Page 12 of The Thief
My eyes widened, and I couldn’t stop myself from throwing back my head and laughing. “Bullying? Me? You thinkI’mthe bully?”
“I know what I saw.”
“So you’ve been following me?” I asked, taking a step closer to her, and she took a step back.
“I’m glad I did. I can tell the police what I saw when I go to report you.”
“You’re not gonna report shit,” I hissed, and she glared daggers at me. If her look was meant to kill, I’d be singing with the angels... or devils... right about now, but I shrugged it off. This was one accusation I wouldn’t let her get away with. “I think you need to get your eyes tested, or your head. I wasn’t bullying anyone.”
Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits as she replied, “Five against three, then one, when his friends ran off. You were like animals. I don’t even want to think about what you did to that poor boy on the floor. In fact, I’ve a good mind to ring the police right nowand tell them what I saw. Get them to throw you in jail where you belong.”
My teeth were gritted so tightly I felt like my jaw might break. Taking another step closer to her, I growled, “Go on then. You do that. But when the police get here, I’ll be telling them the real story, not the bullshit one you think you saw.”
“Are you saying I’m lying?” she challenged. “That I didn’t see what I know I saw?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. And if you’d been watching five minutes earlier, you’d have seen the other boy they were bullying, the one from Parkers Academy that they stole from, kicked, punched, and pissed all over. The one we stepped in to save.” I stepped right into her space now, determined to tell my truth. “We didn’t bully those boys; they were the bullies. We stood up for a boy on his own. A boy who was vulnerable. They were the animals, not us. We gave them a taste of their own medicine. Showed them what happens when the odds aren’t in their favour. They deserved what they got. The young lad on his own didn’t. But because of us, he won’t get bullied again. Not by them.”
I watched her swallow, her throat bobbing as she took in what I was saying.
“Why should I believe you?” she replied in a quieter, meeker voice than before, tilting her head slightly. I could tell she was beginning to question herself, but she didn’t want to admit it or let it show.
“You don’t have to believe me, and I don’t expect you to. You do you.” I shrugged. “I’m not bothered what you think of me. Iama thief. I steal stuff. I like doing it. I’ve never lied about that. But I’m not a bully, and I never will be.”
“You’re not a good guy.” She lowered her head, glaring at me from under her lashes, keeping her eyes on me like she didn’t trust what I’d do if she looked away. “Admitting you’re a thief doesn’t make it all right.”
“I never said I was a good guy,” I snapped. “But like I said, I’m not a bully.”
She stood for a moment, quietly contemplating what I’d said, then she blurted out, “Here,” as she put her hand into her pocket and pulled out a pink purse with little pink flowers embroidered on the front and threw it in my direction. “If you love being a thief so much, I’ll save you the bother of stealing mine. Take it.”
I caught the purse and threw it right back to her.
“I don’t want anything from you.”
But she wasn’t having any of it. She threw the purse right back at me again, and I started to get agitated. I didn’t want her money, her purse, or her shitty insults.
“Then keep it as a reminder,” she snapped, backing away.
“A reminder of what?”
“Of what a shitty person I think you are.” And with that, she turned and stalked off, her hair bouncing as she stomped away from me.
“I’m not a shitty person,” I said, but my words just echoed in the air around me. She couldn’t hear them. She was already crossing the road, heading as far away from me as she could get. Which, quite frankly, was the best thing for both of us. “And I don’t have to prove myself to you, or anyone else,” I said to myself.
I watched her walk away, not looking back at me once. I saw her turn the corner out of sight. But I stayed standing inthe same spot, staring, my chest panting, and my body shaking. I felt like I had more to say, but by walking away she’d robbed me of that chance.
And then I smiled.
She was a thief too.
Only she hadn’t stolen anything tangible. She’d stolen the moment. Stolen the words I wanted to say before I’d even had a chance to say them. And I couldn’t let that happen.
Chapter Four
THIEVES NEVER PROSPER
Tyler
Against my better judgment, I decided to follow her. I deserved to have the last word. To have my say.
