Winning the lottery.

I’ve dreamt of winning the lottery for a long time, and having all that money to spend. But I have to rely on my parents to win it, because I’m too young to play, only 15 years old. In California, you have to be 18 to gamble. So my dreams have to wait. My parents don’t gamble, not even to buy a lottery ticket. My friends parents play scratcher all the time, and occasionally win, small, but at least they win, and have the chance to win a large amount. Then one Easter I was invited to an Easter egg hunt at my friend‘s house, and his dad stuffed the plastic eggs so chances are he put money in them. I’m kind of old for egg hunts, but if cash is involved, I’m in!

Easter Sunday came, and my friends came by my house and collected me. They were one and two years younger than me, and excited to hunt eggs and score candy. Huh, children. I’m in for the money. But, it was fun, really it was. And I found over 20 eggs. It was easy. Some were in the tall grass, some higher up in trees, some in the exhaust pipe of cars parked in the driveway. I left some of them for my friends to find. Because I’m nice that way.

‘When I got home, I went to my bedroom, and checked out my stash. Most had candy. Cool, I like candy. One had a$1 bill, 2 had 50 cents in quarters, hmmm, I’m not going to get rich at this speed. But the last one had a California scratcher lottery ticket, maybe I’ll get lucky. You never know.

I read the ticket, found out what I had to do, and started scratching. And I won! Big! $200,000. Holy shit! Now I had a huge dilemma, how do I collect my winnings? I’m too young to gamble. I can’t ask my parents, they will keep it all, and spend it frivolously on themselves. And it’s my money. I mean, I will give them some of it, but not all. It’s mine. So I need to make a plan. I know, I’ll ask Josh, he’s 19. He can turn the ticket in, and get the money. I’ll give him a commission for doing it, say $50,000. That’s fair. Ok, I have a plan. I’ll speak to him tomorrow.

Tomorrow came, and I called Josh. I asked if he could come over, I had a proposition for him involving cash. I wouldn’t give him specifics over the phone. He sounded eager, and could come right over. A few minutes later, I heard his beat up old beater Chevy pull up outside, and then his knock on the door. “Hi Steve, tell me about the money. I’m all ears”. Josh dropped into the chair next to my bed, and lit up a joint. “ it’s ok, your folks aren’t here.” “Want a hit?” He offered me the hand rolled joint. “ no thanks, I’m good. I’ve got something serious to talk to you about.”

I explained the situation to him, that I needed an adult to redeem my ticket from the retail seller and receive the payout from the lottery commission. Josh was on board, especially when I told him he would get $50,000 for his help. So I handed him the lottery ticket, and he was off to redeem it immediately.

And I never heard from him again. I went to his house, and according to his roommate, he had moved out suddenly last night, taking all his stuff, and didn’t pay the rent for the month. He was really angry. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I had been ripped off by my friend.

I went home in a daze. I had won and lost $20,000.

1st ALTERNATE ENDING.

I explained the situation to him, that I needed an adult to redeem my ticket from the retail seller and receive the payout from the lottery commission. Josh was on board, especially when I told him he would get $50,000 for his help. So I handed him the lottery ticket, and he was off to redeem it immediately.

‘And I never heard from him again, willingly. He had vanished, with my winnings. The thief! I went to his house and met his roommate. He told me his new trailer that Josh bought yesterday that he had towed to a piece of land in Oroville, all for cash. The roommate was shocked, and when I told him where the money came from, he was outraged. He gave me directions on how to find it. I left, totally angry, vowing vengeance. Once I got home, I called two of my friends, and asked them to come over. Once they were here, I filled them in, everything, and they were angry as well. They had all kinds of ideas on how to get my money back, and punish Josh for stealing it. Basically, the plan was to go to his trailer, place it under surveillance, and when it was safe, break in, find what was left of my money and take it, then destroy the trailer and all his belongings. We planned on going in the morning.

‘Morning came, and we left on our bikes to where the roommate told me Josh’s land and trailer were. It took us about half an hour. When we got there, we split up, and hid in the forest, and watched the trailer. Josh’s car was parked out front, so he must be inside. Eventually he came out and got into his car and drove away. We waited, then one of my friends rode back down the driveway to the road as a look out. He would call us on his cell phone if Josh came back. The two us broke into the trailer and began ransacking it looking for the money. I found it in a shoebox at the back of his closet. We then set about destroying the trailer, breaking every mirror and piece of furniture. We tore up all his clothes. Turned on all his faucets, clogged all the drains, and turned on the stove top gas. Then we left. When I got home, I counted the money. There was only $80,000 left, from $200,000. I gave my two accomplices $20,000 each for their help, and kept $40,000 for myself. Hey, I still won the lottery, found out who was my friends, and who wasn’t.

2nd ALTERNATE ENDING.

I scratched off the lottery ticket, and I won. Big. $200,000. Holy shit! Now what? I would need a fake I.D. To show the retailer who sold the ticket and then also show it to the lottery commission to get my money, actually a check, not money. And also to use the fake I.D. to open a bank account to deposit the check or cash it at a check cashing place. I know just the person to make me one. He goes to my school, and has made them before so we can buy alcohol. I’ll work on that tomorrow.

I made a deal with him to get an I.D., and decided on using a check cashing place to convert the check into cash. Next, go to the lottery commission office in Sacramento to get my check. I was nervous about doing that, but it had to be done. It went without a hitch, and finally I had the check in my hand. I was rich!. Now, to cash it. And that’s when I ran into my first stumbling block. The check cashing company wouldn’t cash it. Actually, they couldn’t cash it, it was too big. So I had to open a bank account and deposit it.

opening a bank account was no problem, but it took some time to do. They needed all kinds of information from me, my I.D. Of course, address, phone number, social security number, and othe stuff I don’t remember. But finally I was done, and the money was mine. I made a small withdrawal, and it felt good to have folding money in my pocket. I couldn’t wait to spend it.

two days later I was visited by a lottery commission investigator, and a California State investigator, and a police detective. They had an arrest warrant. And a pair of hancuffs, which they put on me while they read me my Miranda rights. You know - you have the right to an attorney, etc, etc, like you see on t.v. But this was real. They searched my room, and took into evidence my fake I.D. I was so screwed. Long story short, I was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to juvenile hall for 6 months, and my money was confiscated. I was so screwed!