Free Sold Out by Melody Carlson

blankly watched everyone. It’s almost as if she were simply a spectator there.
    “What’s this?” The security officer pulled a lime green scarf from Laura’s purse as if he’d just done a magic trick. The sales tag was still dangling from it. I could read the price of twenty-four dollars from where I stood.
    I’ve never seen Laura’s eyes so big. “What? Wha—” she sputtered then recovered. “That is NOT mine.”
    He nodded grimly. “Yes, that’s the whole point.” “Bu-but, I didn’t-”
    He interrupted her by reading the Miranda rights from a note card he just pulled from his pocket. Then he turned to our backpacks. “Kind if I have a little look-see here too?”
    I shrugged and the next thing I knew he waspulling his little magic trick again. Only this time it was a hot pink scarf coming from my pack. And the next one was a purple one from Allie’s. The three scarves were splayed across the table like some sort of hideous rainbow. I turned and glared at Marissa.
    “Next?” the officer held out his hand for her purse.
    Without saying a word, she handed it over, but after a quick search he found nothing. He handed it back. “Pockets?” he asked. Then she pulled out her jean pockets and showed him her jacket pockets until finally he seemed satisfied. “Okay, I guess you’re free to go.”
    “Wait just a minute,” I said quickly. “Marissa, what IS going on here?”
    She just shrugged. “See ya later.”
    “Marissa!” demanded Allie. “You are going nowhere.”
    “Quiet!” said the officer. “You three sit down and shut up. The police will be here in a few minutes.”
    “This isn’t fair-”
    The guard stuck his finger in my face. “I said quiet!”
    So as Marissa ducked out the door, we three sat in stunned silence as the guard removed our various ID cards from our bags and wallets and began writing down names and addresses as if weweren’t even there. What did he think? That if he asked us we would give him false ones?
    Marissa had obviously planted those stupid scarves in our bags, but why? Did she really hate us that much? Just when I thought we were getting somewhere with her too. You never know about people. But to think that she was off the hook—outta here just like that—totally infuriated me. I had absolutely no doubt that she had framed us! And I was so enraged that my fingernails were digging into my palms, but I knew I’d better do as the security officer had said. Keep quiet. Otherwise I’d say something totally regrettable.
    Then I heard this little snuffling noise to my left and turned to see Laura sitting there quietly crying, tears running down both cheeks, and suddenly I felt totally guilty. As if this were somehow my fault. After all, I’d been the one to originally befriend Marissa, and then I’d encouraged Laura to reach out to kids who were searching. And now look where it had gotten us today! I felt like total crud. Perhaps Pastor Rawlins had been right about me all along.
    And yet I was still furious at Marissa too. Holding back my own angry tears, I put my arm around Laura and whispered, “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay.” And then I turned to see Allie on my right. Her face looked pale as a sheet, as if she were inshock, but her head was bowed down, and I could see her lips moving. I knew she was praying. Suddenly I remembered about getting her record expunged and how this would ruin everything. Still fuming, I decided I better follow her lead.
    It seemed like an hour before the police arrived, although I suspect it was only a few minutes. It was a woman officer, and for some reason this made me feel just a tiny bit better. She went out of earshot to talk to the security officer then came back to us. “So is this some kind of a game?” she asked us.
    “Huh?” this from Allie.
    She picked up the three gaudy scarves. “This. I seriously doubt that you girls actually wanted these—uh—colorful scarves. Tell me the truth, are you girls in some new