A Sleight of Hands

Class had ended for the day and only two people were left in the room. Just an extremely handsome and clever boy, and a girl. Both left behind to clean up. The room wasn’t that untidy, so our jobs were finished earlier than we had planned. Our school has a system where the morning classes would share their rooms with the afternoon ones. There was still time before the next section would come in for their classes, so Katelyn and I decided to stay a little bit longer.

“Hey Kate, I’m hungry,” I called out to my classmate, “Treat me to lunch!”

She was swift to reject me without an ounce of hesitation. It was worth the try, however–

“How about a bet, then?”

She raised her eyebrows telling me to go on.

“I’ll hide a coin in one of my hands, and if you find it, I’ll treat you. If you don’t, then you’ll treat me.” A simple act of provocation could easily challenge this prideful classmate of mine. “So, how about it?”

Katelyn was bored enough to agree as she thought it wouldn’t be that difficult. Neither of us didn’t feel like going home so surely there’d be nothing wrong with passing the time like this with a close friend. 

From my wallet, I took out an old coin. She watched as I tossed it, directing her attention to it, before catching it with my right hand. I then took both my hands behind my back, making an arrogant smirk before chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” she asked.

“You, thinking you’d actually beat me.” I sneered at her.

She squinted her eyes at me, realizing that I might be up to no good again. She then stared at my fists as I presented it to her. It was obvious that she was thinking hard about what my plan would be. She didn't even consider the possibility of there not even being a coin in one of them because throughout our several years of friendship, I had never once been insincere or dishonest with her. She would never think I’d pull a cheap trick here.

“So, which hand?”

I could easily hear what the gullible girl was thinking inside of her head. Since I held onto the coin with my right hand, I could have moved it over to my left thinking she would choose that one, but then I could have also thought that she’d choose the left thinking that it wouldn’t be on the right hand and have it hidden over there.

She pointed at the knuckle she believed the coin would be found in. I opened my hand to reveal a shiny coin neatly in the middle of my palm, with a dissatisfied face. She actually found it.

“Who’s laughing now, Fraun?” She taunted me, giggling.

As she went to get her bag on the other side of the room, I took out my phone upon noticing it vibrate in my pocket, making a disappointed expression as I read the contents of a message I had just received.

“Can I treat you to lunch another time? My club just told me they needed me for today’s activities, so I’ll be staying a little longer at school.”

Was there a way to not make this sound like an excuse?

“I thought you’d be more honorable, Fraun?” She laughed. “Sure, but we can’t tomorrow. Since it’s Friday, I’m the one who has club activities.”

Our school’s curriculum makes it so that you’re required to attend club activities at least once a week.

“Then how about on Saturday? I’ll meet you at the park around 10.”

“Sure, then it’s a date?” she teased, leaving the room first.

I opened my wallet again, putting a pair of coins back, an old and a new one.

“I guess it is.”