April Fool's

The most convincing - but possibly meanest - prank I ever pulled was on my poor Mom and Dad. I was a freshman in college, living in a dorm, 95 miles from home. Just after midnight on April 1, I walked to the pay phone down the hall from my room on the 7th floor of Kerr Hall and dialed Mom and Dad at home.

"Dad," I whimpered to the sleepy voice that answered the phone.
"Dad, I'm... in.... jail."

"Stacy! Where?"

"Here, in Denton."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You don't KNOW?"

"No. They just arrested me, but they won't tell me why."

The conversation went on for a few minutes. I played my part well; I sounded like a scared -to-death kid. And it worked. My Dad was pulling on his pants, getting ready to drive to Denton before I busted out laughing and said "April Fool's!" He didn't think it was one bit funny. Neither did Mom. I wonder if they remember that night.

Today, Darren and I pranked the boys. Darren had the afternoon off, so we walked together to pick up the boys from school. When we got there, we told them that we were going to let them play at the playground, something they beg to do on an almost daily basis. Their eyes lit up and the three of them (we had Tristan, too) let out a "yahoo" and started running for the playground.

"WAIT," Darren said. "April Fool's. We're not going to the playground."
There was a chorus of "Aw, Man!" and some really angry looking eyes coming from the three of them.
"April Fools! We really ARE going to the playground."
That was followed by a couple of playful punches to Darren's arm and some nervous laughter.
"But first, Mom and I signed up us all up to clean the playground."

The boys all looked at Darren, then at me, then back at Darren."
He continued, "It's a school thing. They get the parents to volunteer to clean the playground one day per year, and today is our day."

The boys stood in stunned silence. They didn't know what to think.

I chimed in, "But you still get to play! It's just that first, you have to clean the whole playground."

Ian fell in a crumpled heap on the ground at Darren's feet and began to wail. Tristan and Aidan began to protest. Then Darren and I said, "April Fool's!! We got you!" Ian stood up, wiped his tears, and tried not to smile too big. He knew he'd been had, and while he HATED it, he couldn't help but think it was funny. Tristan tried to act like he knew we were joking, but let me tell you: that kid was about to cry, too.

Darren and I high-fived and giggled all the way to the playground.
I have a bad feeling that karma's gonna get me some day!