The story so far ... Ben and his mom run errands Saturday morn. Afterwards, they have lunch at the local restaurant. Ben pays the bill at the cash register while his mom uses the restroom. The cashier accidentally gives him a $100 instead of a $10 bill for change. No one notices the mistake, and Ben pockets the money.
Written by Frances Milburn
Illustrated by Liv Aanrud
The $100 bill was burning in my pocket, as we drove away from Toppers Restaurant. I worried about what I had done, but it was too late to give it back. I looked out the window to avoid talking.
"Hey, Ben!" Mom's voice cut into my thoughts. We stopped at a red light near the highway. I was sure she would ask for her change from lunch. What could I say? Instead of her ten dollar bill, I had a hundred dollar bill in my pocket.
"Oh yeah," I said, filled with guilt. "I forgot to give you your money." I pretended that I couldn't squeeze my hand into my pocket. "Can I give it to you when we get home?" I had thirty some dollars hidden in a box in the back of my closet where I stashed my spare cash. I could exchange the hundred for a ten and give her the correct amount.
She laughed. "Of course. That's not want I was going to say. I have an idea."
"What?" I felt a wave of relief.
She looked over at me smiling and brushed her fingers across my hair. "I just wondered if you wanted to pick up some new soccer socks for your first game. I have to stop at the mall anyway."
Normally, I love to shop and beg my mom to take me to the mall. And she hates it because I always try to talk her into buying me new jeans, a shirt, Nike Air Max or a game for my Xbox. We usually argue. She says, "You don't need that." or "I can't afford this." And then I get mad and won't talk to her.
So her offer was something of a surprise. But shopping with a hundred dollar bill in my pocket was more than I could handle. I just wanted to get home and put it away in my closet. "No. Let's do it another time. I'm tired."
"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you turn down an offer to shop!" she replied. "But, I've got to stop anyway. Conner texted me that he forgot to take the cash I left him this morning for his lunch." She pulled into the mall. "Besides, I don't know when we'll get another chance to buy you soccer socks."
Parking in front of the sports shop where Conner worked, she asked, "Want to come in with me and look for socks?"
"No!" I responded angrily. "I'll wait here."
"Suit yourself." Climbing out, she shut the door and walked toward Conner's store. I locked the car since I had the hundred dollar bill in my pocket.
I couldn't stop thinking about the money in my pocket. It was such a big bill! If I tried to use it in a store, the clerk might get suspicious. Maybe, I could walk into town after school one day next week and deposit it in my bank account. I could just say that my uncle from Miami gave it to me for my birthday.
Just then I heard a rap on my window. I jumped, having been lost in my thoughts. My mom shouted through the glass. "Open the door!"
I pushed the unlock button and opened it. Mom dropped a pair of new socks on my lap and put out her hand. "Hey, give me the change from the restaurant. I don't have any cash to give Conner for lunch."
I panicked, since all I had was the hundred dollar bill. Mom stared at me, her eyes searching my face. "You look worried. Is something the matter?"
"Nothing," I snapped, trying to think of what to do. I needed some time to come up with a plan. "Let me run and give it to Conner. I want to tell him something anyway."
Before she could say anything, I jumped out and ran for the store. Conner was waiting right inside. "Hey, Bro, what's up?" He gave my head a gentle shove. "Mom's supposed to give me some lunch money. She said you have it." He put out his hand.
I was sweating bullets. What was I going to do? "Listen, I lost Mom's money. I must've dropped that ten when I took gum out of my pocket. I realized when she asked me for it that I didn't have it." I hated lying to my brother, but I'd already dug myself into a hole. When I got home, I could figure things out.
I continued, "I'll give you a ten of my own money when you get home from work."
Conner frowned at me. "I'm starved. And now I won't be able to get anything to eat on my lunch break."
"Don't you have any of your own money?"
"A few bucks."
"You can get something at the gas station. I promise I'll give it to you just as soon as you get home.
"Lot of good that will do me now," he groaned.
"I just don't want Mom to know I lost her money and get a big lecture all the way home."
"Ok. But you owe me, Bro." He turned away. "Now get going. I have to get back to work."
"Thanks," I replied with relief. I turned and headed out. "See you at home."
When I got back in the car, Mom said, "You're acting so strange. Is something the matter?"
"Let's just get home. We've been gone half the day with your dresser, and I want to see Nate." I turned toward the window, afraid my face would give something away. I didn't feel very good about myself with all the lies I'd told.
- Frances Milburn, a resident of Watertown, has been a teacher in middle and elementary school for 26 years. Amherst Junction native Liv Aanrud now lives in Los Angeles.
Written by Frances Milburn
Illustrated by Liv Aanrud
The $100 bill was burning in my pocket, as we drove away from Toppers Restaurant. I worried about what I had done, but it was too late to give it back. I looked out the window to avoid talking.
"Hey, Ben!" Mom's voice cut into my thoughts. We stopped at a red light near the highway. I was sure she would ask for her change from lunch. What could I say? Instead of her ten dollar bill, I had a hundred dollar bill in my pocket.
"Oh yeah," I said, filled with guilt. "I forgot to give you your money." I pretended that I couldn't squeeze my hand into my pocket. "Can I give it to you when we get home?" I had thirty some dollars hidden in a box in the back of my closet where I stashed my spare cash. I could exchange the hundred for a ten and give her the correct amount.
She laughed. "Of course. That's not want I was going to say. I have an idea."
"What?" I felt a wave of relief.
She looked over at me smiling and brushed her fingers across my hair. "I just wondered if you wanted to pick up some new soccer socks for your first game. I have to stop at the mall anyway."
Normally, I love to shop and beg my mom to take me to the mall. And she hates it because I always try to talk her into buying me new jeans, a shirt, Nike Air Max or a game for my Xbox. We usually argue. She says, "You don't need that." or "I can't afford this." And then I get mad and won't talk to her.
So her offer was something of a surprise. But shopping with a hundred dollar bill in my pocket was more than I could handle. I just wanted to get home and put it away in my closet. "No. Let's do it another time. I'm tired."
"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you turn down an offer to shop!" she replied. "But, I've got to stop anyway. Conner texted me that he forgot to take the cash I left him this morning for his lunch." She pulled into the mall. "Besides, I don't know when we'll get another chance to buy you soccer socks."
Parking in front of the sports shop where Conner worked, she asked, "Want to come in with me and look for socks?"
"No!" I responded angrily. "I'll wait here."
"Suit yourself." Climbing out, she shut the door and walked toward Conner's store. I locked the car since I had the hundred dollar bill in my pocket.
I couldn't stop thinking about the money in my pocket. It was such a big bill! If I tried to use it in a store, the clerk might get suspicious. Maybe, I could walk into town after school one day next week and deposit it in my bank account. I could just say that my uncle from Miami gave it to me for my birthday.
Just then I heard a rap on my window. I jumped, having been lost in my thoughts. My mom shouted through the glass. "Open the door!"
I pushed the unlock button and opened it. Mom dropped a pair of new socks on my lap and put out her hand. "Hey, give me the change from the restaurant. I don't have any cash to give Conner for lunch."
I panicked, since all I had was the hundred dollar bill. Mom stared at me, her eyes searching my face. "You look worried. Is something the matter?"
"Nothing," I snapped, trying to think of what to do. I needed some time to come up with a plan. "Let me run and give it to Conner. I want to tell him something anyway."
Before she could say anything, I jumped out and ran for the store. Conner was waiting right inside. "Hey, Bro, what's up?" He gave my head a gentle shove. "Mom's supposed to give me some lunch money. She said you have it." He put out his hand.
I was sweating bullets. What was I going to do? "Listen, I lost Mom's money. I must've dropped that ten when I took gum out of my pocket. I realized when she asked me for it that I didn't have it." I hated lying to my brother, but I'd already dug myself into a hole. When I got home, I could figure things out.
I continued, "I'll give you a ten of my own money when you get home from work."
Conner frowned at me. "I'm starved. And now I won't be able to get anything to eat on my lunch break."
"Don't you have any of your own money?"
"A few bucks."
"You can get something at the gas station. I promise I'll give it to you just as soon as you get home.
"Lot of good that will do me now," he groaned.
"I just don't want Mom to know I lost her money and get a big lecture all the way home."
"Ok. But you owe me, Bro." He turned away. "Now get going. I have to get back to work."
"Thanks," I replied with relief. I turned and headed out. "See you at home."
When I got back in the car, Mom said, "You're acting so strange. Is something the matter?"
"Let's just get home. We've been gone half the day with your dresser, and I want to see Nate." I turned toward the window, afraid my face would give something away. I didn't feel very good about myself with all the lies I'd told.
- Frances Milburn, a resident of Watertown, has been a teacher in middle and elementary school for 26 years. Amherst Junction native Liv Aanrud now lives in Los Angeles.