Dave Casler
PO Box 98
Ridgway, Colorado 81432
Young Adult Novels by Dave Casler...
I've been told by publisher after publisher that there's no market for Young Adult novels. I think they're wrong! So I'm putting my novels on-line for you. Forget the publisher! Read to your heart's content--it's free! And, I'd like to hear from you, too! Contact Page.
You're reading About Phillip. Be sure to check out About Dan here.
Phillip is a computer nerd who suddenly discovers a liking for track. Everything would be fine except for his father.
About Series Home
About the About Series
Index to All Chapters
Here are all the chapters, disguised as asterisks. Hover your mouse over an asterisk to see the title of the chapter. Click on the asterisk to go straight to that chapter.
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(About Phillip Home) (Last) (Next)
The Hit to the Wallet
Phillip gingerly picked up the check. They were in a booth; there was lots of room because he didn’t have to share it with Martin and Richard and Dad and Mom and Grams. Friday evening revelers filled the restaurant. The large bar took up the center of the floor; the customers there hooted at something on the large-screen TV. In fact, the restaurant was so loud it had been hard to carry on a conversation. Dad rarely took the family to restaurants like this. Phillip vaguely wondered if it was ok for someone his age—and a Mormon at that—to be in a place with a bar.
He turned over the check and gasped. He studied it. His entrée was billed correctly, and Melanie’s was there, too. Did soft drinks really cost that much? Wow! And then there was dessert—and tax.
"Forty-two dollars," said Phillip. "We had the same thing, so I guess that’s twenty-one dollars each."
Melanie looked surprised. "Are we going dutch?"
"I didn’t have the apple pie. I had the…"
"No, silly. I mean are we each paying for our own?"
"Oh. Is the guy supposed to pay on a date?"
"Doesn’t have to. If I pay, that’s called dutch."
"Why?"
"I don’t know. It just is. Phillip, you are so incredibly naïve!"
"I think we have to go dutch. I don’t have enough for everything."
"Somehow I thought that’s what we’d do. By the way, if we’re going dutch, you’re supposed to tell me ahead of time."
"Sorry."
"So does twenty-one dollars cover the tip?"
"Tip?"
"Phillip, you’re hopeless. We have to leave a tip."
"We do?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because. So twenty-five dollars each." She laid several bills on the table. " Phillip, are you ok?"
Phillip was frozen, his eyes glazed over. After several seconds he reluctantly reached for his wallet. He withdrew two tens and a five and dropped them atop Melanie’s bills.
"Uh, Melanie?"
"Uh, Phillip?"
"I need to borrow some money for the movie."