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"Level with me, Ashanti. Why do you want to join Rihanna's group so badly? You still haven't really told me anything yet."

Whilst Rihanna, Giovanni, Shaylana and Zonarosa were waiting for Ashanti and Alsharafzi to get back, Ashanti and Alsharafzi in the meantime were at Marigold Off Licence, which was the closest shop that was near Krondon Alleyway.

It had taken them five seconds to get there, as all they literally had to do was to cross the road and they had arrived there.

The clock was ticking, and it was ticking real fast.

They now had five minutes and forty five seconds left to do what Rihanna wanted Ashanti to do, otherwise she would have failed the round or she would have gotten a low score.

Getting a low score meant failing the round anyway, but either way? Ashanti didn't want to risk anything at all.

Despite the fact that the shop had said no hoodies, Ashanti and Alsharafzi had still worn one anyway, even when they were in the shop itself.

They had to keep a low profile and they had to do it well too: if anyone had found out that they were trying to shoplift?

Then both of them would have been in huge trouble, no doubt about that.

"I just want to meet new people, you know? Why'd you ask?"

Alsharafzi was just curious.

That was why he had asked.

But he hadn't said anything, he had just remained silent.

He had kind of feared that the only reason on why Ashanti wanted to join the Sugar & Spice organisation in the first place was only because Rihanna was in it, and Alsharafzi didn't really like people using his aunty like that.

People had done that before (as in try to get to Rihanna or use Rihanna for popularity or something), but Alsharafzi hadn't liked it.

And as a lot of people knew that Alsharafzi was Rihanna's nephew, he had feared that people would have used him as well, but he didn't really want that for himself either.

Who did?

As in, people using them.

No one, that was who.

Right now though, both of them were in the second aisle, in the sweet section, with Ashanti trying to steal a packet of sweets by stuffing them in her hoodie packet, before she had realised something.

"Did Rihanna say that we have to buy anything specific?"

"No," Alsharafzi had told her, before reaching out in her pocket to return some things. "But she did say that we can't buy the same thing more than once, if you were paying attention. Haha."

Hearing that, Ashanti had returned everything that was in her pocket, except one of it, before buying different things in the sweet and chocolate aisle, because she really couldn't have been bothered to go anywhere else...

Plus it was kind of the best aisle there.

Unfortunately though, as Ashanti and Alsharafzi were trying to escape, their plans were kind of cut short entirely because Ashanti had believed that she had seen a familiar face.

Hold on.

Is that?

No.

It was Kehlani and Kishati, just about to walk into the shop as Ashanti and Alsharafzi were kinda literally about to head out of the shop instead.

She had forced Alsharafzi to hide, with Alsharafzi wanting to know why she wanted him to hide with her, but Ashanti didn't have any time for any questions.

She couldn't have let her ex best friend and her ex best friend's seemingly new best friend know that she was in there.

Ashanti and Alsharafzi had hid behind the fridge, with Alsharafzi wanting to know what was going on, but Ashanti just kind of shutting him up again, like before.

What's Kehlani doing in Krondon Alleyway?

Oh wait, he's suspended too.

Then she had panicked.

Is he spending time with Kishati?

But they barely know each other.

How does he know where she lives?

No Ashanti; you are not jealous.

You are not jealous of Kehlani and Kishati's friendship and relationship.

Oh ho ho, but she was jealous.

Kind of, anyway.

Although her jealousy had stopped when and after Kehlani had said some rude things about her, but in his defence though?

He didn't exactly know that Ashanti was there.

Kehlani: It doesn't matter why I got suspended, Kishati! I thought I already told you that I don't want to talk to you about it, so why can't you just pay attention for once in your life?

He had then sighed to himself, before saying anything else, staring at the floor and kicking the dust on it in absolute frustration.

Kehlani: Let's just say stupid Ashanti was involved.

Kishati groaned.

Kishati: You two still not talking to each other?

Kehlani: No. She's the worst.

Said the guy who secretly had a massive crush on her, but OK.

You do you, Kehlani.

You do you.

Kehlani: My life has honestly been better off without her. You're so much better than that creep. Come on, let's just buy what we want to buy and go already. I'm getting tired and I think it's starting to rain.

When Ashanti had heard that, she had felt seriously dejected, but then realised that Kehlani had most likely said that due to the heat of the moment and due to his anger as well as frustration.

Which had kind of made her feel slightly better over the whole situation between them.

Unless he seriously means that?

He doesn't miss me at all?

Because I kind of miss him.

Truth be told, Kehlani had also missed Ashanti deeply, and had only blocked her in the first place because if their friendship was really over for good?

Then blocking her was kind of the best way to move on.

He had read that somewhere.

"You OK, by the way? You and Kehlani fell out pretty badly."

"How do you know that?"

Alsharafzi had just glanced at Ashanti really confusingly, kind of falling silent but then he had talked again.

"Kehlani just told Kishati that? Keep up. Come on, let's go."

Ashanti had then told him that yes, she was OK and she didn't really need Kehlani anyway, as she had Alsharafzi instead.

They had then kind of moved out of the fridge, which was way easier said than done, but during the process, Alsharafzi had caused Ashanti to spill everything that she was planning to steal on the floor.

"Alsharafzi, look what you did!"

"Sorry!"

When Ashanti had bent down to pick everything up, Kehlani had caught her halfway, with Ashanti about to leeave had Kehlani not said the word ahem halfway.

Crud.

Kehlani's caught me.

And he's kind of a snitch so...

Where do I go from here?

Ashanti had hated Kehlani being a snitch (who didn't) but at the same time, Kehlani was the only person she had, so therefore she had had to deal with his many, many, many flaws.

But she wasn't perfect either.

How many times had Kehlani told Ashanti that she hadn't listened?

Countless.

And she still didn't really.

If she had?

Then she wouldn't really have been in this situation right now, that was what would have happened.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," Kehlani deadpanned, giving the girl one of the dirtiest looks in the world. "But I'm not going to, because I don't care about you anymore, so Kishati? Let's pay and go like I said."

Both Kehlani and Kishati had given Ashanti a dirty look, with Ashanti reciprocating.

Then realising that they were supposed to be back five minutes ago (it was meant to take them six minutes to steal six things but it had taken them eleven instead), Ashanti and Alsharafzi had shoplifted, getting chased by the police along the way.

Rihanna, Giovanni, Zonarosa and Shaylana in the meantime were waiting for them outside, with Rihanna getting extremely impatient because they were running late.

"Should have known. Of course they were going to be late."

But after she had said that?

Hahaha.

That was literally when Alsharafzi and Ashanti had shown up, like thirteen minutes late now (they had gotten chased for two minutes), literally hyperventilating like crazy.

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