You debated good and hard over who you would pick for your new identity but as you worked on checking if you had what you needed and making sure that Vee's mask was prepared you realized that there was only one person that made sense. It takes a bit of searching but you're finally able to find who you're looking for in the game room. A small crowd has gathered around the billiards table and you squeeze in just enough to see the girl you're looking for as she sinks the eight ball into a side pocket and looks rather proud of herself.
"Well, a deal is a deal," she says with a smirk as she looks at a dopey redheaded boy who you assume is a fourth or fifth former since you don't recognize him. "You even agreed to letting the winner name their price and while I know what you were likely hoping for," she taunts making sure to wink at him in the process, "I'm still not sure I know what I'm want--Oh! Actually, I believe I do!"
"Mary..." Jocelyn Moss starts.
"J.M., please. He's the one who got himself into this," Mary states.
"You're the one who baited him," Jocelyn counters.
"And he's the one who took it," Mary replies as she turns back to the redheaded boy. "Math is a sore subject for me but you're pretty good at it I would guess, right?"
"Uh... s-sure..." the boy states nervously.
"Then I'll just say that when I need it I'd appreciate your... help," she says and the implication of what she's saying is obvious. "Remember not to welch either, Sammy. I'm sure Dalton wouldn't be happy to learn that there was gambling happening on school grounds."
Mary Occam is a girl whose short stature belies an absolutely commanding presence. She knows how to make herself the center of attention when she wants to be and when to slink away into the shadows. She knows how to apply the right amount of charm, say the right words and use the right tone of voice to get others wrapped around her finger. Vee in fact knows this all too well as Abi had always made it a point to make sure that extra attention was paid to her to lock her down and stifle her; stop her from being a threat to her own position.
She knows every way to slip in and out of the school and if she's not up to it then she knows that a few sweet words (and if need be a cash bonus) directed at the security guard running the gat will be enough to get what she needs. It's no wonder, then, that she was Vee's original choice to use to slip out of the school and that she's your first choice for a new identity.
"Mary," you say simply as you approach her.
"Vee Macklin," she smirks. "Fancy seeing you down here not with your head buried in your books. Or your nose buried up Abi's ass."
You immediately have to temper Vee's own dislike of the girl for Mary is one of the few who is absolutely fearless when it comes to dealing with the Thalians, Dalton Reeves or, well, anybody really. "Yes, well, some times I do like to get out and mingle," you respond. "In fact I was thinking that the two of us could a little mingling as well."
"Really now?" Mary asks with amusement. "I can't imagine the two of us would have much to talk about."
"Some ideas, propositions." You hold her eye and she doesn't seem to budge. "Things to help you get ahead," you add.
"Really?"
You lean in and speak barely above a whisper. "Let's say that there might be a new opening in the Thalians in the near future," you tell her. "How about we meet up in your room in ten minutes and we can discuss things further."
* * * * *
n e way i got who u couldnt, you text to Izzy using Mary's phone.
Occam?
in her flesh ;)
What about my mask?
under my control.
Will I would like if you'd discussed this first.
no time. had to make a switch before anyone came snooping around you.
Whatever. Remember the book is priority.
Just be careful.
ha! u care!?
Of course. You're my link to the book.
So watch yourself.
will do
The text conversation ends rather brusquely as is Vee's style. Not that you particularly care of course. Rather not that Mary Occam particularly cares as, to be frank, she would just as soon never cross paths with Vee Macklin if she could help it. It was only the possibility of getting some info out of her, as Mary is quite ambitious herself, that caused Mary to agree to your suggestion to meet. Otherwise the two would have little to do with one another.
"So who were you texting?" asks Jocelyn Moss, JM as her friends affectionately call her.
"Nobody," you reply bluntly.
"A boy?" she follows up.
"If I was?"
JM can only shrug. She seems to do this, where she tries to needle at Mary every so often and poke little holes in her seemingly unflappable, confident nature but she's almost always shut down fairly quick. Mary's got too much blustery confidence to let something like that get at her. And if JM wasn't one of Mary's best friends then she might feel a little anger. But she knows that nothing truly serious is meant by it.
"I saw a name on there," Corinne Kennedy, another of Mary's close friends, grins a big toothy smile at the both of you. "Izzy? Dunno who that is though."
"Gabe's little sister," you admit and begin to spin a tale. "I ran into her when I went into town last week. She seemed to recognize me but I didn't know who on Earth she was supposed to be. But we did get to talking and, truth be told, I've got a bootlegger now."
"What? No more scamming dorky dopes into getting your stuff?" asks JM.
"Well," you grin, "I can't have just one source of booze and fun can I? Playing around is fun but it's boring when you've only got one playmate."
"Yeah, you've been collecting them," Corinne snickers. "I saw you go off with Davina yesterday."
"Who went off with Davina yesterday?"
You step aside as Niamh Stirland, a non-boarder local from Saratoga Falls, pushes her way past you to get to her first period class. But she stops as she does and turns to face the three of you. "Well?" she asks.
"Mary did," Corinne blurts out.
"Mary did?" Niamh repeats in surprise.
"Yeah. I don't know why but I saw them talking in the game room yesterday afternoon."
"It wasn't about anything," you say defensively. "I needed some notes for first period that's all."
JM can merely shake her head. "Mary, you tried scamming help from Davina Macklin?" she asks incredulously. "Are you an idiot?"
Niamh eyes you suspiciously. You wouldn't say that Mary and Niamh are friends specifically but they do share a class -- World History -- together as well as an art history class on Saturdays and they do manage to, in a way, get along. Friendly acquaintances is perhaps the best term. At the very least Mary seems to have a healthy level of respect for Niamh as even someone like her can appreciate the hard work that someone like her puts in.
But whatever she thinks she shakes off. "Well whatever, I think things might be happening with that crew anyway," she states.
"What makes you say that?" asks JM.
"You haven't noticed it? Even Mariah mentioned it to me on the way in," states Niamh. "Like something happened because they've all been acting a bit more on edge. A bit weird. Like something's eating at them. Hell, she tried calling in the soccer team for a Sunday practice... that I blew off of course."
"Well it's not like it concerns us," you say.
"But it might concern me," a voice cuts in and you turn to see the smiling face of Alyssa Erickson. "So what's up with Abi and Vee and them?"
Alyssa is a nice girl and because of her disability people are loathe to ever really go after her. It's something she plays to her advantage however as she fancies herself a future ace reporter and as such can be fairly nosy at times. Especially when nobody wants to talk to her. Like now.
"What's up with them?" you ask rhetorically as you and the others begin splitting up to your various classes. "Ask them yourself."
* * * * *
It's the early evening and you've finished swimming practice -- Mary's mansion back in Connecticut is right on the water so she's had plenty of experience -- as well as grabbing something to eat and you head back to her dorm room. You give your acknowledgment to Samantha, her roommate, and head into the small closet where you'd stashed the masks in a bag(Mary has too much in her personal footlocker to fit them in with the rest of the stuff). You see the masks and are relieved the count is the same as this morning.
But you notice something off. You check the bag and then check it again. You check underneath some clothes because you can't remember if you left it outside of the bag.
Oh everything else is here alright but that mask of Samantha Tait? Just like the book, it's gone. You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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