The story centers around Joey Benedetti, a struggling student who falls asleep during class and is at risk of failing pre-algebra. His teacher, Mrs. Malia, warns him that if he doesn't get an A on the final exam, he'll have to attend summer school. Instead of studying, Joey devises a plan with his friend to break into the school at night to steal the answer key for the final exam.

The two friends manage to get into the school but encounter various obstacles, including a janitor and a locked classroom. After trying several ways to escape, they realize the door was unlocked the whole time. They eventually leave but not without creating a mess in the classroom.

On the day of the final exam, Joey discovers that Mrs. Malia had to create a new answer key because her old one was ruined over the weekend by raccoons. Since Joey didn’t study and his stolen answers were useless, he ends up failing the exam and has to attend summer school.

In the end, Joey learns that shortcuts don't always pay off, echoing the advice of Mrs. Malia’s grandmother.