Check & Mate

by Ali Hazelwood

“Then Sabrina texted me about how much of a miserable mope you’ve been, and I remembered something very important.” I swallow. “What is that?” “That you are an idiot.”

“I think that when I left, you were scared that I’d get over you. So you decided to get over me sooner.”

“Well, you know how I feel about agreeing with white guys with trust funds, but…I might have to give him a brownie point here.”

“I want to be with you. As much as I can. As much as you’ll have me.”

“Because when I’m with you, Mallory, everything is different. When I’m with you, I want to play more than I want to win.”

I (Mallory Greenleaf; US; World ranking: #1,843) glance at my opponent (Nolan Sawyer; US; World ranking: #1). I find him already looking at me, a warm smile in his dark eyes.

Soon to turn 21, Mallory Greenleaf is currently ranked No. 5 in the world…and yet she is the world champion.

Greenleaf defeated Sawyer on the twelfth match, after eleven draws.

And if you “ship them hard” and “want to believe,” you might enjoy this little clue: three weeks ago, at a charity event, Nolan Sawyer—who is a notoriously bad loser—did not stop to take questions from journalists. But eyewitnesses reported that when asked how he felt about the possibility of Mallory Greenleaf accruing enough points to take the No. 1 spot from him, he simply smiled before walking away.