Retrospect

Twenty

    I woke up, again, after everyone else had. Maybe I'd just been so used to sleeping in all the time when I had lived in the Laurier Section, but I knew if I continued to do this, I'd lose half the day where I could be getting things done. Groggily, I stood, gathering my bag and Ana was the first to call out.

   "Oh, look, she's not dead." Everyone turned their attention on me and I suddenly felt glued to the spot.

   They all looked like they'd been discussing something in the middle of the room, sitting on couches or the floor close together. I just hoped they hadn't been watching me sleep the whole time. I walked over to them and sat down on the couch I'd eaten the cookie on the night before. Reeves was on a chair across from the couch.

   "Cory, Murl has told me you have stolen people's clothes," Reeves said, looking to me.

   Ana snickered at this and a smile was breaking free on Miles' face. I went into further detail about the idea to Reeves. "Yeah," I started, "something like that. To get into the aquarium you have to follow a dress code or you aren't allowed in."

   Reeves' stone cold expression remained, but he nodded which I took as a good sign. "And you want to help us," he gestured to Rich and Alvin, "steal too?"

   Ana was wearing a devious grin as she spoke up. "Cory thinks you guys aren't as good as her so she's trying to show off—"

   Reeves held out his index finger in front of Ana, not even glancing at her. "I think the idea makes sense," he announced.

   Ana turned away from the group and I smiled, mainly because Reeves had agreed with me, but also because Ana was shot down before she could make any accusations.

   Reeves dipped his head and got to his feet, gesturing for Rich and Alvin to stand too. "Alright, we should probably get this over with early before any officers are stationed around the city for today."

   "Oh, um," I stood up, brushing off my pants, "I was thinking of just taking one of you today. It'll look suspicious with all of us together." Reeves narrowed his eyes in thought.

   "Well... Why don't Murl and Miles take whoever you don't take?" The gray-eyed man asked.

   Murl shook his head almost immediately. "Ana did all of the stealing for me. I don't think it'd be a great idea if you made me do it."

   Reeves scanned over the group again. "Okay, then Ana and Miles," he decided, Ana throwing her arms up in frustration.

   "I'm not wasting my time teaching anyone things they should already be pretty good at by now. They're supposed to be thieves," she complained, storming away.

   "You can't blame us," Rich said, "we only stole a few things. They were important, but not as important as anything Cory's stolen before." He looked over at me and I knew he was talking about the device. I appreciated him trying to make me sound so great, but I found it only made the others depend on me more and Ana hate me. Now if I made a single mistake, I wouldn't be living up to how Rich was painting me out to be.

   Ana ignored Rich, and Reeves crossed his arms. "Alright, maybe Miles can-"

   "I'm really sorry, but I have somewhere to go today," Miles said, sneaking a wink at me. I knew exactly where that "somewhere" was. He was going back to the alley he had told me about last night. It had felt so surreal, being the only two awake, talking to him when everyone had been fast asleep. I recalled that I had agreed to go with him tonight to check it out, but I guess he wanted investigate more to see if something else would happen.