Look After You

Chapter 3

Xander held his finger up to his chapped lips and Nolan nodded in return. The man behind the counter was so concentrated on his magazine that he didn't even notice Xander crouching down and slowing inching his was behind the counter. The man smirks a bit to himself and flips the page to another girl with blonde hair wearing a bikini. The magazine was wrinkled and torn at the corners. Xander was also almost certain he saw the man "reading" that same magazine every time he came in or at least variations of it.

The store was now completely empty except for the two young boys since they had waited till it was just them. They had pretended to be shopping for twenty minutes waiting for it all to clear. Xander had been slipping bags of chips and some gatorade into his bag to take home for him and his siblings.

The quiet rock music played over the speakers and the wind caused the glass door to creak. Xander actually didn't mind the music all too much. For one it was loud enough to hide their noises of creeping around aisle to aisle to take what they wanted. And secondly Xander had always had a special place in his heart for rock music. Maybe it was because his eldest brother Beckett played it all the time or maybe it was because it was also Nolan's favorite as well.

Nolan sat quietly in the aisle as his heart pounded in his chest. He hated stealing or doing anything that remotely seemed wrong, but somehow Xander was always there to convince him to drop his morals every once in a while and live in the present. But even while he occasionally let his morals go for a few minutes every once in a while, Nolan couldn't help the anxiety that was still coursing through his body. It was a miracle that he didn't have a panic attack yet.

Now, Xander crept past the man and gave him one last glance as he carefully stood up and reached for the box of cigarettes that he wanted. His fingertips brushed the box but as he tried to grab it, the box next to it went crashing to the ground. The man behind the counter quickly turned around and his eyes went wide.

"What the hell are you doin', kid!" He yelled. He tossed his magazine to the side and lunged for Xander who was already making a mad dash to the door.

"Come on, Nolan!" He yells. Nolan grabs his own backpack and scurries to the door.

"I'm sorry!" He calls to the guy as him and Xander run down to the street. They stumble a few times and knock into a few people going to work, but after getting about a block away and rounding the corner, they both slow to a walk. Xander laughs and runs a hand through his hair as Nolan slugs his arm. "You said we wouldn't get caught, asshole."

Xander grins at him and shrugs. "Sorry. The cigarettes slipped but...." He starts and reaches into his bag, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. "I ended up being able to grab them before Count Perv-a-lot could grab me. We'll have to steer clear of that store for a few weeks though until he forgets what we look like. Last thing I want is another run in with the cops." Xander reaches into his pocket and pulls out his lighter as he places the cigarette between his lips and lights it.

Nolan rolls his eyes. "The last thing I want is to have my first run in with the cops. See I'm trying to make it my whole life without that happening," he mumbles, kicking a rock. Sometimes it scared Nolan to hang out with Xander. He didn't want to go to juvie at the age of fourteen or end up dead in some gutter. But somehow his best friend's charm always seemed to win him over.

Xander grins a bit and takes a drag from his cigarette. "Don't worry. As long as you stick with me I'll always have your back, man." He grins and drapes his arm across Nolan's shoulders.

The shorter boy grins up at his best friend. The two of them had been ride or die friends since they were ten and met at a summer camp. Nolan went because he was excited to sleep under the stars. Xander went because his mom knew the head of the camp and he could get him in for free. So it meant a whole summer with one last kid to deal with and one less mouth to feed.