Page 3 of Anyone But Her

"I'm in big trouble," I say, huffing and puffing, my forehead sweating.

Albert comes over to me, setting his hands on my shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I told my parents something I shouldn't have."

His brows furrow. "About what?"

"I told them I have a job. At the golf course. I told them I start tomorrow." I hurry to get the words out, which makes me huff and puff even more.

"Okay, just settle down." Albert leads me to the kitchen table. "Take a moment to catch your breath. Go to the place that makes you feel calm."

I close my eyes and imagine the green grass on the course. The smell of it right after it's mowed. The feel of the blades when I dig the tee into the ground. I imagine the feel of the club in my hand, the feel of my body as it swings back and then forward as I hit the ball.

"That's it," Albert says in a low soothing voice. "Just imagine you're there. Match your breathing to your swing."

I imagine the ball flying in the air, soaring through the blue sky, gracefully landing on the green, then slowly rolling into the hole.

Opening my eyes, I smile. "I did it! I got a hole in one!"

Albert nods. "And someday you'll do it for real."

The thought of that makes me smile even more, but then I remember the reason I ran over here.

"I lied," I say. "I told my parents I have a job at the golf course."

"I don't understand. Why would you tell them that?"

"Because my dad said I had to get a job. He was going to make me work at the shipyard and I didn't want to. If I worked there, I'd never see you and I'd never golf and I'd—"

"Okay, that's enough," Albert says, patting my shoulder. "Just calm down. We'll figure this out."

"But how? They won't let me work at the golf course. I'm too young. And my dad expects the money. He told me I have to give him the money."

Albert sits back, rubbing his chin, getting that faraway look on his face that he gets when he's thinking.

"What am I going to do, Albert?"

He looks at me. "I'll hire you."

"What do you mean?

"I'll pay whatever wages your parents think you're getting."

"But I told them I work for the golf course."

"Then let them keep believing that. They'll never check. As long as they get the money they won't question where it came from."

Albert knows my parents as well as I do. He knows money is the only thing they care about. My family is poor so I get why they worry about money but I also know they waste what little money they have. Just last week, my dad bet his whole paycheck on a baseball game and lost. That's the reason he didn't pay rent but he made me swear not to tell my mom.

"Can I start tomorrow?" I ask. "I told them I start tomorrow."

"Tomorrow would be just fine." He gets up and goes to the cupboard and pulls out a glass. "Chocolate or plain?"

"Chocolate. Definitely."

He chuckles as he gets out the carton of chocolate milk. "A day like today, one needs chocolate. I understand completely."

I get up and meet him by the fridge. "So what's my job? I can clean your house or..." I look over at the stacks of books in his living room, "I could organize your books." I look up at him. "Just nothing outside in case my mom looks out the window when she gets home from work. If she sees me she'll know I lied and then she'll—"

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