Molly and Bill stood in the alleyway behind the community center, the sounds of children's laughter echoing around the corner. "Bill, are you sure this is a good idea?" Molly asked, glancing nervously at the balloons wafting above the party fence. "Of course, Molly. Who guards a children's party? It'll be a piece of cake," Bill replied, patting the bulging backpack slung over his shoulder. "Speaking of cake, do we even know if there's a guard dog? I'm not doing this if there's a dog, Bill," Molly's voice trembled slightly. "No dogs, I promise. Just cupcakes and confetti. Remember, we're in and out before anyone even realizes what's happening," said Bill confidently. Molly sighed deeply. "Alright, but what's the plan exactly?" Bill unrolled a crumpled map of the community center. "We enter from the side door here. There's a back hallway that leads right to the party room. We grab the presents and we're gone. Easy peasy." Molly squinted at the map. "What's the deal with the jumble of lines here? That looks like chaos." "That's the bouncy castle. Just avoid it. We don't want a repeat of the trampoline debacle," Bill said, chuckling. Molly rolled her eyes. "I ended up in a neck brace for a week, Bill. Not funny." "Details, details. Stick with me and everything will be fine. Trust me." A shrill sound of a whistle blew from the party area. Molly's eyes widened. "Bill, I think they have a clown. I hate clowns." Bill grinned. "Don't worry about the clown. Focus, Molly. We're professionals." Molly snorted. "Professional thieves stealing kids' presents. Yeah, real classy." Bill arched an eyebrow. "Hey, these kids have more money in their piggy banks than we've seen in a month. Now, are you in or out?" "Fine, I'm in," Molly said with resignation. "But if the clown looks at me funny, he's getting a pie to the face." Bill laughed. "Deal. Speaking of distractions, any ideas?" Molly thought for a moment. "How about we use the old switcheroo? I'll create a diversion by challenging the clown to a balloon animal contest while you grab the presents." Bill nodded. "Perfect. Remember, confidence is key." They crept around the building to the side door. Molly pressed her ear to it. "I hear music. Sounds like 'Baby Shark.'" Bill winced. "Stay focused, Molly. We're doing this." Molly took a deep breath and opened the door slowly. "Okay, let's go." They slinked through the narrow hallway, the cheerful party noises growing louder with each step. As they reached the door to the party room, Bill glanced at Molly. "Ready?" Molly nodded. "Let's do this." Bill pushed the door open, and chaos unfolded. Streamers, balloons, and children running everywhere. Molly immediately zeroed in on the clown, who was twisting balloons into odd shapes near the cake table. "Clown's mine," Molly whispered, heading straight for him. "Hey, Bozo, bet you can't make a better balloon giraffe than me!" The clown grinned, accepting the challenge while children gathered around. Bill took advantage of the distraction, slipping to the gift table piled high with brightly wrapped presents. "Jackpot," Bill murmured. He started shoving the gifts into his backpack as the children cheered and laughed at Molly's pathetic attempts at balloon animals. Molly glanced over her shoulder. "Hurry up, Bill!" "Almost done," Bill replied, stuffing the last of the presents into his bag. "Let's go!" Molly backed away from the clown, who was now fully engrossed in showing off his balloon-sculpting skills. "Got what we needed?" "Yep, we're loaded," Bill said, grinning widely. They darted back down the hallway and out the side door, disappearing into the alleyway just as swiftly as they had arrived. Molly slumped against the wall, catching her breath. "We did it." Bill held up the bag victoriously. "We sure did. Happy birthday to us." Molly chuckled. "Who knew a clown could be so handy?" "I guess even clowns have their uses," Bill said, shaking his head. "Let's get out of here before someone realizes what's missing." With that, they vanished into the night, leaving behind nothing but the distant sounds of children's laughter and the faint echo of a clown's honk.