Effortless With You Read Online Free PDF Page B

your phone. Everywhere you go, we’ll know.”
    “What?” I jump up from the chair. “That’s a total invasion of my privacy.” Forget the silent approach. They may as well have shackled my wrists.
    Mom leans in. Shivers run up my back. “You don’t deserve privacy,” she whispers.
    “It’s a basic human right.”
    “Not when you’re sixteen. Your business is our business.”
    “Like you would even understand my business.” That was pretty lame, but it was the best I had. She won’t get the last word.
    Dad interjects, “Lucy, I called this morning and it’s already set up.” He takes out his phone and pulls up a family-locator application. I see my name next to a purple dot. The location says “Home.”
    My brain works at warp speed to try to beat this. I can just hide my phone wherever I say I’ll be and then go elsewhere. Easy solution. I can still “hang out at the pool” when I’m really on a date with Zach. But wait, I won’t be able to go on a date with Zach. There is no way I can get out of the house anyway. I'm surely grounded. My parents are so stupid. I lift my eyebrow, “Why waste money doing that when I’m going to be stuck here anyway?”
    “That’s actually something else we talked about,” Dad replies. Mom sits down on the couch, her lips tight. She's obviously not a big fan of what Dad is going to say. “You’re not grounded. That punishment clearly hasn’t been working for you.”
    What? Seriously? Sweet!
    Dad reaches over and holds Mom’s hand. “ We figure it only encourages you more.”
    We. I roll my eyes. Yeah right.
    “Keep in mind that we’ll be checking in on your location whenever we want.”
    “Oh, that’s right. How can I forget? You don’t have a real job.”
    I'm surprised when it’s Dad, not Mom, who pounces. “Don’t say that. You know what your mother’s gardening blog means for this family. It’s providing your college education.” His words sting.
    “Lucy, please stop being a snot,” Mom says.
    “Immature much, Mom?”
    “Okay. Okay.” Dad stops us before we can get going again. “Just let us know who you will be with and where you will be.”
    “Fine.” I stand up to leave. This conversation is over.
    “Sit back down. There’s more we think you’ll enjoy.” The way the words smoothly roll off of Mom’s tongue makes my skin crawl. I slam my body back down onto the chair, hoping it breaks a spring.
    Mom takes the lead. “Now, just because you aren’t grounded doesn’t mean you’ll spend all your time at the pool with Marissa.”
    My heart sinks and my jaw drops with it. No pool? What’s the point of summer if I can’t be at the pool? I glare at Mom. She really is evil.
    “Your father spoke with a business associate this morning about you. We got you a job.”
    “What?”
    “Honey, we decided that since you want to make your own decisions and desire the independence of an adult, you wouldn’t mind going to work at all,” Mom says all too sweetly.
    Dad rises. “I completely agree with your mother. In an ideal world, yes, you would have this as your last summer off. But you’ve shown us you want more responsibility so we’re giving it to you.”
    I can’t believe it. My entire summer at the pool with Marissa just disappeared. Mom and Dad would know my hours. How can I sneak away to go on dates with Zach? He’d actually have to come here to pick me up. How mortifying.
    “Don’t you want to know what you’re doing?” Mom asks.
    “Yes, why thank you. I would love that, Mom.”
    “Painting.”
    I think of an art class. I'm kind of decent with art. Would I be assisting in a preschool?
    “The outside of houses,” she adds.
    A memory of our old house being painted flashes through my mind. Middle-aged men sweating high up on ladders or scaffolding while hauling huge gallons of paint back and forth. Ten-hour days. No way.
    “Are you kidding? Isn’t that dangerous?”
    “Only if you don’t follow the rules,” she