[u][i][b]Securing the bag.[/b][/i][/u]

Alexa sat down in the park anxiously. Everything was making her on edge. Meeting to show an adult manga in broad daylight and in a public place. This was teenage suicide. Her grey eyes darted around at every person walking by her bench in the shade. Any other time, she would be enjoying the beauty of the park’s trees and flowers, but today was about the business.

‘How did he even acquire something like this? I mean we are like the same age!’

As the questions raced around her head, she heard his nonexistent heavy breathing in her ears. 

‘Will I turn out like him if I read this stuff?! Will I creepy breathe when I see guys?’ Alexa started to tremble at the thoughts. 

‘I won’t be able to have guy friends anymore. I’ll be considered a creep! ...No more talking to Gale’

Her head bag to hang lower as made sure to keep the bag in her peripheral sight.

“If only I didn’t switch bags…”

A familiar whistling made it way to Alexa and her head shot upward. It was Lita, where a blue and white bubble sundress. She really like to emphasize her love of the water and all things marine. That’s why Alexa loved her favorite PufferFish. She was also glad that they hashed out all the exam talk the night before. She didn’t want to talk about all of that stuff now. There were way more important things to discuss.

“Why so glum, chum?” Lita mused as she daintily sat next to her on the bench. “This better be good. I was planning on sleeping in.”

“Lita, you know I wouldn’t drag you out here if it wasn’t worth it…. Why did we have to meet at the park again?”

“I want to scope out boys at the same time.”

“....I hate you.”

Lita shot her a surprised glance. They boy watched all the time. What was so different now? They would make up bios for them and everything. The Lita leaned closer into her cousin was she saw that was fiddling with her green tunic and wildly kicking her black tights and calf-high boots to match. Something was up. 

“Lex, what...do you have? What did you want to show me?” Lita’s eyes were super close to her cousin now. 

Alexa sheepishly brought her eyes up to her cousin and was blinking so fast.

“I can’t protect you once you see it. It will change your world. The cops may come for us…. Are you sure you want to see this?”

Lita’s eyes were really big now. She sat back again the bench for a second and thought about what her cousin was saying. What could it be? How life changing would it be? What was this new knowledge that her cousin had? After a moment of thinking, she replied.

“Yes, show it to me.”

The face Alexa made couldn’t have been anymore serious. It was like they performed a blood oath. With that, she turned and reached for something in her back pocket. It was a pair of disposable gloves. Alexa put them on like she was about to go to work and Lita sat their in aw. 

There was clearly a quizzical look on Lita’s face but it would all make sense in time.

“This dude that was at the exams accidently slammed into me and took my bag. I took his and… Well you’ll see in a minute.”