I jumped back to the door—they had stopped arguing! I went crazy in fright! She said something. He said something. Then it was quiet. I was praying. They’d probably catch me trapped in here. But he started talking. He kept on talking loud. Mom didn’t say anything. God, I was still OK. Back again to the pocketbook. An envelope with money—a hundred, hundred, hundred, hundred! It was full of hundred-dollar bills! My God, it was so much! Much more than I needed. But there were no smaller bills. I looked around as though someone might be watching. I had to take a hundred, there was nothing else. They had much more money than I thought. And giving me such a hassle when it was so important to play my best. I was doing a terrible thing, very bad. But I was already doing it. Commandments scooted across my head like video game targets. Was my old glove so bad? I should check again first. But there was the money as if it was waiting for me...except, I knew it was wrong. I felt as if I were going over some edge when I shoved the bill in my pocket. Pretty fast I put things like they were and the purse clinked when I closed it. But I felt free, I did. I would buy my glove and put back the change. She would never know.

Dad was still talking, not loud. Mom said something and I could tell they weren’t arguing anymore. I went to my room and could only dream about my new glove, every once in a while taking out the money to look at it. It smelled good, too. She would get it back. She would have her money and I would have my glove. We’d be even.

I woke up before Mom and Dad, which never happened before. 

Enjoy the rest of "War Between the States" in the soon-to-be-released Adult Stories.

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