Chapter 1

With school about to start, Mom and Dad said they'd put together back-to-school gift bundles for my sister and me, and we'd draw lots to decide who got what.

Round one: my sister drew the iPhone, and I drew a Fuji apple.

Round two: my sister drew the iPad, and I drew a Golden Delicious apple.

Round three: my sister drew the MacBook, and I drew a Honeycrisp apple.

I didn't know what to say. My luck had always been terrible.

Mom and Dad comforted me, saying three apples were pretty great too—apples were healthy, tasty, and good for the complexion.

Then they said there was still one super gift left. It turned out to be a BMW worth over three hundred thousand.

My eyes lit up. I prayed that this time my luck would finally turn.

And I actually drew it.

But Mom and Dad said, "Your sister broke the rules that round, doesn't count. Do it again."

……

When the SAT scores came out, I'd gotten into a top-tier university, while my sister only made it into a community college.

Mom and Dad said it didn't matter—good grades or bad, we were both their treasures, and they loved us just the same.

They also said they'd prepared back-to-school gift bundles, one each for my sister and me.

I'd looked forward to it for so long.

But on the day the surprise was supposed to be revealed, Mom and Dad suddenly changed their minds and said we'd draw lots for it.

"Your dad and I thought it over and over, and we still think drawing lots is the fairest way. Good or bad, it's down to your own luck. If you draw the good one, don't gloat, and if you draw the bad one, no crying, okay?"

I deflated on the spot.

This method that looked so fair was, for me, the least fair of all.

My luck had always been bad. I'd never once won a drawing.

Every time, Mom and Dad said a bet was a bet, no backing out.

And once they decided something, it never changed. My objecting made no difference.

"Same rules as always, one draw each.

"Your sister goes first."

Dad tossed two crumpled paper balls onto the table in front of us. Whoever picked the one with writing on it won the grand prize.

The other one got a consolation prize.

My sister picked one at random.

"Bless me, bless me, let me get the iPhone."

She cupped the paper ball in both hands like she was praying, then slowly unfolded it.

"Ah, I really got it, it's the iPhone!"

She jumped up with joy, took Mom and Dad's faces in her hands, and kissed each of them.

"Thank you Dad, thank you Mom, I love you!"

Mom immediately, all smiles, produced a beautifully wrapped iPhone and placed it in my sister's hands.

Then she handed me a Fuji apple, wrapped just as beautifully.

It's fine, there's still a chance.

I told myself.

Round two, it was my turn to draw first.

The iPhone had already gone to my sister, and I didn't dare hope for another one—an ordinary phone would do just fine.

I was about to start college, after all. I couldn't keep using a kids' phone.

Nervously, I picked the paper ball closer to me.

I copied the way my sister had prayed, hoping it would bring me luck.

But when I unfolded the paper, no surprise at all, it was blank.

"Yay, I won again!"

My sister danced around in excitement.

"Ugh."

I sighed. My luck was as bad as ever.

That round, my sister got the iPad, and I got a Golden Delicious apple.

Round three, my sister's turn again.

The first two rounds had turned up the phone and the tablet, so this round had to be the computer.

I prayed silently: don't let my sister get it.

I still had nothing. I really needed a computer.

"Ah, the laptop, my laptop!"

Almost without a hitch, my sister struck lucky yet again.

What kind of rotten luck was this? I wanted to blow up but had nowhere to aim it—who told me to be so useless.

I was so agitated I wanted to tear that paper ball apart, only to find the other one had disappeared.

Watching me search around, Mom spread her palm open.

"It's right here. So suspicious."

She smoothed the paper ball flat. It was blank, clean as could be.

"Don't be so petty. Apples are great too—healthy and good for the complexion, all kinds of benefits."

Mom pressed a Honeycrisp apple into my hand.

"Your sister got an apple, and you got an apple too. Everyone's happy."

Dad even had to make his little pun.

But I couldn't be happy.

An apple and an Apple were both apples, but this apple was not that Apple. They were worlds apart.

"All right, don't say your parents don't care about you—there's still one super surprise coming!"