One afternoon, Trisha walked across campus from her sorority house dorm to the Main Library. She wore a yellow blouse and white shorts with flat black closed-toed mules. She walked past the front desk and upstairs to an area where a series of 3-sided study carrels were located. She was not aware of this, but she sat immediately in front of a guy, Jay Williams, she had met at a fraternity party just a week before - actually she was unaware anyone was sitting in front of her.
Jay noticed Trisha when she came in and he remembered her as an attractive girl he had recently met at a party. He wanted to speak to her again but he decided to wait until she got up to take a break or something - he wanted to look cool and not so obvious.
Trisha got in position to study and opened her literature book to read tomorrow’s story (It was too loud in the sorority dorm to read and think at the same time.) She held the book down with her right hand, held the yellow highlighter in her left and began to analyze the story. Trisha crossed her legs, left over right, and the weight of the shoe caused the mule to gradually slip down her foot as she sat there. Occasionally it would fall too far and she’d point her toes upward and wiggle the shoe back on. She also popped the shoe against her foot in a rhythmic motion some of the time. All of this was sub-conscious as she read and studied. At some point she was really getting into the story and the shoe got down to the tips of her toes while she was bouncing her foot. At one point, the shoe fell off her foot and landed under Jay’s carrel immediately in front of her. Trisha did not seem to care that her shoe had slipped off. She continued to sit, engrossed in her studies, with her shoeless foot crossed and still bouncing.
Jay heard something fall under his carrel and saw her shoe that had fallen there. He noticed that Trisha did not immediately reach for shoe. Therefore, he decided to use this situation to play a Prince Charming/Cinderella prank on her, by reaching under the carrel with his foot, taking the shoe, and placing it in his book bag. He then slipped away to a nearby table to wait for her to look for it so he can make his move.
After a few minutes, Jay's stomach began to rumble. He had to use the restroom NOW and it could not wait. He decided he could probably get back in time so he left his book bag on the table and ran.
Foiling Jay’s plan, soon afterwards, Trisha packed up her books and uncrossed her legs, and reached under the table with her foot to retrieve the other shoe and didn't find it. Trisha was concerned and pushed her chair back and looked under her carrel, she still couldn’t find it, anywhere.
Getting worried that she’s about to have to walk home with one shoe missing, she crawled under table and looked under adjacent carrels. It was nowhere in sight. Trisha then stood up and walked around the area, actually coming close to Jay’s book bag and looked to see if it had been kicked away somewhere.
Realizing her mule had probably been stolen or accidentally taken by the person in front of her, she took a chance and went downstairs, one shoe missing, and reported her loss to Lost and Found at the front desk.
The librarian took down her name and address and a description of the shoe. She also said, “Library shoe theft is actually a common thing. Stories like this are popping up all around the country - it usually happens to girls. This is the first one here in a couple of years.”
Trisha replied, “So did the girl 2 years ago get her shoe back?”
“No, I don’t believe she ever did. In the stories where the thief is caught, it’s usually some guy who gets his jollies doing that sort of thing. Believe me, we’ll be on the lookout.”
Meanwhile, Jay took longer that he expected in the restroom and hurried back to the room where his backpack was sitting, he noticed that Trisha and all her books were gone. He hurried downstairs hoping to catch Trisha before she left the building, but he was too late.
After talking to the person at the front desk, Trisha began her long walk back to her dorm with only one shoe. The Shuttle service she normally used was not operating on the weekend. She debated just walking totally barefoot, but the hot sidewalk and the gravel and rocks along the way convinced her to be at least half-protected.
Jay pondered what to do about the shoe now. He wanted to do the Cinderella thing, but feared (rightly so) she’d be mad for having to leave the Library with one shoe. Knowing what sorority she was in, because of the party his fraternity had had with her sorority, he knew where she lived. Jay assumed that with only one shoe, she had left to go home to her sorority dorm.
He decided to run outside in that direction and find her and just tell he the truth in a spirit of profuse apology. After about 2 blocks, Jay did eventually catch up to Trisha. He came up behind her and said, “Hello Trisha! Remember me?”
Trisha stopped, sort of embarrassed since she was wearing one shoe, and turned around to see it was a guy she had spoken to at a party, “I remember meeting you, but I cannot recall your name, sorry about that.”
Jay re-introduced himself and asked if he could walk her to her dorm - another 4 blocks. Trisha agreed then noted that she had got only one shoe and therefore had to be careful where she stepped.
Jay breathed deep, fearing his next sentence is going to sound corny and said, “Cinderella, I’m your Prince Charming.” He pulled out her missing shoe.
“How’d you find that? (pause) You must have stolen it - how could you do that!” She snatched the shoe out of his hand and began to run in the same direction still holding her formerly missing shoe.
Jay called out for her to wait and began to explain the situation while jogging close behind her. By admitting he only did it because he thought she was nice and pretty and a romantic at heart, she softened and they continued to walk back to her dorm after she placed her shoe back on her rock-pocked foot.
The two of them made-up quickly and the two of them went out to dinner that night. Meanwhile, a week later, the stolen shoe incident was leaked to News of the Weird and the University of Georgia library had worldwide Internet exposure because of this incident. Trisha never did go to the library to refute the story.
NOTE: This story can also be found at Legsandheels
