Hayley turned the corner and walked quickly past the drugstore, her eyes downcast. She was scanning the sidewalk, her eyes darting right and left. She couldn't find it! She bit her lip, stopping at the end of the street and crossing her arms. She couldn't report it stolen, could she? She shouldn't even have one, at this point. She'd be in so much trouble if her parents found out this was why she was seen at the drugstore every morning before taking the bus to school. She rolled her eyes at how dramatic the entire thing would be if she fessed up. But if she won, it would lessen the pressure right?
Hayley sighed and walked along the street for the fourth time already. People were probably thinking she was an insane, pacing weirdo. If her mother was in the kitchen, she'd most likely be snooping on the locals from her window. Her eyes would land on Hayley's brightly dyed blue and yellow hair and she'd want to know what the hell was going on. Hayley hoped she could find the ticket BEFORE her mother woke up. After all the drinking, she knew she'd be out for at least another hour. She glanced at the dirty windows of the apartments above the stores across the street and sighed. No sign of her mother's awakening yet. The pale pink curtains on their kitchen window hadn't been drawn. Hayley breathed in relief. She still had time to search!
She would've given up by now if she didn't have the slightest feeling that today was the lucky win. She'd gone to that weird fortune telling lady with her friends after school yesterday and had her palm read just for fun. The lady had gone crazy, screeching about material wealth by the next sunset. Hayley instantly figured it would be her next lottery ticket. After all, how would the lady know that she only bought tickets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She MUST be prophetic, Hayley decided. She didn't tell her friends, though. People didn't generally believe the eccentric old woman was ACTUALLY fortune telling.
The sound of sirens racing down the street pulled Hayley's eyes from the ground. She watched as a police car pulled some civilian over for crossing the red light and swallowed. She was feeling guilty already. Even if she did find the ticket, how could she cash it? She had been praying that her parents would accept the lottery business she'd gotten into if she actually won something. That made sense right? Money changed the way people felt about most things, right? As she watched the officer write the ticket for the elderly man in the car, Hayley's hopes fell. Maybe it was better that she'd lost it. This way, her little addiction could come to end, right? She had better things to do than walk around searching for something she shouldn't have done in the first place.
She glanced at the pink curtains of their kitchen window. Her mother wasn't up yet.
Good. Maybe she'd have to time to make her some breakfast.
♥
