It was a warm spring night, almost summer. Ginger sat on her bed with a magazine on her lap and her phone tucked between her ear and her shoulder.
"Guys, seriously this is the worst magazine ever, it totally lacks content. I don't even remember why I spent 2 dollars on it.." she said into the phone.
"BECAUSE you are 16 now. That magazine has a bunch articles on the best cars-- and besides didn't you enter their writing contest? That 'Why My Mom deserves a one year vacation around the world'?" Dodie said. Ginger sighed, "Yeah, she's awfully busy. She needs a break, but money's kinda tight. Wait a minute, my mom's calling me for dinner, I call you back in 20 minutes 'kay?"
She hung up her old phone she's had for years. She ran downstairs but instead of smelling her mother's spaghetti or stuffed mushroom caps, she saw her mother quickly un-wrapping bean burritos from their aluminum wrappers. She put them on a tray and into the microwave.
"Carl, remember no talking about body parts during meal time. Ginger, keep an eye on him. I'm working night shifts this week, so frozen dinner tonight. I couldn't do the laundry today, if you have something you need bring it to the laundromat on the corner. Be sure to take your lunch money off the counter so you won't forget. Love you guys! Bye!" her mother quickly said before disappearing in her little blue car.
Ginger opened the microwave to see the burritos. "Eeew.." she said scrunching up her nose.
"If you don't want it, I'll take it over to Hoodsey's house." Carl offered. Ginger shook her head. "NO, his mother will NOT appreciate that, eat your burrito, I'm making myself a salad." But instead she grabbed a cookie in one hand and her lunch money in the other. And she sprinted back up the stairs.
She picked up her phone and speed dialed Dodie. "Hey, I'm back...yes I know that was only 5 minutes."
"Anyways Ginger, about the contest. Do you think you won?" Dodie asked. "I dunno. They said they will send me a letter AND an e-mail if I won"
"THEN CHECK!"
Ginger got up and went to the family computer, it was old and slow but she managed to open her inbox. There were only 2 messages, one from her father that she already read and one titled "MAGAZINE's Mother winner!"
Her heart stopped cold. "GINGER?" Dodie called. "Yeah, I'm here, and I know it's impossible but I think I won..."