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“Does he know you took it?”
“No.” I grinned mischievously before running into the store.
That was my candy store. I picked about twenty-five dresses and brought them to the counter.
“Bonjour,” I sang sweetly.
“Salut—” The woman smiled, unsure.
“Parlez vous anglais?” I blinked.
“Oui.” She nodded. “Yes. ‘Ow ken I ‘elp?”
I shoved the dresses towards her. “I’d like these in my size please.”
She blinked at me a few times. Bridget shifted uncomfortably behind me. “You said you’d buy me something?”
“Anything you want, Bridge.” I gave her a big smile.
I turned my attention back to the shop assistant, smiling up at her. “My size please.”
“Erm, this do not come in your size.”
I blinked at her. “Are you calling me fat?”
“Non.” She sniffed a laugh as she shook her head. “I am calling you a child.” She looked around. “Where are your parents?”
“We’re orphans!” I lied, giving her a big grin.
The woman eyed Bridget and me suspiciously. “What zort of orpheens wear Dolce et Gabbana?”
Bridget frowned at her.
“There are lots of ways you can be an orphan.”
The woman’s face softened towards my sister and then she took the credit card from me.
“Did you steal this?” She peered down at me.
“Yes.” I shrugged. “From my father. But he won’t be cross, I promise. He won’t have even noticed.”
The woman pursed her lips then nodded, rang it all through.
By the time we left the shop, it was dark out and wet. Bridget glared over at me, arms crossed, one foot stomping in a puddle.
“Now you’ve really gone and done it!” she growled. “Where are we?”
I pursed my lips nervously. “I don’t know.” I looked around then pointed. “We came from that way.”
She shook her head. “No, we didn’t.”
And then I felt it — I didn’t know what it was at the time, but now I know it was anxiety. I started to breathe quicker, my palms went sweaty, my eyes were unable focus right. Then Bridget snapped my hand up in hers.
She shook her head sternly.
“It’s going to be okay. Don’t be scared.”
She found a map in a corner store and pulled out the compass she always kept in her back pocket on vacations, which every day til then I had teased her for using, but she remembered the address of our hotel.
