Free The Fixes by Owen Matthews

thinking he’s grasping, if he believes some fanatic’s blog.
    But that look.
    Is that the same expression Roger Dodger saw just before Eric’s dad and his buddies kicked the shit out of him?
    Fuck it.
    Maybe not , Eric tells Jordan. When’s your next Fix?

    KIK -- CAPILANO HIGH PRIVATE MESSAGE GROUP – 07/10/16 – 02:56 PM
    USERNAME: SuIcIdEpAcK
    MESSAGE: Spikes are for Louboutins, not homeless people.

89.
    â€œIt’s a competition,” Paige tells them. “We all go in at the same time. Whoever comes out with the most stuff—without getting arrested—is the winner.”
    â€œWhat do we win?” Jordan asks.
    Paige shrugs. “Pride, I guess.” Then she grins. “And a lot of free stuff.”
    They’re sitting in the food court at Pacific Center, the high-end mall downtown, listening as Paige lays out her Fix.
    Haley raises her hand. “I’m confused. When you say ‘the most stuff,’ do you mean by volume or value?”
    â€œValue,” Paige says. “Sticker price. So save your tags.”
    She looks around.
    â€œAny other questions?”
    Eric kind of coughs. The others look at him. “I mean, it sounds fun and all. But what’s the, you know, point ?”
    â€œOh god.” Haley rolls her eyes. “Is he going to wuss out again?”
    Jordan holds up his hand. “No, it’s a good question. Paige, what exactly are we fixing by being here?”
    â€œI’m glad you asked, E.” Paige finishes her soda. “Maybe you guys heard, but last week the store owners decided they were sick of seeing homeless people camped outside their doors. But instead of doing something about the problem, they had little spikes put down on every flat surface near the doors, so nobody could lie there.”
    She shakes her head. “It’s total bullshit. They sell three-thousand-dollar coats and that’s how they treat people.”
    â€œSounds like a good enough reason for a Fix,” Jordan says. He claps his hands and stands. “Yup. Let’s teach these dickheads a lesson.”

90.
    The Fix:
    Swarm The Room—
    (the luxury department store at the north end of the mall)
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  — en masse . Steal as much as possible without getting caught.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  (No points for dye packs or damaged merchandise.)
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  In and out. Lightning fast. Blitzkrieg. Rendezvous at the cruise ship pier, three blocks away. Lose security in the crowds.
    Don’t. Get. Caught.

91.
    The Room is three floors of fun.
    Women’s wear on the top floor. Sunglasses, jewelry, and cosmetics in the middle. Menswear on the bottom. An open atrium in the center, two spindly escalators. It’s a Sunday, so the store is jam-packed, mostly with rich kids spending their parents’ money. The Suicide Pack will fit right in.
    (Except they’re not spending shit.)
    Eric and Haley and Jordan and Paige stand at the third-floor entrance from the mall. They’re all wearing baseball hats to hide their faces from the security cameras. Paige’s long blond hair is tied up, out of sight. They’re wearing shoes for a track meet. They’re ready to run.
    (They’re wearing GoPros, too, to record the insanity.)
    (Hey, gotta satisfy the fans.)
    Eric can hear his heart beating, feel it pounding in his chest, like he’s standing at the top of a high cliff, and he’s about
    to jump          
    o            
    f        
    f     
    (Splat.)

92.
    There’s a security guard by The Room’s entrance.