Late nights

XXV

- You'll see. Preferably, you'll see right after this game. - Lola stood up to play again.

Tom also went to play another game and suffered a horrible loss. The tournament was over for him, but he was spectating Lola - she was focused, concentrated even though her opponent wasn't better than her. She wanted to make sure that she would win. 

After the game, Lola stood up, shook her opponent's hand, and slightly bowed with a smile on her face:

- Thank you. - Lola calmly said to her opponent.

- For what? - He said.

Before Lola could tell him, Paul, the person that taught Lola, walked up to her:

- Did it happen? - He asked.

She stood up from the bowing, smiled, tried to compose herself, and said:

- Yes, it happened. 

Lola's coach stood up on a chair with a huge smile on his face:

- Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to make a huge announcement. Some of you here know that I have trained Lola over here since she was five. Of course, when she was eleven, she was better than me, - he chuckled and gestured for Lola to come near him, - my girl, our girl achieved something incredible today. Something chess players only wish for. My girl became a grandmaster!

- Well, a woman grandmaster, I'm not high enough rating for a real grandmaster...

- Doesn't matter, - Paul smiled, - still a grandmaster.

Everyone started clapping. Lola bent down and a tiny tear rolled down her cheek. She quickly cleaned it off and walked to the hallway so as to not bother anyone. Tom followed her.

- What a rush. - Lola smiled and sat down.

- Does that happen often? Someone becoming a grandmaster?

- Oh no, not at all. Especially in a state tournament. I may look fine, but my heart is about to bust out of my chest.

- I can only imagine. So, that was it? That was why you came here?

- Yes, that was the most important reason. I'm gonna have to call my girlfriend later.

Tom felt a slight pain in his heart:

- Oh, you're lesbian?

- Yep. I Gotta call Caroline later, but now, it's time to defend my title...As grandmaster this time. 

- Caroline is your...? Right, yep, that makes sense. - Tom said to himself when Lola was already in the hall.

Just as expected, Lola stayed champion. Tom didn't pay much attention to her games since he was too perplexed to think. He went home and texted Emily if he could come over. They decided to meet in the library. 

- What did you want to talk about? Is everything okay? 

- Well, I think it is. Actually, it's not, but like, it's okay, but I'm not okay. - Tom tried to explain.

- Can you expand on that?

- Turns out the girl I liked was gay. My theory is true, love is stupid. - He sat down on the library couch.

- Oh. Lola?

- Yeah, how did you know?

- She seems like your kinda girl. Yeah, well, look on the other side. She's happy and if you love her you should be happy too.

- I don't love her, then. I'm happy for her, I'm just a little under the weather. Anyway, I might still go to chess lessons, but I guess that romantic stuff better leave my mind. I mean, I kinda knew that would happen. Love is just a force for us to reproduce. 

- Oh, don't say that. Love is so much more. Love is when you put someone else before yourself. love is caring for someone. Love is an incredible force, so don't you dare say that it's just a force to reproduce.

- No, yeah, you're probably right. I'm just lost. She was smart, she was pretty, she was just all-around such a well person. There's only one thing I can say right now - Caroline has great taste.

- She sure does. I never understood the chess stuff, but sure.

- How do they attract each other? - Tom wondered. - Love is sure a mysterious force.

- Well, opposites attract, so what else can you say?

- Yeah, you might be right there. Like magnets...magnets are also interesting.

- There you are, comparing love to magnets. - Emily playfully tapped Tom.