Jingle Bells and Parallels

14. Jerome

Chapter 14

~Jerome~

       I definitely should have stayed home instead of heading back to the mall because I just got myself into more trouble. Apparently, Santa didn't buy the whole me having a twin thing.

       He was able to convince the mall security to look at the security tapes and lo and behold, there was video evidence of us stealing the sack.

       They wouldn't even let us explain ourselves. We just had to go straight to mall jail.

       I didn't even know that was a thing.

       "What happened to letting us having a phone call?" Ryder asked. "They didn't even let us call anyone and they took our cell phones. How can we let someone know to get us out of here?"

       "This is your fault," I said.

       "What? Why?" Ryder asked.

       "Uh, because you got distracted and wasn't paying attention to where Santa was going," I said. "He saw the whole exchange. So it's your fault we're in here."

       "You were literally at your house," Ryder said. "You came back. It's your own fault you're in here."

       "I came back to try to help fix the mess you made," I said. "This is your fault."

       "Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Jerome," Mae said. "Ryder, I love you and everything but this is your fault."

       "What?" Ryder asked. "You're siding with him?"

       "Yes, I am," Mae said. "How did I get involved in all of this? I was just going shopping for Christmas presents and suddenly, I'm in here. Thanks a lot."

       "Weren't you involved yesterday?" I asked.

       "Yes, and that was only to keep you out of trouble," Mae said. "Clearly, I should have helped today so we all wouldn't be in here right now. Remind me that next time my stupid boyfriend is running from the mall security for me not to follow him."

       "I'm standing right here," Ryder said.

       "Obviously," Mae said. "We're all in here because of you."

       Ryder didn't bother arguing anymore. He hated admitting when he was wrong so he just chose not to say anything at all.

       I was getting very bored being stuck in this cell in mall jail since I had nothing to occupy me. We had to give the security officer our belongings, which Alan tried protesting against by saying he was robbing us so he should be in the jail cell.

       Of course, it didn't work.

       "So I'm curious," Orchid said, sitting down on the bench where Alan and Brandon were sitting on. "Did you two lose your jobs at the North Pole?"

       "Probably," Brandon said. "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. He was starting to get really suspicious of me and Alan."

       "Well, he wouldn't have a validated reason to fire us," Alan said. "If he did fire us, I would have sued him."

       "That's not how it works, Alan," Ryder said.

       "You don't get a day in this, you traitor," Alan said.

       Ryder sighed heavily, resting his head back on the wall. "I just want to get out of here before Mom and Dad finds out."

        "I'm pretty sure Dad won't care," Orchid said. "He'll just be disappointed that we got caught. And since it's your fault that we're in here, you need to find a way out of here."