Free The Fixes by Owen Matthews Page B

kids and panhandlers and suburban staycationers. Eric turns north and bobs and weaves through the crowd, watching for police and slow walkers and more mall security.
    He’s gasping.
    His lungs burn.
    This is serious freaking exercise.
    Three blocks to the cruise ship pier.
    Don’t look back.

96.
    Eric makes it to the pier.
    Two cruise ships are in today, both of them massive. The pier is crawling with old people walking slow and snapping pictures. The rallying point is the souvenir stand by the west entrance. Paige is already there, half hidden behind an extended Asian family buying goofy hats. Paige is holding a souvenir bag of her own.
    Eric hurries over. Paige gives a weak smile when she sees him. She’s panting for breath too. She’s perspiring.
    â€œThe others?” she asks Eric.
    Eric shrugs, looks around. “I saw Haley in jewelry. Then I bolted. Jordan was upstairs with you.”
    â€œGuess we’re waiting.” Paige nudges Eric’s arm up. Examines the jacket. “Burberry. Nice. You went classic, I see.”
    â€œI was trying for jeans, but some salesman freaking tackled me,” Eric tells her. “What’d you get?”
    Paige opens her souvenir bag. A tangle of lace and a postcard at the bottom. “Just some underwear,” Paige says. “La Perla and Frederick’s. Probably isn’t even my size.” She gestures to the souvenir stand. “I just bought the postcard so they’d give me the bag.”
    â€œDid you have any trouble getting out?”
    â€œNah. After Jordan body-checked that dude in the entrance the whole store was focused on him. I just got as faraway as possible. Nobody even saw me.”
    â€œThey were hard on Jordan, huh?” Eric frowns. “I hope he got out.”
    â€œHe got out,” Paige says. “They both did. We just have to wait.”

97.
    They wait. Minutes pass. Long, agonizing minutes.
    Eric wonders what would happen if Jordan and Haley were caught. He wonders if Jordan’s big talk about having a good lawyer is actually true.
    He wonders—
    (selfishly)
    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  —if the police could trace Jordan and Haley to him.
    He wonders if this will fuck up his law school application.

98.
    Just when Eric’s deciding that yes, having two friends booked for Grand Theft Luxury will probably affect his future—
    (and just when Eric’s starting to stress )
    â€”Paige nudges his arm. Points through the crowd.
    â€œBam,” she says. “What did I tell you?”
    Eric follows her gaze. Sure enough, there’s Jordan and Haley, limping and staggering onward like they just fought a war.
    Jordan’s still grinning, though.
    (That cocky smile.)
    And they’re both holding armloads of stolen merchandise.
    â€œHad to get a little creative,” Jordan says when they’re all standing together. He nudges Haley. “Had to bail this one out of a little fiasco.”
    â€œSecurity had me cornered,” Haley says. “I forgot there’s no mall exit on the second level. Dumb.”
    â€œAnyway, we all made it,” Jordan says. “So let’s see who won.”

99.
    They drive back to Jordan’s house big freaking mansion. Eric’s buzzing like a live wire, amped up on adrenaline. He can hardly sit still in the passenger seat, keeps squirming around as they drive back across the bridge, checking behind them for police lights.
    Haley catches him looking, rolls her eyes, like he’s the lamest human being in all of Capilano—
    (which he might be)
    â€”but Paige smiles at him, just a little, before she turns to look out her own window again. They’re all wound up, caught in the adrenaline afterglow. Personally, he feels so terrified he could puke, but it’s kind of all right, too. They’re in this together. It’s been a