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The Perfect Plan

by Amy Flint, Woodbridge, Canada, Age 13

In a small house, in a small neighborhood, in a small town, in a small state, Noah Randall was devising a very big plan.
It would be a perfect plan. No one would ever suspect him of all people to pull something like this off, or even to attempt it.A townie from Rhode Island, he was the epitome of the perfect guy. He was old fashioned, with a sense of charm about him that could make any girl head-over-heels for him. He was sick of being Noah the perfect everything. It was time to be real. But how would he go about this?
He had that shy, sweetheart appeal about him with his shy smile and the shiny blond curls that he was constantly brushing out of his eyes. And once you could see his eyes…well let’s just say if you weren’t in love with him before, you were now. But he hated that! He didn’t like looking over his shoulders just to see a bunch of girls staring at him. No one ever took him seriously. He was known for his good looks, and that was all. No one thought he would have a future past Abercrombie & Fitch modeling. But that’s not what he wanted. He just needed to do something important. He decided to go for a walk and organize his thoughts.
Sarah Dodson was sitting alone in her apartment, wondering what it all was about. She had just been dumped by her boyfriend of 4 years, she had lost her job at the office…she was twenty-four and she felt as if she had hit a roadblock. Why even go on? She thought to herself as she poured another cup of tea, this is pointless, sitting here feeling miserable when there’s nothing to live for?
Noah was walking outside considering options for a potential partner for his crime. He found a small coffee shop next to an apartment building and sat down at one of the outside tables when he saw Sarah through her window, crying and holding the pill bottle. He knew that he could save her. Ever since it had happened, he had wanted to prevent suicide from happening. This, he believed, was the first step. He ran upstairs and knocked on doors until he found her. She was still sobbing, and luckily the pill bottle was on the table untouched. “Don’t do it.” Noah said.
“Excuse me?” Sarah asked him, confused.
“No matter what happened, it’s not worth it.”
She laughed dryly. “You have no idea.”
He felt like he was getting nowhere. He knew all about her and she knew about him but a main part of his character was yet to be explained. He told her why he felt like doing something out of the ordinary, and all his thoughts on being “perfect,” and she looked like she understood. “Ever feel like no one understands you?” she said.
This time it was his turn to laugh dryly. “You have no idea.”

CHAPTER 2

Noah and Sarah sat in her apartment and talked for five hours. He needed a partner in crime, she just needed a friend. They decided that the two of them would pull something off together. All they needed was a plan. “So is there anything you’ve always wanted, from the bottom of your heart?” asked Sarah.
Then it dawned on him. The Red Diamond.
When Noah was seven years old, his father took him to the New York City Museum. He had held Noah’s hand and said that these were some of the most beautiful things he would ever see, and to get ready. The minute they walked in, Noah noticed the sign. It read:
Come and see the rare, gorgeous Red Diamond!
Here AA To the right.
“Dad, Dad! We have to go see that!” Noah practically dragged his father over to the display.
It was not very crowded, so Noah could just go on over and look in. It was almost magical for him. He pressed his nose up against the glass and the diamond sparkled in the sun shining through from the skylights. “Dad, this is the most prettiest thing I have ever seen.”
His father chuckled. “Why yes, son, it’s very beautiful. Probably the most beautiful and valuable thing in this museum. People come from all over the world just to see this one very diamond.”
Noah looked at the bottom of the display. A small index card was on a small stand next to the diamond. Noah read it out loud. “Discovered by Ralph Wilkins. Wow. That’s what I want to do. Discover diamonds. Find them wherever I can. That will be my job for the rest of my life, I just know it.”
His father laughed. “Okay son, if you say so… Diamond miner.” He laughed again.
Noah felt hurt. His father didn’t believe in his new dream. When he got home, neither did the rest of his family. All he wanted was a diamond like the Red Diamond, since he couldn’t have that one because it was so rare. Thinking about the diamond made him remember. The gun on the table. The note. The sick feeling that made Noah double over in pain, pain deep inside his heart. His dad had committed suicide when he was eighteen, leaving nothing except a note with one short sentence. The note had read: Noah, amount to something, anything. Noah had always felt responsible because his father had always been ashamed of his son, the failure. The thought of diamonds made him remember, because ever since the experience at the museum when he was seven, Noah felt like nothing in his father’s eyes. And his father was right, he was nothing.
The thought of his father made Noah feel that empty feeling again, but he quickly shook it off. He had to get back to his plan. Amount to something.
Noah finished up the story for Sarah. Her mouth was open. “Wow. Noah, I am so sorry about your father.” She walked over and hugged him tightly. “My mother died when I was seven, but I know that that doesn’t even close to equal all the pain that you’ve gone through.” Sarah saw Noah in a new light. He was a sweet person and happy on the outside, but looking deeper Sarah could see the emptiness in his eyes, the hunger for acceptance from his father. She needed to help. She knew that she could help.
Sarah smiled slowly, and then it came to her. Why hadn’t she thought of this before? “That’s it!”
“ What’s it?”
“ That’s what we should get! The Red Diamond! It’s absolutely perfect! You’ve wanted it forever!”
Noah smiled. I told dad I would get it eventually. He thought. And now his dream was becoming a reality.
They made plans all night long, and Noah felt as if he had felt someone special. At first, she had just been there to help with his plan, but now after seeing how the hair falls in her face when she’s deep in thought, or how her eyes twinkled when she laughed, he felt differently. She was the only one he had ever been able to tell his story too, his secret insecurity. Sure, for now she was his partner-in-crime ONLY, but he was wondering now-could it be more?

CHAPTER 3

Noah woke up the following Saturday with the sun. He was refreshed and felt like he could face whatever happened that day. He didn’t know how this would turn out, but he had faith in Sarah, and faith in himself. He had spent a week with Sarah, and he felt the connection. If only she felt the same. He thought that after they stole the diamond the two could get married in Vegas. He had to tell her about how he felt after they stole the diamond. Noah exhaled deeply. He had quit smoking three years ago, but now he really craved a cigarette. His nerves were ganging up on him.
Sarah was standing in front of the mirror? Can we do this? We can do this. Come on Sarah. Be cool. She thought. She looked totally normal, in a pair of American Eagle jeans and a polo shirt. Not someone who would steal a diamond. Right? Wait…maybe she looked too normal. She put on a pair of sunglasses and looked in the mirror. Better. She thought. Much better. Noah was the brains and driving force of this plan. She just kind of helped. She smiled to herself. She thought, I think Noah’s into me. But he was just her friend. She was helping him steal a diamond. She looked at the clock. She was supposed to meet Noah at nine at the local Starbucks. It was 8:50. Oh okay, I still have time. She thought. She hopped in her car and left for the coffee shop. She pulled up at exactly nine. Noah wasn’t there. She sighed. She went in and ordered a latté. When she came back out, Noah was sitting at a table with an umbrella waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her. “Oh, you weren’t here when I showed up, so I went and ordered,” said Sarah.
“ Oh, it’s cool.” Replied Noah, “I was just about to go get something myself.”
He went in and got coffee, then came out and sat down at the table with Sarah. “Are you ready for today?” He asked with a smile.
“ As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“ Okay then. Let’s go get that diamond, eh?”
They took their coffee with them and drove to the museum. As they got there, the place was crawling with security. “Hmm…this is new.” Noticed Noah. He looked worried. “What’s with the new security?”
“ I’m not sure…” said Sarah, “let’s go ask.”
They went over to a very important looking security guard. “Hi!” Said Sarah in a perky voice, “Who are you?”
“ Why, I’m the head of security for this here museum, young lady. Who are you?”
“ Oh, just a museum fan. Why is there so much new security around here?” She asked.
“ Well, young lady, there’s been some rumors that some people wanna steal some of these here paintings!”
Sarah gasped in mock shock. “Why that, that’s just horrible! Who would ever do that?”
The security guard whistled. “Well you’ll learn young lady, that some people are just messed up in the head. But it’s okay. I doubt anyone could get past us. We are the top security guards for this here state! Well, now I have to go. I can’t keep this museum safe just standin’ here, even though I’m talking to you fine people! I must be going.” He tipped his hat at them and swaggered off importantly.
Sarah looked over at Noah. “Well, it’s going to be a little bit harder I guess now.” She said with a sigh.
“ Oh…oh Sarah I don’t think we should do this anymore…I mean new security…messed up in the head…this is a bad idea. It just is. I know it.” He looked at her guiltily. But instead of understanding, when he looked over at her, she had a face of annoyance mixed with anger.
“ You think you’re going to go chicken out on me now? Ha! I don’t think so. Sarah Dodson does not back out of anything and she definitely will not be made a fool of. I can be the brain of this operation! You’re not that smart anyway! But I can tell you one thing, and you best get it through your pretty boy head-you are going to steal this diamond with me whether you like it or not, you see?”
Noah nodded meekly. He had never seen this side of Sarah! She pulled out a nail file and began filing her nails furiously. He looked at her questioningly. “I file when I’m nervous, ‘kay? I used to be a cutter, and that shrink my parents sent me to said filing my nails might relieve my stress. And right now you are putting me under stress Noah do you understand me?”
She was shaking his shoulders by this time. He looked at her with a scared look in his eyes, so she exhaled loudly and went back to filing. “I just-“ he said.
“ God! Look what you’ve done you made me break a nail! God you are worthless. Just like you said. Another Abercrombie model in the making.”
She walked away. Noah stood there in shock. He couldn’t believe she would have ever said that. He decided he had to do it. He felt awful, but he didn’t want anyone to think that about him ever. He didn’t even want the diamond anymore. She could have it. He was finished with this whole dumb idea.

CHAPTER 4

They entered the room where the diamond was kept. It was around lunchtime, when no one was there, not security, not visitors, and the room was empty besides them and the diamond. “So glad you decided to come,” she said sarcastically.
“Wow you are so funny. And quite a jerk. I was in love with you! I thought you understood me!” said Noah desperately.
“Cry me a river, loser. I don’t need your whining. Let’s steal this thing and get it over with! Come on!” She grabbed the diamond out of the case and ran as the alarms went off. “COME ON!” She yelled as she sprinted out.
As soon as they got outside she shoved the diamond in her jacket. “You tell no one. No one. Got it?” she said defiantly.
Noah looked down. “Yes, I’ve got it.”
“Good. Because if you squeal, I’m saying it was all you, baby. Don’t think for a second I won’t.”
He didn’t respond. He just sat down in the seat of his car, put his head on the steering wheel and thought about what he had just done. He would tell no one. He couldn’t afford this, especially not in his family. They would disown him in a second. He went home, poured himself a glass of brandy, and tried to forget all about this horrific day.

CHAPTER 5

Two weeks later, Detective Steve Murray was sitting in his office, contemplating his information. He was trying to solve who stole the Red Diamond, and so far had nothing. “These people are meticulous to pull this off! They must have worn gloves-no fingerprints. Of course, the cameras had to still be broken. Someone better fix that. All that security was around too. They said they could handle it! I mean, it all looks clean. There must be something I can go off of!” he said out loud and slammed his palm down on the table. He looked around. He was alone.
He had been working on this case since the theft occurred, and thinking about what could have happened to that diamond, how it all went down. He decided to once again check out the scene of the crime. He drove over to the museum, his coworkers’ voices repeating in his head. They had all said that he would never catch them, “the perfect thieves.” He would get them. He knew it.
He walked around security, flashing his badge so they knew that he was allowed in. He went to the display. The room was dark and sad-looking, empty without the diamond. How could anyone take this diamond? He thought, it’s loved by our entire nation. He felt wistful. He had always loved this diamond, and he was sad that it was gone. He looked around the room. He had countlessly investigated it, looking for something, ANYTHING to go on. But it seemed like nothing could be done. He began to walk out, head down, when he saw something. His mother had always said he was blessed with great eyes, and this helped him in situations like this. He saw something very tiny, but on the black floor seemed obvious. Why hasn’t anyone noticed this? Why haven’t I noticed it?! He thought. He put on a pair of white gloves and picked up gingerly. A tiny piece of a fingernail.                                                                                                                                                   

CHAPTER 6

Detective Murray rushed back to the office. He had the fingernail in a small plastic bag. He held it up for everyone to see. He smiled. “Look! Look what I got! I told you-I knew it! A fingernail! Do you know what this means? I got ‘em! I got ‘em! Let’s send this to the lab.”
He ran into the office as the other private investigators stared at him open-mouthed. No one ever thought he would catch these thieves.
He was grinning as he walked out of the lab. Sarah Dodson. That’s whose fingernail it was. Apparently she had had a few psychological problems in the past, a few small shoplifting busts. She stole the diamond. Now all he had to do was go get her.
As he pulled up at her apartment complex with the police, he looked at one of the officers. “You ready?” he asked. The police officer looked over at him. “Whenever you are.”
They knocked on her door. “Open up-police!” the one officer announced.
Inside the apartment, Sarah, who was reading a magazine, froze. The magazine fell out of her hands, and the exciting article she was reading about Brad Pitt vanished from her thoughts. This can’t be happening. She thought. They knocked again. It was real. Now what was she going to do about it? She considered hiding…no, too reality TV. So she decided to pretend she had no idea what was going on. She answered the door with a pleasant-and very fake-smile. “Yes officer?”
“We just have a few questions for you.”
“That’s fine. Shoot.”
The officer looked down at her hands. “Wow,” he said, still looking down, “you have flawless hands. Perfect skin tone, perfect fingernails…” He trailed off. He slowly looked up and looked straight in her eyes. She wondered what he was hinting about. “Do you know why we’re here?” Said the officer.
“No,” Sarah said, “I don’t believe I do.”
“This fingernail was found at the scene of a recent jewel theft. Lab work proves it’s yours. I think we need to go downtown.”
“Well, before we go…I didn’t do it alone. Noah Randall. He helped me.”A single tear slipped down her face.
“Thanks, we’ll check it out.”
Noah was wondering what to do. Should he confess? Turn himself in? Turn Sarah in? No. Why would they believe it was her? He thought. Just then he got the same knock Sarah had gotten just hours before-“Open up-police!”
He opened the door. “We have some questions for you,” said one officer.
Noah knew this was it. He was busted. He led the officers into his living room with a grim smile. He knew in 20 minutes it would all be over.
Sarah was sitting in her jail cell, wondering when Noah would be arriving. She knew he would be. He was way too good to not confess! So she sat and waited for hours.
At the same time as Sarah was wondering where he was; Noah was getting into his car. He brushed his hands off on his jeans. That was easier than I thought. It would be hours until people would come looking for him, knowing he murdered those officers. Which he did, for good reason. He stepped on the gas and with a small smile, headed south. Amount to something.