Dear anonymous-

Thank you for the cat picture in the library 🙂 I remember sitting down at a table alone, plugging my headphones in and turning on Phoebe Bridgers full volume. Before I can immerse myself in her vocals, you say, “Hey, hey! Do you have a paper clip?”

I turn around and there you are, holding a piece of paper. I pull my earbud out, fully invested at this point.

“Um, do you have a paper clip, or a penny or something?” You turn around the paper, and there it is: the funniest picture of a kitten ever. “My friend bet me that I couldn’t trade this picture for anything,” you laugh.

I try to hold it together while I think of how to answer when I remember I have a quarter in my backpack. 

“Wait,” I say. “I think I have a quarter.” 

I dig around my bag, and when I turn around with the coin, you look so surprised, and I can’t help but let a laugh escape. I hand you the quarter, and you quickly hand me the cat picture and run off. 

I don’t know your name, or really even what you look like, but I still have that picture and a core memory. I’ve spent $0.25 on plenty, but I know that this was the best use of a quarter yet, because not only did I get a really cool cat picture on printer paper; I also got my version of a Cinderella story.