Layla turns around and explains the situation.

(chapter originally by newfavorite at writing.com)

"I'm sorry Ma’am!" Layla said with pleading eyes.

To Layla's surprise and horror the store owner pulled out a shotgun from behind the counter.

"Don't move you little thief!"

Layla froze, the store owner was a rough looking woman in her fifties, even when she was selling ice-cream to children she acted like a grump. From the look on her face she was certainly in a bad mood. Layla was instantly intimidated and scared. Layla had never had a gun pointed at her before. Layla was glad she was the store's only customer.

"I..I..need this for my friend, she's naked."

"That's the worst excuse I have ever heard in my life!" The store owner was approaching slowly with her shotgun drawn.

"Please god, don't shoot me...don't call the police!"

"Young lady, you need to be taught a lesson and the police in this town ain't the ones to do it."

"What are you going to do? I..I..I'm sorry I've never stolen!"

"Oh course you have, look at your little tattooed body, you probably stole that disgusting lip ring! I can tell by looking at you that you are a thief." The store owner approached slowly and stopped five feet from Layla.

"Oh god, what are you going to do?" Layla responded with the fear of god in her voice.

"Give me that bikini you were trying to steal!"

Layla immediately threw the bikini over to the store owner.

"Now strip!" The store owner snarled.

"No! No! I can't you can't make me!"

"You don't know how long I've wanted to catch one of you thieving tramps! I've wanted to catch one of you for years! Young women, teenagers these days come in looking to steal...for a thrill, well I'll give you a thrill...STRIP!" The store owner snarled as she shook her shotgun menacingly.

Layla completely intimidated swallowed and took off her top exposing her small breasts. Layla was shaking uncontrollably as one arm covered her breasts and the other arm slowly started to move towards her bottoms. Layla paused, unable to take off her bikini bottoms.

"Your bottoms too hurry up!" The store owner yelled impatiently.

Layla was red in the face and feeling faint but she did as she was told and slowly removed her bottoms. Layla hopped on one foot covering her backside with one hand and her breasts with another, she attempted to hide her shaved genital region with one of her thighs.

"Please, haven’t you humiliated me enough, please give me back my bikini." Layla mumbled with downcast eyes.

The store owner approached Layla and swiftly pushed Layla who was standing on one leg over. Layla fell onto her butt onto the wooden sidewalk outside of the store. Layla looked up at the door and heard a swift but obvious lock, then the "open" sign was flipped over to say "closed." Layla could hear loud cackling from within the store.

Layla in a panic looked around. She couldn't see anyone, but a couple of people on the boardwalk and they were too far away to see what was going on. Layla began pounding her fist on the store's door.

"Let me in, give me back my bikini!." There was no response.

Layla stood in her panicked state hopping on one foot again looking around to make sure no one had noticed her.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap!" Layla said to herself, unsure of what to do, her whole was starting to become red with humiliation.