Again (PUBLISHED!)

Chapter 17.

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What is happening?

When I got to the Chess Room at the sports club, I just did not expect to find a huge crowd surrounding a particular table. I tried to push my way into the crowd to get to the front and know the matter but I couldn't get through.

"It's Josh versus Devon," said Adam grimly, appearing at my shoulder.

My mouth parted in an O. Didn't know Devon played Chess.

"They got into some argument. Then Devon said something blunt to Josh which pissed him off so much that he challenged Devon to a game of Chess," sighed Adam.

Adam and I somehow jostled our way to the front of the crowd and I saw Josh and Devon seated across each other involved in the battle of Chess. Devon looked calm and composed to the point of nonchalance. Josh, on the other hand, appeared disquietened and frustrated as he focused hard on the game with all his might.

When I looked down from their faces to the chess board, I got a scare. Josh had lost most of the important pawns and was in a very bad position in the game. I noticed the edges of Devon's lips curl into a smug smile when he saw me.

There was a mischievous glint in his eyes but I ignored him and concentrated on my friend instead.

Josh had to win this game.

Almost the entire of the club knew how exceptionally good Josh was at Chess. But no one knew the fact that he hid his low self esteem by being goofy and funny on the surface. Chess was by far the only thing Josh was good at. And he never lost a match against even the toughest of players. But it seemed like today was gonna be his first.

If Josh lost and that too from Devon of all people, I didn't even want to think the horrific damage it would do to his self-confidence. And with so many people watching....

C'mon Josh, you have to win!

There has to be a way out to turn the tables.

There's always a way out of every crap situation.

You've got to find a way to win this! You've got to defeat Devon!

I don't want you to go through the shitty feeling of being good at nothing.

C'mon Josh....

But the game became all the more stressful. Stef gave me a worried look as Josh lost his Queen to one of Devon's Rook. The spectators whispered amongst each other when one of Josh's knight that was alive posed a checkmate to Devon's King.

A dreadful feeling crossed me. The checkmate wouldn't be a big deal for Devon...Shit.

But then something unexpected happened.

Devon played a wrong move which got his King trapped between two of Josh's pawns. The game was over in that very second. Josh had won. I saw Stef and Adam heave a sigh of great relief. The next thing I knew the crowd around was cheering and had surrounded Josh to congratulate him on winning the challenge as soon as he rose from his seat.

On the other end, I saw Devon silently ebbing away from the crowd and disappearing outside the room.

***

"Congo, Josh. Well played." I told Josh when he and I were at the cafe grabbing something to eat. "So the record lives on," I added laughing.

"Don't tell me you also really think I won because the truth is that I lost, El," he responded with a small smile.

I was shocked. "But how....you...." I stammered.

"That's the point, El," said Josh, smiling. "Devon lost and how. He lost in such a way that absolutely no one will ever doubt that he purposely lost. But I know he did because I was sitting right across him when he showed himself as the loser and me as a genius and as the winner to those who were watching. But the truth is that he was the winner and I have to admit he is a pure genius when it comes to Chess. "

"I don't believe this, dude," I said in a definite voice. "Why would Devon do that?"

"Because of you, El," he said gravely, "He chose to lose because he saw how much you were rooting for me. He very well knew that if I lost, you would be severely hurt. He doesn't care what shit happens to me but he cares about you. And honestly, I "won" because you were around or else he would have crushed me."

I didn't know what to say to that so I kept shut.

"Look, it's a very big deal to lose like that in front of so many people when you could've won within a snap of a finger, trust me on that," Josh said seriously. "Devon would never have done that if he genuinely didn't like you. And at the risk of sounding like Stef, I'd like to say that if Luke were in Devon's place, he'd never have done what Devon did. Because what matters to Luke is projecting himself as a starry personality to everybody."

"I don't want to talk about it, Josh," I said quietly, feeling uneasy.

"Alright, I won't go there!" said Josh, raising his hands in surrender, "I've learnt two things today. One, I need to sharpen my head for Chess. Two, Devon Parker can easily lift anyone to the greatest of heights or push them to the deepest of the pits if he wants to. By the way, I'm damn sure that Devon is mad at the fact that you supported me and not him. Ah! Feels so fucking good to breath in this world knowing that Devon Parker is jealous of you!"

***