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Description
Thieves

A loud alarm sounds as three teenagers run full speed out of a Wal-Mart on a rainy spring day. Two employees, one rather big, chubby man and a small old woman chase after them. Luckily for the teens, they are much faster. One of the teens, a red haired short girl, attempts to jump onto a tall curb but trips and falls. An employee nearly catches up to her, but another teen beats him to it and helps the girl up. They run together, trying to catch up to the third. Eventually the employees give up and walk back to the store, defeated.
“That was close....too close. This is getting really dangerous.” One of the teens says, his pale blue eyes looking back to the store.
The other two nod their heads in agreement. “But it's such a good way to get free stuff...I mean look at this!” The red-head reaches into her baggy green pants and pulls out a king-sized candy bar, a pack of mechanical pencils, and a squishy dog toy: a plastic hot dog.
“Seriously,” The third teen, a short blonde boy, says. “We've got no money, how else are we going to live? We don't even have homes.”
“Liz does.” The dark-haired boy says, motioning towards the red-head. “Though it seems like she's going to get kicked out. Your parents are getting sick of you, aren't they? I mean, you're not even there half the time anyways.”
Liz nods her head, looking at the ground. “Yeah...well I'm almost eighteen anyways...though I have nowhere to go. It would kind of suck if I got kicked out. I'd have to live with you two.” A small grin showed itself on her tanned face. The other two glared at her, then laughed.
“Hey, it's not so bad! Living under bridges, getting free food...”
“We can't do that much more, Kelso, they're going to catch us one day! I can't go to jail, we're too young for jail.”
Kelso sighed a small 'shutup Zach', put his hands in his pockets, and slouched. The rain was getting heavier as the three walked through the town.
They walked in silence for several minutes until they reached a bridge, which they instantly ran under to get away from the rain. It was now very heavy and included thunder.
Ring, ring
“Hello?” Liz said as she flipped open her small cell phone. “Yes, mom. No. Yeah. No, I'm not with them. How should you trust me? Mom, I'm not with them! Yes! Okay, fine! Bye.” She closed her cell phone and looked up at her friends, an extremely annoyed look on her face. “I have to go. My mother wants me. I don't know what I'm going to tell her, I said I wasn't with you two. I guess...well, I guess I could say I was at the community center, or the skate park, or something.”
“Just say you were hanging out with Jessica and Brianna.” Zach, the blonde, suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
“My mom would never believe that. Why would she believe that? I don't hang out with preps. Everyone knows that. I mean, even the people who don't know me would know that. Why would I say that?”
“To save your ass?”
“Good point...yeah, maybe I'll say that.”

Twenty minutes later, a soaked Liz approached her small, old house. She never had really realized how badly it needed to be repaired; moldy looking olive-green paint peeled, a few of the dirty windows were cracked or dented, and the lawn was extremely over-grown. The dirt brown steps creaked eerily as she walked up them and opened the old door.
“Finally!” Her mother yelled from the top of the entryway stairs. “Where have you been? I need your help, Elizabeth, the roof is leaking again.” She took a second glance at her daughter. “Oh dear, you're a mess, aren't you? Go change your clothes first, then you can help me. After you're done I want you to take a shower and do your homework. Oh, and I made dinner, it's on the stove. You can eat that after you're done helping me.”
Liz sighed and walked another set of stairs to her room, which was really the attic. After stripping down, she turned towards her full-length mirror. Old scars and new cuts covered her arms and legs; some from falling, some from running through sharp bushes, and some caused by her own self. She sighed and found some dry clothes in her antique dresser, put them on, and walked back downstairs to help her mother fix the leaky roof. Half-way down the stairs she hears her mother yelling. She walks a bit further and realizes that she's the one being yelled at.
“Liz! Where were you? Are you listening to me? Liz! I want to know where you were! You weren't hanging out with those delinquent friends of yours, were you? You can't be with them, I've told you this already! Liz? Elizabeth!” The yells get louder as the young red-head walks further down her stairs. Finally she is on the main story of her house and she can hear her mother completely.
“What, mom? No, I was with ...Jessica and Brianna.” She said slowly. Liz has always been a bad liar, and everyone knew it. Which was a very bad thing, because the need to lie comes up in her kind of lifestyle quite often.
Her mother's stare pierces through the girl, but she says nothing. After several moments of awkward silence, a sponge is thrown at Liz. “Get to work. You're not allowed to go out anymore.”
Liz's mouth hangs open but she says nothing. This is ridiculous. This is retarded! I can't not go out. I'm hate her. I want her dead. Stupid mom. Stupid life. Stupid everything!
The whole rest of the evening is spent mopping up the wet floors and placing buckets under the drippy parts of the ceiling. Liz and her mother only speak once or twice, every time with either a glare or narrowed eyes.
That night she lays in bed, so many thoughts crowding her head that she is almost unable to think. She is angry at her mother, sick of her shitty house, tired of everything. Liz was failing school miserably in her senior year, and thought every day about just dropping out. There was no way she would be able to pass anyways. Just as the thought of running away scrapes her mind, she hears a loud car honk, followed by the sharp sound of a pebble hitting her window. Eyes jolt open, feet hit the floor as Liz runs to her window to see who's outside. Bright headlights turn off as two male voices are barely audible, arguing on the ground far below.
“Elizabeeeeth” A hoarse whisper sounds through the night air. “Come down here.”
A few sneaky creaky doors and sneaky steps later, she is outside and with her friends. “Are you two trying to get me killed? And where did you get this car?” She points at the old gray Toyota, parked beside the two boys.
“Oh, that's my brother's...” Kelso muttered, looking down at his shoes, his dark hair over his face. “Zach kept saying I should take it, so...I did.”
Zach nodded and patted Kelso on the back, grinning. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going! Kelso!”
The tall teenager raised his head and looked at Zach. “Yes?”
“You have the keys, don't you? Let's get going!”
Kelso sighed and walked to the car. He opened the back door, motioning for Liz to get in before getting into his own seat. “Ladies first.”
Open doors, closed doors, keys in the ignition; off they go. Down the highway they speed, swerving between cars, avoiding close accidents.
“Jesus Christ, man, where did you learn to drive?” Liz shouts, hanging on to the seat in front of her for dear life.
“Quality Driving School!”
They all share a good laugh as they continue to zoom down the highway in the old borrowed Toyota.
“So where exactly are we going, anyways?” Zach looks around the car as he asks, hovering his eyes for a moment over Liz's. “There are a few department stores around here, which should we stop at first?”
“...Zach, you're a dumbass, we almost got caught the other day, remember? We can't do that much more, I really don't feel like going to jail.” Kelso glares at the short blonde boy in the driving seat. Zach returns the stare with puppy-dog eyes and a big fake frown. “Oh, fine! But just a few more times. Go light this time. And don't. Get. Caught!”
They stop at a department store and all three get out, Kelso muttering the whole time 'this is a really bad idea...why am I here...my friends suck...'
Into the store they walk, attempting to look as innocent as they can. As soon as they get inside Zach speeds off in one direction, leaving Liz and Kelso walking by themselves.
“Well. This is awkward!” Liz announces, making Kelso laugh.
“Not really.”
They smile at each other and start walking towards the clothes section.
“So, I really need some new shirts, but if my mom sees them, she's going to ask me where I got them. And if I say I bought them, she's going to ask where I got the money and how I got to the store. She doesn't believe a word I say...well, that's good on her part, I guess. Don't your parents wonder where you get all your shit?” She looked up at Kelso, then realizing what she had said, looked quickly away again. “Sorry...”
“It's okay...you may think that I'm lucky for not having anyone to interrogate me, but...it kind of sucks, really. This isn't just a hobby. This is how I live. And if I get caught, I'll probably go to jail for a long time.”
A long silence followed the small conversation. They walked clear past the clothes section; they weren't thinking of where they were going, as they were both deep in thought about Kelso's situation.
“Guys let's go let's go!” Zach speeds past them, arms full of merchandise. Liz and Kelso both curse loudly as they chase him to the front of the store. Several security guards stand by the doors, looking like goalies, ready to catch what was flying at them. Zach gets to them and as one reaches for him, the blonde boy throws a pair of jeans in his face. Still running, Zach leaps over said security guard and manages to make it out the wide doors. Liz and Kelso, a ways behind, pick up their speed and follow their friend, leaping over the security guards and speeding out the doors.

Description
Thieves

A loud alarm sounds as three teenagers run full speed out of a Wal-Mart on a rainy spring day. Two employees, one rather big, chubby man and a small old woman chase after them. Luckily for the teens, they are much faster. One of the teens, a red haired short girl, attempts to jump onto a tall curb but trips and falls. An employee nearly catches up to her, but another teen beats him to it and helps the girl up. They run together, trying to catch up to the third. Eventually the employees give up and walk back to the store, defeated.
“That was close....too close. This is getting really dangerous.” One of the teens says, his pale blue eyes looking back to the store.
The other two nod their heads in agreement. “But it's such a good way to get free stuff...I mean look at this!” The red-head reaches into her baggy green pants and pulls out a king-sized candy bar, a pack of mechanical pencils, and a squishy dog toy: a plastic hot dog.
“Seriously,” The third teen, a short blonde boy, says. “We've got no money, how else are we going to live? We don't even have homes.”
“Liz does.” The dark-haired boy says, motioning towards the red-head. “Though it seems like she's going to get kicked out. Your parents are getting sick of you, aren't they? I mean, you're not even there half the time anyways.”
Liz nods her head, looking at the ground. “Yeah...well I'm almost eighteen anyways...though I have nowhere to go. It would kind of suck if I got kicked out. I'd have to live with you two.” A small grin showed itself on her tanned face. The other two glared at her, then laughed.
“Hey, it's not so bad! Living under bridges, getting free food...”
“We can't do that much more, Kelso, they're going to catch us one day! I can't go to jail, we're too young for jail.”
Kelso sighed a small 'shutup Zach', put his hands in his pockets, and slouched. The rain was getting heavier as the three walked through the town.
They walked in silence for several minutes until they reached a bridge, which they instantly ran under to get away from the rain. It was now very heavy and included thunder.
Ring, ring
“Hello?” Liz said as she flipped open her small cell phone. “Yes, mom. No. Yeah. No, I'm not with them. How should you trust me? Mom, I'm not with them! Yes! Okay, fine! Bye.” She closed her cell phone and looked up at her friends, an extremely annoyed look on her face. “I have to go. My mother wants me. I don't know what I'm going to tell her, I said I wasn't with you two. I guess...well, I guess I could say I was at the community center, or the skate park, or something.”
“Just say you were hanging out with Jessica and Brianna.” Zach, the blonde, suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
“My mom would never believe that. Why would she believe that? I don't hang out with preps. Everyone knows that. I mean, even the people who don't know me would know that. Why would I say that?”
“To save your ass?”
“Good point...yeah, maybe I'll say that.”

Twenty minutes later, a soaked Liz approached her small, old house. She never had really realized how badly it needed to be repaired; moldy looking olive-green paint peeled, a few of the dirty windows were cracked or dented, and the lawn was extremely over-grown. The dirt brown steps creaked eerily as she walked up them and opened the old door.
“Finally!” Her mother yelled from the top of the entryway stairs. “Where have you been? I need your help, Elizabeth, the roof is leaking again.” She took a second glance at her daughter. “Oh dear, you're a mess, aren't you? Go change your clothes first, then you can help me. After you're done I want you to take a shower and do your homework. Oh, and I made dinner, it's on the stove. You can eat that after you're done helping me.”
Liz sighed and walked another set of stairs to her room, which was really the attic. After stripping down, she turned towards her full-length mirror. Old scars and new cuts covered her arms and legs; some from falling, some from running through sharp bushes, and some caused by her own self. She sighed and found some dry clothes in her antique dresser, put them on, and walked back downstairs to help her mother fix the leaky roof. Half-way down the stairs she hears her mother yelling. She walks a bit further and realizes that she's the one being yelled at.
“Liz! Where were you? Are you listening to me? Liz! I want to know where you were! You weren't hanging out with those delinquent friends of yours, were you? You can't be with them, I've told you this already! Liz? Elizabeth!” The yells get louder as the young red-head walks further down her stairs. Finally she is on the main story of her house and she can hear her mother completely.
“What, mom? No, I was with ...Jessica and Brianna.” She said slowly. Liz has always been a bad liar, and everyone knew it. Which was a very bad thing, because the need to lie comes up in her kind of lifestyle quite often.
Her mother's stare pierces through the girl, but she says nothing. After several moments of awkward silence, a sponge is thrown at Liz. “Get to work. You're not allowed to go out anymore.”
Liz's mouth hangs open but she says nothing. This is ridiculous. This is retarded! I can't not go out. I'm hate her. I want her dead. Stupid mom. Stupid life. Stupid everything!
The whole rest of the evening is spent mopping up the wet floors and placing buckets under the drippy parts of the ceiling. Liz and her mother only speak once or twice, every time with either a glare or narrowed eyes.
That night she lays in bed, so many thoughts crowding her head that she is almost unable to think. She is angry at her mother, sick of her shitty house, tired of everything. Liz was failing school miserably in her senior year, and thought every day about just dropping out. There was no way she would be able to pass anyways. Just as the thought of running away scrapes her mind, she hears a loud car honk, followed by the sharp sound of a pebble hitting her window. Eyes jolt open, feet hit the floor as Liz runs to her window to see who's outside. Bright headlights turn off as two male voices are barely audible, arguing on the ground far below.
“Elizabeeeeth” A hoarse whisper sounds through the night air. “Come down here.”
A few sneaky creaky doors and sneaky steps later, she is outside and with her friends. “Are you two trying to get me killed? And where did you get this car?” She points at the old gray Toyota, parked beside the two boys.
“Oh, that's my brother's...” Kelso muttered, looking down at his shoes, his dark hair over his face. “Zach kept saying I should take it, so...I did.”
Zach nodded and patted Kelso on the back, grinning. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going! Kelso!”
The tall teenager raised his head and looked at Zach. “Yes?”
“You have the keys, don't you? Let's get going!”
Kelso sighed and walked to the car. He opened the back door, motioning for Liz to get in before getting into his own seat. “Ladies first.”
Open doors, closed doors, keys in the ignition; off they go. Down the highway they speed, swerving between cars, avoiding close accidents.
“Jesus Christ, man, where did you learn to drive?” Liz shouts, hanging on to the seat in front of her for dear life.
“Quality Driving School!”
They all share a good laugh as they continue to zoom down the highway in the old borrowed Toyota.
“So where exactly are we going, anyways?” Zach looks around the car as he asks, hovering his eyes for a moment over Liz's. “There are a few department stores around here, which should we stop at first?”
“...Zach, you're a dumbass, we almost got caught the other day, remember? We can't do that much more, I really don't feel like going to jail.” Kelso glares at the short blonde boy in the driving seat. Zach returns the stare with puppy-dog eyes and a big fake frown. “Oh, fine! But just a few more times. Go light this time. And don't. Get. Caught!”
They stop at a department store and all three get out, Kelso muttering the whole time 'this is a really bad idea...why am I here...my friends suck...'
Into the store they walk, attempting to look as innocent as they can. As soon as they get inside Zach speeds off in one direction, leaving Liz and Kelso walking by themselves.
“Well. This is awkward!” Liz announces, making Kelso laugh.
“Not really.”
They smile at each other and start walking towards the clothes section.
“So, I really need some new shirts, but if my mom sees them, she's going to ask me where I got them. And if I say I bought them, she's going to ask where I got the money and how I got to the store. She doesn't believe a word I say...well, that's good on her part, I guess. Don't your parents wonder where you get all your shit?” She looked up at Kelso, then realizing what she had said, looked quickly away again. “Sorry...”
“It's okay...you may think that I'm lucky for not having anyone to interrogate me, but...it kind of sucks, really. This isn't just a hobby. This is how I live. And if I get caught, I'll probably go to jail for a long time.”
A long silence followed the small conversation. They walked clear past the clothes section; they weren't thinking of where they were going, as they were both deep in thought about Kelso's situation.
“Guys let's go let's go!” Zach speeds past them, arms full of merchandise. Liz and Kelso both curse loudly as they chase him to the front of the store. Several security guards stand by the doors, looking like goalies, ready to catch what was flying at them. Zach gets to them and as one reaches for him, the blonde boy throws a pair of jeans in his face. Still running, Zach leaps over said security guard and manages to make it out the wide doors. Liz and Kelso, a ways behind, pick up their speed and follow their friend, leaping over the security guards and speeding out the doors.