Two roommates, Steve and Tom are badmouthing a third one, Brad, who is absent.
Steve: That is not normal behavior, I’m telling you.
Tom: Not normal at all, brother.
Steve: I mean we all like playing lottery, but that guy is a damn nutcase.
Tom: I hear you.
Steve: It’s like some kind of addiction, spending all that time figuring out patterns and combinations. The only problem is, there are no patterns, this is real world, it’s whatever comes out of that drum. You can’t predict it.
Tom: I couldn’t agree more. He destroys all our parties with his problem. We’ve got all these hot chicks walking around and hitting on him, but he’s always lost in his thoughts.
Steve: Yeah. It’s like he’s not even there. But I’ve got some good news. I’ve found a way out for him.
Tom: Really, what is it?
Steve: First we’re going to treat it like any other addiction. We’ll expose him to it.
Tom: I don’t get it.
Steve: We’ll let him have too much of the good thing; up until the point when he becomes disgusted by it.
Tom: Nope, still didn’t get it.
Steve: I have a friend who works at the Arizona Republic.
Tom: The newspaper?
Steve: Yes. Tomorrow, we are getting a different kind of newspaper; one of a kind.
Tom: Yes?
Steve: Yes. It will look almost the same like normal tomorrow’s edition, if not for one little thing; the Powerball section. Tomorrow they announce the winning combination.
Tom: I get it now. You’ll switch the numbers.
Steve: Yes. My friend will change that little section, only on one copy, the copy which we are going to get.
Tom: And it’ll read the numbers that Brad has played, instead of real winning combination.
Steve: What do you say, brilliant plan?
Tom: That’s brilliant. We’ll be right there when he reads it. He’ll start shaking, thinking that he won millions of dollars. And then we jump out in front of him and laugh like crazy; got you sucker.
Steve: No, not yet. We’ll be quiet. We’ll have him walk all the way to the bank.
Tom: I don’t know man. He might have a heart attack or something.
Steve: Nonsense. Brad is as healthy as an ox. His heart can take it.
Tom: So, at the bank we finally jump in front of him when he realizes the truth.
Steve: No, not yet. We’ll let him take the money first.
Tom: How can he take the money if he hasn’t actually won anything?
Steve: I’ve got this dude who is a vice president of a local bank. He’ll play along with the prank. We’ll feed him a suitcase full of money, which he’ll give to Brad.
Tom: I don’t have a suitcase full of money.
Steve: I have. It’s a special suitcase, full of fake money. Brad won’t notice in all the excitement.
Tom: How do we know he’s going to that bank?
Steve: We’ll put the address at the newspaper. Something like, go collect your money here.
Tom: And finally at the bank we jump out and laugh like crazy.
Steve: No, not yet. We wait for him outside of the bank.
Tom: Yes?
Steve: My special suitcase is spring loaded for pranks like these. I have a remote which engages the spring and opens up the suitcase. You’ll be standing with the fan in your hands.
Tom: Where am I going to plug the fan?
Steve: I don’t know man. We’ll find a way. You ask too many questions.
Tom: Right, right. Go on.
Steve: When he finally gets out of the bank, I hit the remote, the suitcase pops out and you turn the fan towards him. All the money blows down the street. Brad is screaming and running, trying to get the money back in the suitcase. By the time he realizes it’s fake, we’ll be…
Tom: Laughing like crazy. Hahahahaha.
Steve: Hohohohoho. Take that sucker.
Tom: You’re willing to go through all this just to make him normal again.
Steve: I guess I am. He is my good friend, our good friend.
Tom: We are his best buddies.
Steve: No question about that.
