female robbery • malum

two

"shoot."

i pulled the trigger, watching as it made a small hole on the dummie's heart and i lowered the gun. i looked over at my father as he gave me a thumbs up through the window.

i took my goggles off and set them down on the table, the gun following gently after. i stared at it for a few seconds before shaking my head and stepping out of the room. "you've gotten better."

"you think so?" i faked a smile towards my father and he nodded his head. "you'll be at the top in no time."

i nodded my head as we walked down the hallway, the bright white lights blinding me but i was supposed to get used to it.

i never thought i'd find myself giggling down this hallway though, earning a look from my father. "nothing." i stated quickly and he let it go.

i, the boy with cops as parents, stole from a house last night. how ironic. i smiled to myself, remembering how pleased michael looked. i never thought wrong of it, because he was never going to realize that it was missing.

we made our way out of the station and i got into the passenger side of the cop car, buckling my seatbelt as i waited for the car to start.

it didn't.

"i'm staying late again, so i'm just dropping you off." my father looked over at me and i stared straight ahead of me as i nodded my head.

he hesitated as he put the key and and ignited the ignition. he put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. the rest of the car ride was silent.

as soon as we got home i quickly got out of the car and slammed the door closed, not looking at the unpleased expression on his face as i shoved the house key into the lock and roughly opened the door.

i ran upstairs to my room, not having to worry about my mother because oh, you know, she's not even here. she's never here. they were never here.

i slammed my bedroom door closed, tears falling freely from my eyes as i slid down my head. my head laid in my hands, my breathing starting to get heavy as i quickly got up and headed towards the bathroom.

i searched through all the cabinets, mumbling under my breath when not finding what i was looking for.

that's when i heard the sound of a pill bottle shaking from my bedroom.

i slowly stepped out of the bathroom, eyes bloodshot already as i looked towards the bed. michael sat on it, the bottle in his hands as he shook it again. it was silent.

it was only a few seconds later that michael popped the lid open, handing me two and a glass of water he had brought over from his house. i popped the pills in my mouth and drank the water afterwards, handing them back to michael but he held a finger up as he took them from me.

i watched as he went back over to his balcony and disappeared into his room, the pills and glass of water gone. he motioned for me to lay down on the bed and i did as told.

michael hadn't spoken a single word so neither did i as he pulled off my shoes, and leaned forward to undo my jeans. i let a tear fall as he pulled them down gently, throwing them somewhere on the floor before crawling up the bed and laying next to me.

i immediantly turned to the side, sobbing into his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. "why aren't they here?"

michael didn't reply.

"i just want them to love me." i choked out another sobbed. "i don't want to fall asleep anymore!"

i didn't understand where my own mind was going as the sleeping pills were starting to kick in already. they were the really strong ones i had stolen from my mom's drawer.

i fisted michael's shirt, tears flowing down my cheeks as my eyes stayed closed. michael kept his arms around me as my breathing started to even out again and eventually my eyes body relaxed.

+

"here." michael spoke for the first time he's been over here. i had woken up an hour ago, now sitting on top of the island counter as the white haired boy pushed a bowl of mac n' cheese in front of me. i picked up the spoon and started eating it.

i sniffled quietly as i shoved the spoon in my mouth, pulling it out and chewing on the cheesy noodles. "what time do my parents get home?"

"four." michael answered shortly and i nodded. and no, not four in the afternoon. four in the morning.

"do you want to go out?" i asked michael and he nodded. i got off the counter, bringing my bowl with me to my room as i pulled on a pair of sweatpants and changed my shirt out. i ate my finished my bowl as michael got changed and we left.

"i think i know who to steal from." i spoke quietly and michael turned to me. i didn't know where it came from but something inside me made me want to steal something.

i started making my way to the school, michael following behind me.

it was around seven, the school closed by now but i knew another way in. i pulled michael with me to the field as we walked across it, stopping at the art room door and twisting the knob ever so gently.

the door opened and i walked inside and out the main door to the hallways. i looked around at all the lockers, going down them knowing it was in the lower section.

once i had reached the one i wanted, i fumbled around with the lock a little, seeing them do this enough times i had memorized it.

i unhooked the lock and opened the locker, starting to push back through all the books till i grabbed the small box. i pulled out the pack of cigarettes, michael staring at me in confusion before i shoved them in my pocket and closed the locker back up.

"t-that's it?" he breathed out quietly as we left the school. i nodded.

"she's a good person, i don't want her doing it anymore." i said softly and michael nodded.

her name is peyton. we were friends last year till she had found another group of people to hang out with. and to cut it short, they weren't the right people. she did leave them over the summer but you don't just stop smoking.

"won't she just buy new ones?" michael asked me and i shook my head.

"i know she will, but it's one less pack she's smoking." i turned to him, green eyes staring into brown ones and only now had i realized we were like a little forest.

one that was going to get burned down.