First Chapter Sneak Preview to: Theives

Thieves

Amy Laine

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Dashing from the house, drenched in sweat, I have no idea where I'm going, or what I'm going to do. All I know is I have to get away from here. I should have known that mom and dad would pull something like this! Couldn't they think once of the son they barely knew existed? Was I that unimportant to them? Whatever, what was done was done and you can't erase the past, much as I wanted to. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I ran for anywhere- anywhere that would get me far away. The police would be on my trail any minuet now. It became a chant in my head. Run! Run! Run! The coldness wrapped around my body as soon as I had set foot from the house.

Sadly, my jacket was in my backpack. I pulled it out, still running, and tried to slip it on. No good, I'd have to stop to do it. I set my pack down carefully, and quickly zipped up the jacket. As I take off again, it dawns on me. Mom and dad are thieves! How did I never know this? Did I think that because my mom didn't work and my dad worked at McDonald's that those awesome gifts I got on my birthday were suddenly free? I couldn't believe I was stupid enough to think that maybe they saved up for their wonderful son, who's basketball games they never went too, who's friends could never come over because there was no adult supervision, and failed in most of his report cards to catch his dad's attention.

“Conner,” the last thing my mom said to me before she and dad ran an 'errand', “This opportunity will be big for us. I want you to follow in our footsteps and make us proud. Something might happen-” (What footsteps? Working at McDonald's?) Unforgivably stupid as I was, I interrupted to ask a question. “What do you mean mom? You're coming back aren't you?” I'd set down my Droid (also stolen probably) and sat up on the leather couch (don't ask- you already know where that might have come from too). Mom had gotten this odd look on her face, like she was considering telling me something important. Instead she shook her head as if to dash the thought to pieces and said, “Dinner is in the fridge. Warm it up for yourself. Don't stay up too late.” With that she planted a kiss on my head, even though I was much to old for that. Dad had walked in and given me a thump on the back, and walked out the door to start the car. See? No words, no 'goodbye' from the worlds best dad. Typical.

Somewhere around ten o' clock I got a phone call. I was crunching down some stale pizza, which I may add was not what mom told me to eat, and hunting some monsters down on my Xbox. Some other players that I didn't know kept stealing all the good game, but I didn't talk to them. I'm not a social guy. Still chewing loudly I answered into the phone, “Hello-crunch crunch- who is this? Crunch Crunch.” The other person on the other end took a moment to reply, probably trying to regain their dignity from my (rude I suppose) chewing. “Is this...(shuffling on the other end) Conner...” The person on the other end sounds male. Probably in his mid thirties or so. “Bru-bre-by-” The other man stammers. No one can ever say my last name. Buraybeska. “Never mind my last name- this is Conner.” I sigh impatiently into the phone. By now all the monsters will be dead, and I'll have zero points! I take another sloppy bite of pizza still listening to the guys voice. “Take a deep breath- your parents are in the police custody at this moment. They were caught trying to steal a treasure chest of diamonds from the jewelers shop. Their trial will be held in a week, but will be proven guilty. There is enough evidence. It will surprise you to know, that your parents were very...famous in the FBI and Secret Police. I believe the government kept special tabs on your house as well.” I don't remember my reaction. Sad? Not really. Mad? Possibly. Happy- 0 points.

“Hello? Are you there Conner?” The other guy asks.

“Yeah...um, so what will happen to me now?”

“Possibly first you will go to the Homeless Shelter for Boys but only for a temporary time, and then we might move you to Foster Care unless one of your relatives claims you before then, and then-”

“Thanks, but no thanks!”

“You have no choice.” The man sounds annoyed. I guess his day just is not going right. “We'll see about that.” I slammed the phone down, and suddenly couldn't concentrate on Monster Hunting 3 anymore. Why hadn't mom and dad once thought about what would happen to their son if they got caught? Oh wait- mom did. She wanted me to become a criminal too. Gee thanks for the advice mom! My fury bubbles up inside of me, but I almost as if I this was a typical day, in which things like this always happen I walk to my room.

In slow motion, I pack all the things I would need into the biggest back pack I had. Which is too say, normal size for a seventh grader. In goes my Ripley's Believe It Or Not special edition, a pack of gum, baseball cards, Droid, cell phone, and brush. After trying to stuff my Xbox into it, I realize it won't fit. In place of it goes a bag of chips and a picture of the girl I just can't stop looking at in the hallway. I admire my packing skills until I hear one of the few times my dad talked to me echoing in my head. We were packing to go stay in the mountains for four days.

“Conner,” His voice was stern as her surveyed my choices. “You need to pack the necessary items? Do you need gum? Really?” It's like dad is in this very room spitting in my face. Well now your in jail! I think must to make myself feel better. I look at my things. Did I need them? Yes-no-yes-yes-no-no-no....darn it! I emptied my backpack again and started over.

In when some food, beef jerky, ramen noodles, cold pizza, Gatorade and a water bottle. Then my cell phone, one pair of extra clothes, jacket, small throw pillow, girls photo, wallet with $205, and a copy of The Hunger Games in case surviving in the wild got boring. Because this is exactly what I was going to do. Run away, make friends with bears, eat berries and grass, and become a lunatic for the rest of my days on Earth.

Once I'm set up, I use the restroom. Who knows when there will be a bathroom out in the woods? As I head out the house, I grab hand sanitizer. Clean hands, dirty hands, they make a difference sometimes. (Key word: Sometimes-mom!)

I know I have to act fast though. That police officer probably wants to grab my neck and strangle me- which probably leads to the moral of my day so far. Never hang up on 911.

I bolt out the door, and then here I am running for all it's worth. I still don't know how I am going to survive. What am I doing? Where will I go? The woods at night, don't seem like a good option to me. I can hear sirens in the distance, but as they get closer to my house, they are shut off. They really think I'm deaf? Just because those stupid police guys turn off their signal of Trying to close in on criminal's son will help catch me?

I dart into a bush and watch an officer kick open the door of my house. “What's with the James Bond?” I mutter under my breath. The guy even has a gun! What would I do? Hit them on the head with the Guinness World Records? (Not a bad idea!) Soon two more officers follow and I decide to leave. When they realize I'm not hiding behind the couch, they'll come looking. But the odds? Am I really that important? Just as I thought that an officer comes out of the house yelling into his radio.

“We need that boy! He's important! The son of two famous thieves mixed in breed? He could be dangerous! Tell the shop owners to be on the look out.”

So much for them not searching for me. I take a deep breath and then race over flat, marsh, mud, dry, and concrete ground. I can't tell if they saw me but no car follows. My jacket seems like little warmth, but for now, it has to do. I can't go in a shop to buy some more jackets, or a blanket because managers will close their doors and call the FBI if they even think they see me from 400 miles away!

I forget this two hours later, as I wearily travel the streets. It's almost one o' clock and I had no sleep last night. As I wonder in front of a small gift shop a man, comes out. Bleary eyed, and looking as if he just got up from bed. Then he locks eyes on me. “Sortez d'ici!” He shrieks, in obviously French. Okay...what does THAT mean? I wonder. Seriously, dude- It's not cool pretending you speak French.“Pound!” The man cries and locks the shop door. Did he just say the pound? What am I- an animal?

I decide to take it as a compliment- how else should I put it? I walk over to a park bench, and- well after that I guess I fell asleep. When I woke up I heard voices and a guy talking quietly (only not so much) into his radio. WTH! Is the first thought. The next moment, I was up, and pounding grass underneath my feet as I took off for the woods. A guy dressed in camou leaps up out of a bush shouting and waving his hands. His voice is barely audible in my sleepy brain. “Move in! Move in on B-by-bu- Move in on Conner!” Maybe last names do help sometimes!

I don't know how long they've been chasing me. It was stupid of me to let that French speaking Pound talking dude see me. I give myself a thwack on the head, just for that, as I run. My throat burns, and I need something to drink. It occurs to me that I have not had food yet. I check over my shoulder and see two police officers chasing me. I would have thought, I was 'important' and have my own satellite by now!

My legs, are complaining for me to stop. Yeah, I don't usually wake up to officers in my face, and then take off running in the park. Neither do I normally sleep on a hard bench! (Although you would THINK I would!) Another thing to add to my list of No Mores- Never sleep on a hard bench in the middle of a park, and let a French speaking shop owner see you, because he will call the Police on you (even though the guy thought it was the pound).

I scan the area, looking for any safe place to hide. But the place where I am at, is all open terrain. 

COMMENT (BOYS MAINLY) IN CASE I SHOULD REWRITE THIS!!!