The (extremely goofy) adventures of Max

Entry 34: The Big Plan

Thursday, July 6

Lunch today was electric. The cafeteria hummed with the usual noise—kids laughing, trading snacks, yelling over the sound of clattering trays—but at our table, anticipation hung in the air like an electric charge. Everyone leaned in close, eyes locked on Lo as he prepared to lay out his plan.

"Alright, you guys," Lo started, his voice low and serious. "Tomorrow, we pull off the greatest prank of the year. Maybe even the greatest prank in our school's history."

Ben, who had been nervously chewing the end of his straw, froze. "You mean... the plan with Mr. Dreadmore's room?"

Lo nodded, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Exactly."

A few weeks back, Mr. Dreadmore—the teacher who once terrified us with his strictness but had recently become weirdly nice—had mentioned he'd be leaving his classroom unlocked during tomorrow's lunch period. He'd be helping out with some big assembly prep and didn't think twice about trusting high schoolers with such a golden opportunity.

Lo leaned in, glancing around to make sure no teachers were nearby. "Here's how it goes down. First, we need to get the supplies—rubber snakes, some of that instant confetti powder, and the best part: Sammy's soundboard with the custom audio track."

Sammy grinned and held up the small device in his pocket. It was his pride and joy, loaded with sound effects that ranged from sirens to maniacal laughter.

"So, we wait until lunch," Lo continued, "when the coast is clear. Mikey, you'll be on lookout by the door to make sure no one comes down the hallway. Max, you're with me to set up the snakes and the confetti inside the desk drawers and ceiling tiles. Sammy, you'll rig the soundboard to go off when someone enters the room."

I felt my heart thump with excitement. The vision of Mr. Dreadmore walking into his room only to be greeted by rubber snakes slithering out of his desk and confetti raining down on him was too good to pass up.

"And the soundboard," Lo added, smirking, "will play an epic 'Mission Impossible' theme, then switch to that recording of Mr. Dreadmore shouting, 'What is the meaning of this?!' from last year's assembly."

We burst into stifled laughter at the memory. Even Ben, who usually tried to play the cautious voice of reason, cracked a smile.

"Are we really going to get away with this?" Ben asked, eyes darting around.

Lo's grin widened. "Only one way to find out."

The rest of the day felt like a blur. All I could think about was the prank. The adrenaline was already kicking in, making it hard to sit still during math. By the time I got home, my mind was buzzing. I half-listened as Mom asked about my day, my answers automatic as I tried to hide my anticipation.

"Max, you look anxious," she said, pausing while chopping vegetables. The look she gave me made my stomach twist—half concerned, half 'what are you up to?'

I swallowed. "Uh, nothing!" My voice cracked a bit, and she raised an eyebrow but let it slide.

As I went up to my room, I couldn't help but smile. Tomorrow was going to be something we'd never forget.