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The Quickening

Vicky is seven years old. She is out shopping with her sister Patty, and Patty’s friend
Rebecca. They have taught her how to shoplift and fill her underpants with lipsticks.When Vicky is twelve, she earns a partial scholarship to a private school on Fifth Avenue
called Kingston. Vicky exchanges turquoise friendship rings with Andrea Spencer, a tall,
quiet girlwith flame colored hair. Susan Doherty, whose bangs tickle her eyes, comes to
Kingston school Andrea, Susan and Vicky go to a delicatessen and Vicky steals a pack of
gum. Vicky and Susan stealGouda cheese from the delicatessen and make jokes about it.
Susan flirts with the sales clerk at the unisex clothing store and asks her if she has a boy-
friend Vicky steals a dress from theunisex clothing store and hides it in her purse. Vicky
steals a book entitled “The Life of Mozart” and gives it to her music teacher, Mr. Donnelly.
Susan and Vicky go to the drugstore and whilethey are standing at the rotating rack of
merchandise, Vicky feels an almost imperceptible tug on her shoulder as Susan drops something into her bag.

He saleswoman is waiting on a woman who wantsto buy laxatives and she sees Su-
hand in Vicky’s bag. Susan quickly gets the stole items out of the bag and the sales-
woman asks, “Were you stealing something?” The saleswoman decides toaccompany the
girls back and meets with the principal, Mrs. Medford. Mrs. Medford is in conference
with Mr. Donelly. Miss Olafson accuses Vicky and Susan of stealing, but Mrs. Medford
defendsthem and the reputation of the school. Mrs. Medford empties out Vicky’s bag
and there are not stolen items in it and Miss Olafson is flustered and says that she must
have overacted. Mr.Donelly tries to convince Vicky that she should change her behavior
and says, “I think if takes more guts to develop yourself than to…” Susan resists the familiar
quickening and buys the Times.