Tricia and Mrs. Bakerman had been close since living next door to each other, as the lady and her husband had moved in five years ago. She was an adult friend along with her parents, but not really that old, being in her early 30's. The two even oddly resembled each other, both having flaming red hair and bright green eyes.
"I've got to get to work, but don't do anything I wouldn't do," said Mrs. Bakerman, walking towards the door. "Doesn't really leave us any limits, now does it?" Tricia came back cleverly. "Eric, make sure you watch her. Tricia's parents won't like it if the cops bring her home." "All right, all right, I'll watch my cousin, which means we won't let the law catch us in the first place," laughed Eric. "Okay, see you later, and happy birthday!" said Mrs. Bakerman as she went out the door.
Eric and Tricia were now alone. There was a deep bond between them, but it was not spoken of, and certainly went unfulfilled. These two were compatible with each other, caring very much for each other. They enjoyed each other's company, had conversations dealing with the deep and also the silly. They shared feelings and secrets with each other throughout their lives. One would surely have thought fate had done a splendid job of bringing two soulmates together, except for one small mix-up: They were born in the same family, among the same relatives. As children, they always played together at family gatherings (Eric was the son of Tricia's Aunt, her Mom's sister), and told the adults they would get married. Of course, this wasn't taken seriously, just seen as two childhood buddies that got along. They called each other boyfriend and girlfriend, and everyone thought it was just kids being cute, that is, until kids at grade school said "You can't get married! You're cousins!" After that, Tricia and Eric grew up thinking of themselves as friends, but deep down, they knew they had to hide what they still felt. They were the best of friends until this summer, after they both had graduated (Eric had turned 18 the previous fall), and were enjoyed the last summer before they went to college. Each knew they had feelings for the other that were something special, something more than plain relations or friends. They couldn't be an open couple because of the social stigma that would label them as "redneck inbreeders", and they never had a secret affair, because who knew how far that would go? They both kept their feelings for each other in check, so nothing would come of them besides being close relatives. Eric had gone on dates with a few girls, and Tricia with a few guys, but neither found anyone that would be someone they could get serious with. They really mainly stuck to their own friends rather than trying to look for someone.
"Well, Tricia, I've got a day planned for you, everything being something you can do now that you're 18," Eric said, hinting to what was in store. He could at least make an unforgettable day for her to make her happy, couldn't he? "This is gonna get wild, ain't it?" laughed Tricia evilly. "Nothing less for my dear cousin. Let's take my car, shall we?" "You better not be letting me off in a remote area in a body bag, right?" snickered Tricia. "Nah, we're just going to the convenience store first. I'm getting ya a lottery ticket!" revealed Eric. "Okay, but I don't think I'll win anything," said Tricia. They walked off to the car, got in, and backed out of the driveway onto the road. The radio was on loud, and the windows were down. Tricia and Eric laughed back and forth all the way there, and when they got inside, they bought soda, and went up to the clerk to get a lottery ticket. Eric handed Tricia a nickel, and on the store wall, she scratched it off. Her face lit up in surprise as she gasped and handed Eric the ticket. He read it, and it said she had won $100! He got the money from the clerk (they did that for small prizes), and they went outside to the car as Tricia squealed in happiness. Eric grinned, "Well, Tricia, I think we have just got enough money to pay for the next stop on your 18th B-day celebration."