Shoplifter

Okay, been off for a while, and just wrote this up. Based on a true story. 12+ for swearing near the end.

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“No, I don’t know why I’m here. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

The girl sat there, hair cut into a style all the punks favored, spikes at the back, straight hair framing her face. Her heavily made-up eyes were fixed on the four security men standing there, nearly blocking the light.

“Miss Freeman, you’ve been in this situation before-”

“Yeah, Marty. Two years ago.”

“-So you know the drill. We’ve called your parents, but they aren’t answering, so we can assume it’ll be a while before they can come here. Just give us back the mall property.”

“What mall property?”

“Don’t worsen your position, Kelly. Lying’s not going to get you anywhere at this point.”

Her forehead crinkled, eyes taking on that sweet puppy-dog look. “Explain to me exactly what I’ve stolen, alright? Because I haven’t taken anything, alright, Dom.”

Security Officer Dominic Bannerman folded his arms. Typical of Kelly Freeman; here so often she referred to all of them by first name, and first name only. Type of girl who’d get into real trouble a little later on, once she graduated, once she didn’t have the little underage thing to protect her, once she could do what she wanted and face the consequences.

“Miss Freeman, we have reason to believe you have stolen a piece of equipment from the sports section. One of our cashiers told us that you snuck a basketball upon your person.”

There was a slight pause as her eyes widened, jaw slackening. Her eyes closed as she snorted, a kind of growly laugh that always got on Bannerman’s nerves.

“Okay, whose birthday is it today? Or has April come ‘round, and I just haven’t noticed? Because this has to be a freakin’ joke.”

“Just give us back the basketball, Miss Freeman, and we’ll drop charges,” the manager, Lansing, said.

Bannerman rolled his eyes. Newly-promoted, big baby blue eyes that looked through rose-colored glass all the damn time, Lansing had never met Kelly Freeman before. He’d never seen her glower there before, seen her throw the spray-paint can into the trash before trying to run, seen her drive the previous manager into a nervous breakdown. Any one of the four security guards there wouldn’t have made such a gutless move as offer to drop charges if they were managing.

“Listen, I haven’t stolen anything!”

“We can all see it, Miss Freeman. Don’t make us take it from you by force.”

“You are all a bunch of freakin’ idiots!” she said, giving a short bark of laughter to complement the statement. “If you really can’t tell, I suggest- Oh, for Christ’s sake, I’m pregnant.”

There was a second of silence as Lansing glanced at the security guards. He gave a soft cough.

“Well, if this girl-”

“If. Nice try, Kelly. New one, but don’t think it’s gonna fly.”

“Jim-”

“Security Officer Rolsten to you. Now, if it were me, we’d get the police in anyway. But, not my choice, so you have the chance to either give us the basketball, or we’ll have to call the police, alright?”

“Look.” The girl stood up, taking off the bomber jacket that had hidden so much before. Underneath, she wore a bright yellow T-shirt tucked into her slacks, something that seemed a little off-tune with the mascara and eyeshadow, the dark red lipstick against a backdrop of powder-paled skin.

She pulled the shirt out, and shook. “Happy? This proof enough?”

The five men just stared at her, one regaining enough composure to turn to the others. “You’ve just arrested an innocent girl-”

“Mr. Lansing, we’ve had experience of her. You can never trust her, sir. She-”

“I don’t want to hear it! I- I-” He began to shake as his cheeks grew darker.

“Uh, can I go now, sir?” Kelly asked, eyes still widened in a mix of confusion and shock, as she slipped her jacket back on. “I mean, I have to go back to my parents, they might be worried about me.”

“Of- Of course, Miss Freeman, I must apologize on behalf of the mall for detaining you like this.”

“Thank you, Mr. Lansing.” She gave a sweet smile that shaved a few years and cautions off of her face. She turned to the security guards, as her smile twisted slightly, having the Kelly they knew shine through. Her eyebrows twitched upward.

“You little bitch,” snarled Bannerman under his breath.

“Now, Dom, I don’t think that’s fair. If anything, I’m a big bitch,” she replied. She turned to the door, giving a slight wave as she stepped out of the mall office.

Her smile grew wider as she heard the noise of the new manager behind the door. It was almost the best day of her life, or at least a precursor. With those four out of the way, with the new manager on her side, who knew? She needed a little makeup, maybe pick it up a little later. And baby toys, she’d need those with her newest accomplice on the way. The possibilities were endless.