Criminals Like Us

I. Do you mind?

c h a p t e r 1

VANCE.

TWELVE HOURS EARLIER.

I TWISTED the door knob and as I stepped inside our apartment, I heard Zane is whispering to her phone.

"Whom you are talking with, Zane?" I walked towards her, but she quickly ended the phone call and threw her phone to our bed.

She gave me a hug and a peck of kiss on my cheek. "Kapatid ko lang," she answered and I nodded as reply.

Her brother was convicted eight years ago. According to the prosecution, he was charged as guilty. I don't know the whole truth about the crime he committed.

My girlfriend never disclosed it to me. I'd rather just shrugged it off, perhaps she's ashamed about it. Besides, I don't want to meddle with him.

Zane's peers tend to say, he is over protective to his younger sister, and apparently he has no idea that his precious sibling has a boyfriend.

Pero swerte siya dahil sa 'kin napunta ang kapatid niya. He must not worry anything.

I took a quick bath before heading to the bed. Medyo nakakapagod magpanggap na janitor kahit ilang oras lang. Magpanggap, tama.

Tomorrow morning, an entrance exam will be held at one of the most well known and exclusive university in the country. Wala naman akong pakialam sa university na 'yon. What matter to me are the test takers. I had a deal with some of them. It is the batch one, to be specific.

Since most of them were privileged, they can use their wealth to pay someone whose skilled enough to steal the answer keys. I will help them, and in exchange, they will pay me.

The entrance exams will be done yearly, two months before the end of last semester. Yrad University is on my lists and it is quite challenging for me to trespass their school premises because their security system is advanced. Pretty advanced but still not enough.

When I disguised as a newly hired janitor in the university, I got there just as piece of cake.

Naalarma lang ako nang dumaan ako sa harap ng guard. He told me that maintenance personnel are not allowed to use the front gate.

I explained to him that I'm newly hired and I barely know about it. Mabait 'yong guard actually. He guided and lead me to the back door, which the staff and workers usually use.

As I bid him goodbye, I thank him for his kindness. I smoothly get in to the Yrad University. It took me some time to roam around. The university is pretty huge compared to my alma matter. Well, I only graduated from our local university. Hindi kalakihan, at madalas pang magkalase sa tabi ng banyo ang mga estudyante dahil crowded ang bawat rooms. Samantalang 'tong school na 'to, sagana sa facilities.

Ang tagal ko ring nagmatyag malapit sa registrar office habang dala ang mop at isang balde na may lamang tubig na may sabon.

I tend to listen in every conversations of the faculty staff. I need to gather some information, where they exactly kept the answer keys.

Minutes passed, and I think a saint heard my prayers. I overheard a professor who will be the proctor for the batch one of test takers talking about the answer keys.

I got able to alter and hack the codes at the registrar office effortlessly, and the rest is history.

I sat down on our bed beside Zane. Busy siya sa laptop niya. Graduating pa lang siya at ako ang nagpapa-aral sa kanya.