Ali zipped up her coat and huddled her arms close to her chest. She had been outside for nearly four hours in the freezing cold and had yet to sell a single hot dog. She had chosen a fairly busy corner of town, but everyone that walked by barely regarded her, with the occasional condescending glares from older men and women whom Ali guessed had hundreds of dollars in their wallets. The finished hot dogs that she had laid out on the table were beginning to get cold, and she did not want to place them on the grill` for fear of burning them. She would take another package out of the little icebox which she kept by her feet, but she was running low and wanted to conserve as much as possible, and besides, they would have to thaw out, which would take fifteen minutes, twenty at the most.
Sometimes Ali wondered if she should just pack up, forget the whole thing and go home. It would never work, running the hot stand. However, she knew that she could not. Ever since she had been laid off from her job at Macy's Department Store nearly three weeks ago, she had difficulty finding a sufficient job that would help her pay the rent. Since nothing had come up, she had resorted to this, figuring that because of the cold people would want something warm to eat. Besides, she only charged a dollar for the hot dogs. But somehow it had just not worked out. Ali was beginning to grow scared of what might happen. Soon, her monthly rent would be due, and she would not be able to pay it. She did not want to be evicted from her apartment; if so, where would she go? She did not doubt that Matt, her boyfriend, would let her move in with him, but he wasn't doing well at his job either and Ali doubted that he would be able to financially support them both.
Off in a daze, Ali suddenly heard deep breathing and became aware that someone was at the stand. Bewildered, she looked up and saw a little girl in a light blue coat, who was looking at her with beady eyes.
“I want a hot dog,” she said loudly, holding out a dollar, “with lots and lots of ketchup. No mustard, though. Mustard is icky.”
Ali was about to reach out and take the girl's cash when a voice boomed from behind.
“Marissa?” A tall man in a black trench coat came into view. He was carrying a white plastic bag, which he waved in the girl's face. “Marissa, we just came from the store with things to make bologna sandwiches at home. I told you we aren't stopping at any hot dog stands, and in the future, please don't run from me again, do you understand?
The girl nodded. She looked like she was about to cry. “I want a hot dog though,” she said. “Bologna is icky.”
“I don't care,” he said flatly.
“Daddy, I'm hungry now though! I don't want to wait until we get home!”
“Come on, you can wait.”
“Well, if I can't have a hot dog, can we make the bologna sandwich now?”
“Marissa...” He turned to Ali. “I'm so sorry about this. She's only seven--”
“Please, Daddy?”
“Alright,” he said. “Let's find a bench or something first though.”
As the two walked away, Ali found herself trying not to cry. She had been so close to finally selling a hot dog, finally getting a measly dollar, and that had to be taken away from her. “They're only a dollar,” she whispered.
Ali missed Matt and wanted more then anything to talk to him right now. He was still at work, but Ali still guessed that he would be able to answer a text. She took out her phone from her black bag which sitting next to the edge of the grill.
Hi. <3 Miss you, love you.
So maybe it was a little bit cheesy, but at least writing the words comforted her just a little. While she was waiting for a text back, Ali's eyes drifted to the contents of her bag and she found herself eying a thick and small little book near the bottom. Ali took it out and grasped it tightly, rubbing her hands against it. She had no gloves, as she had recently lost the ones that she had been using and she had no money to buy a new pair. After so long in the cold, her hands were becoming quite frigid and this was her feeble attempt to warm them up. Ali bit her lip and laid the book out on the front table so that she could clearly see it. English to Spanish and Spanish to English: The Beginner's Dictionary.
It was Matt's. About the same time she had gotten laid off, she'd asked to borrow his dictionary because she'd wanted to get better at Spanish. She'd taken four years of it in High School but was starting to forget most of it, and Ali had heard once that those who were bilingual had good job opportunities. So far she'd learned a little, but Ali had forgotten more that she had originally thought, and but it was hard to relearn and practice a language with a dictionary as her only resource.
It was funny, because the text she got from Matt referenced the exact thing.
Hi :) still at work, whats up? Do u still have my spanish english dictionary I let you borrow? lol the client i'm visiting right now just moved from mexico and their english is really bad. love you so much <3
She smiled and started to send a reply.
Yep :-) it's been nice to have. Love you <3
Ali didn't get a text back, but it didn't bother her because she assumed Matt was busy with work and didn't have the opportunity to take out his phone and text her. She slid the dictionary back into her bag, figuring she'd take it out later.
For another thirty minutes or so Ali sat in her chair, cold and bored. Almost all of her hot dogs were cold now, so she knew she would have to start grilling more. Looking at her phone, she saw that it was only four in the evening, so she wanted to wait for at least another hour before she packed up for the night.
The hot dogs grilled, and they were starting to smell really good. Ali, suddenly hungry, tried to resist temptation to take one and eat it. Soon they were done, and Ali took them off of the grill and flopped back down in her chair, trying to hope.
About twenty minutes later, it started to snow. Ali hugged her arms close to her chest, hoping it would not get too much colder. To try and amuse herself, she started singing “Let it Snow”.
She stopped a few seconds later when she saw a man in a plaid coat and jeans walk toward her. He was wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap over his hood.
Ali recognized him immediately. “Matt!” she screamed. It was so loud that nearly everyone on the block could hear. Ali didn't care. All that she knew was that she was very happy to see him.
He smiled, ran up to her and hugged her tightly. “Hey,” he said. “How are things going?”
“Not good,” she whispered, pointing to the old pencil case she had intended to keep her profits in, still empty.
“Well, tell you what,” said Matt, taking his sleek black wallet out of his coat pocket. “I am very hungry because I've spent a long while at work without anything to eat.” He pulled out a ten dollar bill and handed it to Ali.
“One hot dog, please.”
“Matt, they're only one dollar...”
“Come on,” he insisted. “You need the money more then I do.”
“I thought you weren't doing well at work?”
“My next paycheck comes tomorrow.”
Ali nodded, figuring to just go with it. She felt each of the hot dogs that had been made. One was still warm.
Draft 1
Spoiler
Ali sighed and threw her notebook and pen, which she was using to doodle, to the ground. She straightened up in her chair and looked out to the street and sidewalk where pedestrians walked along, barely paying her hot dog stand any mind. She'd been out in the freezing cold for nearly four hours and still had only made about ten dollars. The ones she had laid out were getting cold, but she didn't want to place them on the grill for fear of burning any, and she was running out of fresh ones to make.
It would never work, running this hot dog stand. Ali knew that she would be evicted from apartment unless she could find better work. But nearly two weeks had passed since Macy's had laid her off and she hadn't had any luck finding a new job, so why should she expect her luck to change now? Maybe Ali could move in with Matt, but he wasn't doing too well either with his job at the house cleaners either. Ali picked up her notebook and pen again and started to draw draw random little smiley faces. Some had arms and feet, some were happy, sad.
That was when Ali heard a voice and soon came to realize that someone had come to her stand. She nearly jumped, seeing a little girl in a pearl blue coat looking at her with beady eyes.
“I want a hot dog,” she said loudly, holding out a dollar, “with lots and lots of ketchup. No mustard, though. Mustard is icky.”
Ali was about to reach out and take the girl's cash when a voice boomed from behind.
“Marissa?” A tall man in a black trench coat came into view. He was carrying a white plastic bag, which he waved in the girl's face. “Marrisa, we just came from the store with things to make bologna sandwhiches at home. I told you we aren't stopping at any hot dog stands, and in the future, please don't run from me again, do you understand?”
The girl nodded. She looked like she was about to cry. “I want a hot dog though,” she said. “Bologna is icky.”
“I don't care,” he said flatly.
“Daddy, I'm hungry now though! I don't want to wait until we get home!”
“Come on, you can wait.”
“Well, if I can't have a hot dog, can we make the bologna sandwich now?”
“Marissa...” He turned to Ali. “I'm so sorry about this. She's only seven--”
“Please, Daddy?”
“Alright,” he said. “Let's find a bench or something first though.”
As the two walked away, Ali found herself sighing. “They're only a dollar,” she thought.
That was when she decided to take out her phone. She wanted just wanted to talk to Matt. He was probably still at work, but maybe he'd at least be able to answer a text.
[i]Miss you. Love you.
So maybe it was a little bit cheesy, but at least writing the words comforted her just a little. He had texted her back about a minute later.
Hi :) still at work, whats up? Do u still have my spanish english dictionary I let you borrow? lol the client i'm visiting right now just moved from mexico and their english is really bad. love you so much <3
Ali laughed upon reading the text. About the same time she had gotten laid off, she'd asked to borrow his dictionary because she'd wanted to get better at Spanish. She'd taken four years of it in High School but was starting to forget most of it, and Ali had heard once that those who were bilingual had good job opportunities. That was when Ali took out her black handbag, which she carried everywhere, and saw the dictionary sitting in it. She smiled and started to send a text back to Matt.
Yep :-) it's been nice to have. Love you <3
Ali didn't get a text back, but it didn't bother her because she assumed Matt was busy with work and didn't have the opportunity to take out his phone and text her.
For another thirty minutes or so Ali sat in her chair, cold and bored. Almost all of her hot dogs were cold now, so she knew she would have to start grilling more. Looking at her phone, she saw that it was only 4 pm, so she wanted to wait for at least another hour before she packed up for the night.
When Ali bent down to take some out of the icebox she kept under the grill, she suddenly felt a tear, and looking up, realizing there was a small hole in her pant leg. Ali sighed and cursed under her breath. This was the last thing she needed right now. She had no idea how to sew; so maybe she could use duct tape. Maybe when she packed up she could go over the Walgreens across the street and buy some. Right now, Ali didn't want to leave her seat in case any customers came. A little while later, Ali got a text. It was from Matt.
I just got off of work. Hungry :-). Maybe I can see where they sell good hot dogs ;)
Ali texted back with a heart, sat back in her chair and smiled. Okay, so maybe it wasn't much. If Matt bought a hot dog it would increase her total to eleven dollars, out of thirty dollar expenses for the day. It was pathetic. She had barely any money and would probably be evicted soon. But she still had the ones that cared about her, and maybe she would have a better day tomorrow.
It would never work, running this hot dog stand. Ali knew that she would be evicted from apartment unless she could find better work. But nearly two weeks had passed since Macy's had laid her off and she hadn't had any luck finding a new job, so why should she expect her luck to change now? Maybe Ali could move in with Matt, but he wasn't doing too well either with his job at the house cleaners either. Ali picked up her notebook and pen again and started to draw draw random little smiley faces. Some had arms and feet, some were happy, sad.
That was when Ali heard a voice and soon came to realize that someone had come to her stand. She nearly jumped, seeing a little girl in a pearl blue coat looking at her with beady eyes.
“I want a hot dog,” she said loudly, holding out a dollar, “with lots and lots of ketchup. No mustard, though. Mustard is icky.”
Ali was about to reach out and take the girl's cash when a voice boomed from behind.
“Marissa?” A tall man in a black trench coat came into view. He was carrying a white plastic bag, which he waved in the girl's face. “Marrisa, we just came from the store with things to make bologna sandwhiches at home. I told you we aren't stopping at any hot dog stands, and in the future, please don't run from me again, do you understand?”
The girl nodded. She looked like she was about to cry. “I want a hot dog though,” she said. “Bologna is icky.”
“I don't care,” he said flatly.
“Daddy, I'm hungry now though! I don't want to wait until we get home!”
“Come on, you can wait.”
“Well, if I can't have a hot dog, can we make the bologna sandwich now?”
“Marissa...” He turned to Ali. “I'm so sorry about this. She's only seven--”
“Please, Daddy?”
“Alright,” he said. “Let's find a bench or something first though.”
As the two walked away, Ali found herself sighing. “They're only a dollar,” she thought.
That was when she decided to take out her phone. She wanted just wanted to talk to Matt. He was probably still at work, but maybe he'd at least be able to answer a text.
[i]Miss you. Love you.
So maybe it was a little bit cheesy, but at least writing the words comforted her just a little. He had texted her back about a minute later.
Hi :) still at work, whats up? Do u still have my spanish english dictionary I let you borrow? lol the client i'm visiting right now just moved from mexico and their english is really bad. love you so much <3
Ali laughed upon reading the text. About the same time she had gotten laid off, she'd asked to borrow his dictionary because she'd wanted to get better at Spanish. She'd taken four years of it in High School but was starting to forget most of it, and Ali had heard once that those who were bilingual had good job opportunities. That was when Ali took out her black handbag, which she carried everywhere, and saw the dictionary sitting in it. She smiled and started to send a text back to Matt.
Yep :-) it's been nice to have. Love you <3
Ali didn't get a text back, but it didn't bother her because she assumed Matt was busy with work and didn't have the opportunity to take out his phone and text her.
For another thirty minutes or so Ali sat in her chair, cold and bored. Almost all of her hot dogs were cold now, so she knew she would have to start grilling more. Looking at her phone, she saw that it was only 4 pm, so she wanted to wait for at least another hour before she packed up for the night.
When Ali bent down to take some out of the icebox she kept under the grill, she suddenly felt a tear, and looking up, realizing there was a small hole in her pant leg. Ali sighed and cursed under her breath. This was the last thing she needed right now. She had no idea how to sew; so maybe she could use duct tape. Maybe when she packed up she could go over the Walgreens across the street and buy some. Right now, Ali didn't want to leave her seat in case any customers came. A little while later, Ali got a text. It was from Matt.
I just got off of work. Hungry :-). Maybe I can see where they sell good hot dogs ;)
Ali texted back with a heart, sat back in her chair and smiled. Okay, so maybe it wasn't much. If Matt bought a hot dog it would increase her total to eleven dollars, out of thirty dollar expenses for the day. It was pathetic. She had barely any money and would probably be evicted soon. But she still had the ones that cared about her, and maybe she would have a better day tomorrow.
Not really... That would make me cry. I want you to make more out of this story though. Even if it means killing off someone... Mind you, that might just be my love of depressive writing kicking in. All of the short stories I've written (a grand total of two) have involved death... Seriously though, I would like to see you make something more exciting happen. In the end though, that's up to you. You might just want this to be a rather simple story, and that's cool. I think that you could make it a little more exciting though. Really make it pop!
