With the coach spit-bellowing at him to play better or get out, basketball tryouts are such a disaster for 11-year-old Green that he pelts out of the gym—becoming the chief suspect to everyone except his fiercely protective older brother, Cedar, when a valuable ring vanishes from the coach’s office.
Ah, the correction marker—a humble yet heroic tool in the arsenal of every student and office worker. It’s the unsung hero that swoops in to save the day when typos strike, or when your handwriting decides to take a vacation. But what happens when that trusty marker goes missing? Or worse, when it’s returned to you empty? Buckle up, folks, because we’re diving into the mildly infuriating saga of a borrowed correction marker that met an untimely demise.
Picture this: you’re in a classroom or perhaps a makeshift project area, and a few girls approach you, eyes wide with desperation. “Can we borrow your correction marker?” they plead, as if they’re asking to borrow the last piece of pizza at a party. Naturally, you agree. After all, you’re a kind-hearted soul who believes in sharing.
Fast forward to a few minutes later, and you’re feeling pretty good about your generosity. That is until you casually ask for your marker back. What follows next can only be described as a scene straight out of a treasure hunt gone wrong. They start rummaging through a trash pile of cut-up paper and junk, as if your beloved marker has decided to take a vacation in the depths of their cluttered workspace.
And then it happens. They triumphantly emerge from the trash heap, marker in hand—but wait! What’s this? It’s empty. Empty! Your heart sinks as you realize that this is not just a minor inconvenience; it’s a full-on betrayal. You bought that marker just two days ago, which means they somehow managed to use it all up in record time.
Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer audacity of this situation. How do you even use a correction marker so quickly? It’s not like they were painting a mural or anything! Were they writing a novel? Did they accidentally decide to correct the entire history of the English language?
In the grand scheme of things, losing a correction marker may not seem like a big deal. But it’s the principle of the matter. It’s the fact that you lent something out, expecting it back in one piece—only to receive a sad, empty shell of what it once was. It’s like lending your favorite book to someone, only for them to return it with half the pages missing and a coffee stain on the cover.
So what do you do in this situation? You could express your disappointment and demand a replacement, but that might lead to an awkward confrontation. Or you could just let it go, chalk it up to experience, and vow to never lend out your correction marker again.
In the end, this mildly infuriating episode serves as a reminder of the perils of sharing. Next time you’re tempted to lend out your precious stationery, remember: some things are just too valuable to share. Or maybe invest in a lifetime supply of correction markers and keep them under lock and key.
So here’s to you, correction marker—may you rest in peace, and may your next life be filled with less drama and more ink!
Inspired by: “A few girls working on a project asked to borrow my correction marker. When I asked it back, they d…” (r/mildlyinfuriating)