At The Corner of River Road

Stolen

The Gas Station on the corner of Maple Ave. and River Road was the perfect target. All Juno had to do was grab a few packs of gum and nonchalantly place it in her baggy sweatshirt pocket, avoid the security cameras and above all, not let anyone see her. Vivian would be the distraction and perchance a snickers bar so it looks as if the two came in with a purpose. A seemingly flawless plan. Accept, of course, for the parts were Juno had to commit a minor felony and risk any credibility she already didn't have from hanging out with Vivian. Any bump in their exceptionally crafted plan and she would be done for. It was clear that she had much at stake than Vivian, who seemed like she couldn't care less if they got caught.

"Viv, I really don't think this is the best idea. It's not like we don't have the money to by the gum," Juno said, furiously wringing her hands together. The pair crouched under the florescent street lamp as cool summer night breeze came rushing off the beach and into the abandoned parking lot, stirring up a plastic bag and rustling vegetation. The night was quiet but the faint and distant sound of waves crashing against the shore made the darkness seem less empty.

"Juno, relax. We aren't doing it for the gum, retard. It's for the thrill."

"How, exactly, do you find this thrilling?" Juno countered.

"I can't explain it. You will get what I'm saying once it's done. And for the love of god you really need to stop fiddling with your hand. Get your nervous tic under control or the cashier is going to get suspicious." Vivian stood up and looked at the deteriorating building. With a pull on Juno's hoodie, the two stood up and began to walk as casually as possible towards the flickering light of the store entrance sign. Dirt and sand coated the concrete sidewalk around the building and a trail of the mixture led into the store. Vivian pulled the door with a thrust and held it open for Juno, inviting her to lead the way with a menacing grin and a polite hand gesture.

The store was uglier on the inside than it was on the out. The floors looked as if they hadn't been swept or moped in years, and Juno was sure that the shelves had no organizational system whatsoever.
Maybe this will be easier than I thought. Juno entertained the idea after noticing the absence of security cameras. She felt her shoulders relax and began to scan the store for the location of the gum. Vivian gave her a nudge and a wink to let her know that the plan was still on. The two separated and Vivian glided to the front desk where an acne faced teenager - Maybe 19 years old - was sitting with his feet propped up on the counter and a comic book in hand. His glazed stair and dorky glasses gave the impression that even if he caught the two in the act, there wasn't much he was going to do to stop it.

Slipping behind the liquor rack, Juno stumbled upon the back shelving. Wedged between the boxes of unopened products and an ice cream cooler were three shelves loaded with all the gum, candy, and an unimaginable assortment of gadgets and trinkets. The amount of crap they had was completely unproportioned to the rest of the store, which had bare shelves picked clean like carcasses. A small gasp escaped Juno's lips as she began to reach for a pack of Big League Chew Bubble Gum. Scanning the deserted aisle for anything or anyone who would witness the crime she was about to commit, Juno couldn't help but think:
This is it.

"Yes, that will be all, thank you." She could head Vivian's sweet voice echo through the empty store, signaling that her time was up. She scurried out from behind the liquor rack and raced to catch up with Viv, who was already high-tailing, it out the door, triumphantly swinging her plastic bag with the snickers inside.
How can she be so sure that I did it? Juno envied the confidence Vivian had in the success of every scheme they had concocted.

"So," Vivian said once the rounded the corner onto Maple Ave. The lights from the downtown glowed felicitously in the distance. Juno's heart began to slow with each step they put between them and the corner store. "Did you let me down again, or what? Lemme see the loot."

With a smirk and feeling very pleased with herself, Juno dug her hand into her spacious kangaroo pouch and produced not only three packs of gum, but 4 candy bars, a handful of saltwater taffies, 2 lollipops (The big, swirly kind,) and most importantly, 2 plastic tiaras with matching plastic brackets. Vivian's grin spread from ear to ear as she gazed at what Juno was able to swipe. She then continued to let out a laugh that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She grabbed the lollipops and tiaras' from Juno's pouch and opened both. She handed one to Juno.

"Damn, Juno," Viv whistled. "You did well. And you sure as hell beat what I would have tried to get away with." Vivian ripped off her Bruins baseball cap, placed the plastic tiara on her head, and gave Juno a little curtsey, then tossed the hat to the side, letting the wind carry it off the road and into the sand dunes. Juno always found it funny how Vivian could just throw things away like that, especially when she knew that Viv had had that cap since she was 3 and saw her first hokey game.

"Yo, Viv. What did you do that for?"

"That, my friend, was the sign that an old era has ended, and a new one has begun." She giggled and swayed side to side, a little too happy, and started to spin in the middle of the street, jumping up and down and beckoning for Juno to join her.

"You did it Juno!" She clapped giddy. "From now on, we don't have to take shit from nobody. With my cunning plans and, if I do say so myself, genius in manipulation, and your brains and innocence, we can be unstoppable." Vivian reached out both her hands to Juno, asking for her agreement. Juno watched in awe as her dark, wavy hair bounced flawlessly around her shoulders and flowed down to her waist. Her sunglasses fell just above her nose even though it was already night. Eventually Juno grew tired of watching and decided to join in, running and laughing side by side with her best friend of many years. The summer night felt welcoming and with Vivian's approval, Juno was feeling invincible. She, then and there, decided that she liked the feeling she got when she took the candy from the gas station convince store. She felt sneaky or cunning, sure. But there was something else that she couldn't quite name. It was the feeling that she was in control of her own life and didn't have to adhere to anyone or anything. But it was also the feeling or defiance.
She felt rebellious and free. And once Juno saw things the way Viv always had, she realized that there was no going back.