My blood thumps through my body. My mind has gone blank, like someone has picked up a whiteboard cloth and wiped away the chessboard and pieces. I have to do it. I have to do it for Granddad. I reach for a chess piece, but I can’t remember its name or how it moves. My face begins to burn. I thought I could do this, but I’m going to fail like I always do.

My throat is closing over and my body is shaking.

‘You want to see my move?’ I hear a voice. My voice, trembling.

‘That’s the idea,’ Rich says, grinning.

I stand up and lean over the board. The others are still watching, but their uniforms are a blue blur.

‘Well, this is my next move!’ I say, gulping for breath. ‘This is my move!’ I lift my arm and smash all the chess pieces off the board.

Rich sits open-mouthed. ‘You idiot,’ he says. ‘I was going to beat you.’

‘Well, you won’t now!’

‘Oh no!’ Rebecca holds her hand up to her mouth as I storm off.

‘Oh my god! Brilliant, Felix.’ Jake’s beside me laughing. ‘Amazing, Felix. Totally amazing!’ He grabs my arm. ‘Now run!’

Postmortem

‘It was a nightmare, Granddad. He just sat there laughing at me.’

Granddad tuts as we drive past the chip shop.

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘I can tell you’re mad with me for losing.’

‘Losing? No. I’m not mad at you for losing. We all lose, we all have to play, that’s how we get better. No, I’m annoyed that you stormed out. That you are going back to your old ways!’

‘I couldn’t help it, Granddad,’ I say. ‘He was so irritating.’

‘Then we will address this,’ says Granddad. ‘Just give me time to think.’

I blow out my cheeks. Granddad stares ahead. He’s annoyed with me, but I’m glad that he’s back to picking me up from school again, although after losing my temper I feel like the walk home might have helped calm me down. I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon – Rich’s huge grin, my hot head. I didn’t even notice I’d run past Mr Keytes on the way out. That afternoon, our class were learning about Archimedes’ principle in science. Mr Groves filled a bucket with water and put something in it, but I was too busy watching the classroom door thinking Rich would have snitched to Mr Keytes and I’d get sent to the Isolation Room. I hoped not because I was tired of getting sent there. Jake thought smashing all the pieces over the board was funny, but after Mum and Dad were so pleased I was back with Granddad, I didn’t want to disappoint them by getting into trouble at school again.