Unknown Friendship

Chapter 12: The Faults in Shoplifting

All Katie had wanted was to learn a new thing for her birthday.
Of course, that thing turned out to be pickpocketing—but, in her defense, her best friend was a criminal mastermind. Even though Percy, said best friend, would probably want to decline at first, he would eventually say yes, and when he did…
Well, Percy was a freakin' criminal; he knew how to do this stuff.
It was four in the morning, but Katie was too wound up to fall back asleep. Swinging her legs over the side of her bed, she slowly tip-toed her way to the room next door—Percy's room.
Now, many people would find it strange that their best friend had their own room, but Percy had lived with the Gardners before, so it only felt right. Besides, he slept over so much, it was like he lived there.
Katie didn't bother being quiet as she bursts into Percy's room. She barreled over to him, jumping on his bed. "Wake up! Wake up!" she shouted, jumping even harder. When Percy felt safe, he was a deep sleeper. That often led to difficulty waking the boy up. "Wake! Up!" She pushed him off the bed, and he tumbled to the floor with a thud.
"I'm awake," he groaned as he sat up, glaring at Katie in the dark.
"Good." She plopped down, dangling her legs over the edge.
"Ugh. What could you possibly want at this hour?" He pulled himself up to the bed, sitting next to her.
"It's my birthday," Katie stated simply, as if that explained everything.
"I got that, thank you," Percy snapped. "I mean, what you want for your birthday."
She put on a thoughtful look, as if she didn't already know, but she did; Katie just had to make it sound simple, like a good idea. Be… manipulative. Like Percy. Yeah, that's what she needed to do. Be like Percy and twist his mind into knots. It probably wouldn't work, but, hey, you gotta start somewhere. "I wanna learn how to pickpocket." There—short, simple, and sweet. The three S's.
Percy didn't even bat an eye. "You already know," he said, stuffing his face in his pillow.
"No—not really."
"No. Or, at least, not until later." He sighed through his nose, as if he were sniffing for his pillow; he probably was, since his head had hit the object of need not two seconds later.
"Please?"
"Ask again and I'll give a definite no."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"PLEASE?"
"I said 'no.'"
"PLEEEEAAASSSSSEEEE?"
"Okay, fine!" Percy sat up, grumbling under his breath. "I'll teach you how to pickpocket. Go get ready. Now."
"Wait"—Katie furrowed her eyebrows—"I just wanted you to get up so I could ask, and, ya know, get you to say yes."
"Yeah? Well, too bad. I'm teachin', and I'm teachin' ya now."
Maybe Katie should have waited to ask. This was not going to end well.

0o0o0o0o0o
K

atie blinked her eyes.
For nighttime, New York City wasn't very dark. Lights and cars and people—it was always active, alive, and she wasn't used to that. Katie spent the first decade of her life in the middle of nowhere, the nearest neighbors beside her grandfather being a half hour drive away.
And that was considered pretty close.
"C'mon." Percy tugged at her arm, bringing her deeper into the surging sea of New Yorkers and tourist. His dorky glasses were propped high up on his nose, and that beanie was back on his head; the shiny metal chain was back, too, wrapped loosely around his waist.
Dang, Katie was so conflicted on those things—they were a part of Percy, but they were usually only around nowadays during trouble. (His mom thought they influenced his attitude towards darker things, so she took everything away with limited use.)
"We'll just start simple, kay?" Percy continued, coming to a stop. "Since you're a novice, just… trick the people. This is some'in' I used when I first began pickpocketing around the age of seven." A man was coming their way on the sidewalk, and Percy pointed out the expensive suit and gold watch. "Watch 'n learn."
Percy sauntered up to the man, turned around, and "accidently" bumped into the business man's stomach. Percy hit the ground with a cry of "Ow!"
The man grumbled, like he really didn't want to do anything, but helped Percy up anyway. That was his biggest mistake. Percy grabbed the man's wrist as he rose, as if for support, and as soon as Percy was on his feet, the man was gone.
Missing his watch.
Percy dangled it before his face, an enormous smirk stretching his lips. "Pretend to trip or bump into 'em," he explained. "Be smooth when you grab whatever ya want, though. No need for them to suspect anything."
Katie nodded, breathing in deeply. A woman was prancing her way on stilts more commonly known as heels; rings covered nearly every finger. All she needed was two or three. Then she'd be good. Katie twirled on her heels and danced backwards while pointing at Percy, like there was a joke between them. Bump! Katie hit the ground, and so did the woman. "I'm so sorry," Katie apologized, helping the woman up; one, two, three, four rings popped into her palms.
The woman, frazzled, fixed her stiffened hair and briskly took off from her.
Katie grinned, and she skipped back to her best friend. "Looky here!" she cheered, showing off the rings—all pure gold with expensive gems in the center.
Percy nodded his head carefully as he picked one up to examine it. "We could sell them to a guy I know. It'd be good money." He shrugged. "You could keep one if you want." He returned the ring to Katie, who tucked all four rings in her jacket pocket.
Always have a jacket while pickpocketing for safekeeping.
"I like money better," Katie stated, and Percy grinned.
"I know a way for you to get more money…" He trailed off, that mischievous glint clear in his eyes. "But I'll save that for later."