Never Go To Neverland

Born a Thief

The most interesting day of my life began rather slow. I woke up at 8:17 am, mentally cursing myself as my feet met the cold floor. Trying my hardest to stay quiet and make it out the door on time, I grabbed a jello from the small fridge on the countertop. Pushing beer bottles our of the way I searched for a spoon in the cupboard. Weird, I know. My father has a strange way of setting everything up. But he always has a weird way of doing everything. I've learned to just roll with it.
Wiping a spoon on my shirt I quickly finished the cup. My stomach protested but I knew I would get something later. It was a nice day outside. A little rushed and busy but I like it that way... Made stealing much easier.

I didn't really want to steal. Other people already had a hard enough time, but I knew if I wanted to survive I had to do what it takes. I never took valuable things, just extra cash and food. Quickly rushing to tidy myself up, I heard my father waking up. Crap. I really did not want to hear another lecture. They never made any sense anyway. Locking myself in the bathroom, I tried to make myself look presentable. When I say presentable, I mean clean. Approachable, sweet, trust-worthy. Dainty, even. The last person you would expect to steal from you.

I remember the first time I stole. I was maybe ten. I pissed off my father and he refused to let me eat. I skipped breakfast and lunch. Becoming desperate,I quickly slipped out the window to go to a corner store, a couple of blocks away from me. I knew I had no money, so I quickly devised a plan. Walking into the shop, I scanned the aisles pretending to appear grown. Like I was a mother shopping for her children, walking up and down the aisles knowing exactly what she needed to vanquish her babies hunger. Spotting a cashier, I give a quick nod like my father does to men he knows, avoiding the man's amused grin. Fetching a bag of apples and a couple of buns, I made my way to the front.
As I reached the front, a teenaged boy walked in bumping my shoulder as he passed. His posture was forcefully hunched, his eyes faced downwards. It definitely seemed out of place considering his scrawny frame, it looked like it could blow away with a strong gust of wind. His attempt at seeming grown made my act look believable. Instantly, the cashier assessed the boy almost forgetting me. Almost.
Watching the boy out of the corner of my eye I prayed for him to snatch something and run. It looked as if the boy was waiting for me to distract the cashier, even for a moment. I could work with that. Placing the bags on the counter, the cashier began tallying the price. And there he goes. " STOP!! THIEF!!!", Screeched the cashier. The boy flew past causing the cashier to follow. Me, instantly forgotten.
By the time the cashier came back with a squirming kid in his grip, he cursed as he noticed the funny little girl had disappeared.

Pulling the rest of my hair into a knot at the back of my neck with a ribbon, I chuckled at the memory.