♜♔ Checkmate ♔♜ - RD

Chapter 6 - Laundry and Letters

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"Elle! Come help with laundry!"

Elle groaned, getting up from her bed to follow her mother down the stairs to the laundry room in the basement.

"Tommy never helps with chores," she mutters.

Her mom sighed, "Tommy gets to do yard work all summer. Would you rather do that?"

"I rather play chess and hang out with my friends," she sighed. Her mother handed her a basket of clothes to start folding.

"I know you miss them," her mom said, "Hey, isn't there a chess tournament coming up there? The one you won that gift basket at last year."

Elle thought for a moment, "Yeah, I think it's next week."

"Why don't you check on that, we can spend the day over there and meet up with your friends."

Elle smiled, nodding her head and taking the laundry basket full of Tommy's clothes up to his bedroom.

She expected to see him playing video games when she got to the top of the stairs. She looked around his empty room, no sign of him, shrugging as she placed the basket on the bed.

She turned to head back downstairs.

A large white piece of paper sat splayed out on his desk. She stopped for a moment, looking over her shoulder to check if anyone was there.

She leaned over, a picture was clipped to the top of it. A girl with beautiful brown hair stood beside Tommy in a bright pink shirt. They were both smiling widely.

'Tommy never wears green,' Elle thought to herself, she stared confused at the photo for a moment before looking over the piece of paper.

Dear Tommy,

Everything is going great here in Florida coach Schmidt has me as ready as I'll ever be for the competition.

Tommy, this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. You've always been my best friend and in some ways you're like a brother but something has happened here that I can't explain. It's both been wonderful and painful at the same time. Tommy, I've met someone else-

"What are you doing?"

Elle jumped and turned around, Tommy stood glaring at her.

"Mom told me to bring your clothes up."

"Well get out," he huffed. He moved over to his desk, snatching the piece of paper out of sight.

"Was that..."

"I said get out Elle."

"Tommy, I'm really sorry."

He sat down at the desk, holding the picture in one hand.

Elle sighed, "I get it."

"No you don't," he said, "Not like this."

"No I do, someone you would've done anything for finding someone better."

Tommy looked up at her, she could see a hint of tears forming in his eyes but he didn't mention it.

"He left me a letter too."

Tommy looked down at the photo.

Elle sat in silence for a moment, she smiled sadly at him before getting up to leave. She pushed her hair back trying to distract herself from the painful memories that the conversation was bringing up in her mind.

"Elle?"

She paused in the doorway and looked back at Tommy.

"Who?"

Elle smiled sadly, "My best friend."

A tear slipped down her face. Tommy nodded his head, still looking down at the photos.

"I didn't expect us to be best friends immediately, but when we first met after our parents started dating I tried to be nothing but kind to you. I just didn't understand why you were so cold to me."

Tommy sighed, "I'm sorry."

Elle nodded. She closed the door behind her on the way back to her bedroom.

'She looked kinda like me, but that couldn't be why he was so mean. Right?'

Elle flopped on her bed, running a hand over her face. She remembers her letter. She had read it so many times she could remember most of it by heart.

Elle,

You're a wonderful friend to me. I love spending time together and having fun with you. I'm sorry I ran off after you asked me to make us official, it just, didn't feel like the right time I guess.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.

Tears welled up in her eyes thinking over it again and again. She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away from her mind. It was almost a year ago. She should be over it by now.

She got up, moving to her closet and peering up at the various chess boards stacked up on the shelf. She reached up to grab the one on the bottom.

It had been a gift, from Kaitlyn and the boys. Inside sat Polaroids she didn't have the heart to take out even after all the pain they caused when she looked at them. One of Ryan's dog Jeb. JB and Kaitlyn after a tournament at the high school. One of the whole group in Professor Hart's lab. One of Ryan and Elle at the dojo.

She paused, picking up that one.

She wasn't over it.

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Ugh I love Elle so much.

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and as always I hope y'all are safe and happy and may the power protect you!

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