Discount Shopping

[Jared Bell]

Thread takes place on January 3, 2013

Jared was looking for something worth doing and seen as how he had left most of his wardrobe in Europe it looked like a little discount shopping was going to be on the agenda for today. You didn't have to spend all of your money if you used a five finger discount as Jared was used to. He looked around his dorm and grabbed the thickest hoody he owned. Sighing to himself he threw it on and left his room. Now to find a shopping partner. He had a certain ginger in mind. The only problem would be convincing him that he needed a new cardigan.

As he left the dorm he reached into his pocket and lit up a cigarette, puffing on it as he walked to the boys dorm. He couldn't remember if the smell bothered Odion but he was at least trying to be courteous. He could feel the cold biting his bare hands as he finished the rest of his smoke. As soon as he was done he phased through the wall and made his way down the hall. He counted the doors until he was beside Odion's room. He phased through the wall and walked into Odion's bathroom where he heard the shower running.

Jared grabbed a towel and put on the counter, then walked back to the kitchen to fill a cup full of icy water. He walked back into the bathroom and poked his head into the shower just to see where his friend was. He then proceeded to dump the whole cup over the shower curtain onto the man's naked body. He listened for the shriek than put his hands up defensively as if to say that he didn't mean anything by it.

Jared looked down as Odion left the shower and tossed him the towel. "That's quite the gun you're packing there mate." He said with a smirk. Leaning against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know what you're thinking but doors are for chumps when you can just come and go as you please." They had shopping to do and he wasn't about to let Martin out of it.

"So heres the scoop mate, I left a good chunk of my clothes behind when I moved and I need to do a little shopping. I could only think of a few people who love five finger discounts as much as I do, but I think you need a new look much more than Goddard." Jared said with a laugh. He eyed the half naked Odion and waited for him to respond or at least finish getting dressed so he could be dragged along with or without his consent.

(Odion)

[Odion Martins]

It wouldn’t take much to convince Odion to go shopping. His closet was pretty full as it was, but he could always use something new. Besides, he didn’t have a lot of cardigans that he liked anymore. As it was, Odion had just recently finished putting all the clothes from his trip to Boston for Christmas with Lani back in his closet. And now, he was in desperate need of a shower. Not that he hadn’t showered while in Boston or anything, but it was nice to be back to what he knew. Odion was a creature of habit.

The smell of a good cigarette wouldn’t bother Odion at all, though he hadn’t lit one up for a couple months now. The ginger liked to have one every once in a while as a treat. He wasn’t that kind of creature of habit. So when, in the middle of his shower, Odion felt the water turn cold there was only one thing to do: jump away from the shower stream like he had been bitten by a snake. His head jerked to the side. Had someone flushed the toilet or something? And if so, who the hell was in there with him? Obviously not one of his roommates. Unashamedly, he whipped the shower curtain back, momentarily showing off his entire body before his eyes caught sight of who was there.

“Bell,” he said in relief, “can’t you just knock?” Odion asked, his eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Jared was turning into royalty. Well, there was no point in taking a relaxing shower now, so Odion rinsed off and stepped out. It wasn’t anything Jared hadn’t seen before. Odi only smirked and wrapped the towel around his waist – fucking Jared. “Do you spy on naked people often?” Odi quipped, before shaking his head and laughing. “Don’t answer that.”

Listening to Jared, Odion put something in his hair, a hard look on his face as Rhett was mentioned. “And what would that new look be? Asshole?” Okay, he and Rhett still weren’t on the best of terms, but Odi didn’t want to be any time. Ever. Odi raised an eyebrow at Jared’s reflection in the mirror. “Well are you going to watch me dress too?” At least Odion was agreeing to go.

[Jared Bell]

Jared couldn't help but roll his eyes. He never had believed in knocking, and that was something Odion should have remembered. "You know full well I'm nothing but a bloody pervert." He shook his head, he had always enjoyed speaking a peek when he had the chance, after all his favorite part of Science class had always been anatomy. "Obviously my d is out of control. I haven't managed to land a broad yet." He said with a laugh. Odion had always found it amusing when he complained of being sexually frustrated.

"Mate, you've been dressing like an asshole a lot longer than he has. Perhaps you can shoot for royal douche." Jared replied smartly. With the attitude he was receiving he had a hard time not staying to watch the show. "Right, I'd best go get your knickers for you." He said as he nudged Odi playfully. He had full intentions of playing dress up with his pet ginger. By now this should have been expected of him, but Odion couldn't have cared that much otherwise he never would have agreed to come in the first place.

Jared left the bathroom and went to raid Odion's bedroom. He grabbed a decent looking pair of red jeans and a black v-neck. Shaking his head he made a mental note that his friend needed some more comfortable clothes rather than all those dressy things that would get wrecked doing something like parkour. He even found a decent smelling bottle of after shave. He brought his neat little pile back to the bathroom and placed it on the counter in front of Odion.

"What the hell have you been doing mate? Did you have a wank or something while I found your clothes? You're just as wet as when I left you." Jared said with a laugh. He was ready to go and now it came down to waiting for his friend to be ready to go. The time turner always had used all the time in the world.

[Odion Martins]

Odion was only barely getting used to Jared being around at all, he could’ve knocked as a courtesy. The statement of honesty made Odi laugh, and he couldn’t help but think that his old friend and Avinea would get along rather famously. But he wasn’t about to mention anything of the sort, not if it involved Jared being a pervert to her too. Odi raised an eyebrow at the bloke. His ‘d’, honestly? What was he, twelve years old? Odion didn’t grace the comment with another.

“So it isn’t new then,” Odion said, not really interested in talking about Rhett anymore. Lani had said that he liked the way Odi dressed, and if that wasn’t reinforcement enough, Odi’s own stubborn attitude would be. If anyone thought he didn’t look good, they could shut it. Odion smirked as Jared made to leave, calling out, “Bitch!” He felt quite satisfied with himself. It would seem now would be the moment he fulfilled his role of a real life gingerbread man.

In Odi’s mind, it didn’t matter if his clothes were wrecked while on the move. They were easily replaced, and he wanted to look good while doing something he was good at. Life was a constant performance, and even though Odi preferred to stay out of the shadows, that didn’t mean people weren’t watching him.

While Jared was gone, Odi stared at himself in the mirror. He hadn’t meant to get lost in thought, but between what had happened during this Christmas and New Year’s, Odion had a dopey smile on his face. His life was turning out pretty well all things considered. Jared came back into view with a pile of things. Saving himself from embarrassment, Odion paused time, dried off, and got dressed. By the time he let time resume, he was already putting on the after shave. And yes, he had done that too.

“Alright Bell, I suppose you want me to show you around town as well,” Odion stated, feeling strangely naked in something so simple.

[Jared Bell]

"Nah mate, you dress sharp, I'm just giving you the harassment you've missed out on in the past while." Jared said. Nobody could handle Odion quite like he did. His abuse was the only kind he had ever seen his dear friend take. He looked over his shoulder and yelled back at Odion "I love you too mate!" He had a wide smile on his face. Shaking his head he went back to the task at hand. He needed new clothes and he didn't want to be bored while he did it.

"I don't know where you'd be without that power of yours... You take more time getting ready than most of the dates I've had."Jared said with a laugh when clothes suddenly appeared over Odi's body. "You know we could have some fun with that power of yours." If only His friend enjoyed the female form as much as he did. It was probably best that he didn't have the time to see quite as much as he wanted. Not that he didn't like his own power, but the grass really did seem greener on the other side in most cases.

"Only if you want to, mate. I can hotwire a car for us and then we at least have transportation." Jared said. He always had been interested in bigger takes. He wasn't even sure if Odion knew he could steal practically anything with wheels. It was hard for him to keep track of everything. He was slightly worse than absent minded. "You'll need a jacket before we go, it's damn cold out there." He warned. He would have grabbed one of those too but he wasn't sure where they were kept.

Jared turned and walked through the wall and into the next room. This was his way of saying he was ready to go. "Bet you'll still beat me to the parking lot he called as he walked out the door. He made his way outside again and headed to the parking lot. He surveyed the vehicles that were there and turned around to wait for Odion.

When the red head did show up Jared simply looked at him and non chalantly asked "So which one do you want to drive?" He could easily get any of these started.

[Odion Martins]

“Excuse me?” Odion asked, looking at Jared incredulously. “Do you want to go shopping or not? Because unlike your dates, I’m not interested in being wooed.” Jared had better start acting more thankful and less stupid before Odi changed his mind. But he smiled soon enough. “We’ve always had fun with my power.”

“Can you drive now?” Odion asked, wondering how much he had missed since he last saw Jared. Already heading to his closet, the ginger just shook his head. “I’ve been here longer than you have Bell, I know when I need a jacket.” Putting said jacket on, Odi surveyed his old friend. “Speaking of, we’ll have to get you one of those today.” It was funny how his accent seemed to flourish around Jared, like he just couldn’t quite get rid of the damn thing.

Not in any rush, Odion locked up his room and met Jared outside. Let him freeze a little, maybe he’d rethink barging in on Odi next time he felt the urge. Why didn’t he go bother Rhett for a while? But just as Jared hit the outdoors, the desire to win hit Odion. He did get outside first. “Doesn’t matter to me,” Odi said, nodding his head towards an old truck. “That one has the keys in it already.” Odion liked to keep tabs on people he didn’t like, or more specifically, who were dating his brother.

“Shall we?” He asked, smirking as he knew he had taken the fun out of this part of the trip for Jared. Getting into the passenger seat, Odi wanted for the comment about riding ‘bitch’ and glanced out the window, wondering if Jared wanted to talk about the... situation he had gotten himself into recently. “So are you going to tell me what’s really going on with you? Or are we going to have another reunion?” Odi’s look was serious and on Jared – he refused to remain in the dark. Jared probably wasn’t expecting something so outright, but Odion had recently acquired a backbone.

[Jared Bell]

"Can I drive?" Jared scoffed. Some people needed to place a little more faith in their friends it would seem. "Course, I'm looking for something slightly dressy, but casual enough that people won't call me a prick behind my back." He said with a laugh. He had the exact look in mind and he was fairly sure his friend would be able to find something suitable if he couldn't. They had quite frequently had competitions in the past and it all came down to who could get the best loot.

Looking at the truck and back to Odion Jared smirked. The only reason Odi would have picked that pile from the rest was because of a personal vendetta. He was well aware that the ginger liked to have some style. "Sure we can take that heap, but first I want to know whose it is." He said smugly. The two of them knew each other well so keeping secrets wasn't exactly easy. He walked over to the truck and hopped in. Starting it up he quickly realized that it didn't sound nearly as bad as it looked.

Jared lazily looked over at Odion and revved the engine in response. He peeled out of the parking lot simply because it wasn't his car anyway and took off toward the mall. Of course his friend wanted to know everything about what was going on. He had been read just like he had read Odion earlier. He pulled the truck over, knowing that it was going to take a little more time to tell the whole story. However he didn't know that the ginger had grown a set since the last time they met. "When did you're man parts suddenly drop?" He muttered quietly to himself before looking to the ginger.

"You want the whole of it hey?" Jared asked. He was going to need a smoke to tell this story. He lit one up and offered another to Odion. "Can't remember if you like these but have at it if you want." He said before inhaling deeply. "Long story short... you remember Kevin from the old family?" he paused for a moment before continuing. "It was that bloody wanker that got me tossed. He stole my take and turned it in for his own. Left me with bloody nothing. Me being who I am put it together and tracked him down. It was never about an easy take mate. It was about a lost life and revenge." He said honestly. Jared couldn't even be sure if his friends would want to help now that the full truth was out.

"It wasn't easy getting by on my own mate, and I wanted to give that devil what he deserved. I don't know if you and Goddard still talk with him but you two are the closest to family I've got left." He said. The cat was out of the bag and now he had to see how it would play out. The worst case scenario meant running again. Something that he was starting to get used to.

[Odion Martins]

“It doesn’t matter what you wear Bell, people are still going to call you a prick behind your back.” Odion said all this and completed it with a smile. He had just the right jacket in mind though.

Odion couldn’t care less about style when his reputation around here was nonexistent to barely known at best. But Jared was right, there was nothing sweeter than ruining something someone else found valuable that you didn’t give a damn about. It was about time Osiris had a little something happen to him anyways, that guy was always walking around like he owned the place. “He’s dating my brother,” Odion gave Jared a hard look, “and he cheated on my brother.” Odi wasn’t opposed to accidently smashing the car either, and Jared was going to find out about Declyn one way or another, might as well be from him.

“So you’ve made your mental map?” Odion asked, sitting as tall as possible in his crappy, uncomfortable seat. Did Jared really have to tell him right here? Odion was kicking himself for taking his hunk of shit after all – it was going to be scrap metal by the end of the day. Odi glanced over at Jared, his eyes turning into slits. “When I met someone.” He didn’t care if Jared thought it was Rhett or not, but Odi did have Rhett to thank in part for meeting Lani.

Nodding only once, Odion’s attention was fully on Jared. God he hadn’t changed a bit. Still had the light colored eyes and small lips that made him look like he was constantly pouting. It was really adorable while he slept. Taking one of the fags, Odi grinned. “It’s not really a habit anymore, more occasional.” As soon as Kevin was mentioned, Odion was glad the cigarette was in his mouth and not in his hand, or he would have dropped it. Kevin was as stupid as a doorknob and an excuse for a thief but he lucked out a lot. But that didn’t really matter, considering he didn’t take it at all. As far as he knew, Rhett hadn’t seen Kevin in a long time, and Odion had lost contact which was probably for the best. You didn’t trick the trickster watching over a bunch of tricksters.

There was nothing he could say without giving himself away, but his gut feeling had been right – this was his fault. Now he had to make it right, for once he didn’t want to run away. Something about his man parts dropping.

“Did you really like being in that group that much?” Odion asked honestly. Jared was one of the best, but to be kicked out wasn’t the end of the world, so the group must’ve meant the world to Jared.

[Jared Bell]

"Wait...what the hell do you mean your brother? When did that happen? Is he a decent guy?" Jared asked. It seemed Odion had changed more than he had realized. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had a family they didn't want to remember. He had always assumed Odi was an orphan but then again, maybe they were more alike than he had thought. That's when the rest of the news came out. "So once we're done this trip what do you say to fucking that assholes day up? Along with his truck if you catch my drift." He said with a smirk. Hopefully that would lighten the mood a little bit. There was tension in the cab of the pick up and it was only going to keep building though, especially once more questions were thrown in Jared's direction.

"Course mate, I scouted all the hot spots on my first day here." Jared replied coolly as the truck bounced down the road. Odion should have known that he would have checked out the local area already; it was best to know what one was up against. "The only thing I haven't had a chance to do is free running." He said with a grin. One of his favorite pass times, at least when he could be motivated to get off the couch. Of course Odion had heard his little quip. "Calm down mate, I was just joking a bit. The atmosphere is too dark in here." He said softly, giving his friend a playful nudge.

Jared raised his hands submissively from the wheel for a second. "I'm not one to judge, you know I've got more smoke in me than a wood stove." He didn't say anything, but he noticed Odion's body language change dramatically. Something was up with the ginger and he didn't think he would be learning what it was today. More than likely he was just angry that Jared had been dumb enough to steal from someone that knew him.

Running his hand through his hair Jared put both hands back on the steering wheel. It was a good thing he had the sense to park the truck otherwise they probably would have left the roadway a mile back. "Fuck man... that was my family... or you know the next best thing." He said, sighing exasperatedly. He inhaled deeply and dropped his hands down again, looking Odion dead in the eyes. "As much as I dick around in life, well there's a few bloody reasons." He said. This was a side of him that his friends had never seen. "Odion, I'm a runaway. I had a family, but they weren't exactly loving." He wiped his eyes, trying to cover whatever emotion was surfacing.

Jared's eyes were tearing up and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. For once he wasn't in perfect control of his situation. "They fucking beat me senseless. My own parents beat me within an inch of my life on a weekly basis. I had to... to get away, you know... and that gang was the only bloody thing that kept me alive." The gang had meant his life in more ways than he was expressing now, and he hoped that his friend would see what he meant. "That was my family... you and Rhett... well, you're all I've got mate." He said, his eyes were misty and he broke eye contact with Odion.

Jared started the truck and slammed it into gear. He had to get some of this out, and get it out now. The truck picked up speed and it didn't take long before they were flying into the streets of downtown Pilot Ridge at breakneck speed. "Hold on Odion" Jared muttered as he swerved around a corner. The time turner had to understand what it was like to bottle a poison for so long that when it finally was opened it had turned nuclear.

[Odion Martins]

Odion nodded once. “Happened near the beginning of the school year,” he said. That was another story for another time. Odi still considered himself an orphan, lost brother found or not. “He’s a good man,” he said, his head lolling to the side to glance at Jared, “you should hear his accent. A true Irishman that one.” Of course, Odion didn’t have the right accent for his heritage, but he didn’t care. Or so he claimed. “It’s like you read my mind,” Odi said, as though love struck. Perhaps deep, deep down inside he had missed Jared. He just hadn’t thought about Bell at all once his new life began.

“Well then you haven’t really scouted yet,” Odion quipped, a satisfied smile on his face. Jared was going to have to go free running now. Well, not right now, because there was snow everywhere and things could get dangerous, not that that had stopped them before. Only if Jared was up for it, and judging by the ever present smirk on his face, Odion could guess he was. The ginger squirmed in his spot, looking out the window. He’d always had balls, thank you very much. Otherwise he wouldn’t have done the things he did just to survive, or get what he wanted.

The conversation quickly changed from Odion feeling in the spotlight, to Jared actually being in the spotlight. Odi hadn’t meant for such a thing to happen so dramatically, but at least they weren’t talking about Kevin, for that’s all Odi really wanted to know. It was the last piece of that puzzle before he and Lani could really go after him.

Jared wouldn’t shut up, and Odion could only stare at his friend from the past with wide eyes. Where had this side of Jared come from? In all reality, Odion didn’t know Jared could be serious any better than Jared thought Odion had balls. The ginger had considered the gang a sort of family, but he was mostly preoccupied with Rhett and keeping up. Odion had been the newest member, and he had to work extremely hard to prove himself, but he was also very quiet and kept to himself. That was until Jared decided Odion was fun. “What?” It was all Odion could manage to say upon hearing Jared already had a family. A family who apparently wasn’t good enough, for who the fuck would pick a group of boys over their family? Odion never would have guessed, and he was stunned by the reaction Jared was having to his question.

Hearing about what Jared’s parents had done to him, Odion felt compelled to stretch his hand forward and rest it on Bell’s wrist for the remainder of the story. Jared finally looked away and Odi shook him a little bit to get his attention. “Hey, you’re still an orphan to me.” What else could he say? No he didn’t have a family aside from his brother, but Jared didn’t have anyone. He’d risked everything just to get here, and this was real. It seemed a lot of people were willing and ready to be around Odion, and the redhead let that hit him like a smack to the face.

Making a panic noise after realizing there wasn’t an ‘oh shit’ handle anywhere in the truck, Odion just hoped Jared knew what he was doing. If now, well, then Odi could just stop time, assuming he wasn’t too preoccupied with crashing and dying. Odion had to wonder what else Jared’s family had done to him that would make him willingly choose living on the streets than living with them, but he saw Jared in a new light, and with a whole lot more respect than before.

It was a whisperless drive to the mall, and quite short with the speed Jared was taking to get there. Once the vehicle was parked, Odion got out and glanced to Bell. “Come on Bell, let’s see what you got.” Because this wasn’t going to be a cutesy moment.

[Jared Bell]

Odion had better be intending to take him scouting then. Jared smirked and said "Well I'd take it you'll show me the ropes then, if you ever learn to think faster than me." He had always been on to leap before he looked, and more than a few times his power had saved him from hitting a wall head on and falling down a few stories. It wouldn't be a stretch to start getting acquainted with the rooftops while they were covered in snow. He'd just make sure he wore shoes with some grip this time. That was something he'd have to be sure to grab today as well.

For once Jared truly was naked in front of his friend. New years had been easy, but this was something that he wasn't comfortable with. He shifted uncomfortably in the cab of the truck, and it wasn't because of the seats. Just how much shit would he have to put up with from Odion after this was all said and done? Not that he wouldn't have it coming, but he didn't want to deal with it now.

The feeling of comfort was the last thing Jared had been expecting. How often had his red haired friend shown him that he really did care for him. He could barely hold back the torrent that was threatening to come out when Odion's words hit his ears. The breaking point was there but he wasn't going to let himself look like a complete and total idiot. His guard was coming back up. "Thanks... that means more than you know mate." He said, his voice shaking with emotion. The worst part was knowing that his parents were still out there somewhere and he would never be able to show them the damage they had done.

It was amazing how well he could drive despite feeling like a complete wreck. He never would have driven like this if he hadn't known that him and Odion had every intention of totaling this truck today. The mall was approaching a lot faster than he had anticipated but he was as ready as one could be. The truck skidded into the parking lot and he quickly aimed for an open parking spot and stopped there.

Jared looked over at Odion lazily. It was amazing how much emotion someone could get out with a good drive. A laugh escaped his mouth. "If you think you can beat me. It's a new coat and some shoes with some grip for this phaser today. You up for doing this one straight up for the first session, then we can use powers for the next?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at Odi. It didn't matter the rules of the game so much, it just made it more fun when you caught your partner breaking them.

[Odion Martins]

Odion laughed and shook his head. He had to admit that Jared was really fast, but Odi was always right behind him. Unless he was cheating, then he was in front of him regardless of how honestly fast Jared was. “If you’d like,” he offered, figuring what the hell, he could use a little company while practicing. Lani just wasn’t up to speed on the art of parkour and Jared was damn graceful on his feet.

After seeing Jared bluff his way through life, Odion felt a bit skeptical about the story to begin with, but what made the story sincere in the end was that look in Jared’s eyes. Odi had never seen that look before, and he knew it was the look one would give only when they were telling the truth. Maybe Jared had changed quite a bit, just as Odi had. The redhead wasn’t going to harass Jared about his family so long as he wasn’t harassed about his, and that was that. It was thief’s honor. Odion smiled stiffly at the invisible wall which had been broken between them and he knew things would never be the same.

“I know I can,” Odi challenged, his hands in his pockets as they neared the stores, his adrenaline kicking into high gear. There was just nothing like the thrill of discount shopping. “Sure,” Odi said, that devilish smirk on his face as they strolled in. Already he was eying up different stores. “And no, I’m not making multiple trips for all your things, so don’t ask,” Odi added, just in case Jared thought Odi would be going back and forth between the truck and the stores so they could get a lot of stuff. That was something he would do all for himself.

The mall music was ignored, as were the other people within. Odion walked into a department store and went for the clothes section, knowing that there wasn’t a whole lot that he needed. A tie was soon to be in his possession in his pocket and he smirked over at Jared. How they were going to steal clothes exactly was beyond him, but it would certainly be an adventure. His dark blue eyes scanned the racks and he spotted a light blue cardigan. Hmm, maybe he would slip that under his jacket, and whatever Jared nabbed could easily be hidden under the stolen jacket Odion knew he was going to have to get for this weather.

[Jared Bell]

Jared laughed. "Sure you can. I've picked up a few tricks Martin." He said with a mischievous grin. He didn't need his powers to get away with a little petty theft. "Good, then I'll kick your ass fair and square." He said, as they entered the mall. Pilot Ridge didn't have any idea of the storm that was about to hit. Already he was in his own little world, taking in the people and the stores. The good thing was that most of the things he was interested in weren't in busy stores. That would give him time to work them over just how he wanted. "For the record I think you may end up helping me make multiple trips even if you don't want to." He laughed. Now was when he separated from his partner.

Jared walked into a small clothes shop that had a rack of rather nice wool jackets. He browsed the rack for a few minutes, trying various ones on until he found the right fit. There was one clerk in the store and Jared walked right up to him. "Hey mate, you have these in an extra extra large? This is good, it's just too tight for my shoulders." He said, a wide grin on his face. As soon as the clerk headed to the back of the store Jared ran out of the store with the jacket, grabbing a nice pair of shoes as he passed the shoe rack for good measure. Grinning he slipped off down a hallway and got the jacket on. Chances were the clerk had no idea that he had missing inventory. Kicking his worn shoes off Jared put the new pair on. He left them on the floor as he walked out to find his partner in crime.

Jared returned to the point where he last saw Odion. He shot a grin his way and did a twirl to show off his new coat. He walked into the department store and stood beside his friend. "You'd look good in that. I personally couldn't pull it off." He said with a smirk. At that he continued through the racks, picking first a black thermal and folding it in half. He lay a few more shirts over top so it wouldn't be visible and walked past Odion towards the changing rooms. "Come on mate, I didn't think beating you would be this easy." He laughed over his shoulder. He got the number for the shirts and hung it on the door. They of course hadn't noticed his hidden thermal in the pile. He stripped off his jacket and shirt and placed the thermal on his body. He put his clothes back over and was thankful that he had picked a high necked jacket to start.

Jared ruffled the rest of the shirts to make them look like he had tried them on and then waited in silence for a minute or two. He walked out and returned the shirts to the dressing room attendant. He started to head out and called out to Odion. "I'll meet you in the hall, couldn't find a damn thing that fit right." He was laughing as he sat on the bench and waited to see what Odion was going to come back with. Already it was looking like he would be making more than one trip back and forth between the mall and truck. This was the opening round, and Jared was just getting warmed up.

[Odion Martins]

“Fair and square?” Odion raised an eyebrow, simply because the look he was giving Jared said it all. Nothing had ever been fair and square, and if Odion was a dirty fighter, then Jared was the dirty trainer. There was a point where Jared had bested Odion time and again, but then Odi grew up and they were more or less even now. Still, it had been a while since they did this, and he was curious to see the so called tricks Bell had picked up.

“Looking better already,” Odi commented, not directly looking at Bell as though it would ruin the spell they both were under. Snatching up the light sweater, Odion followed Jared to the changing rooms, his lips peeked in a smile. “I beat you before we arrived.” How quick Jared was to forget that Odion already had multiple wardrobes in his dorm, and the real fun would only begin once they decided what the winning factor would be. After some quick work, Odion replaced what he had been wearing with the new piece he wanted. They hadn’t noticed two boys had slipped into the same changing room and Jared left quite casually. These two made it look easy, and now Odi had a new cardigan which he liked very much. He wondered if Lani would like it as well.

Once Jared left, Odion slipped out as well, the change room attendant’s back to him as she put away what Jared had ‘tried on’. His eyes went to the exit and he left the store, meeting Jared in the hall. Oh, and Odi had a new black fedora on his head as he sat down, looking around. He liked accessories more than the clothing itself, though he thought the new boots he had snagged looked dashing. They were relatively simple, reaching his ankle and tan in colour, but at least he could still steal and run in these things. “What else?” He asked simply, glad to be rid of his older boots as they fell to the bottom of the nearby trash bin.

[Jared Bell]

"Of course I am! I've always been a fancy bitch." Jared replied simply. He knew that he wouldn't be able to pull Odion out of the state he was in with just a few comments, and quite honestly he had no intention of it. The game they were playing had always been fun and well worth every second of trouble it had gotten them into. He shook his head, Odion had started a year early, of course he had been beaten. "I'll catch up in my spare time. I'd hate to lose to a ginger." He said. On his way out he snagged a few items and had them stored inside his jacket before anyone was the wiser.

Watching Odion approach with a fedora on Jared smirked to himself. "You know those things make you look like a douche." He said. Truth be told, the ginger could pull it off better than he could. However he had to admit, Odion had gotten away with it a lot easier than he would have guessed, especially considering the price tag was still dangling from the back. He flipped the hat off of his friends head and cut the tag with a pocket knife. He placed it back on Odion's head and offered him a small grin. "Miracle you got out with that one." He couldn't help but wonder how his friends had adjusted without him. They all got into trouble from time to time, but they had always bailed each other out as well.

"What else? Well mate, I'm feeling a bit peckish. Perhaps we can get a bite to eat and then continue on to pick up some pants, and perhaps see what the biggest thing one of us can get away with is." Jared answered, instantly getting up from the bench. He would pay for their food as he always felt guilty for getting servers in trouble when they put up with people all day. "You pick the restaurant. It's on me this time." He said before nudging Odion forward towards the nicer restaurants in the mall. If nothing tickled their fancy here they could always take the truck for another joy ride and come back to finish the game they had started.

As they walked Jared saw exactly what he wanted to steal. He had no idea how he was going to get away with this one but he imagined that it would be quite the story if somebody ever came to his dorm room and found a white water raft sitting on the floor. He might need some help getting this one done but he had to have it. He pointed to it as they passed. "That right there. That's coming back with us." He said to Odion quietly. He had no doubts that the other man would either leave him to do it on his own, but if he played his cards right he might be able to cause a distraction that lasted long enough to get away with it.