Chapter 11
*HARRY’S P.O.V*
The streets were unfilled, the only noise coming from the pitter patter of the rainfall hitting the ground tenderly, and the chanting and laughter coming from my collection of friends. The moist path leaving my shoes damp as I carelessly stepped in puddles as we walked. As we walked passed dead ends and alley ways, we nodded hellos at the junkies and sluts that were recognizable to us. We laughed as we walked passed brothels and clubs, mentioning previous awkward reminiscences as we continued our path to nowhere. It was an uninteresting Friday night, and as usual, we had nothing to do but make trouble.
It was 9:45pm, so the majority of convenience stores were still open, usually closing at 12am. There weren’t many robberies in our city, so it wasn’t always anticipated… unless you knew me. Apart from magic tricks, I was an architect at the five finger discount, an ability I was pompous of and known for. My friend Noah threw his arm around me as we approached a local shop. The lights were on, and the shop was certainly unfilled, apart from the shop-keeper of course.
“What do you say mate? Grab us a couple of drinks yeah?”
I chuckled, “Noah, you lacking money?”
“Come off it Haz, just snatch us a few drinks.” He laughed.
I smirked, looking out at the store a few steps away from me. The storekeeper looked like an aged gentleman, maybe coming from an Asian background, and he was clearly weary by the look of his tired eyes. When I was younger, I used to shop-lift approximately every single day for no reason at all. I used to stare into the eyes of the shopkeeper before doing it, trying hard to find any suggestion of regret within me, but I never did. I was always guiltless, and it made no sense to me. My mother brought me up well, providing me with everything I needed if not more. I didn’t have a need to steal, and yet I did it often, along with many other crimes.
Aaliyah was the total opposite of me. She was an innocent student that followed school policy and obeyed the law. One that by no means gave her parents sorrow and was constantly home on time. She had ideal grades and a great life. The one thing that wasn’t faultless about this attractive little lass was me. I was the one thing standing in the way of her purity. Because of me, she was cheating on her boyfriend. At the start, I was doing it because it was amusing to see her burning eyes glow with fury whenever I crossed her path, to see her back arch in bliss as I rocked her petite little body; but now, it was different. I found myself needing this girl. I longed to hear her laughter and to feel her touch, and it infuriated me. I wasn’t some sap that falls in love, no.
“Be right back lads”
As I entered the store, the welcoming bell startled me. I smiled at the shopkeeper as he giggled at my shock. I began browsing the store, looking through each aisle for something to grab when abruptly a well-known voice trapped my concentration.
“Yes I’ll be home soon I’m just grabbing some milk. Bye mum.”
It seems that I wasn’t alone in the store as I estimated. I walked towards the voice to see Aaliyah crouching down looking at the assorted chocolate bars. What the fuck was she doing out at this time at a convenience store?
“Aaliyah.”
She stood up right away, turning towards me as a small grin played on her beautiful face. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her hair was up in an untidy pigtail.
“Harry, hi.”
“What are you doing here?”
She slid her hands in her jacket pockets as she spoke, “I was just at Sophia’s house and felt a bit sick so I left early to go home but made a quick stop to get some milk.”
“I didn’t know milk was found in the chocolate section.” I teased.
“What are you doing here smartass?”
I brushed my fingers through my locks, although I didn’t need a clarification to be at a store, I felt the need to make her regret everything she had done with me. I knew that Aaliyah only knew one side of me, the side that in fact did care about a few things every once in a while. She had never gotten to know my sinister side.
I leaned in close to her, my breath making the ringlets of hair around her ear move, “I want to take some things for free, and you’re going to help me.”
She stepped away from me, her eyes tracing my body before staring into my eyes- her look displaying bewilderment as she folded her arms across her chest at last accepting what I was talking about.
“No, Harry, what the fuck?”
“Don’t worry, babe,” I said as I tapped my back pocket, “I have protection if we get caught.”
Her eyes widened as she grabbed my arm, spinning my around to look inside my pocket. She reached her hand in, feeling the cold textile of the gun before gasping. I looked at her, a leer on my face as I grabbed her arm, “help me. And I’m not asking; that’s an order.”
I winked as I began moving throughout the aisles, Aaliyah following close behind as she watched my cautious moves. She soon began copying, warily taking something off a shelf and putting it into her pocket. The thing I appreciated about little shops, there were no security bars that beeped when walking out. He would never know.
When we had ended our action, Aaliyah pressed passed me walking straight to her car, emptying her pockets as the stolen produce felt to the floor. She left it there, not looking at me for a second as she sped off in her car. I swallowed a lump in my throat as my heart began thrashing ruthlessly against my chest, I didn’t know what was worse, the thought of losing Aaliyah, or the consideration that she would never forgive me… But that was entertaining.
