out behind me, as I quicken my pace the second I step out through the door. As soon as I’m past the window and out of sight, I make a mad dash down the road until I’m a safe distance away, all the time braced for an accusatory hand clamping down on my shoulder.
‘Thanks very much, but I think I’ve already got all of these,’ Elyse is saying behind me as she pauses in the shop doorway. Her voice sounds like it’s coming from the bottom of the ocean. ‘I might come back. Bye.’
When I’m far enough from the shop to feel that I’ve finally got away with it, I stop and lean against a wall for a moment while I wait for Elyse. My legs feel so weak they won’t hold me up any more.
Elyse saunters out after me and catches up at a casual stroll. Then she leans up close and grins at me like I’m the best person in the entire world, like I passed the test. I don’t know whether I feel angry, brave or as if I’m going to burst into tears. It’s a weird combination of all of the above.
‘Oh my God, Elyse!’ is all I can say.
‘I know,’ she replies, prying the bracelet out of my fist and holding my hand for a minute as she does so. ‘I knew I could count on you. Thank you, Sorana!’
I realise I’m still shaking, as what I have done is starting to catch up with me.
‘Seriously, Elyse – what we just did… I would never… I mean, I can’t believe…’ I can’t get the words out and it’s only when I hear my own voice that I register I’m reacting with anger as much as anything else. ‘I can’t believe you made me do that. I have never done anything like this before in my life! I don’t even know why I went along with it. This is really not cool, Elyse.’
‘I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll never ask you to do anything like that again; it’s not something I’d usually do either – honestly. It just felt important for some reason, you know? I don’t know why. Let’s keep it between us and forget it, OK? Anyway…look.’
She reaches into her pocket and shows me a bracelet the same as the one I took. She fastens it around my wrist to match hers. I am literally speechless, my arm falling away limply as she lets it go, so she carries on talking.
‘Like I said, I would never usually do anything like this, but something about it felt right. I know it’s crazy, but I really feel like you get it, don’t you? Let’s never tell the others, OK?’
I realise I was being totally irrational for trying to blame this all on Elyse in my head. It might have been her idea, but it was me who did it. I’ve never stolen anything before in my life and I still feel bad about it, but now I feel weirdly euphoric. I could just laugh out loud with the relief of not being caught.
In fact, we both laugh out loud as Elyse grabs my arm and drags me back to find the others. With a bit of luck, they won’t even notice we were gone. Although it feels to me like something huge has happened, only a few minutes have passed since we slipped out.
‘God, where did you two disappear to?’ Shimmi demands, a rainbow of kiss shapes on both of her hands. ‘More importantly, what do you think of this lipstick?’
She’s obviously been completely absorbed in a haze of cosmetics, and Mel doesn’t even look up from the eyeliner that she’s drawing dreamily with on the inside of her wrist.
‘Hideous,’ Elyse says, looking slyly over at me and just managing to hold her laughter in. ‘Good thing we’re here to save you from yourself, Shim. Sorry we lost you – I just had to show Sorana something in the five-finger discount section.’
Luckily Shimmi isn’t really listening, but Mel suddenly looks up as if she is.
‘Come on, let’s go,’ Elyse says. ‘I’m starving.’
I have to admit, it does feel kind of nice to have this secret between Elyse and me. Something daring and special between us that nobody else would ever know. Even though it’s so light and fragile it must be impossible, I’m sure I can feel
‘Thanks very much, but I think I’ve already got all of these,’ Elyse is saying behind me as she pauses in the shop doorway. Her voice sounds like it’s coming from the bottom of the ocean. ‘I might come back. Bye.’
When I’m far enough from the shop to feel that I’ve finally got away with it, I stop and lean against a wall for a moment while I wait for Elyse. My legs feel so weak they won’t hold me up any more.
Elyse saunters out after me and catches up at a casual stroll. Then she leans up close and grins at me like I’m the best person in the entire world, like I passed the test. I don’t know whether I feel angry, brave or as if I’m going to burst into tears. It’s a weird combination of all of the above.
‘Oh my God, Elyse!’ is all I can say.
‘I know,’ she replies, prying the bracelet out of my fist and holding my hand for a minute as she does so. ‘I knew I could count on you. Thank you, Sorana!’
I realise I’m still shaking, as what I have done is starting to catch up with me.
‘Seriously, Elyse – what we just did… I would never… I mean, I can’t believe…’ I can’t get the words out and it’s only when I hear my own voice that I register I’m reacting with anger as much as anything else. ‘I can’t believe you made me do that. I have never done anything like this before in my life! I don’t even know why I went along with it. This is really not cool, Elyse.’
‘I know, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll never ask you to do anything like that again; it’s not something I’d usually do either – honestly. It just felt important for some reason, you know? I don’t know why. Let’s keep it between us and forget it, OK? Anyway…look.’
She reaches into her pocket and shows me a bracelet the same as the one I took. She fastens it around my wrist to match hers. I am literally speechless, my arm falling away limply as she lets it go, so she carries on talking.
‘Like I said, I would never usually do anything like this, but something about it felt right. I know it’s crazy, but I really feel like you get it, don’t you? Let’s never tell the others, OK?’
I realise I was being totally irrational for trying to blame this all on Elyse in my head. It might have been her idea, but it was me who did it. I’ve never stolen anything before in my life and I still feel bad about it, but now I feel weirdly euphoric. I could just laugh out loud with the relief of not being caught.
In fact, we both laugh out loud as Elyse grabs my arm and drags me back to find the others. With a bit of luck, they won’t even notice we were gone. Although it feels to me like something huge has happened, only a few minutes have passed since we slipped out.
‘God, where did you two disappear to?’ Shimmi demands, a rainbow of kiss shapes on both of her hands. ‘More importantly, what do you think of this lipstick?’
She’s obviously been completely absorbed in a haze of cosmetics, and Mel doesn’t even look up from the eyeliner that she’s drawing dreamily with on the inside of her wrist.
‘Hideous,’ Elyse says, looking slyly over at me and just managing to hold her laughter in. ‘Good thing we’re here to save you from yourself, Shim. Sorry we lost you – I just had to show Sorana something in the five-finger discount section.’
Luckily Shimmi isn’t really listening, but Mel suddenly looks up as if she is.
‘Come on, let’s go,’ Elyse says. ‘I’m starving.’
I have to admit, it does feel kind of nice to have this secret between Elyse and me. Something daring and special between us that nobody else would ever know. Even though it’s so light and fragile it must be impossible, I’m sure I can feel
Similar Books
