Check Mate (Unedited)

Chapter 7

》》Jason Dutton《《

I moved my rook three blocks to the right, finalising my victory.

"Check mate."

My opponent knocked over his king and gave me a handshake.

"We have our finalists! Jason Dutton and Adrian Markham! The final shall commence straight after the 20 minute break."

I walked out the hall, rushing to the tuckshop. If there was one thing I loved more than my family it was doughnuts.

I bought two and sat by myself to eat and enjoy myself without having Roxy there to remind me there would be a risk of cavities or diabetes. Roxy always keeps reminding me of how I had to get one of my wisdom teeth removed. Its so annoying.

After enjoying the delicious doughnut I had water and went for a walk around the high school. It was a pretty vandalised school. Graffiti on some of the walls and staircases, broken windows, I even saw an empty condom packet on the floor.

I glanced at my watch and hurried back to the hall. I wait for everyone to go inside as I took some time to gather my composure and not look like a bad boy among nerds like a single rose in a bush.

"Jason!"

I turned to see Mr Burrows. I like to call him Mr Big Head, it defines him better. He was the first to draw against my father.

"Hello sir," I greeted giving him a handshake.

"I see you're walking in your father's footsteps."

"Well, I'm only really here to escape from boredom," I smiled.

"If you say so. Go on, they're waiting for you," he said gesturing for me to go in first.

I walked in just in time to hear the co-ordinator announce, "Adrian Markham and Jason Dutton. Please could you two make your way to the stage."

I walked up the stairs and stood next to the co-ordinator.

"Congrats. I'm sure your father is proud," he said giving me a handshake. He turned his attention to the lady on the other side of him and gave her a handshake as well as a few words.

"Alright, to decide who plays as black and who plays as white, we will flip a coin."

He looked to me and said, "You're heads." He looked to the lady, "You're tails."

He flipped the coin and I won.

"Black or white?" he asked me.

"Black," I replied.

He turned to the young lady, "You're white."

"Please take your seats."

We gave each other a handshake before sitting opposite each other at the table.

"Three, two, one...start!"

She made her first move and looked up at me after pressing the button on the clock.

I lost focus for a moment after realising who was seated before me.

I made my move then heard her say with the familiar hint of challenge to her voice, "So you're the son of Daniel Dutton?"

"You could say that," I replied as she made her move.

"You look nothing like him," I heard her say as I tried to guess her intentions judging by her moves.

"And I'm glad I don't," I sighed making my move.

As the game progressed, there were times her moves got me to think and my moves got her to stare at the board in surprise. She was a pretty good player. But her very presence was causing a slight loss in concentration.