I keep thinking about that day at the store and it makes my stomach do flip-flops every time. Like, full-on CRAWLING feeling. It happened a few weeks ago, after school, when I was supposed to be doing my homework but I just… couldn’t. My brain was all fuzzy, thinking about how I needed some new stuff, like, REAL bad, but my mom already said no. Again. Like always. Everything costs so much here, and I get it, but it just feels like… always no. So I went to that big department store downtown, you know the one, with all the fancy displays. Just to look, honestly. I walked around for ages, touching all the clothes I knew I couldn’t have. And then I saw it. This one thing. It wasn't even that big of a deal, just a… you know. A little something. But I felt like I really, REALLY needed it. Like it would fix something, somehow. Sounds dumb, I know. But in that moment, it felt like the most important thing in the world. My heart was beating like crazy. I looked around, and no one was really paying attention. Everyone was on their phones, or talking really loud. And before I even knew what I was doing, it was just… in my bag. I didn't even think about it. It was like my hand just did it all by itself. I walked out of there feeling all light and floaty, but also really weird, like my insides were buzzing. I got home and shoved it way in the back of my closet, under a pile of old clothes. I haven't even really looked at it since. And every time I think about it, my face gets super hot, even now, just typing this. Like, what if someone saw me? What if I get caught? It was just such a stupid thing to do, but I was just so… I don’t even know. Ugh. Now I just have this constant lump in my throat. I can’t tell anyone, obviously. My friends would think I’m a total freak, or worse. And my mom? Forget it. She’d freak out. I just keep replaying it in my head, how I just walked out, trying to look normal. It was so fast, but it feels like it happened in slow motion. I just wish I could go back and not do it. But I can't. And now it’s just… always there. That thing. And the feeling. The BAD feeling.