It Isn’t Worth It

   Bzz.Bzz.Bzzz. I woke up and snatched my phone from my bedside table. There were about one hundred notifications from Snapchat and Instagram. I opened it up to see the usual “I Got an F on My Test” or “Skipping School Today”. Just as I was about to turn off my phone, I got a text message from an unknown number. It read “Meet me in the alley by Rodd Field Road with $1 million tonight at 11 PM sharp.” Oh shoot! I had completely forgotten about the deal I had made with a college admissions officer just a couple of months ago. Between stealing money and saving up some of my own, I had been having a rough couple of months this senior year of high school. Now it would all pay off. 

   It all started when senior year begun and I suddenly realized that I had to go to college next year or live on the streets. My parents were already disappointed with me because Asian kids are supposed to be valedictorian, not lowest ranked person in the whole grade. My parents had tried everything, from countless tutors to bribing. Nothing, and I mean nothing, had worked. I was stressing out about my future until one day, when a magical solution appeared right in front of me.

   While waiting for the school bus, I saw an older man talking to my best friend Abby, valedictorian and the perfect teacher’s pet. They were turned towards each other and were whispering in hushed voices. The man looked to be my grandfather’s age and he was wearing what looked like a uniform for wherever he worked. After a bit, they broke apart and the man drove away in a black Sedan. Abby rushed over to me. 

   “Sydney! I found the solution to all your problems!” 

   “What are you talking about, Abby?” 

   “That was a college admissions officer. I talked to him and he said if you can scrounge up one million dollars, he’ll get you into Harvard!” 

   “Harvard? One million dollars?” 

   “Exactly Sydney! I’ll help you as well. Then we can both go to Harvard together!” 

   Abby’s dream college was Harvard, which she was bound to get into. And now she had found a way for me to get in as well. She was officially THE best friend in the world. 

   “Ok, I’ll do it,” I said. 

   “Yay! He said you have six months to get the money.” 

   A million dollars in six months? Even with Sydney’s money combined with how much I get for working at McDonald’s, we’ll never get to a million. Unless…

   “The only way to do that is steal,” I told Abby. “You and I both have to steal money from our parents’ wallets and even from other people in school.” 

   “I.. I’ll do it,” Abby said. “Anything for you, Sydney.” 

   “Thank you so so so so so so so so sooo much Abby.” 

   “You’re welcome. Now let’s get this party started.”                                  

I jumped off the school bus and ran up to my room. I opened my closet and crawled to the corner where I kept my hidden safe. I entered the pin code. 73628563. A smile formed on the face as soon as I saw the bundles of cold, hard cash stored inside. I took it in my hand and counted just to be sure. One million dollars. Perfect. 

   Tonight I decided to pretend to sleep early and get ready in my room. I put the cash in my pants pocket and checked the clock. 8:45 PM. Two more hours until I have to leave. I set an alarm and flopped on my bed to take a nap while listening to 7 Rings. 

   Bzz. Bzz. Bzzzz. I leaped out of bed and begun my journey. I tiptoed down the stairs and snuck through the kitchen, all while holding my breath. I carefully opened the drawer where my mom kept her car keys and stuffed them in my pocket. Then, I snatched a fluffy faux fur coat as I scrambled out the door.

   The streets were empty except for a few drunk men walking around here and there. I found the alley and stopped the car in front of it. As I hopped out, a hand suddenly clamped my mouth shut and held my hands behind me. I turned to the see the admissions officer from before. 

   “Where’s the money?” he said, as he slowly released his hand from my mouth. 

   “Right here in my pocket,” I replied. 

   He stuck his hand in my pocket. 

   “What are you talking about? There’s nothing here!” he shouted. 

   “Calm down, let me check,” I said in a shaky voice. 

   I put my hand in my pocket and felt all over. Nothing. 

   “I swear it was just here!” I screamed, more to myself than to him. 

   In my head, I backtracked my day. I had opened the safe, then put it in the pockets of my pants. Then, I later put the car keys in that same pocket. Which wouldn’t have been able to fit had the cash been there! Oh shoot! The cash must have fallen out of my pocket! 

   “Um, I forgot the cash at home,” I mumbled. 

   “I’ll give you 5 minutes, and if you’re not back by then, I’m leaving,” he sternly said. 

   I got in the car and drove way past the speed limit to get home, even almost crashing into a pedestrian. As I approached my home, I saw multiple police cars surrounding my front yard. A police officer saw me and quickly ran over. 

   “Put your hands up where I can see them and walk out of the car, Miss.” 

   I abided and was immediately handcuffed. 

   “Wait, sir. I don’t think you understand. I haven’t done anything!” I pleaded. 

   “Your fingerprints were all over the cash. Now let’s go.” 

   I had been caught. As I walked over to the police car, all eyes were on me. Including my parents. The look on their faces was something I wanted erased from my mind. It was a look of disappointment and regret. Regret of having a child like me. And to think, I wouldn’t be on my way to juvie now had the money not fallen out of my pocket. But alas, if you do something bad, it will always come back to haunt you.