Kyra's POV 

I woke up late the next morning. I've got a text from Layne and Julie, my high school bullies. They bully anyone who needs to be, and I'm one of them. On Thursday, they asked me to go out to the mall today with them to give me a chance. I peak at the text and realize that I'm going to be late. I jolt up, racing out of bed, quickly getting dressed, "How can I forget?" I say to myself. I undress myself, dress myself and run downstairs.

"Good morning, what's the rush?" my mom asked.

"I'm supposed to meet Layne and Julie at the mall and I'm going to be late. I take an apple on the go. "Bye mom."

"Bye, have fun, and don't get into trouble." sprinting outside with the apple in hand. They wait outside for me. "Here she comes. Finally decides to show up." Julie says, her big poofy brown hair tight back into a bun. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's fine. Anyways, when we get to the mall, we are going to look around. Hop in." Layne demanded. I hope in the back of the red car. On the drive, the traffic was light so we got there in no time. We find a parking space once in the parking lot, then hop out of the car and walk into the entrance of the mall. Throwing the core into the nearest garbage can. We walk around with other people passing by. It's near eleven already and the mall is packed. We entered a couple of stores, Hollister and Garage. When we entered Old Navy, we looked around when one of the store clerks came to see if we needed any help, saying no thanks. Just before we left, the same store clerk came to meet us, passing an envelope to me. I said thanks and left with the other two, trailing behind.

Curious of what the letter says, I couldn't look at it until I got home. I tucked it away in my sweater pocket, but not sneaky enough when Layne caught sight of it. "What's that?" she asked.

"I don't know. The clerk gave it to me."

"Well lets see."

"I don't know." I say unsure of how to respond. "Well I'm curious so I'll open it." Before I could pull back, she ripped it out of my pocket and ripped it open, reading the letter. By the expression on her face, it's not good. She gave it back to me and carried on without a word. Tucking it in my pocket, I followed them from behind. Walking through the busy and crowded mall, we head into Lush and look at all the natural items. I stay with Layne and Julie asking me what I like. Telling them I love the scent of cherry, vanilla and lavender. Scanning anyone's watching, I spot Layne taking a small candle and putting it in her pocket. I look at her wide -eyed.

"What are you doing?" I whispered yelled.

"Lush is pretty expensive, and I like this."

We walk out of the shop in suspicious, heart pounding out of my chest, sweat rolling down my back, my face. I basically panicked. We were fine until someone yelled at us. "Hey stop! You have to pay for that!" The store clerk yelled. Panicked I glanced at Layne as she shrugged and made a run for it, pulling me with her. I tried to let go, but she pushed me forwards and we ran. Running into the daylight, we heard security chasing after us. Getting into the car, Julie puts the car in drive, driving away in the traffic. My heart pounds, like it's going to jump out of my chest, all shaken up, I say, "we have to go back and pay for it."

"What!" They both shouted in shock. "No, I got this."

"You shoplifted. Now I bet they called the cops. If my dad catches me, I'm in massive trouble."

"Chill, your dad won't catch you."

"You don't understand my dad is a cop and if he knows I was part of this, he will kill me, maybe lock me up for a week." In fright, I couldn't take it anymore. I felt the tears appear in my eyes, blinking them away. Julie heads the back way of the highway, so it's just us. In the distance, I hear sirens. I look back to see a cop car racing to us. Panic rose in me. Instead of passing us, they stayed behind us, "stop." I say. They didn't. "Stop!" I yelled.

"Chill, they will pass us." Layne said. "No they won't, if you don't stop I will jump out of this vehicle." I threatened.

"Sure you will." Julie replied with sarcasm in her tone. They weren't stopping, so without thinking, I unbuckled my seatbelt, opened the back door and jumped out of a moving car, rolling into the grass, I felt the scratches on me as I rolled. I heard their car stop and the cop car stopped behind them. I also heard two cars doors open, looking up to see one cop rushing to me and the other going to their car. Lying on my stomach, I tried to get up, with the cop rushing to me, he helped me get up. "Kyra you okay?" He said, I recognized the voice, but couldn't put my finger on it. I walked, pitting my weight on the cop.

The two girls came out of the car, shocked with me.

"You weren't kidding when you threatened to jump out of the car." Layne spoke up. I blink to see the figure standing behind them. My vision is getting better, so I start to recognize the cop who helped me, and the cop who stood right behind them. Carl, who is my father's co worker, and friend. Standing behind them is my father, disappointed with what I did. "Get in the car." My father shoved them towards the police car. "As for you, what the hell were you thinking!"

Carl lends me to my dad to take, walking back to the car.

"Why?" I couldn't answer. Ashamed, I hung my head, letting the tears escape from me. "I'm sorry."

"You should be."

"It didn't do it. I tried to stop them, I tried to go back but I couldn't, they wouldn't let me." I explained between sobs. "I tried."

"Where is it, handed it over."

"Hand what over?" I'm confused. "What you stole."

"I didn't steal anything."

He gestured his hand for arms out. I did, then he patted me until he felt something in my pocket. He took out the candle that Layne stole. In shock, mouth open I had no words. "I didn't steal it, dad. Please believe me."

"Seriously, you know better than this. Better than to shoplift."

I glance in the cruiser to see them giggling, then looking back to my dad, speechless. When Layne pushed me, she must've slipped the candle in my pocket. I know that I'm in massive trouble. "Got anything else to say before we walk you back to apologize for stealing?"

" . . . I'm sorry dad . . . I'm just . . ."

"Is everything alright? Is there something happening at school that's making you shoplift things?" His calm, gentle voice soothed me, concerned that I've got depression or something causing me to go mad. "No, nothing's happening at school, it's just . . . Those girls are rude, and bullies."

"Then why are you hanging out with them?"

"Because they gave me a chance, so they will stop. I didn't realize that they would steal. I'm not the only one, my friend and a whole lot of others are bullied by them. I just wanted it to stop." I burst into tears again. "Okay, let's go back, then we will figure this situation out after." He nudged me to the cop car. Opening the drivers door, he talked with Carl. "So I'll drive their car to the mall where we can make them apologize, then we will have a talk with their parents. Whose car is that?" My father asked.

"Mine," Layne replied almost instantly. "Don't wreck my car."

"Where's your keys?" He asked again.

"Why? You're not driving my car, that's private property."

"Don't make this harder than it already is, keys now!"

Rolling her eyes, Layne took out her keys and handed it to my dad. "I'll be right behind you." He said getting out. "Dad, can I come with you, please." I almost begged about it. Looking back at Layne and Julie, he nodded walking to the car. We get in the car, seeing the cruiser drive ahead of us. Driving back to the mall, it is complete silence. We didn't dare say a word to each other. It felt like years had passed until I was in the parking lot. Getting out, the others meet us at the entrance. I was stuck by dad the whole walk to Lush my breathing seizing through my throat, getting harder to breath from my sobs. I felt thousands of eyes on us, on me. I pulled up my hood and tried the best to cover my face, keeping my head down low.

It felt really long before we entered the shop. The store clerk saw us and was mad. "Sorry we stole the candle, actually it was more like her." Layne said pointing at me. I started getting out a fifty dollar bill and a twenty. I apologized then gave him the money. "Keep the change." I know it doesn't cost seventy dollars for a small candle, but I did anyway. "Thank you."

"Sorry about that." Carl said.

We left the parking lot. I stayed behind my father until we got to the car. I joined him in Layne's car. Driving home, I stare out blankly as the trees pass by. I completely forgot about the note that I received from one of the clerks from the Old Navy. I pull it out and read it. "Dad?"

"Hmm?"

"Is this the same letter that mom got on Friday?"

"Read it."

I read it out and by studying its expression, I could tell that it probably is. "Yeah . . . Yeah it's the same."

We pulled up to Layne's home. I got out and walked to the car, stopping at the car door watching the two cops talking to her parents. Their expression is priceless. I'm pretty sure she's grounded for life. When the two of them walk back, I hop in the car. Leaning against the window, our next stop is Julie's. On the way, she directed to where her home is. Once parked on the side of the driveway. Walking her up and talking to her parents, I looked through the window. It got annoying when the bars were in the way. The door closed as they walked back. "Okay, I'm going to drop you off at home, alright?"

"Yeah." I say quietly.

"Am I getting locked up?" I ask out of nowhere as my breathing hitched in my throat, not wanting to know the answer.

"No but if it happens again then you'll be locked up for the night. Understand?"

I nodded as I stare blankly out the window. 

We drove back in silence, other than Carl and dad making small talk. Coming up to the driveway, dad stopped and I got out. Opening the door to find mom running up to me in madness. I know I'm in trouble.