Ginny Meed

A Day in the Life

Ginny rose on her seventeenth birthday. It was a day like any other day. She rolled out of bed and threw on the first pieces of clean clothing she could find and a coat before running from the garage where she lived into the bathroom of the trailer that she shared with her mother, Nora. She rushed through her morning routine, showering and running a brush through her red hair, knowing it would be a tangled mess in a few moments reguardless. It wasn't until after this was all done that she realised her mother was up waiting for her.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Ginny asked knowing that her mother had worked the late shift at the Silverdollar Tavern accross town.

"Waiting for you," Nora said simply. She smiled radiantly at her daughter and tossed brushed her long blonde hair away from her cup of coffee. Even at her age, Nora was unmistakably beautiful. "I'm scheduled for the late shift again tonight, I tried to get it off hun, but we need the money," she explained, "and I didn't want to miss your birthday." She pulled a small present onto the table from her lap.

"Awe thanks Mom," Ginny said, dropping the granola bar she was munching on to unwrap the Led Zeplan CD, "Hey this is the one that I somehow got all scratched up."

"I know," she beamed, "I didn't know what else you'd want so buy yourself something nice," and handed her thirty dollors.

"Mom!" she exclaimed. "Don't we need this?"

"It's your birthday, and I've been making good tips." she replied firmly.

Just then there was a honk outside, "That's Pete, I've gotta run!" Ginny said jumping up from the table. She grabbed her schoolbag and kissed her mother on the cheek, "Thanks," she told her again as she rushed out the door into the Jeep idling in front of the trailer.

"Happy Birthday Ginny!" Pete greeted her warmly driving down the road.

"You're early." She told him.

"Yea," Pete stammered driving out of the trailer park his hazel eyes focused on the road. He was up to something. He knew he was a bad lyer and would become completely engrossed if he was trying to hide something "just a minute," he stammered as he drove a few blocks and pulled into an abandoned lot. He turned off the ignition and turned to her, "I got you something and I wanted to give it to you before we picked up Steve." He pulled a bag out of his school bag and passed it to her.

Ginny opened the bag slowly to reviel a smaller brown paper bag with a fifth of Jack Daniels in it. "Damn Pete!" she exclaimed in shock. Jack was sometimes harder to get ahold of than weed.

"My cousin Rodney got it for me," Pete explained. "I thought maybe we could go down to the docks tonight and . ."

"Pete we've been over this," Ginny interrupted.

"Damn it Ginny," Pete snapped in frustration, "I get it. You're not my girlfriend. You say you want me to treat you like just one of the guys, and I think what would any of the guys I know want more than anything for thier birthday. A bottle of Jack and a lay, that's what and I can actually give you that! So here it is and you're getting all wierd on me .. "

"So 9:00 at the docks then," Ginny interrupted, "sounds like a plan to me."

Pete gaped for a moment, his mind catching up with the fact that he had no reason to keep on talking. Than flashed a stupid grin. "Yea it's a plan."

The car started up and they drove a few more blocks to Steve's house. Ginny stashed the Jack under the seat. Steve lived in a modest sized house. He was the most well off of the four of them, Ginny, Steve, Pete, and Jesse who had graduated last year, and the quietest. He greeted them with a simple "Hey," and made a point to tell Ginny happy birthday. His eyes got that funny cast to them that they always got when his attention was focused on just her. He had had a crush on her since sixth grade, and it had never really gone away. But one look at those eyes and Ginny knew it could never be. He'd be a doting boyfriend always trying to take care of her and shower her with adoration. To most girls he'd be a dream come true, but to Ginny it was a nightmare. She never wanted to belong to someone like that. She'd seen her mom date enough guys to know that it always leads to disaster. She eyed Pete curiously wondering if he was going to turn into an obsessive boyfriend type too. Everyone knows guys are dumb especially where women are involved. But on the other hand they're a whole lot more fun than any girls she knew.

Halfway between the community called Lakeside and the high school in the city of North Bend proper where they attended classes the three of them pull off the side of the road and got nicely stoned. This made the first two periods of the day, History and Economics, roll by quickly. Then there was two periods of metal shop. This was the best part of the day for Ginny. She loved the feel of metal in her hands, the smell of sparks from a welder, and the feeling that only comes from making something with her own two hands. After that she just had to survive English class and then she was free. That evening the tree of them would head over to Jessie's to buy a bag of weed and veg to music all night.

But first was a quick stop by Ginny's to pick up a bag of chips and a DVD. On the table was a small package addressed to Ginny. There was no return envelope. A note was attatched the package.

Ginny, This arrived for you today. Secret admirer? I want to hear all about it tomarrow. Love you, Mom

Ginny nervously unwrapped the package and found a beautifully crafted metal bracelet and another note.

Daughter, I know that I haven't been in your life, but know that as you embark upon your destany you are loved. Dad

Ginny stared stunned at the bracelet, forgetting that Steve and Pete were in the room for a moment.

"You OK Ginny? What do you have there?" They asked. She wasn't paying enough attention to tell who said what. Pete snatched the bracelet from her hands. "This is amazing work! Look at the silver detailing on those, are they hammers?"

"They are hammers. Little gold and copper hammers. Wow Ginny, whoever it is must know you pretty well. You know they look kinda Norse." Steve said getting a look for himself.

"It's from my dad." Ginny explained, clearly still in shock. "I need to get to Jesse's NOW."

Jesse was a hispanic guy a year older than the other three. He rented a one bedroom house a few blocks from where Pete lived. He worked as a machinist at a local auto shop and supplemented his income selling drugs. As a result he had a top of the line TV and sound system and always had both drugs and girls. His place was the best hang out place any of them could think of. The hours spent at his place were relaxing and helped Ginny take her mind off her strange birthday gift.

Later that evening she met Pete at the docks like she said she would. Only then did she finally vent about the bracelet.

"How the hell did he know where to find me?" Ginny asked in anger eyeing the bracelet.

"Well you're mom's pretty distictive and I think she's lived in that trailer forever." Pete reasoned

"Even still, you'd think that he'd have done it before now. I mean really! How much of an asshole do you have to be to leave a three month old baby and have the balls to say you love her seventeen years later."

"I couldn't imagine. Maybe there was more to the story,"

"You're not actually taking his side in this are you?" she snapped accusingly.

"No," he stammered, "It's just that he's gotta be contacting you now for some reason."

"Well I don't have anything to say to him except fuck off" she took off the bracelet and got up.

"Ginnny what are you doing?" Pete asked as she stomped toward the water. "Ginny, you're gonna regret that later"

"You hear that dad?" She screamed, "Fuck you! I don't want you or your stupid gifts!"

There was a plunk as she stopped screaming that was the bracelet hitting the water. She took a deep breath and though about the bracelet, with it's beautiful detailing. They were hammers. He must have known that she would like them, I mean it wasn't somethin you'd expect most girls to be into. She thought about all of the times she'd wished that she'd known something more about her father than that he was a trucker named Theo Meed that left her mom shortly after she was born. She sighed. She wanted it back. She wasn't ready to let the mystery go just yet, and with that she dove into the lake after it. She was fully clothed, but she was a strong swimmer with good eyesight and she managed to see the sparkle in the murky water, even though the sun was down. She surfaced with the bracelet and slipped it on her wrist.

"Shit, Ginny!" Pete exclaimed looking at her dripping wet clothing, "It's a cold night. We better get you home now."