Broken Windows Chapter 11

If you are new to Broken Windows, thanks for reading. You may want to start here http://paulblais.blogspot.com/2011/11/introduction.html. I hope you have a good time with the book.

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Verge asks me if I wanted to stop at 7-11 which was right on our way home. Well, it wasn’t exactly on our way home. You had to walk about three blocks out of the way to get there. He also said he’d get me a candy bar.

“Hey,” verge said, “I owe you for the gum.”

Stink. In the back of my mind I was still seeing Mrs. Tender dialing the phone when I went into the VP’s office. I was so busted as soon as I cast a shadow in my yard. The longer I could postpone that, then the better. Plus, who the heck doesn’t like candy bars!

It was kind of cool to be hanging out with Verge. Somehow, being stuck in detention gave us a kind of camaraderie. You know, partners in crime, or something stupid like that. Even though we didn’t actually do anything wrong together, it was like we were both getting it from the adults. So it was cool.

We got to 7-11 and he told me to go over to the where the bottled drinks were and grab him a Snapple or something while he grabbed the candy bars. By the time I got back to the front Verge was already in line. There was a dude in front of him, and this really old man behind him.

“I don’t like that flavor,” Verge said as he pointed at the peach ice tea in my hand.

“What flavor do you like?”

“Forget about it. I’m not that thirsty anyhow.”

So I was about to go put it back, and Verge stops me and tells me to just give it to the clerk and that the clerk would put it back.

When it our turn, I handed the clerk the Snapple and told him that we changed our mind. Verge puts one candy bar on the counter and pays for it. I thought that was kind of weird that he was buying just me a candy bar and not one for himself also. Then I thought that he was buying one just for himself. And I started to feel awkward. Did I hear him correctly? Didn’t he say he was going to buy a candy bar for me also? Should I just go and get my own?

I hadn’t really finished working it out in my head when Verge turns to the door and starts to leave. I hesitated for a second and then just fell in step behind him.

Then I heard the old man that was behind us talking to the clerk in an old shaky voice that old people get. “That boy’s got more candy in his pockets that he aint paying for.”

To be totally honest, I didn’t really understand what the old man was saying. I mean not at first. I heard him and all, but it just didn’t make sense to me. Stink. I never stole a thing in my life. Not a penny. And I was thinking, why would he say that I took something when I didn’t?

The clerk then says, “Hey, you guys. Come back here!”

By this time we were already at the door. And Verge doesn’t stop. He doesn’t even look over his shoulder. He just keeps on walking. I am a bit stunned. I feel drawn to just keep up with Verge. It was like he had a rope tied to my neck and I couldn’t obey the command of the clerk. The door closed behind us.

Then I heard the door reopen and I can hear the sound of the clerk’s feet running toward us and he is yelling at us to come back. Verge says, “Lets go!” And he starts running.

Man, I don’t know what came over me. I could have totally stopped and just talked to the clerk. I wouldn’t get in any trouble because I didn’t have anything my pockets. I didn’t even really know Verge all that well. I just happened to be with him. It would have been so easy. So stinking easy to just let the clerk catch up to me.

But I ran. I ran as fast as I could right on the heels of Verge. We rounded the tree that was in the corner of the parking lot and kept on going. The clerk didn’t go any further than the tree. What was he supposed to do, keep chasing us and leave the stupid 7-11 all unattended? That would be really smart.

We kept running though, taking a few turns in the neighborhood so we could disappear. After a couple turns we slowed down to a walk as Verge looked behind us and saw that the coast was clear. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out two more candy bars and hands me one.

“You stole that?” I said. I was still catching my breath, and I just know my face must have been all scrunched up in disbelief. I must have looked like a total dweeb.

“Why do you think we were running? If that dumb ass old man hadn’t seen us, it would have been totally cool.” There were two things that kind of struck me. One was that he said “us”. There was no us in the stealing. It was Verge. The other thing was that the way Verge said this was that the close call was not the result of him doing anything wrong, but instead that the old man had done something wrong. “Why don’t old guys like that just keep their mouths shut.”

I didn’t open the candy bar. I just held it not really knowing what I was supposed to do with it. It was stolen, for Pete’s sake!

“Why did you buy that one?”

“Dude,” Verge explained, “if you are going to take something, then always buy something. If you walk in and just pocket a few things and then leave, man, you are going to get busted. But, if you pocket what you want and then buy something else, you always get away with it. Except when some old man is sneaking around. What does he care for? He doesn’t even work there!”

“Eat your candy bar,” says Verge.

“But you stole it. You said you were going to buy a candy bar for me and then you stole it.”

“I didn’t say that I was going to buy you a candy bar. I said I was going to ‘get’ you a candy bar. I got you a candy bar. What do you care for? You didn’t steal it.”

It was true. I didn’t steal it. I was clear of all guilt, right? But it sure felt like I was the one that did the stealing.

Then it started to bug me, you know, the other candy bar. I mean he bought one stinking candy bar, and then he stole two more.

“Why did you take two candy bars?”

“Oh, this one is for Jack. I owe it to him.”

“What for?”

“It was part of the dare about throwing the gum. I told him that if he hit the Vice Principle, I would get him a candy bar.”

I didn’t eat my candy bar. I just put it in my coat pocket.

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