The Uneventful Life of Harvey Mackler

c h a p t e r | f o u r t e e n

THE LAST WAY I imagined spending the following morning is cooped up in the front passenger seat of Hunter's car while he drove, with Harry and Finn at the back talking about... whatever people of their shared mental age converse about.

Harry has T-ball practice today and it's my turn to accompany him and play chaperone while he swings a tiny bat around and runs amok in a grassy field with other kids ranging in age from four to seven years old. Hunter is dropping us off because he apparently has 'business' to do in town — which usually means he plans on hanging out with people.

Finn, meanwhile, is here courtesy of Hunter's eavesdropping.

Two days ago, Hunter had overhead Finn and I discussing the possibility of us going to a different beach today to practice surfing — but that was before I realised I was supposed to be babysitting Harry today (and before yesterday's incident decreased my willingness for us to practice surfing at all).

I was completely ready to cancel my surfing lesson with Finn today when Hunter intervened, having thought of a brilliant solution to our dilemma: after dropping us off, he'd leave the car with me so Finn and I can go surfing straight after taking Harry back home.

"But what about you?" I ask Hunter as we near our destination. "If I have your car, how are you going to get home?"

"I'll get a ride back," Hunter replies seamlessly, "don't worry about it."

There goes my last chance at backing out.

I lift my eyes to the rear view mirror, casting a fleeting glance at Finn. When I catch him staring back, I promptly look away and focus my gaze out the window for the rest of the journey. Hopefully this day will go by quickly.

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After fifteen minutes of warm-ups and light drills, Harry's team goes into a game.

Finn and I are squeezed into the bleachers with the rest of the parents and other guardians watching the friendly match.

Finn allows me to have one inning full of blissful silence where no words are exchanged before he decides to speak up.

"I'm sorry... about yesterday," he reluctantly says. "I was a little too harsh with my words. I shouldn't have gotten angry when you were just trying to help me. You don't have to feel pressured to surf in front of me — or to tell me the reasons behind why you don't either."

I purse my lips, restraining myself from reacting too visibly. So that's what he wants to talk about. Honestly, a part of me had forgotten about the argument, but now that he's brought it up, I realise I still have an unresolved grudge to attend to.

Without looking at Finn, I respond, "I just realised I need a contingency — in case you don't win anything at all."

From the corner of my eye, I notice Finn's brows draw together.

"A contingency?" he says in a slightly perplexed tone.

"I'm getting paid on the assumption that you make it to the top ten. With all I have to go through training you, I feel like I should still get compensated somehow."

"Alright... how do you want to be compensated?"

"Eighteen dollars fifty."