Home > Lucky in Love(6)

Lucky in Love(6)
Author: Kasie West

I threw my straw at his head and he laughed.

Lupita leaned down next to Dad. She spoke quietly, but I could hear her say, “Um, sir, your card was declined.”

I felt my face heat up again. I hoped Lupita didn’t like to share this kind of news at school. Our whole visit was turning out disastrous. I pulled out my debit card. “I think I have at least fifty-five in the bank right now,” I whispered to Dad, passing him the card.

“I’ll pay you back on payday,” my mom said, her eyes on the table in front of her.

I nodded. I was glad the prices at Claudia’s were so reasonable. Otherwise I might have had to spend my birthday waiting tables to pay off the bill from my birthday lunch.

At ten minutes after seven, I started to worry. Blaire was known for her punctuality and Elise normally texted when she was running late. I opened the front door and looked up and down the street. Still no cars. Still no friends. My parents had excused themselves to their bedroom to give my friends and me some privacy and I could hear the loud sounds of the movie they were watching.

I opened the tub of Red Vines I had bought, took one out, and plopped down on the couch. I bit off both ends of the licorice and blew through it. I took a pink sour Skittle out of the bowl and placed it on the table. Then I used my licorice straw to blow the Skittle until it fell off the opposite end of the coffee table. I repeated this with a Skittle of each color because apparently this is what eighteen-year-olds did. I dropped the Red Vine on the table. I didn’t even like Red Vines.

I surveyed all the different bowls of snacks. I didn’t like most of this food. I’d gotten my friends’ favorites. I groaned and flopped back on the couch. Where was everyone? Had they forgotten?

I held my phone in my hands, staring at the group text I’d brought up. Did I really have to beg my friends to come over? I shouldn’t have to remind them. I had sent them a fancy invitation. We’d just talked about it the day before!

If they weren’t here, there was a good reason. They both had some sort of family emergency. That had to be it.

Wait. What if that was it? I swallowed my pride and sent a text.

Are you both okay? Should I put the candy away or are you just running late?

When there was no reply five minutes later, I sighed. I could feel sorry for myself. It was my birthday, after all.

I would get high on sugar and have a party for one. I scanned the candy again. There was nothing I wanted. I hadn’t even bought Reese’s.

I stood, determined to remedy this.

“It’s my favorite pessimist,” Maxine from the Mini-mart said.

“Pessimist?” I asked, trying to remember what I’d said to earn that title.

She pointed at the Powerball sign next to the register that now said fifty million. “Remember? You have a better chance of being struck by lightning?”

“Oh. Right. I think you mean ‘realist,’ but whatever.”

“So I take it you’re still not here to buy a ticket.”

I held up my king-sized bag of Reese’s. “Just this.”

“That’s right. You’re not eighteen yet, anyway.”

“Actually, I am eighteen now. And you’re right, give me a Powerball ticket.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes. Why not? Luck is on my side today.” I almost laughed when I said it because it was so far from the truth.

“Now you’re talking.”

“How much is it?” I asked, realizing I might not have enough money.

“Two dollars a ticket. How many do you want?”

I had only a little over two dollars left in my account. The party candy and paying for lunch had depleted my stash. I dropped the bag of Reese’s back with the other candy. “Just one, please.”

Maxine rang me up and handed me a small square of paper that had several printed numbers on it. I stared at them. What was I thinking? Now I didn’t even have any candy, and I was beyond broke.

“The drawing is tonight,” she called after me as I headed for the door.

I waved but didn’t turn. What was I even supposed to do with this ticket? Did I have to enter it into some drawing? Register it somewhere? I tucked it in my pocket. “Happy birthday to me,” I mumbled. “You got a two-dollar piece of paper.”

Empty-handed, I sat on the bumper of my car for a moment and looked up at the dark sky. It was hard to see the stars in the city, but the moon wasn’t out tonight so I could see the brighter ones.

A car pulled into the lot and flashed its lights at me. Was I in the way? I held up my hands and moved around the side of my car. The other car parked and just as I was about to open my car door to leave, I realized who the driver was. He hopped out with a big smile on his face.

“Maddie!”

“Seth! You do exist outside of the zoo!”

He smiled. “Barely.”

It was funny to see him in something other than his gray zoo T-shirt. He wore cuffed blue jeans and a red hoodie. Like a regular guy, not just a member of my zoo world. His dark eyes were reflecting the parking lot lights.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Getting myself a lot of caffeine because I’m about to pull a Lord of the Rings all-nighter with my brother.”

“Fun. So this means you’re free of your sentence?”

“No. Still grounded.” He patted his pockets as if to show me he had no phone. “This is why I’m about to watch movies with my brother.”

I smiled.

“Hey,” Seth said. “I thought you were having a birthday party tonight. Wait … it’s your birthday. Happy birthday!” He gave me a big hug and I laughed. He let me go, then waited for me to respond.

I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb, as if that would explain where everyone was. “Yeah, I was, I am. A really fun, cool birthday party.”

He lowered his brows and looked over my shoulder. “Is it happening over there somewhere? That dark alley maybe?”

“Um. At my house. I left to get … ” I trailed off because I had nothing in my hands. “I was going to get candy but I didn’t bring enough money.”

Seth nodded. “I am going to buy you candy. For your birthday.”

“No, that’s okay—”

“I am. It’s too late.” He started walking backward to the door. “You should tell me your favorite now or I’ll come back with my favorite.”

“Reese’s Pieces!” I called.

“Ah. Like E.T.”

“What?”

“I’ll be right back.” He opened the door and went inside.

E.T. Was that an acronym for something? Extra time? Everything? Eat … things?

The store was brightly lit, so I stood outside and watched as Seth filled a massive Styrofoam cup with soda. Then he walked to the candy aisle and the amount of time it took him to find Reese’s let me know he didn’t buy them very often. Then he was at the register talking to the insulting checkout lady. She didn’t seem to have anything insulting to say to him, though. She laughed and so did he. Seth was easy to laugh with so it didn’t surprise me. Then he was back, walking toward me.

He placed the bag of Reese’s Pieces in my hand. “Happy birthday, Maddie.”

For some reason that simple act made my eyes sting with tears. I held them in, knowing how embarrassing it would be if I started crying right now, over a bag of candy. “Thank you,” I whispered.

He tilted his head. “Are you okay?”

I nodded, when I really wanted to say, No, hang out with me, don’t leave me alone. A long crack ran along the asphalt between us, like a dividing line, and I had the urge to jump over it, join him on his side of the line. Instead, I toed it with my purple ballet flat.

“What does E.T. stand for?” I finally asked.

“Tell me you’ve seen that movie before.”

“Oh. Duh. E.T. The movie. About that little alien guy, right?”

“Right.”

“No, I haven’t seen it.”

Seth pointed to my candy. “If that’s your favorite candy, you better remedy that immediately.”

I laughed. “Is it in the movie?”

   
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