It was a simple thing, sewn of a nylon blend and coated in waterproofing sealant. The zippers were heavy duty and the stitching was machine tough. The pockets were deep and there were at least 20 of them. Best of all it came in her favorite color, camo.

Kelsey wanted that backpack!

But her mom worked days at the grocery store, then weekend nights, bartending at TGIFRidays. She barely made ends meet and told Kelsey so every time she asked for something new.

Kelsey planned it all out. She wore a black hoodie to the store that night. She went to the backpack aisle and grabbed the camo gem. She carried at around, picking up a few hoodies to try on. The dressing room was unmanned at midnight. She removed the cardboard, tags, and stuffing from inside and folded the bag, then stuffed it up under her armpit in the unguarded dressing room.

She returned the hoodies to their racks, then browsed cds. When the clerk was away she leaned over the scanner to deactivate the electronic tags. Then she casually walked out.