Ginny's Story Chapter 38

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Ginny's Story

A novel by Karen Lockhart

Copyright© 2017 Karen Lockhart
All Rights Reserved.


 


It's funny how things happen


 
 
CHAPTER 38

Since “The Dating Game” was now settled, I asked Wendy about learners' permits and what she had found on the RMV website.

“Well, I guess I need to go to a driver's education school, then I can take the learner's permit test. They said the permit was good for two years!”

“Is that all?” Ellen asked Wendy.

“Yeah, than I make an appointment for a road test. Oh, and I must drive with a licensed adult in the front seat and something about not driving when the vampires are out.”

I looked at Ellen and laughed: “The vampires are out? What do you mean by that?”

Wendy shrugged, “Something about between 1am and 5am I guess. That's when the vampires are flying around, isn't it?”

“You mentioned driver's education school; did you research them?” Ellen asked.

Looking at the clock, I remarked it was getting late, and any research could be done tomorrow at work.

Wendy beat us to the bathroom, I guess she wanted to remove her five cent gaff for the night.

While Ellen and I were waiting, I speculated about driving school. “Want to bet it now costs more than my first car?”

She snorted, “Everything else does, why not that? If she was in high school, Wendy could sign up for after-school driver's ed, so I guess we need to ante up.”

I added, “This will increase the cost of our auto insurance too. Maybe it's time for her to find a job to pay for this stuff, like we did. I took my driver's ed at Ringer's Auto School in Lynn, I wonder if they are still in business?”

Finally, the bathroom was free, so I jumped in front of Ellen to wash-up for bed.

--ooOoo--

After opening up the office trailer, Wendy made a beeline for the laptop, quickly booting it up. Soon we could hear the clacking of keys as she surfed the internet, occasionally cursing under her breath.

At the coffee break, Wendy called Ellen and me to look at her computer screen. She had half a dozen driving schools listed.

“Ellen, look,” I said, “Ringer's is still listed, I wonder what they charge?”

Wendy quickly pulled up their website, and clicked on fees. I almost swallowed my coffee the wrong way at the prices. Quickly, she clicked on the other companies' websites.

“Every school has the same price,” Ellen said, “Six hundred dollars! You were right, it's twice what your first car cost.”

Wendy acted like that was nothing.

“Wendy, not only will driving school cost money, but as soon as you get your license, our auto insurance rates will double. How are you going to pay for this?”

“ME?” she squeaked, “I have no money.”

“Funny you mention that young lady; Aunt Ginny and I were talking about it last night while we were waiting for the bathroom. We think you need a job.”

“Where? How would I get there? What can I do?”

“Wow, twenty questions and from such a young person,” I quipped.

Ever practical, Ellen took over. “You can get a job at any fast food place, or as a clerk in a store. As to how you would get there, I see a bicycle in the garage, and if the weather's bad, Ginny or I could drop you off and pick you up at the end of your shift. Since you aren't in school, you could work during the day when the other kids are in class.

“When Aunt Ginny?”

“Whenever you want to go to driver's ed. It's only $600, you could earn that in a month or two, depending where you find a job and how much you get paid.”

Wendy was silent the rest of the day, and subdued after we got home.

Over dinner she asked, “When can we start looking?”

“First, you must have a Social Security Number. I have no idea how to get that for you. Back to the computer I guess.”

“But I thought all I needed was a birth certificate, Auntie Ellen.”

“Wendy; Ginny and I got a number when we were young children, our parents signed us up, so we don't have any idea how to get one.”

“No sweat Aunt Ellen, after I eat I'll look it up, then tomorrow I can get one.”

You have to love teenagers, they think everything happens immediately, no waiting.

Before Wendy could look up Social Security Numbers, the phone rang. It was Billy asking for Wendy. Soon, she was talking and twirling her hair. I guessed that was it for the night.

About 10pm, she hung up. She had a dreamy look on her face as she stared at the ceiling.

“Well” I said, “Did he ask you out?”

“Yes, yes he did, we're going to a movie in Danvers, then hanging out at the mall. We'll get supper at the food court.”

“Which movie?” Ellen asked. “A chick flick or a guy movie?”

“I don't know, did you ever hear of a movie called 'Fury'?”

“Wendy, you'd better think twice about that movie, it's about a tank crew during World War Two. Not only is it violent, but it's really bloody. You should pick something else honey.”

Wendy looked at me and I nodded in agreement. I found the morning's newspaper and turned to the movie section and handed it to her.

“Look for something you and he'll both enjoy, not too violent, but it can still be exciting.”

“How about 'Wonder Woman' Auntie?” she asked.

“Great ! Billy will love watching her run around in her tight uniform, and you will like the action.”

“I'll be cooking something special for Kevin and there may be some dessert left when you kids get back. Oh by the way, I want you home by eleven o'clock, not one minute later, or you will be grounded, no job, and no learner's permit. Now to bed!”

To be continued.


Many thanks to Bronwen Welsh, for without her encouragement, and assistance in correcting typos and other errors, this story would not exist.

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Comments

Sounds an awful lot like the

Sounds an awful lot like the life of any teenager. No job, no money, no car, no insurance. Really adds up for the parents, unless the teen gets a job of some sort.

A date and a job, but school is important

Samantha Heart's picture

Wendy DOES need to go to school as its law even if she is 16. A job is a good idea. Then she can pay for her lessons & help pay the insurance.

Love Samantha Renée Heart.

School is important

But Wendy is 17, and by law if she wishes, she doesn't have to go to school. Ellen and Ginny are going to see if she can get a GED (which is an exam giving a high-school equivalence degree) Then she can apply to a college.

Karen

Sounds like Wendy is going to have to grow up

A little faster than some people for her the job is not a luxury it is a necessity in the two people who are standing in as loco parentis are not really her parents in some ways they are going to have to be very careful because they are vulnerable if any of this deceptions are discovered.

Don't most teenagers drive

Don't most teenagers drive their parents loco? Isn't that where the term came from ? ;-)

Karen

SSNs

joannebarbarella's picture

Is Ginny's original SSN still valid after her gender change?

One bathroom between three women sounds like a recipe for disaster.

I Don't Think So...

Back in Chapters 13-14 of the first story (and well before the surgery), Ginny got phony paperwork as Ellen's female cousin: driver's license, passport, birth certificate and social security card. She presumably used the fake SSN when she was officially hired at the job site -- the story was explicit about all the government paperwork being set up -- and definitely used the fake passport to get to Thailand.

Early in this second story she apparently got a legal driver's license. Her lawyer was also talking about a legal name change after her surgery, but I can't see how they'd have done that without blowing Gene's cover, unless with Morales apparently out of the picture they no longer worried about an official record of that on file. If that happened, I guess Gene's SSN would be back in play instead of the fake one they used when Ginny got officially hired .

Eric

Eric knows my stories better than I do

Eric keeps me honest. Remember the game show "Who want's to be a Millionaire" ? Eric is my call home.
When Gene first started hiding, she was provided with a phoney driver's license, SSN number, and birth certificate. After the legal name change, Ginny used the court documents to change her 'real' driver's license and SSN to obtain a passport. Wendy probably was given a Social Security number at birth in the hospital. Since she was born before June 2011,( all numbers were now random) her number would be regional, giving hint to where she was from. The birth certificate from East Devon now makes Wendy legitimate, the only problem, the legitimate SSN. There is no fee to apply for one, however as identification, they don't accept a birth certificate except as citizenship.

Complicated, isn't it ?

Karen

Money does it every time

Jamie Lee's picture

Some teens learn a bit late that the bread wagon ends after a certain time, and if they want money they have to earn it. They also learn the price it takes to acquire what they want.

Wendy should have an easier time finding a job since school is in session, because fewer teens would be looking for jobs than had it been summer time. But will she find a job she'll stay with? Is she reliable? Is she a good worker? Or will she bounce from job to job? Or get fired for being unreliable and a poor worker?

Others have feelings too.