If you've never been in a mall cop's office before, I wouldn't recommend it. To be honest, this guy didn't even look much older than me, although I assume he had to be at least twenty to get the job. Molly sat beside me, annoyed by the guy. I'd told her she didn't have to wait with me, but she insisted. That was nice of her, but now not only did I have to get grilled by this real-cop-wannabe, I had to do it in front of my dream girl. The humiliation just kept on coming.
"So... you're a peeper," the mall cop said.
"I'm not a peeper! I was just picking up my clothes!" I protested.
"With a hidden video camera on your glasses."
"It wasn't on! And it's not hidden – you can see it, right? I use it at school all the time!"
"To peep into the girls' locker room, right?"
"No!"
He looked confused. "Why not? That's what I would do."
"It's for a school project!" I insisted. "It's for my video blog. You can even look it up on your computer if you want."
"Right, so your web site can infect my computer with all kinds of viruses? I don't think so."
Molly came to my defense. "Listen, why don't you just call the school? They'll verify everything."
The mall cop picked up his phone. "Alright, which school do you go to?"
"Smoky Ridge Middle School," she said.
The guy actually smiled. "You go to Smoky Ridge? Mr. Townsend still the Principal there?"
"Yeah," I said. "You went there?"
"Heck yeah. Mr. Townsend and I got to be real close." The guy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I got sent to his office a lot."
Molly and I looked at each other. I think we both figured this was the kind of guy who would've been sent to the Principal's office a lot.
The mall cop looked us over one more time, then he put the phone back in its cradle. "Listen," he said, "I'm gonna let you go this time."
I breathed a sigh of relief and started to get up. "Thank you," I said, truly meaning it.
But then he got tough one last time. "But watch yourself! I see you back here with that little camera, I'm calling the real cops!"
"Yes, officer," Molly said, and we scooted out of the room.
Out in the hallway, we rushed for the exit. "I am so sorry about that," Molly said.
I shook my head in astonishment. "I'm just glad he called off the strip search."
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HughTube
Humor14-year-old Hugh Hollenbeck doesn't get it. What doesn't he get? Just about everything. That's why he walks around with a little camera attached to his glasses that records his entire life. Then he watches it all later to try to figure out the thing...
