The Gifted [INDEFINITE HIATUS]

8 • Rel

You'd think that so soon after that near-capture (and near-death) experience, I'd decide to be a bit more cautious, and try a little harder to stay under the radar.

Instead, I pickpocket enough money to pay for a small car.

In less than an hour.

If Sage were here, I would never hear the end of it. He's always the one urging me to be more careful, to try not to take more than what I need to survive on a daily basis. And he really doesn't like it when I steal money--usually, he asks that I only take things like food and clothes. Unneeded food and clothes, at that. Part of it is a ridiculous idea of integrity he has (is it really possible to be honest if you're homeless?), but it also has to do with safety, which is the only reason I don't completely ignore everything he says. I'm much more likely to get caught if I go around stealing small fortunes every day.

But even if someone does find out about today, I'll be long gone already. That's why I decide to take this opportunity and go all out when I have the chance.

I guess it is a bit inconsiderate of me to take so much. I dart through crowds at the mall, staying in the areas that I know from experience are security camera free, my movements quick and furtive--except for the occasional moment when I crash into someone and "accidentally" knock everything they're holding to the ground. Hardly two minutes after each of these incidents, I am walking away with my pockets fuller, and their wallets ever-so-slightly lighter. 

I don't take nearly enough from each person to be noticeable, but as time ticks by, my pockets start to reach a bursting point, and I am forced to stop to avoid being caught. I mean, if I were to actually trip and fall, I'd really prefer to avoid having endless wads of money spill out of my jacket in the middle of the mall. Nimble fingers can only do so much.

While that was a wise decision, it probably isn't very smart of me to march into a store in the very same mall hardly minutes after I finish my pick-pocketing spree. But that's what I end up doing. In my defense, I need to disguise myself so that I can go out in the open without worrying about being spotted by the wrong people, which means I can't look homeless. So the moment I spot a fancy clothing store, and feel the wads of cash in my pockets, my first thought is, why not?

If that idea was stupid, staying in that store longer than I need to, with no reason other than the fact that the presence of a dirty little ragamuffin is clearly irritating everyone else there, is definitely even more idiotic. Some people might have felt uncomfortable in my position and backed out of the store as fast as they possibly could, not wanting to suffer the humiliation. But not me. Instead, I wear the label annoying hobo desecrating this store as a badge of honor. So, when a woman comes up to me and tells me (quite rudely, too) that I have to keep my "dirty paws" off of the clothes because I am "covering them with street filth", I may or may not have flipped the bird to her, and then mock-gasped, saying, "Sorry, my finger slipped!" in the most sarcastic voice I can muster.

I mean, she was practically asking for it. You can't blame me.

Possibly the stupidest move I make is spending half of my money in that store just to spite the people who were giving me evil looks. But I can't help it. I love the feeling of being able to say I told you so, and the expression on the cashier's face when he realizes that I have enough money to pay for everything is priceless. And just because I can, I smile sweetly and tell him to keep the change before I strut out of the building. The dumbfounded expressions on everyone's faces make it all worth it.

The rest of the day is a blur of me running around the mall and the surrounding area, trying to find suitable places for me to get everything I need. This includes swinging by the community pool--people aren't allowed to use the showers there unless they're going swimming, but hey, I'm never one for following the rules--and checking out several shops until I find a place where I can get a major makeover without being asked too many questions or paying too much money.