Rigged

Chapter One: Place Your Bets

"Caspian!" a younger boy yelled before I suddenly found myself tackled and unfortunately awake. Scruffy hair made it difficult to see him, but I didn't need eyes to know that the kid's face was painted with a sneaky grin. My little brother, Adrian, knew that I was the ONLY person he could be this rambunctious around. Our family would kill him for being so immature.

Ah, family. As I giggled and trapped Adrian's head in my arms, I couldn't help but let my mind trail to what our family really was. Our family was more of a clan— a group of government elites and other powerfully positioned citizens. This resulted in all of us having a good reputation with the best life you could imagine. My childhood was exactly what you'd imagine a rich kid's childhood being like: filled to the brim with all the best clothing, toys, and luxury one could ever want. That is, as long as I listened.

While I didn't remember much, one picture definitely stuck with me through everything: a crisp black diamond. This figure was displayed on each relative's shoulder through delicately placed cutouts in all their clothes. They were very proud of it.

Those tiny diamonds determined their entire life. They became who they became because of those diamonds. I was expected to follow that trend. As the next St. Clair to turn 16, I was expected to take my place as the newest family diamond.

If you asked me, I seemed more like coal. However, my family made sure that I acted like a diamond. If I slipped up, you best bet that I was punished greatly. This made sure that I was the "perfect" child.

Though I was perfect around them, I let myself go a little bit when I was alone or with someone I trusted. At times, I could be a bit cunning, and when I got in trouble, I almost always had an excuse up my sleeve.

However, that was all about to change. My sixteenth birthday, the day my true role was revealed, was here. Of course, my clothes had already been tailored months ago to display what we assumed would be my brand new diamond upon my pale shoulder. My little brother followed me downstairs to see what my parents had done that year for my birthday. To say the least, they had outdone themselves.

Our already exquisite family home was decorated with silver and gold ribbons and posters. Metallic balloons were littered throughout the house, conveniently placed to where you could always at least see one balloon. My immediate family was clearly awaiting my arrival as they smiled and exclaimed, "Happy birthday, Cas!"

I grinned, looking around at the fascinating display they had put together. "You shouldn't have," I hummed, trying to hide my excitement.

"Oh, but Caspian, don't you know what today is?" my mother purred with all her usual grace. I turned to her and chuckled.

"Yes, ma, I know what today is," I replied softly, kissing her on the cheek as she had trained me to. She smiled proudly at me as my father placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Only a few hours to go, son," he informed me. At noon, my new mark would be revealed. As I looked at the clock, I could see that it was a quarter 'til ten. I was secretly nervous, but I could not tell them that, of course.

"Yes, father," I agreed. "Only a few hours to go."

"We can't wait to be able to show you the ways of a grown diamond," my grandfather added, smiling with a subtle hint of excitement. I glanced at him and nodded.

"I cannot wait to learn," I lied, voice quietening a bit. In reality, I didn't WANT to be a diamond. All the pressure was insane. I could barely handle my algebra homework; how did they expect me to handle government duties? However, I didn't want to discourage them, so I kept my mouth shut. I had to be perfect, after all.

As my mother straightened my collar, my grandmother chimed in with a quiet, "I made you a cake. Funfetti, your favorite."

Now THAT interested me. Trying to mask my excitement, I softly asked, "With buttercream frosting?"

My grandmother smiled, that mysterious twinkle in her eye shining at me. "With buttercream frosting."

I smiled and hugged her gently. "Thank you, grandma."

"Anything for my favorite," she whispered in my ear before gracefully stepping away.

Before I knew it, my mother was scolding me for eating too much cake. "You can't be too messy when your mark shows! You know we have to take pictures!" she hissed. My father stroked her elegant onyx locks and sighed.

"Your mother's right, Caspian. Clean yourself up."

"Yes, father," I said with a sigh, washing the dishes and making sure my face no longer had even the slightest trace of cake. Noon was in half an hour, so they were right. I did have to look perfect for pictures.

That thirty minutes passed much faster than I wanted it to. I quickly found myself being watched by all inhabitants of our household, each individual eagerly awaiting the clock's chime: the indication that noon had arrived.

I was borderline sweating at that point. I knew the moment would arrive within a few seconds. I knew I was a diamond; why am I worried?

As the clock struck twelve, my mother encouraged me to close my eyes. I felt my upper arm tingle— the mark had arrived.

"Pull up your sleeve now, son," my father whispered, smiling subtly. He was as excited as everyone else to see the brand new diamond.

As I did as I was instructed, I felt something wrong. Something felt out of place. An overwhelming fear took hold of me, but I hid it best I could. Once I had raised my sleeve above my shoulder, I lowered my arm, opened my eyes, and turned around. As my mark came into view, shocked gasps echoed around the room.

My family looked panicked. My mother looked ready to be sick, and my grandparents were nearly in tears. However, my little brother was the first to speak.

"It's a spade!"