0.21 An Unexpected Meeting

"Item number thirty-five. Rob a store," Ariana let out as Jared widened his eyes in shock.

"Excuse me, what?" he belted out.

"What? I said to rob the store, Jerry," Ariana repeated.

"Yeah, I heard that, but why?"

"Why what?" Ariana asked innocently.

"I don't know, but I'm sure we both know that's a crime, Miss Ariana," Jared let out.

"So?" Ariana asked.

"S-So? We can get caught and go to jail for a crime," Jared said with a duh tone.

"Like I don't know that? That's the whole fun of robbing a store," Ariana turned around to walk down the pavement.

"Then why are we doing it?! There are more safer ways to have fun, we can-"

Ariana turned back to stare at him.

"But that is the item on my list so we are going to have to do it, and the owner of the shop is rumored to have stolen from other shops around him so we are merely stealing what he stole back," Ariana shrugged.

"But that's just a rumor, you don't know if it's true," Jared shot back.

"Yes, I do, judging from the staunch personality he has, I wouldn't expect less from him. And don't worry, I am going to leave a cheque for him in a few days," Ariana turned back to walk.

"Then what's the whole point of stealing in the first place?" Jared followed behind her.

"For the fun, Jerry dear, for fun," Ariana sighed.

"But-"

"Okay! if you are going to keep on pestering me like this, we are going to have serious problems! If you don't want to do it, then leave, I'm not going to force you! You're the one who said you wanted to join me and whatnot!" Ariana hissed.

"I didn't say I wasn't-"

"Then stop talking and keep moving! We would have been done by now if you hadn't been talking," Ariana flipped her ponytail in his face before she turned to walk towards the store.

Jared looked around uncertainly before he followed her with a scowl on his face.

He knew with or without him, Ariana was going to do what she wanted to do but he didn't mean to rob a store when he said he wanted to experience something new in his life!

Well, he knew not what to expect with Ariana Jatropesh.

Jared reached the store as he saw Ariana peeping in through the glass door.

"What? Is someone there?" he asked as he tried to look before she held his face.

"Don't look there, your job is to keep a lookout for any incoming danger. Gosh, haven't you robbed before?" she turned his face away as she shook her head.

"No, I haven't," he rolled his eyes as he looked at the empty streets with his sweaty palms.

There wasn't anyone around here because most of the stores were closed in this area by now but still, Jared felt anxious.

Was that tree moving forward? Did that trashcan just smirk at him?

He felt oddly off and kept shuffling on his feet.

Ariana took a pin from her hair as she used it to pick the lock on the shop with excitement coursing through her fingertips.

When she heard the satisfying click on the door, a wild smile came to her lips before she tapped her accomplice on his shoulder.

"All clear, partner," she said as Jared jumped from slight shock.

"Let's go," she waved as she moved inside without a sign of hesitation.

Jared said a silent prayer under his breath before he moved into the store and stayed close behind Ariana who hunched her back to stay away from the spotlight.

If he died here, he needed his dad to forgive him for sneaking out of the house.

The store was a small but cozy shop in which snacks, beverages, and some other appliances were sold.

Jared turned his eyes all over the dark store as they moved in between stealthily.

"Where are we going?" Jared whispered to Ariana from behind.

"We need to get to where they put their money. After that, we're going to steal some snacks, don't worry," Ariana whispered back excitedly and Jared facepalmed.

When they got to the end of a stack, Ariana moved to the next stack quickly and when Jared was about to move, what he saw made him jump back quickly.

"What's wrong?" Ariana whispered from the other side.

Jared didn't say anything as he kept on pointing in the other direction with frantic eyes.

"What?!" Ariana asked.

"T-There-" Jared stuttered out as he motioned to something there.

Ariana scrunched her face in confusion as she couldn't understand what he meant. She then looked from the aisle and when she saw what he meant, her eyes widened as she covered her mouth with shock.

At the end of the aisle and by the freezer, two large figures were standing as they dropped their head in the chest of the freezer while they licked ice cream without a care in the world.

"Are those-" Ariana whispered.

"Thieves!!" Jared finished the sentence.