DR. WALLACE: I work in a restaurant in our town and the manager I report to is pretty pompous, but he's reasonable for the most part within each dinner shift that I work.

However, about a month ago, he asked several of the employees who report to him to do some volunteer work to help the environment. Several of us agreed, and we went to a local mountain area to pick up trash for several hours.

Only later did I hear through the grapevine that the reason he asked us to go was that his niece was applying for a college entrance to a university, she wants to attend, and she wanted to put this volunteer work on her resume. Apparently, this girl was taking credit for organizing a dozen people to do volunteer work alongside her.

I feel manipulated! The manager at my job did not disclose this to me or anyone else before he asked us to do the volunteer work. I feel like finding out where this girl wants to go to college, and mailing my own letter to them! I think it's unfair that she used the system the way she did, don't you? — He Hid the Motive, via email

HE HID THE MOTIVE: I fully agree with you that the manager of your restaurant absolutely manipulated you by not disclosing to you in advance exactly what was going on and why.

However, I would strongly advise you not to send any letters to the university that his niece is hopeful of attending. Consider that he may not have been entirely honest with her either. It's possible that, as part of her overall strategy, she asked as many friends and relatives to help recruit volunteers to do several hours of cleanup work. It's possible she either thought, assumed or even directed him to explain to the volunteers what they were doing and why.

For this reason, I wouldn't get involved any further, but don't volunteer to do anything else outside of your normal work shift with this particular manager ever again. It's best to let this situation go, chalk it up to experience and continue focusing on your job until the minute you leave the restaurant and then leave everything there behind and go on with your life.

SHE MAGICALLY REPAID ME RIGHT AFTER I SPOKE TO ANOTHER FRIEND

DR. WALLACE: I'm in the eighth grade and my best girlfriend borrowed $20 from me three weeks ago. She told me she would pay me back the following Monday, since I gave her the money on the Friday before.

The next week came around, and she never mentioned paying me back my money, and I didn't say anything to her either. Two weeks went by and she never said a word about it. I was starting to get upset silently, but I didn't confront her. Finally, when I couldn't control my frustration any longer, I told one of our mutual friends that she had borrowed money from me and never repaid it.

Then magically, within two days, my friend came up to me at school and tried to give me $22. I asked her why the payment was $22, when she only borrowed $20, and she said that she owed me interest. I did take the $20 she owed me, but I told her she didn't have to pay me any interest. She said that was fine, and put the two dollars back in her pocket and we started talking about something else.

Everything has been normal ever since then between her and me. Do you think she just realized on her own that she owed me this money, or do you think the person I told about it might've mentioned it to her or another person first? — She finally repaid me, via email

SHE FINALLY REPAID ME: Given the timing of everything you've explained, I would say there is likely a high probability that the word did get back to your friend in advance of her repaying you.

She may have forgotten about it, as that is a possibility. I also note that her willingness to pay you 10% interest for such a short period of time likely indicated contrition on her part. Perhaps she was embarrassed that she forgot about it, and wanted to make it up to you, especially since she may have heard from others that you were frustrated that you were not repaid.

My advice is to say nothing further about the incident to your friend, but absolutely go back to the person. You did mention the situation, too, and let that individual know that your friend took care of the situation very well. You can mention that you were impressed that she not only paid you what she owed you, but that she was willing to add a little interest since she had forgotten about it for a few weeks. Tell that person that you refuse the interest because she's a good friend of yours and you were happy to help her out in the first place

Hopefully, that will help settle things conclusively, and your mentioning positive things about your friends to this third person can only help the situation, not hurt it.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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