𝙇𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 (𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢! 𝙊𝘾) 𝙏𝙏𝘾

Stealing Isn't Always Bad...Right?

I can't believe she trusts me enough to just let me go off on my own, Lux thought, glancing through the window at Sylvia. She just met me! For all she knows, I'm a serial killer.

They traipsed to the back of the store, paying attention to all the security cameras in their peripheral vision.

If anyone catches me, I'll be back to having no friends, they reminded themself as they passed the washrooms and went to the clothing aisle. And will be charged some sort of fee, probably. 

Lux went beside a large family full of screaming children, close enough to seem a part of their family to outsiders but not close enough for the family to notice, and grabbed a hoodie. They pretended to trip on one of the kids' feet, falling to the floor and quickly ripping the tag off the hoodie as they did so.

"Are you okay?" the kid who seemed to be the oldest--and most calm--asked, offering them a hand.

Lux forced their cheeks to flush. "Yeah, tha-ank you. So-so-sorr-sorry."

The child grinned and raked a hand through her blonde hair the exact same shade as Lux's. "I don't mind. What's your name? I'm Jaiden!"

"I'm Trix." Lux used the fake name they'd grown accustomed to telling people. "We-well, I-I have to go f-find my mom no-ow." Lux looked down and fidgeted with the dark green hoodie, quietly ripping off the sticker as they did so.

"Ok!" the way-too-friendly kid grinned. "See you!"

Lux waved, grabbing the hoodie with one hand and tying it around their waist in a one-handed knot they'd learned a couple years back.

It's almost too easy.

They walked to the family bathroom and went in, quickly closing the door behind them. Lux took the sweater off and grabbed their filthy sneaker, swiping it over the hoodie in a couple different places. The child of Apollo dusted their stolen hoodie a few times, made the dirt look a little more natural, and put it on.

Stop shaking, they ordered their hands. Of course, the stupid hands wouldn't listen. Typical.

This isn't your first time doing this, Lux reminded themself. You have no hoodie with you. Walmart makes, like, 30 or so billion dollars a year. You stealing a couple of things won't be the end of the world.

They grabbed a wad of paper towel and took a small knife that Sylvia gave them out of their shoe. Now just cover the ink tag with the toilet paper, cut it off with the knife, and... Lux smiled in relief as they successfully removed the one thing that had stopped them from stealing clothing many times before.

The child of Apollo carefully cut up the tag a few times, then hid it in more paper towel before throwing it in the trash.

Now I have pockets. They smiled and cleaned off the knife before putting it in the newly-acquired hoodie.

Lux left the bathroom and wandered over to their quest-mates, snagging a couple random things that could possibly be useful later off the shelves. Maybe Hermes is my father, and all this photokinesis stuff was just a nightmare.

As if on cue, their pinkie finger glowed a bit. Not much, but enough to make Lux sigh. Or not.

"Hey, Lux!" Thalia called, waving them over. "There you are! We're just checking out the stuff we got. Did you get anything?"

Lux shook their head. Tried to make themself believe it, even. But their stupid stomach felt too sick for them to really commit to the lie. Why does my conscience have to exist?

"We found out that in Cloudcroft, there isn't enough snow for skiing, this Walmart sells rubber rats for a dollar each, and there's no easy way in or out of town without a car," Bianca told them when they got closer.