My friends, David, Dylan and I were happily walking in the almost-packed shopping centre. As we were walking by a CD store, Dylan suggested going in and taking a look. The CD store was filled with dozens of shelves filled with CDs. The shop keeper asked me if I was looking for anything. I told him I was just looking around and he went back to the counter.

Suddenly, a CD lying at the corner caught my eye. It was the latest album of my favourite artiste! I looked at the back of the CD to look at the price and was shocked. It cost thirty dollars! I did not have that much money. So, I went to the corner of the shop where my friends were. My jaws fell to the ground in shock when I saw my very friends putting CDs in their bag. At that moment, I told them not to do it but they did not listen. Just as they zipped up their bags, the shop keeper came. I saw David winked at Dylan almost instantaneously. Dylan asked me if I wanted the CD while David brought the shop keeper to the front to distract him.

I refused at first, knowing that I was on the brink of getting caught, but greed got the better of me and I decided to take the risk. I quickly slipped the CD into the side pocket of the bag, carried the bag and quickly walked towards the exit. Just as I stepped foot on the exit, the alarm rang as the unpaid CD tag had triggered it. The shop keeper shouted, “Did you steal something?” We glanced at each other for a second and then ran. Before I could even run far, the shop keeper caught hold of my back collar. I shouted for help but my two friends just continued to run.

The shop keeper furiously dragged me back to the shop as I struggled while passers-by stared at me. He took my bag and found the CD I stole inside. I tried to lie saying my friends and not me who had taken the CD but he did not believe a single word I said. He held onto my collar tightly and sat on the chair thinking what he should do next. At that time, I still tried to struggle but I could not get away. After what seemed like eternity, he told me that I was lucky that he did not call the police but he would call my parents. I begged him just to release me and I told him I would not do it again but he tuned a deaf ear on me.

He demanded for my parent’s number threatening to call the police if I did not give him the number. I helplessly gave him the number and he rattled away like a machine gun on the phone to tell my mother what had happened. After a few minutes, my mother arrived, apologized to the shop keeper and brought me home. I got caned and grounded for two weeks.