Manny's older sister, Vanessa, is Gloria's oldest daughter and Manny's big sister. She has to learn how to live with Jay and get along with his family before giving into the temptation to buy a plane ticket for Colombia. She didn't approve of her mo...
"Vanessa, look what I found!" Manny says excitedly to me, showing what he has.
"A coin?" I raise an eyebrow when I lift up my head from reading a magazine. I'm just waiting for mine and Manny's tea to be done.
"Not just any coin! It's a penny! Now that's ninety nine!" He smiles proudly.
"Are you sure it's ninety nine?" I wonder. I can't recall how much pennies he collected over the years.
"Yes, I counted all of them."
"Of course, you did." I mutter. I set my magazine onto the coffee table and get up to follow him to the kitchen where Mom and Jay are.
"Mom, look what I found! Number ninety nine!" He happily shows the penny to our mother.
Before we ever met Jay and his crazy family, we've always dreamed of winning the lottery. Just like any other person, right? We didn't have much when Manny and I were younger, and was on our own. Manny wanted to collect one hundred pennies to buy a ticket with them.
Although, Mom and I were the ones who found most of them. So, we definitely have to share whatever we win.
"Can you put this in the jar with the others?" Manny asks her.
"Sí," Mom takes the coin from him. "Ay. I forgot. What is the combination to your safe?"
Manny looks back at Jay as if he doesn't trust him. "I'll just come with you. You should come too, Vanessa."
I follow them upstairs to Manny's bedroom. Might as well know the combination just incase. Surprised he trusts me with that.
"Oh, yes, cause that's how this arrangement works! I take money from you!" I hear Jay exclaiming.
While we're walking up the stairs, I hear Manny loudly telling him. "Jay, could you steep my tea?"
In his bedroom, Manny shows us the safe combination and Mom puts the penny in there. He locks it again and makes one of us open it and unlock it a few times just so we can really get it screwed into our minds.
• • •
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I got forced to go to Manny's football game against my will. Yeah, you heard me right. Manny has football practice. When I first heard that, I thought it was the funniest thing ever and burst out into laughter. That's why it's my punishment to go to his practice with Mom and Jay. I just can't imagine my brother playing football. He's definitely not the sporty type.
The best thing to come out of it is that I get to talk to this really cute guy named, Darren. I know I have a girlfriend, but it's not like I'm leading him on or anything like that. He's an older brother of someone on one of the teams. I'm just being friendly to him while my brother is trying to play football. At least I'm not bored.
