Prologue

"Diane, can you cover the birds? Your uncle's coming over for dinner tonight, and you know he gets a headache with all their screaming." My mother asked from the kitchen sink.

I nodded in understanding and proceeded to cover the bird's cage with their purple blanket. Four of the seven days in the week, we almost always have company over for dinner. It's always family, but it gets rather tiring to listen to the same conversations every night. You see, my uncle Tony and Aunt Lisa live alone in their house. Their five or six kids have all moved out of the house and out of state, which leaves their parents living and eating alone in their big house. Scratch that. Aunt Lisa is typically the only one that eats. Uncle Tony had gotten some sort of neck cancer the year before, and now has trouble swallowing certain types of food. He eats, but very minimally. That's why they always come over to my house to eat. My parents, being the nice and kind hearted people they are, put up with their biased talking.

Tonight was no different. My mom was in the kitchen washing the last of the vegetables, chopping them up and dropping them in the pot to boil. My dad was out in the garden; trimming in Bonsai's before Uncle Tony comes over and criticizes them. My job was to set the table. I was in the middle of setting out the chopsticks when the phone rang. I groaned, setting the utensils on the counter before I rushed to pick it up. I'm always the one who has to pick up the phone in my house. Unless I'm not home or the phone is conveniently located beside my parents, I'm the runner.

I picked up the phone, silently wishing that it wouldn't be another one of those "courtesy calls" from the fire department. Every time they call they always ask for donations; every time I have to say my parents aren't available. Thus keeps the cycle turning, yes?

"Hello?" I say lazily. There's a pause on the other side.

"…hello?" I try again. This better not be some prank call. It irritates me when people call but never say a word. This time someone replies.

"Hello, may I speak with Diane, please?"

I hesitated. No one ever calls for me. Are they calling from my school? Please tell me I didn't get another award.

"This is her. May I ask whose calling?"

"Hi Diane, this is Molly from Popstar! Magazine-"

No way. No way no way no way! I already have a sense of what she's going to say, but I hold my breath. It couldn't be true, could it?

"-would like to congratulate you on being one of the grand prize winners of our 'Week with a star!" contest!"

I freeze. My hand is glued frozen to the phone, my eyes are blank, and all the muscles in my body have lost contact with my brain. She must have noticed by hesitation.

"Hello? Diane?"

I attempted to stay calm.

"Y-you're kidding, right?"

Of course I stutter. How normal of me.

I hear her laugh.

"Of course I'm not! I wanted to personally call you and congratulate you! I understand this must be very big news and all, only three entries out of millions have been chosen-"

I froze again. Why is this so hard for me to believe? It's just a contest, right? Wrong. I never win anything. I'm just a girl living in a small city. The only time I've ever done anything this 

big was the time I won a cost free trip to Washington D.C. for Project Citizen, but that was school related. This, however, is completely random and unrelated. It better not be a prank.

"-You'll be getting a call sometime in the next month with the details of your trip-"

"S-So wait, I get to spend a week in New York with the Jonas Brothers?!" I choked.

The words feel like fire as I blurt them out. Never before in my life would I never believe that I would win such a contest. I only entered to ease my agitation; I knew I wasn't going to win, but at least entering was better than not entering at all.

"-Yes, that's ri-"

Then it all came rushing at me. I won. I was one of the grand prize winners. I would get to spend a week in New York. Not to mention with the Jonas Brothers! I nearly stopped breathing. But I didn't. Instead, I screamed.

"OH MY GOD! I WON! I WON!"

I felt my knees buckle, the grin spreading on my face as I realized that was happening. It was too good to be true.

Molly laughed on the phone, and I realized I was still clutching the phone to my ear like it was an essential part of my existence.

"That's the reaction I was expecting! I was wondering why you were so calm."

I laughed.

"Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I managed to say before I hyperventilated again.

"Oh honey, don't thank me. It was your entry that won the judges over. It was cleverly done. Congratulations again, dear. I'll talk to you soon."

I couldn't even reply. I just nodded, knowing fully well that she couldn't see me. She hung up and I dropped the phone, my arms and legs numb from the rush of adrenaline. I swear I must have been smiling from ear to ear.