Damaged

After the cat puked all over the new library book about a library, Julie contemplated how she would return the book, so she wouldn't have to pay a fine. The book was already overdue. She used to sneak overdue books back into the library, but now it would be difficult to do. She'd be tempted to steal someone else's library card, so she could check out books in another name, as her fines were more than she could pay. Julie was at risk of losing her library card. She had nightmares about encountering librarians in Purgatory. Maybe it was time for a confession, but it would be better to confess after she figured out a way to sneak the book back into the library.

Julie didn't have any money. She had to move back in with her parents after she graduated. She delivered pizzas, and worked part-time at the Cheese Cake Factory.

She'd spent her last penny repairing her brand new car that her sister had gouged. After her sister gouges it three times, Julie decided it wasn't worth fixing it anymore, so she'd just have a bumper with some personality. Her sister refused to pay for the damage and insisted that was what the bumper was for. Julie's blood pressure went up every time she looked at her bumper. Revenge was wrong, but what was she supposed to do when someone kept doing the same thing over and over again? And how could her mother expect her to turn the other cheek while her sister shredded her brand new car? The gouges were like bear claws.

Even though she'd given up on repairing the banged up bumper, she would not give up on salvaging the book. She used peroxide to get off the puke and then dried the pages with a blow dryer. She covered up some of the spots with a marker. Her book repair wasn't any better than her attempt to fix her car with touch-up paint and a plunger. Maybe she could steal a book from Barnes and Noble, but it wouldn't be worth possible jail time.

Then Julie had a gleam in her eye. She sneaked into her sister's room, went through her pocketbook, and pulled out her sister's library card out of the wallet. Maybe she could walk back into the library and try to check it out in her sister's name and then return it. Normally, she would never do such a thing, but she felt justified. The damage to her car was much more expensive than the book baptized with barf.

Julie grabbed the book, cranked up her brand new car with a creative bumper, and headed towards the library. She thought about all the ways she could sneak the book back in. The book was very popular and other patrons were waiting to read it. In fact, the book was about a library. Julie walked into the lobby and looked around. One never knew who was watching. Even if she didn't go to jail for trying to pay a fine, she'd get hit with another fine, and she'd just blew four hundred bucks on her car. Now she had three dollars in her bank account. Julie took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her pants. Yes, it was dishonest to try to find a way to make her sister pay the fine, but it was a kind of poetic justice.

Julie quickly put the book under her shirt and rushed into the library. A library worker approached her. Julie wanted to run.

"May i help you find something?"

Julie bit her lip. "No, thank you."

She walked around the library for then minutes, then went to the computer to attempt to check out the book in her sister's name. After she typed in the card number, the computer wouldn't let her check out the book. Now she'd be risking identity theft.

Julie walked over to the counter with her head down. A woman behind the counter wrinkled her nose.

"I'm having difficulty checking out this book," Julie said. The librarian studied her. Did she remember who she was?

"May i see your card?"

Julie gave her the card.

"I see it's still checked out by another patron. I don't know how it didn't get checked back in. " Julie wiped her face. She could hear her heart. Her sister would be so livid when she got the fine, and if her parents found out, she'd get more than just a lecture.

Julie handed the librarian the book. The woman opened the book and thumbed through the pages.

"I see there's damage here. I need to note it."

Julie flushed. All her efforts were in vain. Now she wanted to confess everything.

After the woman noted the damage, she handed Julie the book. Julie walked out and drove up to the drive through book return. It was all in vain. She now had a library fine in addition to a banged up bumper on a brand new car. It was bad karma. Julie wiped her eyes and drove back home. She wondered how much the fine would be ,and if she'd be able to continue checking out books. Maybe they'd let her pay off a dollar a month. She could ask her sister if she could borrow money, but her sister would probably tell Julie she deserved to be in her predicament because she was petty about the car. Julie then realized she still had her sister's library cards, so she could just check out books in her name. Her sister never went to the library, so she didn't notice. Julie smiled and felt vindicated. After all, it was her sister's fault she couldn't pay the freaking fine. And in the worst case scenario, if she got caught, her sister wouldn't turn her in for identity theft. Her parents would just make her do extra chores until she moved out. Her sister might notice the missing card if she started checking out books on sociopaths, as her sister believed all her bosses were psychopaths or sociopaths. Julie turned on the radio, and drove towards the church. Maybe she wouldn't feel so bad about being a book thief if she confessed.