Since the brownie caper, there have been many successful heists along with a few botched ones. Now my skills were about to be tested. It was time for finals and graduation from high school. My worst subject was English. A grade of B was required or I wouldn’t graduate. Of course, I could study, but where was the fun in that? I needed a copy of the answer sheet.
I waited until the teachers took their break before picking the lock on Ms. Jane's desk drawer. Placed in a file marked Tests, I located my prize. Phone cameras had not been invented yet, but the Xerox machine had. My timing needed to be perfect.
I raced down the hall to the office with the answer sheet tucked in my folder. Everyone was at lunch except for one secretary, who barely looked up as I entered.
“Hi, Ms. Jane asked me to make a copy for her. Okay?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“Thank you!”
The machine sprung to life, and I had my copy. Cigarette smoke still billowed from the teacher’s lounge, so I knew I was safe.
Three weeks later, I looked great in my cap and gown attending graduation!
About the Creator
Mark Gagnon
My life has been spent traveling here and abroad. Now it's time to write.
I have three published books: Mitigating Circumstances, Short Stories for Open Minds, and Short Stories from an Untethered Mind. Unmitigated Greed is do out soon.
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More stories from Mark Gagnon and writers in Fiction and other communities.
My First Heist
The captivating aroma of freshly baked brownies drew me and Rusty directly to the kitchen. There, resting on the countertop, were three cooling racks filled with chocolate delights. Mother was busy readying the house for company, so my window of opportunity was limited. She had baked the brownies for her guests, but I didn’t think she would miss one or two.
By Mark Gagnon3 years ago in Fiction
Logic and reason are not always explanation enough.
Logic and reason are not always explanation enough. Understanding is elusive He sat looking at the half empty glass but not seeing it, he was cold but not feeling it, he was in pain but not hurting from it. His mind was numb, his memory a jumble of conflicting events, as if from a nightmare but were in fact real. The phone rang for a long time before it gained his attention and then he tried to turn it off, an automatic reaction against coming back to reality. His mind preferred the numbness to anything else that was available. In this distracted state he accidentally accepted the call and put it onto speaker, the voice from the speaker jolted him into giving it his full attention. This was a call from the dead. The voice was full of concern, “where are you John, why haven’t you called, what is going on?” Even to his own ears his tone sounded subdued, defeated, “I am in the cabin, in the woods but I am OK will call you later” and he turned the phone off both ending this call and not accepting any other.
By Peter Rose5 days ago in Fiction
Comments (5)
Mark such a great high-stakes heist! I love the tension and way you propelled the story forward! You did a great job adding so much detail in such a short plot-line! Love this story and for some reason, I had no trouble believing the trueness of it! 😂 For the record, I also wasn't great in English class which is funny because I'd like to think I'm much better now! 😜
Hi Mark ~ To save you that trouble I would have given you an 'A' - but I grade on a curve ~ Ooh, I've been wanting to tell you, Mr. car guy. I took a friend for a ride in my pristine tobacco brown drop top e-type, Ms. Millie (Tags KLACIK) and he asked me a question that I've never been asked ever: "Where's the Horn" such a dangerous place; I'm sure you know where. Jay
Clever, and seems all too real.... hmmmm 💙Anneliese
Omggg my heart was racing the whole time! This was awesomeeee!
I knew it! I knew it. It was you. Why didn't you share?