Fixing Good CYOA

[Corenat Rovarnus]

B is the winner.

You most certainly take offense to Paul Hoodman’s comment on your physical ability, offering to get up and demonstrate it right here and now. Paul backtracks quickly, hands in the air. “Okay okay, there’s no need for that, sir. I see now that you’re fit as a fiddle. If you’ll just sign this personal injury waiver we can get started.”

This would be a good time to recall that you currently have no life insurance policy of any sort, and with your cancer diagnosis the premiums would be through the roof. If you were to die in the near future your family would be left destitute. But that’s why you’re doing all this, right?

You ask about protective gear, and Paul tells you he’s got it covered. He pulls open a drawer in his desk, revealing a massive collection of cell phones. “Woops, wrong one.”
He closes the drawer and opens another. “There we go.”

Paul pulls out a full set of roller skating ‘armor’ including knee pads, elbow pads, gloves, and a helmet. “See, you’ll actually be riding a scooter, giving you a perfect reason to be wearing this stuff. Here, try them on.”

The sound of ripping Velcro fills the office as you put on the gear. It’s a little tight and looks rather silly, but you’ll be well protected from a fall. A car crash, on the other hand…

Paul explains the plan to you. “You show up at the street the mark will be driving through with three things.” He points at you. “Number One: your protective gear. Obviously you should already have put it on.”

“Number Two: the scooter.” He takes out a “Blade” brand children’s scooter.

“Number Three: this cell phone.” He hands you a glittery pink flip phone with a small sunflower charm. “That’s so we can keep in touch, take it home with you.”

“As for me, I’m Mission Control, monitoring the situation. I’ll call you when the mark is approaching, give you a 2 minute warning. Once you spot their vehicle, roll out into the middle of the street on a collision course. Right before the car is about to hit you, jump off and throw the scooter out in front of them. It’ll sound like they hit something, and what they’ll see is you on the ground. That’s when you squeeze them for all they’re worth. If you think they’re holding out, threaten to call the cops. You can pull out the cell phone and start dialing, but you’ll actually be calling me.”

Paul holds up a finger. “I have to reiterate that you should wait until the verrry last second before it hits, gotta make it look real. Don’t worry about the scooter getting totaled, I can get another one on the cheap. Sound good so far?”

It sounds very dubious to you, but in for a penny, out for a pound as they say.

You return home without incident and are having dinner with your family when a ringtone plays from your pocket: it’s the cell phone Paul gave you. You excuse yourself and answer in another room.

“I’ve found a mark,” Paul says. “Can we do this tomorrow?”
Wow, that was fast. Unfortunately, tomorrow is a school day and you’re a teacher, so you ask if you can do this another time.

“Well, I only know for sure that they’ll be in the right place and the right time tomorrow,” Paul says. “If we don’t do it then, I can’t say when the next opportunity would be. It might not be convenient for you then either.”

You think of your family back in the dining room. They need this money, and the sooner you can get it the better. You tell him you’re in.

===To Be Continued ===>>