Page 12 of Anyone But Her

"They gave me the wrong key," he says. "It's for the wrong cabin."

"Then go back and exchange it," my mom says.

"The line's too long. I'll go back later. Let's hit some balls before it gets too crowded."

The four of us practice our swing. My dad was a pro golfer and my mom played in college. We all love the game but my mom worries Cal and I are missing out on stuff because we spend all our time on the golf course or at the driving range or working with our coaches. But I've never felt like I'm missing out on anything. I'm doing what I love and what I hope to do for a career someday.

"I'm back," Birdie says, startling me and messing up my shot.

I take her arm, leading her away from the teeing off area. "What happened with Hottie Check-in Guy?"

She frowns. "You were right. He has a girlfriend. Or maybe he just said that to get rid of me."

"You hit on the check-in guy?" Cal asks as he takes his swing.

"Cal, pay attention." My dad is now filming Cal, making his "before" video.

"I can talk and swing, Dad," Cal says. "And besides, it's not a good day to film me. I'm feeling off today. I don't think I slept well last night."

"Anyway," Birdie says to me, "I met this other guy and gave him my number so that's a possibility."

"You see why I'm not sending you to co-ed camp?" my dad says. "You girls can't go two seconds without getting distracted by a boy."

"Lou, that's not fair," my mom says. "Boys are just as bad as girls when it comes to that. Remember when Cal went to that co-ed golf clinic last spring?"

"Hey." Cal laughs. "That chick was hot. Even Dad said so. Everyone was looking at her, not just me."

"That's enough video for today," my dad says, putting his phone away. "We need to get going. You have orientation soon."

We pack up our clubs and head back to the car.

"We're going to miss you," my mom says as we tell Cal goodbye.

"If you talk to a guy named Steve," Birdie says to Cal, "put in a good word for me."

"His name's Steve?" Cal asks.

"Yeah. Why?"

"There aren't any guys named Steve here. I know everyone on the roster. There's no Steve."

"Yeah, right." Birdie rolls her eyes. She and my brother have a contentious relationship. That's a nice way of saying they hate each other.

"I'm not making it up. See for yourself." Cal takes a piece of paper from his back pocket and hands it to her. It's a list of all the guys attending the camp.

She scans the list. "Maybe he showed up last-minute." She hands him the list back.

"That'd never happen," Cal says. "This camp is invite-only and they only give out a few. If you get an invite you show up. That's how it works. Whoever said his name was Steve was making it up. It's a fake name."

"C'mon, let's go," my dad says to Birdie and me. "Get in the car, girls. We'll stop for lunch on the way home."

"That bastard!" Birdie says, ignoring my dad. She storms off toward the row of cabins, determined to find this Steve guy.

"Did you have to get her all riled up?" my dad says to Cal.

He smiles. "She had to know. Better to find out now than later."

Cal loves to rile up Birdie. He's been doing it forever. There was a point last year where I almost thought he did it because he secretly likes her but then I realized that's completely crazy. My brother and Birdie? There's no way that would ever happen. They can't stand each other.

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