The moon was high, casting a silver glow over the suburban cul-de-sac where the Johnsons’ backyard buzzed with the sounds of children’s laughter and bouncing balloons. Molly crouched behind a bush, eyes gleaming with mischief, clutching a crumpled sketch of the backyard layout. Bill squatted next to her, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “So, Molly, what’s the plan again?” Bill whispered, his voice barely audible over the distant squeals of joy and the thumping beat of a clown’s music. Molly grinned. “Easy. We slip in through the fence, go straight for the presents, and slip out before anyone notices.” Bill pointed at the sketch. “Your drawing here shows a very complicated series of tunnels underneath the yard. Do we really need to dig a moat now?” “Relax,” Molly hissed. “I just drew that to look intimidating. The real plan is simpler. There’s a gate in the back, mostly unlocked. We need to be quick. The kids will be swarming that candy cart any minute.” Bill looked skeptical. “That’s it? We just walk up, snag everything, and walk out? No alarms, no barking dogs?” Molly rolled her eyes. “No dogs. The Johnsons don’t have a fence either. Worst case, we get pinched by a kids’ cupcake-eating contest.” Bill chuckled. “Imagine the police hauling us out, covered in frosting.” “Noted. We’re not actually eating cupcakes, Bill. We’re stealing them.” Molly pulled out a flash drive from her pocket. “This little guy will disable the security cameras for five minutes. It’s all the time we need.” Bill nodded, eyes scanning the yard. “Piece of cake. Or, since we’re in a kid’s party… a piece of birthday cake.” Molly smirked. “Focus. Once the cameras go dark, we make our move. I’ll go left, you go right, and meet in the middle with the loot.” Bill hesitated. “What if someone sees us? Those kids are basically little detectives.” “They’re too busy with their pinata and cotton candy. Besides,” Molly whispered, “you’re the master of distraction. Remember last time? You tripped over that plastic flamingo and fell into the punch bowl. Classic.” Bill grinned. “Hey, it was a tactical move. I created a diversion.” “Sure, a diversion,” Molly said sarcastically. “Anyway, I’ll sneak in through the side gate, grab the biggest presents first. The Xbox, the dollhouse, maybe even the giant teddy bear if it’s still hanging around.” Bill raised an eyebrow. “What about the clown? He looks suspiciously friendly. Think he’s part of the setup?” Molly waved a hand dismissively. “He’s just there to entertain. No trouble. Besides, I noticed the cake table is open. We could snag some cupcakes for the road. I mean, a little extra sugar never hurt anyone.” Bill looked at her incredulous. “Cupcakes? Sure, but I think we’d get more mileage out of the presents.” “Details, details,” Molly said, finger to her lips. “We have five minutes tops. Once the camera feed is cut, I’ll dart in, scoop the loot, then we’ll split.” Bill looked around nervously. “What if the birthday kid spots us? Little Timmy’s got those giant eyes, he’s harder to fool than a password.” Molly paused. “Then we’ll tell him we’re Santa’s elves. Oh wait, that might be more believable. Anyway, no one’s going to notice us if we’re quick and silent. It’s a kids’ party—nobody’s paying attention to two sneaky adults.” Bill nodded, making a ‘ready’ motion with his hand. “Alright, I’m in. Just don’t forget, I’m counting on you to get the big stuff. I’ll distract the crowd with my dance moves—see if I can land a disco spin.” Molly blinked. “Your dance moves? That’s your plan?” Bill shrugged. “Hey, I’ve got moves. Kid’s parties love a good dance.” They both grinned in the dark, adrenaline kicking in. Molly checked her watch—forty-five seconds left before the security system rebooted. “Okay,” she whispered. “Let’s make this a party to remember, Bill.” He winked. “Let’s do this. And if we get caught, I’ll blame the clown.” They both stifled giggles, then crept toward the backyard, hearts pounding with a mixture of mischief and anticipation. The night was young, and so was their outrageous scheme.