Nostalgia

Stella

"Stella, tighten your laces would you? We'd get caught out if you slip or anything" Alec said crouching on the floor tightening his pack and checking for supplies.

"Sure thing Commander-" I was cut off by Alec's abrupt reply.

"Don't even think of it, I don't have to be reminded everyday that we've been doing this everyday Paxton" Alec began taking a check of all his items.

"Thats just unfair now Grayhallow, you don't have any proof that I was going to say that" I replied back, tightening the straps of my pack.

"Oh come on!" Alec now rose to his feet, "I've known you for-" I cut him off.

"Yeah yeah, 'Known each other for 11 years' I know, I'm the other half of the friendship you know?" I reminded him with a sarcastic smile.

"If you say so" Alec smiled. He turned his back to me and faced the opposite direction, now looking up to a cement wall. "Alright, so are we ready to climb this thing?" Alec asked. "All set" I breathed out and looked up to the wall.

I kicked my right leg up and grabbed onto the wall as I quickly pulled my left leg up to latch on to a rocky deformation. I pulled my upper body up and swung myself over the wall, quickly and swiftly, careful not to be noticed. Alec, to the left of me, our moves synchronised, flowing together, right arm, left arm, right leg, left leg, body pull, swivel left and swing over. 

The dust rose in a cloud disrupted by the thuds of our feet landing on the ground. "Alright so whats the plan?" I asked Alec. "You can go by the big fresh market and get pick up stuff there, and I'll run by Al's Milk area. Sound good?" Alec replied while scanning our surroundings. "Oh and you got the lowering rope right?" Alec double checked. "Yeah, all good" I replied. 

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I quickly dropped behind the safety of 2 small stall table as I heard someone approach. "Hey Billy? Did you get the new vegetable load from Two this morning?" A bald, slightly overweight man, in a blue polo shirt shouted across the market noise to another strager who seemed to be out of sight. "Nah Shank, loads comin' in tomorrow" The hidden stranger replied with a raspy but friendly voice. "Mate, I can't wait longer! My customers are avoiding my stock, they're going for Dom's down the road." The bald man a couple meters from me replied. "Don't get your knickers in a twist!" he laughed in his deep raspy voice, "Sure the crops don't have anything against you." He shouted back a reply, "I couldn't guarantee that mate!" He laughed back in a similarly raspy voice. Through a gap between the 2 stalls I crouched behind, I could vaguely see the furthest figure. he bent down to pick up a box of sort, slowly he lifted his body and turned to leave. "Billy!" The bald guy ran after him, anything said after that was such a faint murmur I couldn't make it out. I quickly scanned my surroundings, no one. I raised my body a little above a crouch and ran carefully up to the next row of stores. 

No one seemed to be present around these row of stores, I slowed to a slight jog and squinted forward to check my path, a shadow. A small breath of frustration escaped my mouth, I darted to the left into a small narrow alleyway, I guess I'll take the long way round.

Panting and sweating now, I can see the grocery, the smell of fresh fruit and vegetable float through the air, I'm almost done, I can almost see safety just over the horizon, but you can never be to sure when you engage in a lifestyle like this. I slow down and pull up the hood on my leather jacket, concealing my face from whoever may see me, I bring my brown lengthy hair infront to help. I slow my breaths in an attempt to blend in with the crowd. I walk in a straight path, not looking up, careful for anyone not to catch a glimpse of my identity, I only tilt my head to check how much further my exit is. I keep walking, head faced to the ground while catching my breath for the next part. Slowly, I approach the next alleyway to the left and swiftly slide through. I swing my bag over in front of my chest to prepare.

"Hey!" I hear someone scream from behind, panic washes over me like I've been thrown in a washing machine. Its over, the jig is up, I slowly turn to face the person the voice belongs to.

"Hello" I see who the female voice belongs, I realise how this could turn out and I reply back in a cheerful voice in an attempt to possibly save this mission.

"Oh, hello there dear." She seemed almost shocked, most people are when they see my face, they don't expect to see a young girl behind the hood. She continued after a deep breath of relief.

"Are you looking for something?" she smiled warmly.

I quickly brainstormed all logical possibilities of a 15 year old girl standing in a black leather gear and holding a backpack to her chest. "My mother asked me to drop off some cookies for her friend who has a stall here." a bit of warmth returned to my body, this may not be going too bad.

"Do you need any help?" the woman replied, she no longer seemed somewhat suspicious of me.

"No thanks I should be good" I smiled with that reply, and quickly turned around and kept walking. 

That was close, way too god damn close. I puffed out a hot breath of white. I turned my head and glanced back, the lady must have turned into the alleyway I came from, because she was no longer in sight. Ahead, crates of fruit and vegetables yet to be stocked into the baskets up front lay stacked up behind the shop. If its going to be done it has to be done now, my mother should be expecting me home soon. I grab my bag and lift the crate lids to fill up my pack with as much fruit as i can without it being obvious of the stolen crops. I zip up my back filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, oranges, and other fruits and vegetables of sorts. My legs lift and I walk back to the wall, I should be safe now. 

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I approach the wall and I see Alec standing there in his black gear, easily identifiable. 

"I got the milk and eggs." He said while zipping up the front pocket of his backpack. 

"I got some vegetables for us, should last about a week?" I tell him. 

"Good, lets get out of here. Your mum will be worried" He slung his pack over his shoulder.

"Alright, lets go." I replied.

"We'll sort out shares at your place" Alec decided.

"Yeah, depending on where my mum will be, we might have to do it outside" I said.

"Sure, just as long as this stuff is all sorted by tonight, don't want them to spoil do we?." He replied.

"Well lets get climbing this wall before anyone sees us." I rushed Alec.

"Who's going first?" Alec asked

"I'll go, pass the bags quick will you? Not like last week. We almost got caught out." I reminded Alec of what the previous time was like. 

"Okay, jeez, one time I'm checking my straps and you flip out." Alec said.

"I did not flip out! I just told you to damn hurry up!" I snapped back

"Stella chill! I was joking!" Alec let out a small but frustrated laugh.

"Whatever lets just go." I said, clearly pissed off.