." I say, sliding my rook across the board and trapping my opponent's king.
He mutters in annoyance. Poor guy. He should've realized what he was getting into. I tap my fingers on the side of the board as I wait for him to make his move. Already knowing what it will be. I glance up at the clock across from me. We've been at it for almost an hour now. I look at the boy before me. He bites off his fingernails as he tries to figure out a counter attack. It no use. There isn't any. I made sure of that.
And just as I had predicted, he moves his bishop three squares forward. Blocking the check, but giving me access to his queen.
I smile and move my knight, taking his queen. "Mate in four." I say.
He analyses the board for a minute then smacks his first on the table. "Fuck!" Then grabbing his bag, he gets up and leaves the room.
The room bursts into applause. I look around in surprise. I hadn't noticed the crowd that had gathered. I give them a small smile before grabbing my bag off the table and leave.
"Bree!" Someone calls out from behind me. I turn to see Freya, jogging as she tries to catch up to me.
"Hey." She says with enthusiasm. I nod in reply, not sure what else to say.
"That game was wicked awesome! Not like Dennis even stood a chance, but you really slaughtered him on that board. I had no idea you were a chess master mind!" She says joyously.
Dennis. Ah yes! Vignette's mindless puppet. He may be one of the golden boys at school, but his name wouldn't save him on the chess board. It was his mind.
"Thank you." I say, annoyed. I never understood why she was interested in talking to me. I had made it clear long ago, that I never wished for friends. But it was obvious she hadn't taken the hint. I start walking again, with her trailing behind me.
"I was just wondering, you're so good at this game. How come you never enter in any of the tournaments. You'd win for sure!" She says with that sickeningly sweet expression on her face.
"I don't intend to play for the sake of fame." I answer a little too aggressively. Still, Freya doesn't get the hint.
"I just love the way you speak. 'I don't intend to.' She giggles. "Anyways, how come you suddenly decided to play in front of everyone? With Dennis Iver at that?" She asks again.
I turn around sharply, causing her to bump into me. "What I do, and why I do it is none of your concern. So turn around and go back to whatever hole you came from. Got it?" I say furiously.
Her eyes widen at me for a second as I continue to glare at her. Then she turns around and leaves. I sigh thankfully. I hate people.
When I arrive home, my mother is asleep on the couch, with the TV still on and my sister is nowhere to be seen. It doesn't take a genius to figure out where she is though. I stomp up the stairs, not bothering to muffle my steps. If my mother wanted silence, she should've slept in her room.
I switch on the lights and find my room the same as I left it this morning. Good. I place my bag on the chair and make my way to the bathroom. I quickly shower and just as I'm about to finish off my lunch, the front door opens with a bang. My mother immediately sits upright and looks around in confusion. I roll my eyes and turn my attention to the person at the door. It's Celia. My sister.
And She's drunk. Just like every other time she bothered to grace us with her presence. I pay her no mind as I place my plate in the sink. But Celia isn't the one to let go.
"Baby sister? Is that you?" She asks playfully. I hate how she always knows how to get under my nerves.
"Celia." It is the only response I give her. The only response she's worthy of receiving from me. She walks up behind me.
"I see you haven't changed one bit since the last time I saw you." She says, her voice dripping with venom.
"You saw me yesterday Celia. Do you not remember? Or did you finally sleep with a boy good enough that he wiped away all your memories? Perhaps it was the drinking."
She grabs my hand in fury. "Do not talk to me like that." She snaps. "Say all you will, I'm still your big sister."
When I look at her, I no longer see the loving girl who was once my best friend. The girl who I loved more than anything. I should've noticed her true colors a long time ago. I was foolish and naïve. I trusted her and she betrayed me. But I am no longer that person.
I snatch my hand back. "Keep telling that to yourself Celia, you and I both know that we have nothing in common but our unfortunate parentage. Besides, you lost that position in my life a long time ago." I spit back, before turning around to leave.
I close the door to my bed room and make my way to the chess board on my table. It is the only place I can find comfort and solace. When I sit across from the board, I see the whole world before me. A world I can control and dominate. Where I can predict any situation and prepare myself for any outcome. It is my safe haven.
I pick the d2 pawn with my fingers and capture the d3 square. This leaves my queen defenseless against the attack from black. But I don't have to worry about that. I know Vignette Rose well enough to say that she won't use her pawns just yet. She'll keep them around long enough, until she can sacrifice them for a better move. I look to my own side of the board. I don't have many defenses. I know I will need them when the time comes.
I smile in satisfaction. The plan was in effect. Playing Dennis Iver was only the first step. I had always been on the sidelines, invisible to everyone. Playing him had put me out in the square, alerting Vignette of my move. Good. I wanted her to see I was coming for her.
I just needed to get the right line of defense and then the match will truly begin. I suppose it's time I made some friends. Watch out Vignette Rose. The game is afoot.
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I realize this may seem confusing to a lot of readers, but if you stick around for the rest of the story, I promise everything will be cleared. I will also be uploading images of the game as it progresses. It will help understand things better.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story. I hope it was worth it. :)
Lots of love and joy,
Abby.
