Shouldn’t

“We shouldn’t do this,” Amy whispered. She was sitting next to me, tense, in the taxi cab. Her nicely straightened blonde hair was curling around her face from the sweat. Her soft face was clenched tightly.

“You don’t have to come.” I replied coolly. “This is my decision, not yours.” I had on a sleek black dress, with matching boots. My black hair was pulled into a low ponytail. She glanced over at me hesitantly. She really did not want to do this. It was obvious. But as I already had said, I needed to do this. There was no choice in this matter.

“I can’t just let you do it yourself.” She said. Her heels dug into the floor of the cab.

“Okay,” I uncrossed my legs. “Then, stop complaining. That’s the last thing I need to hear right now,” I let out a breath. “Uneasiness.”

The cab barked on the curve leading into the mansion’s driveway. I gave a slight nod to Amy. I handed the driver a wad of cash and we both slide out. She made her way to the front door, while I went around the side — just as we planned beforehand. I heard her knock and ring the doorbell as I stumbled over the fence. I landed on my butt, which only proved to myself how clumsy I really was.

The backyard wasn’t as grand as I expected. But who am I to judge? Amy and I can barely afford the apartment we share together. It was just a large field of grass. Literally. I was expecting, I don’t know, water fountains, billions of rose bushes. But no — just grass. I walked to the back door and pulled at it. To my surprised and great luck, it was unlocked. It slide right open. I closed it behind me quietly and headed towards where the front door should be located. If Amy was doing just as we planned, she still should be talking to him.

The mansion was quite boring, as well. Some paintings, some furniture. But really, it was all a bit bare. I was starting to wonder where the guy put all his money, because it sure didn’t go into his house. I finally turned the right corner and there, right in front of me, was Amy talking to him. She was going on about some school project she supposedly was doing. We all knew that wasn’t true. Except for maybe him, of course. That was the plan after all.

“It’s for the animal shelter,” she was trying to explain. “I wanted to, like, I don’t know, help the cats and dogs. They all need homes, ya’ know?” I had to hide my laugh. She was really a great actress — doing the perfect impression of a basic teenage girl.

“How much do you need?” He sighed. All I could see was his back. But from what I could tell, his dark hair was styled neatly, and he had a loose white shirt with jeans on. I pressed myself against the wall, tilting my head only so much so I could see them.

“Well, I need to collect 500 dollars in total,” Amy suggested. “But, you can pay, like, whatever you can.” She tried to pull off a innocent look, but it didn’t seem to do anything. His posture and voice remained the main.

“I’ll give you $20, okay?” He pulled out his wallet. I wanted to yell out. 20? That’s it? What the–

“Um, can you, like, pay a bit more? No?” Her voice was pleading.

I could feel him raise a brow. “I’m giving you money, isn’t that what you want? Stop begging for more.” He kept his voice light, but it was noticeable that he was getting annoyed with her. I tried to motion Amy to stop. She ignored me.

“Sorry, sir. It’s just…” She tried to think of an excuse. I held my breath. If she continued like this, our plan was going to fail. It relied on both her good acting and his generosity. The latter seemed to be nonexistent. “It would be nice if–”

He shoved the money in her hand. “I’m sorry, that’s all you’re getting.” He went to close the door. I knew now was my time to jump out. I pulled out a knife from my pocket. I slammed his against the wall with it at his throat. His brown eyes widened.

“It would be appreciated if you give us the money. Right now, would be ideal.” I pressed the knife down harder.

“What are you–” He gasped. His hands struggled into his pocket and he pushed the wallet into my chest. “Just…take it.” I released him and took out the money. I threw the wallet back at him.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I smirked. He stood back up, using assistance from the wall. Some blood was spotted on his white collar.

“Just go,” he glared. “I gave you your money. Go.”

I motioned to Amy, who was staring at the scene in horror. She still wasn’t used to the sight of blood. She walked away hesitantly. “Thanks for the money,” I said as I went out the door.

The young man said nothing. His eyes only watched me leave, his mouth a thin line. I didn’t understand why he was so mad. He was supposed to be rich. Maybe that money we stole was going to his house. And we all know how much he spent decorating the place. None of it.