Chapter Text
“My mommy said I’m leaving this Saturday,” Riri reveals to the girl in front of her. They stood in a park surrounded by houses. Riri lived on one side and Mary lived on the other.
“Where are you going?” Mary asks.
“To...my dad’s. She said I won’t be able to visit to see you.” Riri frowns as the words spill out of her mouth. She doesn’t want to leave Mary.
“So, you’re leaving forever?” Mary mumbles, her lip quivering. Tears begin to well up and spill down Mary’s cheeks. Riri squeaks in surprise, quickly wiping the tears. “But- but you promised me.”
“I- I will come back!” Riri exclaims in a panic. Mary looks at her with wide eyes before wiping her tears on her sleeve. The six-year-old gulps. “I’ll come back to you and keep my promise. I promise...again.”
Mary giggles and Riri perks up from the sound. “You promise promise?”
Riri nods. “I promise promise.”
𝜗𝜚
Contained within the walls of Saint Dominic’s exists a hierarchy.
It was fairly simple to understand regardless of how long you have been there for. The wealthy remain at the top of this hierarchy while the unlucky settle at the bottom of the ocean, mimicking the real world. The only difference is there is a chance, a small unlikely chance hidden in the way this system works. This hierarchy is not determined by grades like a typical school and certainly not popularity. Instead, the only way to rise through the ranks and determine yourself as one of the top is by the game of risk; gambling.
Most students who were a part of the unlucky give up fast. They do not wish to fight, to cause more trouble in their lives than they already have by existing in the bottom ranks. One person however, who arrived with only a scholarship in hand, managed to make her way up the rankings and settle in the top ten, becoming a part of the Student Council. She played all the right moves, showed all the right cards.
This one student’s name is Mary Davis.
In the present day, Mary was currently sitting in a meeting with her usual task of taking notes. She sat on the president’s left side, proving herself worthy of being there in the first place. Kira was currently arguing with Chad, a normal occurrence. Mary has learned over time that most of the Student Council have existed in each other’s lives since they were younger. With no notes to take in the moment, she sets down her pen.
She glances over at her for two seconds. Exactly two. Two is unnoticeable to the rest of the council around them, including her sister. Mary’s eyes flick back to the notebook in front of her as Kira finishes up her arguing and resumes her previous speech. Picking up her pen, Mary jots down something said. Her mind was stuck on the girl who sits on Kira’s right side.
Why does she hold onto such a stupid thing?
It’s been years, she needs to stop believing one day Riri would return the look.
The meeting continues on like usual. Nothing interesting has happened in the last few months and Mary silently wishes someone would challenge Kira or try to challenge Riri. No one has ever publicly challenged the vice president. It would be semi-interesting, which was better than nothing. Suki barely has any drama to talk about anymore and that was how Mary knew nothing was going on. Suki? The Suki not having anything worthy to post? It might as well be the end of the world.
Then, as if Kira was the answer to all of their prayers, she announces, “We have a midterm transfer who will be arriving tomorrow afternoon.” A quiet cheer is heard from Chad before he gets pinched by Runa - someone who isn’t on Student Council by ranking but by being the treasurer. “It is a problem. We know nothing of her. Suki, I want you to search her name within every database you have to find everything.”
“Yes, mother.” Suki’s signature grin appears, one they all knew. Suki will search every little nook and cranny of the internet to find something if it meant receiving praise from Kira.
Kira smiles, but it was never one to reach her eyes. “Good, everyone is dismissed then except for Mary.” The rest of them agree and leave while Mary remains in her seat. Her notes were complete and organized, just how Kira likes them. It would be a simple conversation.
However, Mary’s thoughts twist into caution when Riri leaves. Kira’s sister did not leave unless it was mandatory and Mary doesn’t remember the last time her absence was mandatory. With a nod from Kira, Riri gets up and leaves the room as well. Mary tries to come up with any reason for why Riri would leave, yet her mind blanks. Kira reprimanding someone wasn’t even a reason. So, Mary for one is confused with a slight twinge of fear she attempts to mask. The door closes behind Riri and Kira stands, turning to face the aquarium.
Mary does not turn, does not look at her. She waits. It’s not some type of power play by any means, she just didn’t want to strain her neck. Briefly, Mary wonders if Riri is outside by the door waiting for her sister to be done. Her hand reaches for the plastic object resting against her chest, a gold chain looping around it. A keepsake from her early childhood. She spins the chain a few times before letting it unravel.
“You were staring at my sister again,” Kira speaks with a distinct tone. Mary knew most of the tones Kira spoke in, it was easy to pick up on it. Distaste was an usual one, commanding was another. She tries to understand what the tone was. It was a lighter tone than she’s ever spoken in, but with underlying disappointment.
“I stare at everyone,” Mary responds with a bit of truth. Her gaze can never remain in one place for too long, often resorting in flicking around the room and onto other’s faces. She’s caught Chad doing a silly face on multiple occasions and has seen the way Kira’s eye twitches in annoyance. “So what?”
Kira hums, eyes remaining on the mechanical fish swimming about. “You glance at everyone, you stare at my sister.” The ending was said with a more accusing tone before Kira turns to her. She steps over and hooks her finger around the gold chain to assert some sort of power. “I do not need my sister distracted by some fickle romance,” she states, finger tugging at the chain.
That’s when the atmosphere shifts. Mary’s hand flew to grip Kira’s wrist, noticing the surprise in her expression before it is quickly masked. “Let go,” Mary demands, temptation creeping in to further put pressure around Kira’s wrist. To prove a point.
Kira’s expression relaxes into neutrality. She lets go and leans back. Mary fixes the necklace and chooses to slip it under her blazer. If anything ever happened to it, she would never forgive herself. Mary glances up to see a hint of curiosity on Kira’s face before she turns away. “Just don’t make any advances or I won’t hesitate to remove you from Student Council.”
“Didn’t plan on it,” Mary mutters.
“Good, you’re dismissed.” Kira waves her hand without looking back at her.
Mary is quick to agree. She gets up and leaves, pushing the door open to the bright hallway. Her brows furrow from the discomfort. Her eyes take a moment to adjust as the door clicks shut. She notices Riri, standing a few feet away at a window where the sun highlighted her in a soft glow. A deck of cards was in her hand, custom. Mary’s not sure she’s seen it before. Her hands shuffle, falling into a familiar pattern of motions while Riri’s gaze fixates on the scenery.
Mary wonders how long she’s done it for. She doesn’t recall interest in cards when they were younger. When it was just them. Not even UNO interested Riri at the age of five when Mary showed her a few games she had at home.
She smiles fondly at the memory before turning away, not wanting to linger until noticed. A part of her wishes to, yet the more logical side does not wish to be booted out of Student Council. She went through hell to be where she was now. Mary was not about to allow something as stupid as a promise made to her by a child to be what gets her sent out the door.
𝜗𝜚
The meeting was tense after Suki admitted he could not find anything on the new student arriving later in the day. Mary avoided Riri the entire meeting, more focused on her notes than anything else. It proved difficult. Mary was sure this new student was nothing special. Legacy students loved to flaunt and considering the lack of information, this person couldn’t possibly be legacy or anyone important.
Some time after the meeting, she contemplated whether or not she should show this new student how Saint Dominic’s worked. It wouldn’t hurt, just a quick little gamble. Surely, their mysterious persona would be ripped right off and they would just be another unlucky individual thrown into the lions den.
Before she could even imagine how that would go, she first had to deal with Ryan Abedayo. A stuttering, nervous wreck. A loser by definition. Somehow, he had the balls to challenge her to a game. So, with nothing else better to do, she accepts. What’s the harm there? She gets a little extra change in her pocket and most likely a new house pet.
Soon she finds herself in the gambling hall. A crowd gathers. They know who Ryan is and they know who Mary is. The challenge appears stupid to all of them as they whisper and laugh. Mary takes and takes and takes, only letting Ryan win when she felt like it. She refuses to draw it out longer than necessary. Sure, she had nothing else to do, but that didn’t mean she wants to be stuck in this seat forever. Besides, watching a man sweat in fear wasn’t as amusing as she thought it would be.
“You know you should be sweating, Ryan,” Mary speaks, her voice husky. “I think you’re about to fall under the line.” She makes a show at glancing over at the leaderboard. It was a distraction, she always had a trick up her sleeve to ensure her win.
The moment Ryan glances over, sweat beads dotting his forehead, Mary switches her five of spades with a queen of hearts. It’s fast and unnoticeable. Ryan didn’t know, why would he? He was too busy on the panic settling in. This loss would not only cost him money, but his dignity. Not like there was much to begin with. Mary could already imagine the house pet tag shining under the light.
“If you lose,” Mary begins, leaning a little closer, “You’ll be one of my house pets.” As if on cue, one of her house pets walks over and sets a glass of water down. “Oh~!” She grins, how considerate. Her hand reaches for her house pet’s blazer. “Why thank you, house pet.” Mary tugs, drawing them in closer. “Now get the fuck out of my face.” With a shove, the house pet is quick to scramble away.
Ryan’s breathing was shaky. She could hear it from across the table. He suddenly shakes his head a little, fixing his posture to try and act as if nothing was the matter. Mary almost wants to laugh from it. “Like I said,” he says, “I got the cards, Mary.”
He sets down his cards, a few gasps being heard around them.
“That’s a straight,” Ryan remarks with a smirk on his face.
Oh the confidence. Mary smiles sweetly, setting down her cards with a small giggle. With her queen and three of hearts on the table, she pulls down the seven of both diamonds and clubs. With the remaining being an ace, eight, and five of hearts. “A flush.”
The laughter starts from the crowd and works its way up to Mary.
She laughs maniacally. “You idiot!” Mary takes the house pet tag handed to her by another student. Getting up, she steps to the other side and puts the necklace around Ryan’s neck. Her hands slide down to his shoulders as she leans down to speak. “Life’s a zero-sum game, Ryan. No winners without losers,” she says with a chuckle at the end.
The leaderboard updates in real time. Ryan falls below the line at rank 77, engrossing an even 20 thousand in debt. It was a neverending cycle; one falls and boosts another above the line, a chance given to a random student. Whispers circulate around them, no doubt talking about how confident Ryan Abedayo was just seconds ago.
“I need a stool, house pet,” Mary states before shoving Ryan down to the ground.
It’s always fun to have a new house pet.
Until that house pet was suddenly around the new student.
The new student was pretty, alluring with the way she walks through the cafeteria. As if nothing makes her anxious, as if she somehow already knew what she was getting herself into by being there. There was not a hint of fear in her body and Mary hates it. Hates it because she was once a new student. One who felt fear, showed fear. Why did this new girl show not even a hint of fear? Mary’s sudden hatred fuels the need to challenge her.
So, she does.
And the way Yumeko agrees should’ve thrown her off.
Instead, Mary stands a few steps away from the gambling hall a couple hours later. Classes were done, she was excelling in all of them like usual. She removes her necklace, slipping it into her blazer’s pocket. Once, a new student tugged on the necklace when they lost a game and it snapped off her neck from the force. To simply put, she rung him out until every last drop of energy was gone and he was just a worthless house pet.
Mary kept it off during gambles after that.
With a hand smoothing one of her pigtails, Mary steps inside the gambling hall and awaits for Yumeko, the infamous midterm transfer, to show. A quick and easy game she told herself. That’s all this would be.