Out of the Blue by Sarah Ellis

ticket. Is that right?”
    Betsy nodded.
    Megan grinned. “Where the heck did you get a lottery ticket?”
    Betsy glared. “None of your beeswax.”
    â€œMegan, we don’t need to hear from you. But, Betsy honey, where
did
you get a lottery ticket?”
    Betsy looked out from under her eyebrows. “I just made it, with my junior printer. I made lots, but only Kevin Blandings would buy one, because he was the only one with five dollars. He keeps it in this little pocket in his shoe. He showed me. It’s his emergency money.”
    Megan stared at Betsy. Not bad. As a money-making scheme it sure beat collecting pop bottles. There was one problem, though. “But if you only sold one ticket, then Kevin Blandings would win for sure, and you wouldn’t make any money.”
    â€œHe would
not
. Nobody ever wins the lottery. Dad says. When we go to the corner store and he buys one of those tickets he always says, ‘I don’t know why I bother. Nobody ever wins the lottery.’”
    Megan snorted. “But, Betsy, that doesn’t mean that nobody actually . . .”
    Mum jumped in. “Megan, we know that you know. Put a lid on it. Oh rats, there’s the phone. Can you get it? No, not in here. Get it in the living room.”
    Megan jogged into the next room, closing the door behind her. She flopped onto the couch. Maybe it was Erin.
    â€œHello. Is this Megan? This is Natalie.”
    â€œOh, hi, Natalie. I’ll get Mum.”
    â€œNo, hang on. It’s you I want to talk to.”
    â€œYes?” No, I still don’t want to be a bridesmaid.
    â€œI just wondered if you would like to come out to the university with me tonight to look through the telescope. It’s a nice clear night and we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
    Alone with Natalie? “Um, I don’t know.”
    â€œThe only thing is, and I need your advice on this, can I get away with not inviting Betsy? I don’t want to leave her out, but she really is too young.”
    Megan heard the rising tones of Betsy in the kitchen. She was approaching blastoff. Escape was an attractive idea. Besides, to look at real stars, not fake ones at the planetarium — that would be fun.
    â€œNo, that’s okay. Betsy doesn’t need to come. But I’d like to. Wait a minute and I’ll ask.”
    Back in the kitchen Mum was leaning against the counter, holding the note and hooting with laughter.
    â€œWhere’s Betsy?”
    â€œShe went out to play. You know her powers of recovery. Thank goodness. I thought I was going to die if I had to be the responsible, serious parent for one more second. You know when you have to laugh but you’re not allowed to?”
    â€œMum, can I go with Natalie to the telescope at the university tonight? She’ll pick me up.”
    â€œWhat?” Mum dried her eyes on a tea towel. “Okay. Sounds like fun. I’ll be bowling with Marie as usual. Dad and Betsy can stay home and think up some illegal scam.” She exploded in another snort of laughter. “I do like this Mrs. Kozol. She thinks that Betsy has a bright future in the new economy of self-reliance and will leave the Kevin Blandings of this world behind in the dust. She’s probably got a point. If only we can keep Betsy on the right side of the law.”

Chapter Fourteen
    THE CAMPUS WAS VERY quiet as Natalie and Megan walked from the parking lot. “Crazed astronomers are the only ones out here on a Friday night,” said Natalie.
    The observatory was small, dominated by the mysterious looming telescope. Natalie pressed a switch and a panel in the domed roof slid open, exposing a rectangle of night sky. She sat down at a computer terminal and blipped a bit.
    â€œSo, what would you like to see?”
    â€œThe moon, but it’s not in that part of the sky.”
    Natalie grinned. “No problem.” She pressed another switch and with a sliding sound