Molly and Bill crouched behind a row of hedges, peering through the leaves at the chaos of the children's party in full swing. Balloons bobbed in the air, and the sound of laughter and shrieks filled the backyard. A clown was making balloon animals, and a table groaned under the weight of brightly wrapped presents. "Alright, Bill, what's the plan?" Molly whispered, her eyes darting around to make sure no one had spotted them. Bill adjusted his ski mask, which he had prematurely pulled over his face. "First, we blend in. You see that bouncy castle? We go in there, act like we're just having a good time." Molly raised an eyebrow. "In ski masks?" Bill paused, then sheepishly pulled his mask back up. "Right, right. No masks until we're inside. We mingle, we wait for the right moment, and then we grab the presents." Molly sighed. "And how exactly do we carry out a mountain of presents without anyone noticing?" Bill grinned, pulling out a large, empty sack from his backpack. "Santa style." Molly rolled her eyes. "This is a children's party, not a chimney. We need a distraction." Bill nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, how about this: I’ll challenge the clown to a balloon animal contest. Kids love that stuff. While everyone’s distracted, you start loading the presents into the sack." Molly smirked. "You, a balloon animal contest? You can barely tie your shoelaces." Bill puffed out his chest. "I’ve been practicing. Watch and learn." They waited for a moment when the parents were distracted by a particularly loud burst of laughter from the clown. Bill and Molly slipped out from behind the hedges and casually walked towards the bouncy castle. They kicked off their shoes and climbed in, bouncing awkwardly among the children. "Hey, kids!" Bill called out, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Who wants to see a balloon animal contest?" The children cheered, and the clown, a portly man with a red nose and oversized shoes, looked intrigued. "You think you can beat me, buddy?" the clown challenged. Bill nodded confidently. "Bring it on, Bozo." As the clown and Bill started twisting balloons into various shapes, Molly slipped out of the bouncy castle and made her way to the gift table. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching and began stuffing presents into the sack. "Hey, what are you doing?" a small voice piped up. Molly froze and turned to see a little girl with pigtails staring at her. "Uh, I'm just... organizing the presents," Molly stammered. The girl frowned. "But it's not your party." Molly forced a smile. "I'm a party helper. You know, like an elf." The girl’s eyes widened. "Are you Santa's elf?" Molly nodded vigorously. "Exactly. Now, run along and enjoy the party." The girl skipped away, and Molly continued her task, her heart pounding. Meanwhile, Bill was struggling with his balloon animal, which looked more like a deflated octopus than a dog. "Ta-da!" the clown announced, holding up a perfect balloon poodle. Bill held up his creation, which promptly popped. The children laughed, and Bill forced a grin. "Well, you win this round, Bozo." Molly returned, the sack bulging with presents. "Time to go," she hissed. Bill nodded, and they both made a beeline for the gate. Just as they were about to escape, a voice called out, "Hey, where are you going with those presents?" They turned to see the birthday boy, hands on his hips, glaring at them. Bill and Molly exchanged a panicked look. "Uh, we're just... taking them to get wrapped!" Bill said lamely. The boy frowned. "They're already wrapped." Molly grabbed Bill's arm. "Run!" They sprinted out of the yard, the sound of children's laughter and shouts following them. As they disappeared down the street, Bill couldn't help but laugh. "Well, that could have gone worse." Molly shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "Next time, let's stick to banks."