Chapter Text
“Did you hear about the raffle?”
Delilah took a bite out of her depressing cafeteria burger, the sweet ketchup overpowering the bland meat and stale bread. Then she looked up at her friends. The cacophony of conversation, footsteps, and silverware had almost drowned out Lily’s words. Rowan, Alexis, and Mia sat with them, picking at their equally dull meals.
At the mention of the raffle, Alexis perked up, her coiled black hair bouncing with the sudden movement. “Yep!” she said. Then her brow furrowed. “Wait, we’re talking about the same raffle, right?”
Curiosity pricked Delilah’s insides. She opened her mouth, about to ask what raffle they were talking about, but Lily spoke before she could. “The one at the Pizzaplex?”
Alexis grinned. Bits of lettuce were stuck in her teeth. “Yeah! That one! Did you all buy tickets?”
“You bet!” Mia exclaimed. Her half-eaten sandwich dangled from her hand, seemingly forgotten. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
Delilah couldn’t take it anymore. “Woah, woah, wait, guys,” she interjected, putting down her burger. “What raffle?”
Lily’s pale blue eyes widened. “You haven’t heard? Oh, right, you don’t go to the Pizzaplex that often...”
“It’s not like I have a choice,” Delilah muttered. A ball of resentment formed in her stomach. Everyone hung out at the Pizzaplex. Everyone. It was the best place in the world. Filled to the brim with arcade games, rides, shows, animatronics, and other attractions, it was popular not just with kids, but with teenagers and even adults. It was basically a smaller Disney World. Delilah’s friends had gone at least a dozen times. Delilah, on the other hand, had only gone twice.
And it was all because of her stupid parents. They didn’t like the Pizzaplex at all. Why? Delilah had no idea. They wouldn’t take her there on a family trip, nor would they drive her if she wanted to hang out with her friends. But that wasn’t the main issue. Delilah could always ask her friends for a lift until she got her license. No, the problem was the money. Her parents wouldn’t pay unless it was for a “special occasion,” like a friend’s birthday. And Delilah couldn’t afford it; she was saving most of the money she earned from babysitting for college. So my friends get to hang out together while I miss out on all the fun, she thought bitterly.
“Yeah, your parents suck.” Alexis’s voice drew Delilah out of her thoughts. “But maybe this raffle will change their minds!”
“You still haven’t told her what the raffle is,” Rowan muttered, nibbling on a soggy fry. They spoke more quietly than Delilah’s other friends, so she had to strain to hear them over the noise of the cafeteria.
Alexis blinked, looking sheepish. “Oops.”
“Let me tell her!” Mia leaned forward, the ends of her brown hair almost dipping into the ketchup on her tray. “So basically, the Pizzaplex is hosting a raffle for two VIP passes! One for you and one for a friend. You pay twenty bucks, give them your number, and your name gets entered into some kind of online pool. On Friday at 7 PM, they’ll text the winner!”
Delilah tipped her head to one side. “What’s a VIP pass? Is it like an upgraded party pass?”
Lily spoke this time. “It's the coolest thing ever. You get to go anywhere in the Pizzaplex for free. For a whole day.”
“And you have access to everything!” Alexis added, her black eyes shining with delight. “All the rides, all the attractions, all the shows, you name it!”
Rowan looked up from their fries. “What is this, an advertisement?” A hint of a smile appeared on their pale face. “The Pizzaplex should hire you all. They’re missing out on a huge marketing opportunity.”
Alexis, Lily, and Mia laughed, but Delilah wasn’t listening. Free access to anywhere in the Pizzaplex... Excitement rose within her. If I win, my parents will have to take me! And if they won’t, that’s fine. I’ll be going with a friend. They can drive me. Delilah’s heart began to beat faster. Who knows when I’ll be able to go to the Pizzaplex again? This could be my only chance for months!
“How do I enter?” Delilah asked, raising her voice above her friends’ laughter and the cafeteria’s din.
“It’s easy! Just go to their website. It should be the first thing you see,” Alexis said.
“If you’re on the school’s WiFi, you should turn it off so no one can steal your bank information,” Rowan cautioned.
“I will,” Delilah said. Abandoning her mediocre burger, she wiped her greasy hands on a thin napkin and took out her phone. After making sure she was using cell service, she went to the Pizzaplex’s website. Sure enough, in bold, bright letters, there was an announcement about the raffle. She clicked on the link. It took her to a short online form.
“You can only enter once?” Delilah asked. She couldn’t spend more than twenty dollars, but she was curious.
“Yeah, I think so,” Mia said. “Which sucks because the odds are really low.”
“I’m sure there’ll be thousands of entries,” Lily added.
Delilah froze. She hadn’t considered that. A wave of disappointment washed over her, threatening to drown out her excitement. There was no guarantee that she would win. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, she’d lose twenty dollars. But I have to try, she thought. I can’t miss out on this. I’m sick of hearing everyone talk about how great the Pizzaplex is while I’m stuck at home.
She began to type in her information.
“But if one of us wins, we should invite someone from our friend group,” Alexis said.
Lily nodded. “Definitely.”
Mia giggled. “That’ll be our group rule! ‘If you win the Pizzaplex raffle, you have to invite one of us... or else!’”
“Won’t that make someone upset?” Rowan asked. They had abandoned their meal and were fidgeting with the white string of their hoodie. “If we force the winner to choose one friend over the others.”
“We could pull a name from a hat,” Alexis suggested. “Or use one of those Spin the Wheel websites so it’s random.”
“That’s a good idea,” Mia said.
Delilah hit Submit on the form. “There! It’s in,” she announced. Mingled excitement and hope mixed in her chest as she stared at her phone screen. Images of her at the Pizzaplex - playing arcade games, going on rides, meeting the animatronics, laughing with her friends - filled her head.
It would be so great if I won...
Alexis high-fived her. “Hell yeah!”
“Good luck,” Rowan said.
Lily chuckled. “We’ll all need it!”
Mia lifted her oversized water bottle. “To winning the Pizzaplex raffle!”
Delilah and the others grabbed their beverages - another water bottle for Lily, a milk carton for Delilah, and energy drinks for Alexis and Rowan - and copied Mia. “To winning the Pizzaplex raffle!” they echoed. Then they tipped their heads back and drank.
Delilah hardly registered the lukewarm milk sliding down her throat. All she could think about was how much she wanted those VIP passes.
It’s only 6:50. Ugh, why can’t the time go by faster?
Delilah paced outside of her room. She was a mess of emotions, excitement and hope burning through her while trepidation sank its claws into her clammy skin. Her jittery fingers kept closing and re-opening the Messages app while her stomach did backflips.
She’d entered the raffle on Monday, and finally, after almost a week of waiting, it was time to see whether she’d won. She hadn’t told her parents because they’d never understand. If she won, well, she’d have to tell them, but that was fine because she’d get to go to the Pizzaplex.
They think it’s just some theme park. But it’s the biggest entertainment complex this town has ever seen! There’s never been anything like it. And everyone hangs out there. Everyone! Everyone except me. I want... She paused. No. I need those passes. I’m sick of missing out on everything, I’m just sick of it!
“Delilah?”
Delilah froze. Annoyance immediately lit her nerves on fire.
Her younger brother, Isaac, was standing a few feet away.
She and Isaac didn’t look like they were related by blood. In fact, they were exact opposites of each other. Isaac was a miniature copy of their father, short and fair-skinned with a head of curly pale blond hair and blue eyes that were always full of curiosity. Delilah, on the other hand, took after their mother, tall with light brown skin, straight chestnut brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Everyone who saw them thought they weren’t related.
If only that were true.
“What’s wrong?” Isaac asked, tipping his round head to one side. “Are you okay?”
“Leave me alone,” Delilah snapped. Her gaze darted back to her phone. 6:55 PM.
Isaac trotted up to her. “Is something going on? Are you mad at your friends? Did you get a bad grade? Did you-”
“I said, leave me alone!” Delilah yelled. Without waiting for Isaac to respond, she stomped into her room and slammed the door shut. Then she continued to pace, frustration mingling with her already messy emotions.
Isaac was the bane of her existence. For whatever reason, he liked her, always following her around and pestering her with incessant questions. Their parents said she should be happy that he admired her. But she wasn’t happy. She was irritated.
And of course, he’s the favorite, Delilah thought, gritting her teeth. Mom and Dad bow to his every demand. They barely listen to me. And they want me to “treat him nicely.” How can I do that when he’s such an annoying little brat?
Delilah glanced back at her phone. Her heart leaped into her throat. 6:59. The winner would be announced in one minute.
She stopped pacing and stared desperately at the screen.
Please be me... please be me...
Every second felt like a year. Her frantic fingers repeated their ritual of closing and re-opening the Messages app even though she knew it would make no difference.
Come on... what’s taking so long?
7 PM hit.
Delilah’s heart pounded. She could barely breathe. Her desperate, wild hope mounted as she waited for the notification that would reveal her fate.
Ding.
Her heart skipped a beat.
A message from an unknown number.
But was it the Pizzaplex or a conveniently timed scam?
Delilah stared at it, suddenly hesitant. She’d spent days waiting to find out, but now she almost didn’t want to know. Because what if it wasn’t the news she’d been hoping for?
She took a deep breath.
I have to do this.
She forced her frozen finger to tap on the message.
Her eyes landed on the first two sentences.
Congratulations! You’ve just won the raffle for Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex!
A squeal tore from Delilah’s throat as pure joy shot through her. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Against all odds, she'd won!
Delilah bolted down the stairs and through the hallway, her sock feet slipping on the hardwood floor. Any reservations she’d had about telling her parents had gone out the window. She had to tell them the good news!
She stumbled to a halt in the living room, panting. Her parents were sitting on the couch, watching TV with the volume way too low as usual.
They looked up at Delilah, their expressions bewildered.
“Delilah, what’s going on?” Mom asked.
“I won!” she gasped, holding out her phone. Laughter bubbled at her lips. “I can’t believe it! I actually won!”
Her parents squinted at her phone. Then they stared at her. “What did you win?” Dad asked.
Delilah moved closer so they could see the screen. Her words tumbled out in a rush, caught up in a flood of adrenaline. “Two VIP passes to the Pizzaplex! I get to go there for free for an entire day, so you don’t have to pay for anything. You’d have to drive me, or one of my friends could - the extra pass is for a friend. But I’m not sure who to take. Well, I think they were talking about doing a hat draw or a random wheel spinner or-”
“Woah, woah, Delilah, slow down,” Dad said, holding up his hands. “So you won this raffle for the Pizzaplex...”
“Is it legal?” Mom asked, eyeing Delilah’s phone skeptically. “I thought you had to be eighteen or older to enter a raffle.”
Delilah froze, her excitement stuttering. She hadn’t considered that. She and her friends were all the same age - sixteen - and they’d entered without any issues. On impulse, she looked at the text message again. Her worries were quickly quenched.
“It says here that if I’m under eighteen, I need a parent to sign a form, which I can print out," Delilah said, pointing at the message. "So yeah, it's legal."
Her mother’s skeptical look didn’t waver. “And you’re sure this isn’t a scam?”
Delilah sighed, exasperated. Trust her parents to ruin her good mood. “Yes, Mom, I’m sure. It was on their website. Look.” She pulled the Pizzaplex's website up and showed them.
Dad and Mom studied the announcement. Then they nodded. “Alright,” Mom said carefully. “Congratulations, Delilah.”
“Yes-” Dad began, but a voice cut him off.
“What’s going on?”
Delilah groaned inwardly. She turned, although she didn’t have to. She’d know that annoying voice anywhere.
Isaac was walking toward them. His big blue eyes, as usual, were full of curiosity.
“It’s none of your business,” Delilah snapped.
“Delilah! Don’t be rude,” Mom scolded.
“Isaac is your brother. You need to be nicer to him,” Dad said.
Delilah forced herself not to roll her eyes. Yeah, and when he’s rude to me, do you tell him to be nice? No. It’s always “He needs to let out his emotions” or “He isn’t usually like that.”
Isaac didn’t seem fazed by Delilah’s outburst. “What’s going on?” he repeated, looking from one family member to another.
“Delilah won a raffle. A raffle is when a lot of people buy tickets to win a prize. A ticket is randomly drawn to decide the winner,” Mom explained.
He’s ten. He should know what a raffle is.
“Cool! Good job, Delilah!” Isaac squeaked. “What’s it for?”
Delilah’s foot tapped impatiently on the ground. She would prefer it if her parents didn’t tell Isaac about her business, but she seemed to have no say in the matter.
“It’s for the Pizzaplex,” Dad said. “She got a VIP pass, which is a special ticket that lets her go anywhere she wants to for free.”
Isaac stared at Delilah with wide eyes. “That’s awesome! I wanna go, too!”
“You can’t,” Delilah said quickly. “The passes are mine.”
Isaac flinched as though she’d struck him. His lower lip quivered. Big tears welled in his eyes.
Oh, great, Delilah thought, her annoyance mounting. He’s about to have a temper tantrum because I won’t share my passes.
“I wanna go!” Isaac whined. “It’s been forever since I’ve been to the Pizzaplex!” He stomped his foot. “It’s. Not. Fair!”
“Don’t cry, honey,” Mom said. “You can go to the Pizzaplex. Delilah has two passes.”
Delilah stiffened.
Isaac brightened immediately. “She does?”
“They’re not for him! They’re for me and a friend!” Delilah protested. Her heart began to sink. Surely her parents wouldn’t ruin this for her by forcing her to bring Isaac along?
“Well, your friends already go all the time. Isaac doesn’t. And you shouldn’t leave your little brother out,” Mom said.
“But... but that’s not fair!” Delilah spluttered. “These are my passes! I won the raffle, I paid for them, I-”
“You don’t need both of them,” Dad said, giving her a stern look. “And, like your mother said, you shouldn’t leave Isaac out. It wouldn't be fair to him. He wants to go, so you should take him, too."
Delilah’s heart raced as her dread deepened. “But it's not fair to me! I don’t want to babysit him!”
“Delilah! Don’t be rude!” Mom scolded. “You’re taking Isaac with you. That’s final.”
Isaac bounced up and down. “Yay!”
Delilah glanced from one parent to the other. She refused to look at her snotty little brother. The injustice of it all threatened to overwhelm her. Her blood was boiling. Her heart was in her shoes. Her head felt like it would explode. Her eyes burned like they were on fire.
“You’ve ruined everything!” she shrieked. Without waiting for a response, she turned and ran all the way back to her room, slamming the door as loud as she could. Then she sank onto her bed, tears brewing in her eyes.
Against all odds, she'd won the VIP passes - and with them, a chance to finally go to the Pizzaplex with her friends.
But now her parents had ruined it. Ruined it by forcing her to bring her stupid little brother.
Delilah turned her back on the door, fuming.
What was supposed to be the best day of her life was sure to become the worst.