Check & Mate

by Ali Hazelwood

fall quiet, because Darcy has navigated to a new page. It has a picture of two people: Nolan, looming darkly on one side of the board, shakes the hand of a blond girl wearing a flannel top that looks just like mine. Neither smiles or speaks, but they’re holding each other’s eyes in a way that seems almost intimate, and— My eyes fall on the title of the page: Who is Mallory Greenleaf, chess’s new breakout player? “Fuck.” “There’s a whole article about you.” “Fuck.” “And pictures.” “Fuck.” “And even a video, though I can’t make it work. I think pop-ups are blocked?” “Fuck fuck fuck.” Of course this shit’s online. The press was everywhere—what did I think they were going to do with the footage, scrapbook it? “Fuck.”