Molly leaned against the wall of the alley, her arms crossed, a mischievous grin plastered on her face. “So, Bill, you ready for the heist of the century?” Bill adjusted his oversized sunglasses, even though it was night. “Absolutely! I’ve been practicing my stealth moves. Watch this!” He crouched low and tiptoed exaggeratedly, nearly tripping over his own feet. Molly burst out laughing. “You look like a penguin trying to sneak up on a fish! We’re stealing presents, not auditioning for a nature documentary.” “Hey, it’s all about the technique! Besides, I’m just warming up. You know, getting into character.” He straightened up, trying to look serious. “Now, what’s the plan?” “Right. We wait until the kids are distracted by the clown. You know how they get—sugar high and balloon animals. Perfect cover for us.” “Clowns, huh? I hate clowns. They give me the creeps. What if one of them sees us?” Molly waved her hand dismissively. “Please, Bill. Clowns are too busy juggling and making balloon dogs to notice two professional thieves sneaking in. We’ll be in and out before they even realize the presents are gone.” “Professional thieves? I like the sound of that. Makes us sound fancy.” Bill puffed out his chest. “So, what’s the first step?” “First step: we need disguises. We can’t just waltz in there looking like ourselves. I mean, who would believe a couple of thieves would crash a kid’s party?” “Good point. What do you suggest? I could wear a tutu. That’ll throw them off.” Molly raised an eyebrow. “A tutu? Really? You think that’ll help?” “Hey, it’s all about blending in! Kids love tutus. They’ll think I’m just a really tall ballerina.” “Right. A ballerina with a criminal record. How about we stick to something less… flamboyant? Maybe just some party hats?” “Party hats? Boring! I want to make a statement! How about a giant foam finger? ‘#1 Thief!’” Molly rolled her eyes. “You’re not helping. Let’s just grab some silly string and throw it around. Kids love that stuff. They’ll be too busy playing with it to notice us.” “Okay, fine. Silly string it is. But I’m still wearing the foam finger.” “Deal. Now, what about the getaway? We can’t just stroll out the front door with a sack full of toys.” “Easy! We’ll use the back exit. I saw a delivery truck parked there earlier. We can hop in and drive off like we’re delivering more presents.” “Brilliant! Just don’t forget to put on your seatbelt, Mr. Ballerina.” “Ha! I’ll be the safest thief in town. So, when do we make our move?” “Right after the cake cutting. That’s when the kids will be in a sugar coma. We’ll have a solid ten minutes to grab the loot.” “Ten minutes? That’s cutting it close! What if the clown starts doing magic tricks?” “Then we improvise! We’re thieves, Bill. We thrive on chaos!” “Chaos and cake! I like it. Let’s do this!” Molly clapped her hands together. “Alright, partner. Time to make some kids very unhappy!” “Or very happy when they find out their presents are in the hands of the best thieves ever!” “Let’s just hope they don’t find out until after we’re gone.”