I do not own Lilo and Stitch.

The Mall Mishap

Lilo lazily browsed through the selection of cotton tank tops resting on a white pop-up table, a yellow Clearance sign taped to the front. It was obvious why the collection of pastel tops had been given the boot—most of them were wrinkled to the point where no iron in the world could salvage the material. But being a thirteen-year-old girl with no job, there were limited options when you went on a shopping spree with just your saved allowance.

"This isn't so bad," Lilo said to herself as she removed a mint-green tank top from the bottom of the pile.

"Please. It looks like someone threw up on it."

Lilo continued appraising the shirt, not bothering to look over her shoulder to see who had spoken. She knew the taunting voice very well. "I think it looks nice."

"Of course you do," Mertle sneered. "You wouldn't know fashion if it bit you in the butt."

"I think fashion is subjective," said Lilo, making up her mind and draping the shirt over the crook of her elbow. "That's why it's art." She turned around so she could fully face Mertle. The redhead already had several paper shopping bags hooked over her arms. "What are you shopping for?"

"I need a new summer wardrobe," said Mertle airily.

"They've got some nice tops here."

Mertle wrinkled her nose, glancing at the discounted clothing with distaste. "I've actually got standards, thank you."

I've noticed, Lilo thought. She shrugged. "Well, I'm on a tight budget, so I can't afford to have standards."

An amused smile curled across Mertle's face. "That's when you get creative."

Lilo didn't like the devious glint forming in Mertle's eyes. "What you mean?" she asked warily.

"I've already spent the budget my mom gave me for the day." She flicked her earring, a small gold hoop with a gemstone orange blossom dangling from it. "But I wanted these. Limited edition, and there was only one set left."

Lilo blinked in confusion. "Okaaay…so if you ran out of cash, how did you get them?"

"Sometimes your stupidity baffles me." Mertle shook her head. "If I want something and don't have the money for it, I just take it."

Shock consumed Lilo. "You shoplift?"

It was said a bit louder than she intended and Mertle snapped her head around, but she needn't have worried. There was no one around to overhear them. "Shut it, will you?" she hissed. "And not all the time. Only when I really want something and Mom won't give me extra money for it. She thinks putting me on a budget is good for me."

"Your budget is already ten times larger than mine," said Lilo, aghast by what she was hearing. "You can't just take what you want without paying! Criminals do that!"

Mertle rolled her eyes. "Stop being such a goody-goody."

"I am not a goody-goody," Lilo cried. "In fact, I got detention last week for all the mashed potatoes I stuck to the ceiling. I told the cafeteria lady they were too sticky."

"You got detention for being weird," said Mertle with a snicker. "It doesn't count. You always follow school rules. You don't skip, you don't miss an assignment, and you always make sure you're home by curfew. That's practically the definition of being a goody-goody."

"Nani expects me to do well in school and I don't want to let her down," Lilo defended. "I've got a big family, so I have to help out at home, and I can't do that if I'm always staying out late. We all do our part."

Mertle leaned close, a taunting smile on her lips. "Goody. Goody," she said, enunciating each word.

Lilo stomped her foot in frustration, tossing the mint-green top back onto the table. Her shopping for new clothes had been replaced by something more important—winning an argument with the redhead. "I am not a goody-goody!"

Mertle leaned back, a brow raising. "Really? Then prove it."

A tension crackled between the two teens. They glared at each other, Mertle's eyes daring Lilo to back down and walk away. Lilo's conscience was telling her to do the same thing, but her stubbornness was rearing its ugly head.

This was her kryptonite. She couldn't deny a challenge from Mertle. She couldn't.

"I will," Lilo growled.

Mertle gave a shark-like grin. "All right then." She extended a shopping bag-laden arm to gesture grandiosely into the boutique. "Take whatever you want."

Though Lilo's heart pounded with nerves and guilt, she complied. They walked into the brightly-designed store, meandering amongst the aisles as Lilo searched for her target. She came to a stop by a jewellery spinner, the necklaces and bracelets and earrings glinting in the fluorescent lighting.

Her eyes were drawn to a green and red glass bead necklace, which cost more than she could afford. She shifted her body, hoping to block what she was about to do from any cameras trained on her. She pretended to flick through the other jewellery before casually knocking the necklace into her open purse. She spent another minute looking before striding away nonchalantly. As she browsed the aisle of funky socks, she dipped her hand into her purse and ripped off the cardboard price tag. She crumpled it in her fist, threw it out in the garbage can located near the back exit, and left the store.

When no one came chasing after her, Lilo grinned at Mertle. The girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Nice work. Pretty smooth for your first time. I guess you're not a complete—"

Her eyes seemed to spot something undesirable, for they widened in panic and Mertle hastily speed-walked away without another word. Instincts spurred Lilo after her, but a heavy hand fell on her shoulder, quickly halting her getaway.

Lilo froze. Very slowly, she shifted her head, peeking into the disappointed expression of Officer Clyde.

Oh, blitznak.

She wasn't sure if she should be relieved or terrified. She was busted by an officer of the law, but the officer of the law also happened to be her cousin, so she was conflicted.

"I—"

Clyde did not give her chance to offer what they both knew would be a feeble excuse. "Put it back, Lilo."

Swallowing thickly, Lilo wandered back into the store and slipped the necklace back onto its hook. It looked naked without its security tag, but if Clyde wasn't insisting on confessing her crime to the employees, she wasn't going to do it willingly.

For a brief moment, she contemplated escaping through the back exit, but her logic kicked into gear about five minutes too late. She returned to Clyde, who was waiting for her by the entrance. Shame nearly choked her and tears sprang to her eyes. She ducked her chin, staring at the cobblestone flooring of the outdoor mall, the stones blurring together.

Clyde studied the girl for a moment before sighing. "C'mon, kiddo. We're going to take a little ride."

Lilo silently followed Clyde into the parking lot and towards their police cruiser. She climbed into the backseat, sliding across vinyl cooled by the air-conditioning. It was impossible for Bonnie to miss the misery on the girl's face and the grim expression of her partner as he eased into the driver's seat.

"What happened?" demanded Bonnie, swivelling her gaze between Clyde and Lilo.

"Busted her shoplifting," Clyde said heavily, setting a cardboard tray of coffee into Bonnie's lap. "Thought I was gonna have to break up a brawl between her and Red. Didn't like the looks on their mugs when they went into Blue Boutique, so I followed 'em."

"Oh, Lilo," said Bonnie with a disappointed shake of her head.

"Are you taking me to the police station?" Lilo asked, picking at a loose white thread on her shorts.

"We're gonna take a drive and we're gonna talk," said Clyde gently. "Try to figure out what was goin' on in that noggin of yours."

They pulled out of the parking lot and started to drive through town. Lilo stared out the window, the scenery smeared thanks to the tears streaming from her eyes. "It was stupid, okay? I know that."

If only Stitch had been with me. He wouldn't have let me do it. Although I should have been smart enough to stop myself.

That only made her feel worse.

"Come on, doll, tell us what happened," prodded Clyde gently. "I only got a preview, not the full story."

Lilo buried her face in her hands. "Mertle accused me of being a goody-goody, I told her I wasn't, and she challenged me to prove it. I couldn't turn away from that. It was a challenge. I caved to her peer pressure and now I'm starring in my own after-school special."

Clyde snorted despite himself and Bonnie punched him in the shoulder. "Not the time to laugh at her jokes," she muttered under her breath. "Kid, ya gotta learn to just walk away from Red when she tries to mess with ya."

"I know," said Lilo with a wince. "It was a stupid argument and an even stupider challenge."

"Why isn't Red in this car?" Bonnie asked Clyde lowly.

"'Cause I didn't catch her stealing anything," Clyde whispered. "But that don't mean she ain't gettin' a visit."

"Am I going to be arrested?" Lilo ventured nervously. "I mean, I totally deserve it."

Bonnie and Clyde exchanged glances. The thirteen-year-old had committed a crime, and it was their job to stop crime. But the only reason they had the job in the first place was because of the girl in the back of their cruiser.

"There's a story," Bonnie began, "of a little girl who believed in others so much it could be sickening. This little girl put two no-good thugs in the big house. They deserved to be there, and they deserved to rot in there. But one day the little girl came back, having managed to convince the higher-ups to put the thugs on parole. The thugs were bitter at the little girl for puttin' them in the slammer in the first place, but no matter how many cracks they made, the little girl was patient.

"She didn't give up, and soon the thugs realized this was the one person who would give them a chance to redeem themselves. Because of that little girl, their lives are infinitely better."

"Wanna take a whack at who this little girl is?" Clyde asked, winking at Lilo in the review mirror.

Lilo gave a tiny smile. "It was me, six years ago."

The car came to a stop, causing Lilo's heart to jump into her throat with fear. But when she peered out the window, she was surprised to see her house, shrouded in the golden light of the afternoon sun. With wide, hopeful eyes, Lilo looked at the two alien experiments.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"You gave us, and all the other experiments, a second chance. You deserve one too. Everyone screws up, but it's what you learn from that screw-up that matters." Bonnie regarded the girl seriously. "This is your chance. Don't screw up again, because the road that you nearly went down isn't a pleasant one. Take it from two jerks that've been there."

"You're not jerks." Lilo wiggled between the crack in the seats so she could throw her arms around her cousins. "You're the best cousins ever!"

"Everyone's your favourite cousin." Clyde grinned and ruffled Lilo's hair fondly. "Now get outta here. A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be in the back of police cruiser."

"And be a good girl," Bonnie added.

"Yes, ma'am. Um…about Nani…" began Lilo with a wince.

"This'll be our little secret," promised Clyde.

"I love you," said Lilo, almost feeling boneless with relief. That was one conversation she didn't want to have with her big sister.

"Go," said Bonnie with a laugh.

Lilo climbed out of the cruiser and hurried for her house. As she waved to her departing cousins, Lilo considered Mertle, and what to do about what she had discovered about the girl. She would talk with her, appeal to the morals she knew were there, buried under an entitled, spoilt nature.

She knew she and Mertle would always be competitive, but they really needed to stop crossing the line. Their luck would run out soon enough, and the fallout would be something they would both regret.