March 2004
Bayhollow, Ontario
"What's the matter Ama?" My cousin Brandy leaned over to get a better look at me from behind another of our cousins that was standing in the way.
I wrapped my arms around my stomach, "I don't know. I don't feel well."
"Are we still going downtown?" Jake interrupted, "Are we skipping class or waiting until lunch hour and just taking a long lunch?"
Brandy mocked him with her hand, "Your non stop talking is so annoying J. You need to relax," she patted his shoulder.
"If someone answered my questions, I would stop talking."
I poked at an itch on my eyelid, trying not to disturb the makeup that I had so heavily applied that morning. "I think we should meet here at lunch. I'm already in enough trouble for skipping."
We took our last few puffs and tossed our butts to the ground to be smashed by our feet. The walk back to the school was always tricky, the slick hill made it impossible even with people helping the whole way. The last of the snow was melting it made everything muddy and hopeless to climb.
***
When the bell rang for lunch, we met at the very rear of the smoking section. We climbed over the bridge and walked the back streets to the centre of the city.
The biggest store was always the target, a large building that had changed names but kept the same cheap-crap outlet vibe, for as long as I could remember. Just the day before we had liberated hundreds of dollars of clothes from their racks. However, today It was different, I didn't feel well, and I had what I wanted at home and I was wearing some of it.
We searched the racks, each glance only a second or two, but we saw everything. We were in that store almost every day for a week. The staff were used to average teenagers rummaging through their junk food and clothing. We were above average at being stupid. They never saw us coming.
That day I wasn't feeling well, I complained to my cousin Brandy that my stomach hurt. She pranced around the store like a fool and then returned to my side.
"These will help." She whispered.
"What did you just—." I jammed my hands in my pockets to cradle the bottle of pills she had swiped off a shelf and stuck in my coat pocket.
We looked down the Isle and saw a female employee watching us closely.
"Let's get the guys and get out of here." I mumbled to her.
We walked to the other side of the store, where they were giggling like children. They moved close to us, "J has a hockey stick under his clothes."
Brandy and I were less than impressed with their antics. We had been followed by the employee, and she watched our every move carefully. She spoke for a second with another employee, and the other girl ran off to the front of the store.
"We are being watched, let's get out of here." I couldn't handle the eyes burning holes through my head. I needed fresh air.
We reached the sidewalk just outside the store when a man approached us from the store, "Excuse me, can we have a word with you."
The guys ran across the street when they saw the higher-level employee approach us.
"Yeah, What's the problem?"
"One of our employees saw you steal something."
I shrugged my shoulders, "I didn't take anything."
The man sighed in frustration, " I'm going to have to search you."
He dug for a second in my tote bag/purse. I raised my arms and let him feel inside my coat pockets and shake them. He was almost convinced that he was mistaken when he let my pocket fall, and the pill bottle rattled. He picked it up again and pulled out a bottle of peptobismol pills.
He let Brandy go back to school for her afternoon classes and escorted me into his office.
"Did you steal anything else?"
I shook my head. I stared at the floor to avoid eye contact.
"We have to call the police to come get you. They will contact your parent or guardian."
I didn't fight being placed in a police car for the first time in my life. It was clearly something that needed to happen. It scared me straight and I never messed with the law again.