Free Lucky Me by Cindy Callaghan

not only to reverse the curse but also to meet another cousin.
    All kinds of thoughts were swirling around in my head after the excitement of the morning, the kind that make your brain feel like it’s exploding. “Finn!”
    He jumped. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œI’ve never had a cousin! I feel totally different knowing I’m part of a bigger family.”
    â€œWhat does it feel like?”
    â€œI can’t put my finger on it. It’s a certain je ne sais quoi .”
    Finn added to my racing thoughts, “Not only do you have cousins, but you’re someone else’s cousin.”
    â€œWow!” I said. “That’s major! Je ne sais What-What .”I raised my palms to the roof of the tiny car.
    Finn looked confused. “Must be an American thing.”
    I took my hair out of the braid and tousled the curls around. “And you know what else? My dad has three sisters! He is going to be shocked and so, so happy. I can’t believe he doesn’t know. I know and he doesn’t know,” I added.
    â€œWe have to go to Newcastle. Right now.”
    Mrs. Buck pulled out of our parking spot on the cobblestone road. Then I kind of freaked a little more. “Wait! Listen to this amazing idea!”
    â€œI’m listening,” he said. “I like amazing ideas.” He tried to imitate me but didn’t do a great job.
    â€œI’m not going to tell my dad about the other sisters.”
    â€œBut you just said he’d be so happy.”
    â€œOh, he will be when I surprise him with all of them—sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews—at the Spring Fling. Won’t that be the biggest best surprise ever?”
    â€œA great surprise.”
    â€œHow long till we get to Newcastle?” I asked Mrs. Buck. She didn’t hear me. So I lifted one of her headphones and asked again. She shrugged.
    Finn guessed, “I think we’ll get there before dinner. This little car doesn’t go very fast.”
    â€œDinner? I don’t think I can wait that long.”
    â€œYou’ll make it,” Finn said. “Let’s make our plan, and that will distract you from the time.”
    â€œFine. What’s this tourney that CiCi mentioned?”
    â€œIt’s a rugby tournament. That’s huge around here. People travel all over to watch their favorite teams. It shouldn’t be hard to find a big tournament in that small town.”
    For a second I thought about rugby, but soon my mind wandered to a scene I imagined in a snow globe: I unveil a bunch of long-lost relatives to my father at the Spring Fling. He cries in happiness. It’s me, his middle daughter, who made it all possible. “Meghan,” he says, “how can I ever thank you?” And I say, “You don’t have to thank me, Dad. But there’s a pair of UGGs I’ve been wanting, and maybe a Coach bag.” And he says, “Anything. Whatever you want for the rest of your life, you can have.” And that makes Eryn really mad and jealous, which makes me really happy.
    I replayed the scene over and over in my head. I was going to be, like, the hero of the McGlinchey family, and probably the whole Spring Fling.
    The car started slowing down for seemingly no reason.I thought maybe Mrs. Buck was pulling over to look at a map or to show us something, but there was nothing to see other than a green pasture, tall grass, and blue sky. The car stuttered to a stop.
    Something wasn’t right.
    â€œWhy are we stopping here? What’s going on?”
    Finn leaned over the front seat and looked at the dusty control panel. “Ran out of petrol,” Finn said with his palms up, as if to add, C’est la vie.
    This wasn’t la vie . This was la curse .
    â€œWell, that doesn’t sound good,” I said.
    â€œActually, it’s no big deal. These towns are far apart, and these little cars don’t hold much, so it happens