♜♔ Checkmate ♔♜ - RD

Chapter 4 - The Proposal

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Tommy's friends are pretty hard to track down.

Elle tried, she looked everywhere she could remember Tommy mentioning, the high school, the park, the youth center, even the juice bar. By the time she got home later she was tired from running around town all day.

Well, there was one last place. The library.

She grabbed her rusted bike and peddled off towards the direction of the Angel Grove Library.

She saw Tommy's camaro when she pulled up, she smirked and walked around to the side entrance, peeking in the window she saw Kat and Tommy working in a corner on what looked to be a banner.

Rocky and Adam sat in the other corner writing in notebooks and talking amongst themselves.

Elle waited, she knew she needed Rocky to be alone to propose her plan to him. Hopefully Tommy won't interrupt.

Eventually they all started packing up, Elle checked her watch, it was getting close to dinnertime anyways. Adam hopped in the camaro with Kat and Tommy, waving goodbye as Rocky climbed into a pickup truck.

Elle dropped her bike and walked over.

"What are you doing here?" he said, throwing his bookbag in the passenger seat.

"I can help you win," she said.

Rocky's brows furrowed, "What?"

"The election, I think I know a foolproof way to win."

"How?" Rocky said.

"Everything humans do is either a move or a countermove. Tommy Oliver is used to always making a move first, but if something where to... get under his skin... I think that might throw him off his game just enough to knock him down from his 'golden boy' persona."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Listen, I know you don't like me, and I don't necessarily like you, but I think we can be useful to each other."

"What kind of 'use' do I have to you?"

"Helping me make some friends, getting Tommy off my back for a little while."

"And what use do I have with you?"

Elle smirked, "Becoming the next golden couple at Angel Grove high."

Rocky scoffed and closed his truck door.

"Wait-"

Rocky rolled the window down.

"Just... think about it. Who's the current 'it' couple at Angel Grove?"

Rocky paused, "Tommy and Kat."

"If we started to fake date Tommy would get so mad, if people saw him mad at us for no reason other than the fact we're together it would make people want to root for us."

Rocky looked at her questioningly.

"Everyone loves an underdog Rocky, if we plan things out perfectly even the teachers would be rooting for us," she said.

Rocky sighed, "I don't know Elle."

"Just give it some thought," she said, walking back over to her bike.

"Elle?"

"Yeah?" she said, looking back at him.

He chuckled, "Where'd you learn to be so... diabolical?"

"Rumors and gossip travel fast, especially in a smaller school like Angel Grove. If we make the first move he's gonna struggle to make a countermove."

Rocky sat in silence for a minute, Elle picked up her bike to start walking home.

"Wait," he said, "Need a ride?"

Elle smiled, throwing the rusted bike into the back of the truck and hopping in the front. Rocky moved his backpack out of the way for her.

"So. If we're gonna do this we need to set up ground rules."

"Alright then," Elle said. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail to protect it from the wind.

"First, no talking to other people until the elections over."

"Ah yes," Elle said, "We can even stage a dramatic breakup at the school so everyone sympathizes with us."

Rocky rolled his eyes, "Second, we can't tell anyone that this is fake."

"Obviously."

"Third," Rocky said, "You have to be at my karate matches."

"Alright, but that also means you have to come to my chess tournaments."

"Ugh," Rocky groaned.

"What?"

"Bor-ring," he said.

Elle rolled her eyes, "Chess isn't boring."

"There's so many rules."

"Yeah and once you know them then it's about mind games. Controlling the board. Dominating your opponent."

Rocky scoffed, "Alright I'll go, but only if you won't get mad if I read during the whole thing."

"Just make sure to cheer for me when I win and brag about it afterwards."

"Fine."

"Fine," Elle said firmly.

Rocky pulled up into her driveway. Rocky got out of the truck, going around to the back and dragging her bike out of the bed.

"I could've gotten it," she said.

Rocky leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Don't look now but Tommy's currently blowing steam out of his ears. Now laugh like I told you something funny."

She didn't have to try hard, the image in her head was almost exactly like what he looked like when she caught a glimpse at his face.

"Told you she was off limits Desantos," he shouted from the porch.

Rocky threw his arms up, "I saw her walking around with her bike all messed up, she needed a ride. What, am I not allowed to be nice?"

Tommy rolled his eyes and walked back inside.

"Move," Elle smirked.

"But what'll be his countermove?" Rocky asked.

Elle shrugged, "Guess we'll have to find out. A pleasure to work with you Mr. Desantos."

"You too Ms...."

"Vincent."

"Hmm... nice name."

Elle smirked, "Thanks."

With a smile and a wave Elle walked over to the garage to place her bike up. She chuckled as Rocky made a dramatic scene rolling his window down to wave goodbye to her.

She smirked when she walked inside to see Tommy on the couch, still pissed over what he saw in the driveway.

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