Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton (novels for beginners txt) 📕

will take away Holden’s leverage and make my life go back to normal.

I fish the lighter from out of my backpack. It’s illegal to burn actual money but not potential money. Right?

Standing at the bathroom sink, I flick the lighter once. The orange flame snaps to attention. It’s almost the color of the Mega-Wins ticket in my hand. I take a deep breath. This is the right choice.

Slowly, I bring the fire closer to the ticket.

I’m really going to do it.

I’m really going to burn my chance at $58 million.

I bring the flame even closer.

Will this be a moment I regret for the rest of my life?

Or is this how I free myself from a lifetime of worry about other people stealing from me or betraying me for money?

The flame is so close to the bottom of the ticket.

All I have to do is let the fire take it. In less than ten seconds, it’ll be gone. Out of my life. Fifty-eight million dollars turned to smoke and ashes.

I hold it above the ticket.

The flames lick up, hungry. Ready to devour $58 million. Just another centimeter, and it’s done.

The edges of the ticket start to smoke, and I drop the lighter.

Shit.

Hastily, before any more can burn, I dip the ticket into the water pooled at the bottom of the bathroom sink.

I can’t do it.

I should do it.

I want to do it.

I can do it.

I won’t do it.

Yet.

Pulling out my phone, I text Bran.

JANE: I’m going to burn the ticket. That’s how to get around all this bullshit with Holden. What do you think? Stop me? Or tell me this is the best plan?

I send along a picture of the singed ticket. His reply comes back almost immediately.

BRAN: Don’t burn the ticket.

JANE: But it will solve so many problems, and then I won’t ever have to worry about whether someone likes me for myself or just for my money.

BRAN: That’s ridiculous. Of course they’ll like you for you.

JANE: I think my mind is made up. Though I chickened out the first time.

BRAN: Don’t burn the ticket. Seriously. I can change your mind on all this. Let me pick you up tomorrow morning, and then give me a day to convince you that being rich is not terrible.

JANE: How are you going to do that?

BRAN: You’ll see. Promise me you won’t burn the ticket?

JANE: … I promise.

BRAN: I’ll see you at 9:00 a.m.

JANE: Don’t we have to work tomorrow?

BRAN: I’ll talk to Mom. We’ll get someone to cover our shifts.

JANE: Okay … but what makes you think you can change my mind?

BRAN: I know you. And I know how to stop my best friend from incinerating her future.

JANE: *long sigh* Okay. Deal. See you in the morning.

After I sign off with Bran, I go to the open window in my room and yell over the music, “Mom! I’m going to hang out with Bran all day tomorrow. Rain check on our decorations date?”

“Do what you need to do, Fortuna Jane!” She waves back in a sloppy, drunken way. She’s got a rope of green holiday garland draped over her shoulders, and there’s a silver tree set up between her and Doris’s chairs. As I watch, they open a new box, squealing like kids on Christmas morning as they pull out new bits of junk and add it to the sparkly pile that will most certainly end up inside my house.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

BRAN PULLS UP AT MY HOUSE AT EXACTLY 9:00 A.M. ON SUNDAY morning. He’s wearing jeans, sneakers, a Screeching Weasel T-shirt, and a purple crushed-velvet vintage prom jacket. I’ve also made an effort—black tights, a dress with tiny unicorns on it that I found at a thrift store, and a cardigan under my jacket. I’m not taking any chances after the break-in, and Sea Change, with the lotto ticket inside, is tucked into my purse.

“You look nice,” Bran says as I get into his car. “I hope you’re ready for today. We’re going to live it up.”

“What are we doing? Please tell me flying to Singapore to stay in the Marina Bay Sands?”

I love everything about that super luxurious hotel from its rooftop infinity pool to its amazing view of the city to its incredible restaurants. I’ve dreamed of staying at the Marina Bay Sands ever since I saw a travel show about it a few years ago.

Bran snorts. “If you cash the ticket, we’ll go there. Today, though, we’re going to Milwaukee. After we hit up the bank.”

“Milwaukee?” I can’t help the slight edge of disappointment. I mean, who thinks of Milwaukee in the same sentence as “living it up”?

“It’ll be great,” Bran assures me. “Trust me.”

He pulls away from my house and heads toward the drive-thru window at the bank in the middle of town.

“You can’t take out five thousand dollars,” I say, gaping at the slip as he fills it out. “How do you even have that much money to withdraw?”

“College-savings fund,” he says, handing the slip to the teller. “I told you we were going to live it up today. And you can pay me back if you cash the ticket.”

“What if I don’t do that?”

Bran grins. “Then you can pay me back over time when you have a real job.”

I side-eye him for a moment. “This might be considered bribery to get me to cash the ticket.”

“I swear it’s not. But just trust me on this one. We’re going to have an amazing day.”

The bank teller slides an envelope full of cash through the window.

“Here.” Bran hands the envelope to me. “I got us a spa appointment this afternoon, and I have a few stops in mind. You get to spend the rest of this money however you want.”

I open the envelope, gaping at the stacks of twenty- and fifty-dollar bills. It’s more than I’ve ever had, of course, but it’s also super overwhelming to just be handed it, like there’s nothing odd about it at all. Of course, if I were a millionaire,