My heart was racing. I was inside. I hadn't expected it to be just as easy as the first time. My adrenaline rushing through my body like a firework show on the fourth of July and this was the grand finale. I grabbed a few necklaces slipping them into my pocket as I tried my best to let out a breath of air. I needed to stay calm or else I was going to get busted. I couldn't get busted.

The contract Ailis had made me sign was in the back of my head as I felt a little pang of guilt rocket through my veins. It made this more worth it though. I was going to tell him I had purchased the necklaces, that feeling of hatred boiling up inside me just made me want to take more. I had to make this worth it if I was going to stoop so low in my values.

What had changed in me in the last month though? Why was it okay to steal things so easily. I thought about putting the necklaces back on the shelf, but I knew people would never suspect me. They would have no reason to look at me as If I had taken these. I placed them back on the shelf but quickly snatched them back up for the second time. I was second guessing myself and it was the worst thing I could do right now. A young courtesy clerk walks past as she smiles at me.

"Finding everything alright?" She questions, her eyes wide as she searches the rest of the aisle for other customers. I nod, not paying too much attention to her.

"Yes, just indecisive," I muttered looking back at the necklaces as I pick one up holding it up to my neck as if I was looking to see how it would look on me.

"That one would look lovely on you," She smiled before walking away. I nodded my head placing it in my pocket, It would look lovely on me, but unfortunately for it, that's not what it was going to be used for. I would give Ailis these necklaces one by one and maybe I would wear a few of them before I did so.

I felt like I had enough so I turned around pretending to look at a few other things. My mother would kill me if she knew I was doing this, this was her friends shop. I felt another wave of guilt wash over me as I slipped out the door. The alarms stayed silent. I scoffed at the place. If they really cared about their products they wouldn't have false alarms. I have found out about this at a family dinner one night.

My body felt free. The store was behind me now and I was well on my way to my car. I could feel it now, all I had to do was stay calm for the next few steps and I would be gone, they wouldn't know it was me and I would have the stockpile I would need to keep the magic flowing for the next little while. Maybe until the end of the assignment. My body was shaking both from excitement and nerves. I knew I would probably throw up when I got home but it felt worth it.

I fumbled with the keys to my car as I finally successfully unlocked my door. I quickly jumped in before slamming it behind me and starting the ignition.

"What, are yer doin'," I would know that voice anywhere. My heart jumped in my chest as I let out a yelp. Ailis had scared me as he popped up from off the floor of the passenger side of the car. I shook my head looking out the window as I begin to back up.

"Shopping, what are you doing?" He rolls his eyes looking at me as if he had seen a ghost. Maybe he had. I wasn't going to tell him what I was doing. He didn't need to know. Suddenly an overwhelming wave of guilt barrels into me like a wave of water. I really had broken the contract Ailis had made me sign.

Suddenly I felt like a horrible person.

I did my best to wash those feelings away. It was too late now and I knew Ailis could sense my emotions. I plastered a fake smile in hopes to make it seem more real. Once I was on the road and pulling away from the mall things seemed to settle down inside me. My emotions fading away as the high began to wear off.

"Oi no yer lied ter me," Ailis whispered, his voice soft like he had been hurt extremely. I shook my head turning to look at him. I could lie again, I could try to deny it, but he and I both know it was true. I had lied to him and there was nothing I could do to change that. I could come clean but there was no fixing this by doing that. I chose to sit in silence as I drove. He would answer eventually.

The song on the radio plays through the car as Ailis sits in his seat thumping his hand on his leg. I had gotten used to having him next to me and I was starting to like it. It was like I was never alone, always able to talk to someone about anything...anything except stealing.

I could feel the problem taking over my mind. I wanted to steal more, it had made getting things I couldn't afford so much easier and I found myself wanting to do it more and more. I wanted to go bigger, maybe more engagement size rings. Except the diamonds were useless to me. Mostly I've been stealing men's jewelry and woman necklaces, since they were more likely to be gold.

Ailis sucked in a large gulp of air before finally speaking.

"I watched yer knuk dohs necklaces," His words were once again soft and sweet. Like he was trying to take care of me. Maybe he was. It took me a moment to figure out what he had actually said though. But after a bit of fiddling my fingers against the steering wheel I realized he meant he saw me steal those necklaces. I couldn't lie to him because he knew what was right, he knew I shouldn't be stealing. He had stopped gambling and I needed to be a better example. A better project. Yet here I was ruining everything that I touched. This was exactly why they sent him to me. I shook my head as the tears begin welling up in my eyes. I found myself growing tired.

I was exhausted with this feeling.

"I'm sorry, I should have never taken those necklaces, I wish I could give them back but it's a little too late for that. If I return them I will get caught, meaning I will go to jail. I can't do that, I would miss my mothers wedding, the college I tried so hard to get into would drop me, I'd lose you and ruin your entire life, I will not do that!" I didn't mean to shout but by the time I was at the end of my speech the words were much harsher than when I started. I couldn't believe I had allowed myself to fall this far.

I never stole anything, I wasn't that girl. I hated that my step sister would always do that to me and I vowed to never end up like her. Here I was, doing the exact same things she was. Stealing necklaces and other jewels from family friends, people that trusted me to watch their kids growing up. I quickly swerved the car to the edge of the road as I jump out into the night sky. The cold air was soothing but my stomach was churning and I just knew I was going to throw up.

My heart was racing as I rushed towards the field. My chest was heaving as I felt it coming up. The wretched taste of the acid in my stomach tickled at my tongue as I leaned over and let all the contents of my stomach out. I didn't want to, and I was embarrassed when a car drove past. I prayed they wouldn't stop and thankfully they didn't.

I threw up a few more times before stumbling back to the car. Taking my seat in the driver's seat I glanced out at the empty road in front of me. Ailis stood from the spot next to me before he hobbled over the center console. Placing his hand on my thigh he sat next to me leaning his head against my side. If I was feeling slightly better I would have smiled at this but right now I was just trying to catch my breath.

"I hate this," I gasped as the tears begin rolling down my eyes.

"I allerge dis either," Ailis muttered, his words still soft. I wasn't sure how he wasn't screaming at me. Why wasn't he so angry with me? I would have been furious, especially since I'd signed the contract. I felt my body trembling as I lean my head back against the seat.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" I decided to question. My eyes took in the roof of the car, the stringy material that covered it played in my mind as I tried to distract myself with all of the stains that were dancing on the edge of the seams. The stains from my step sister accidentally spilling her drink that one time we almost got into a car accident.

"Cause," Ailis shrugged his tiny shoulders his head still resting against my side.

"Cause why?" The words were burning in my throat. Much like the vomit had just recently. But I was managing to get passed the wave of sickness. Hopefully I would be able to continue our drive soon.

If I was mad at you then how would you get passed this? You are forming an addiction and though I'm not happy, I am no going to turn my back on you," Ailis was very clearly doing his best to speak without an accent, like what he was saying was more important than anything else he had ever said. Finally a smile begin to form on my face. Something about knowing he had my back made me feel like I could really take on anything and everything.

I turned the key in the ignition, firing the engine of the car until it was roaring with life. Eventually I felt like I had calmed down enough that I pulled the car back onto the road. The sky was nearly black, and there wasn't anyone else on the road.

Ailis and I continued to drive listening to nothing but the radio. He peered out the window standing on his tiptoes so he could see. I chuckled softly to myself as I made a mental note to get him something he could stand on so he could see out the windows.

My heart was beginning to slow to a normal pace as the street lulled me back to a calm state. The dorm was coming up and I wasn't sure I was ready to be back there, but I knew I would be able to conquer anything with Ailis.

All I needed to do was make it worth his time. I needed to figure out how to make it through my addiction so that I didn't ruin his life. It wasn't very fair of me to treat him that way. Especially with how well he has treated me the entire time I've known him. Sure he was hard to handle at times but he was a good friend when he needed to be.

He was there for me when I needed him and I needed to be there for him now.

I had to figure out how to end this. How to make the rest of his project go so smoothly. I hummed along with the music as I tried to formulate the rest of my plan. I still couldn't return the necklaces but there had to be a way that I could make it up to everyone.

I was going to make it up to everyone.