Flipped

1.6

It took a moment for that nothingness to sink in.

Mike shrugged. "I mean, I'm not sure what we were expecting, but.."

We must have looked pretty defeated, standing there silently looking at each other. Must have, because less than ten seconds later, an older woman with purple hair tapped Taylor on the shoulder. "Do you want this to help cheer you up? I think you should have this." The woman looked flustered, yet strangely calm at the same time. She was offering her wallet to Taylor.

"What?" Taylor half-said half-yelled.

The woman pushed the wallet into her hands, and then walked away as if she had somewhere to be, right now.

"Right," Taylor said. "Of course that would happen now."

Ava's eyes had been wide, mouth agape this whole exchange. "I - what the hell?" Her voice went very high. "Can we just get off this rollercoaster?"

"I mean... I like free money.."

Taylor's eyes widened as she realised what she was saying.

"What do you mean?!" Ava interrupted her. "You should have returned it! Why did you take the money in the first place?!"

"I don't know." Taylor said lamely.

"Okay," Mike said. "So Taylor's power is that she can get money for free. That's not fair."

Ava shot him a look.

"No, I'm serious! Anyway, yeah you're right. Taylor - sorry - you should have not taken the money. I get that you were in shock, and she was an older and obviously wealthy woman. I'm sure it's not a big deal. At least, not this time."

"Mike's actually right," Ava said after a moment. "It's okay."

"Well," I said, "I think I'm done."

"Hey guys?" Taylor said in a voice I've never heard her use before. "I think we should go."

There, coming towards us, was the purple-hair lady, looking like an angry grandmother from hell.  Behind her were the mall cops.

A bunch of mall cops.

"In here!" Mike motioned. We ducked into the GameStop. The place was pretty busy, but we casually pushed our way to the back.

"This better not be where I spend my last few moments," Ava muttered.

"What was that?" Mike said loudly over the noise of people and consoles.

"Never mind!"

"Okay, everyone, look normal, okay? Ava, please try to look like you're having fun!" Mike said.

Mike and I found an empty console. Ava and Taylor went to a side stand of games. 

"Split up!" I heard from outside.

I didn't see but rather felt one of the guys came into the store. I studiously kept my eyes on the game, and tried not to think of the sweat running down my neck.

The cop walked up to the cashier.

"Did four suspicious-looking kids just come in here?"

I didn't see his response.

I did notice that Mike was beating me. "Really?" I asked him.

"Well, yeah? You think this is a game?" He had a sly smile but I could see the sweat on his forehead.

"Excuse me, son."

I tried to turn slowly, calmly. "Yes?"

"How long have you been in the store?"

"What?"

Mike turned around. "Please excuse my mute friends, sir. We've been here for about an hour. He's just a little beat-down, see. It's hard, losing all the time."

I glared at Mike.

"See?"

And he bought it, too. I could see he was about to walk away. But then, past him, I saw a flicker of recognition on the cashier's face.

This wasn't going to be good.

Taylor saw it too.  "Run," she whispered.  We bolted out of the store.  Like, full run.  Not even subtle.  I almost ran into a display case.

"Hey!  Stop!"

Mike alone among us didn't run.  He stayed a few steps behind and adopted a non-chillant attitude as we exited the store, and took a right.

And almost ran into purple-haired woman.

"You!" She yelled, pointing.

"Stop! Police!"

"Ahhhh!" Ava yelled.

I ducked around her and we ran down the hallway toward the food court.

Ducking this way and that.

"Sorry!" I yelled as I almost bowled over an elderly man.

We reached the food court. There's a huge fountain on the far end of it, and a bit further, past a Starbucks, was the front entrance of the mall. We careened toward it, barely avoiding a dozen collisions.

No one was eating anymore. All eyes were on us, and the seven mall cops following close behind.

"Stop now!"

We spun out the front door. Ava yelled as she almost tripped on the front steps. We ran out into the parking lot, and straight past it, past the bus loop and the street across from the mall.

The mall cops came pouring out, right behind us. I could see Taylor's cop speaking into his radio. And then, from the parking lot, a real police car.

Shit.