Kid in a Locker (REWRITING)

13. Criminal Minds

To act like you were famous in public is such an exhilarating experience. To have people fooled enough that they ask for pictures of you so that they can prove to their families how gullible they really are was like playing a God; to have power over whatever it is that people do.

Playing God was one of the things Peter and I did whenever we went somewhere. This was a sad thing to say because we always did this when Romul had taken things a little too far and we needed to get away from him.

It would start with us walking into a movie theater. I would walk in first with my hood pulled around my head so that no one could see my face and large sunglasses just to be safe. I would look around for a while, scouting for a movie they would catch my fancy but end up getting bored. Instead I find one of those tall cardboard cutouts of a movie and stare at the female star, mock pondering the face on it.

This is where Peter would come in. He would casually pass by the sign, glancing over at my face like it was an accident. He would then proceed to flip his lid and start fangirling, shouting the actresses name in my direction like she was me. He begs for a picture to which I reluctantly agree to, nervously glancing around to see if he caught the attention of anyone.

But of course, he did. After he would take the selfie with me he would continue to freak out while walking off, claiming his friends would never believe he met said actress. This would cause a crowd of people to swarm around me, too occupied trying to get a picture with a movie star to realize I was only a sixteen year old girl.

I would smile and take pictures with my hood and glasses still on, acting like a star that was trying to enjoy a movie without getting caught. After a while I would claim I must go and make my way to the exit, walking tall and proud. When I got to the door I would turn around and look at the crowd of people watching me leave. This is when I would expose myself for what I really am and run away cackling, soaking in their disbelieving facial expressions.

We would then find more movie theaters to do the same thing. If we ran out of those we would head to malls and try the same thing, switching out who was the famous person each time so that we could both experience the rush.

Romul didn't know that we did this. Even if he did find out, his reactions could go either one of two ways.

He could, one, freak out and say that we shouldn't do that, that it was irresponsible,

or

Two, want to join in on the fun.

Neither one of us would let that happen, no matter how many times he would beg for us to bring him along. This was a Peter and I thing. It was sacred to just the two of us and nothing could change that, no matter how hard he tried.

Playing these cons did have their disadvantages, however. After running around to four or five different places and running out as angry people chased us, we tend to work up a very strong appetite. Food breaks were always in order when both of our stomachs started to growl.

"Five Guys burgers and fries." Peter says, setting our tray down on the table. We both start reaching towards the food, dividing it up between what is his and what is mine. "The best thing in the world."

"Cheers to that." We knock our cups together and take a sip like we're making s toast. And in a way, we are. We are toasting today's event and our successful running gimmick. Everywhere we go, we always manage to pull off the ploy almost flawlessly.