Post by Felypsa on Mar 4, 2007 13:33:03 GMT -6
There it was. Sal’s Convenience Store. Chameleon had only been in there once, months ago, and she thought it was high time to give it another go. She never went into a single store more than once a week. No one’s going to notice if a bag of chips is missing from one store, or a carrot from a street pushcart. But if multiple bags of chips or carrots start disappearing…people get suspicious and wary. Suspicious and wary was the last thing Chameleon needed.
She didn’t like Sal’s last time she went in, because there had only been one other person there and the cashier had been fairly attentive. But Chameleon had hit all of the stores in this vicinity recently, so her best bet with Sal’s. Also, she had noticed a couple going in together, so that was at least two people who could cover her.
Chameleon crossed the one-way street and walked into Sal’s. Luckily, this convenience store didn’t have that annoying bell that rang every time someone walked in. Chameleon hated those. True, no one noticed her anyway, but it was still obnoxious how it absolutely announced her presence. Anyway, Chameleon walked in without fanfare, and scoured the aisles. She was in the mood for something filling. Then she made the mistake of walking by the freezer.
Ohh, Sal’s was famous for its sheet cakes, wasn’t it? Last time Chameleon was here, she was kind of in a rush, so she just grabbed a box of cereal from the shelves. But this time…oh, that cake looked good. Chameleon had only had cake on rare occasions, but she loved it. It was definitely one of her vices. She stared at the vanilla icing with red flowers in one corner…the label said it was chocolate cake beneath it…oh, she had to. It was kind of risky—there were fewer sheet cakes than cereal boxes, so one missing might get noticed—but it would be so worth it…she could share it with Slick and maybe even with Li’l Momma if she was being nice. And Chameleon wouldn’t have to go out for a while, with a sheet cake at hand.
Her mind made up, the small girl in the oversized sweatshirt opened the freezer. A man walking by noticed the change in climate as cold air rushed out, but when he turned to look, he didn’t see anything of interest, so kept walking without wondering about it. Chameleon brought out that cake she had been eyeing so hungrily, closed the freezer door carefully, and walked out of the store without a second glance at the cashier.
No one yelled; no one tried stopping her. No one even noticed her leaving, even though she was carrying a big ol’ sheet cake. Chameleon, happy and satisfied, began to walk back to the old abandoned department store that served as a home to her an about a dozen other homeless people. This was a good choice today. A good find.
Chameleon was so happy with her accomplishment that she crossed the one-way street without looking. A car turning the corner nearly ran into her. Frightened, she hurried to the other side of the street and ducked into the nearest alleyway. Her heart was pounding, and she had almost dropped the cake. It was slipping off when she was running, but once in the alleyway she adjusted it and got it balanced again.
That was a close one, she thought. I hope the driver didn’t think anything of it. She decided to wait out in the alley before trying to get back “home” again. The smell of the cake was intoxicating. She sat down, her back against the filthy wall, and pried off the plastic covering. Not caring for etiquette or germs, she dug her dirty hand into the cake, shoving the messy goodness into her mouth and savoring the wonderful flavor. She definitely deserved this wondrous reward.
