Dear Anonymous,

To: Dr. Pepper

September 2
Dear Anonymous,

   You shouldn't be getting a letter. I shouldn't even had bothered with you. You were supposed to be extra in the scene, a character who helped move the plot along. I don't even know your name. It was a simple task, but you turned it into something more. You made a fool of me in front of my friend and everyone else watching.

It was 95 degrees out at 8:30 at night. My friends and I were at a football game. None of us had water. So one of my friends went with me to the snack bar, where you were. We looked at the menu, you were out of water. So my friend asked if I would go get the sodas if he gave me the money. I should've just done it. I told him that I would be right behind him while he ordered and that it was just a soda. He ordered a Dr. Pepper, gave you the cash, and walked over to one of my other friends who was just out of earshot.

I walked up to you, "I'll have a Dr. Pepper too." You were about to go grab one for me when you stopped. You asked me if my friend was with me. I responded saying that he was just my friend. You then proceeded to ask me my friend's name. I just stared at you, holding out my dollar bill. You then repeated your question. I blurted out his name. You then proceeded to call my friend's name, yelling for him to get over here. The lady working next you joined in by telling me to go get him because he should be a gentleman. I asked for my soda once again. You told me I wouldn't be getting my soda until he came over. My friend was still out of earshot.

Not long after you first called his name, my friend came over, wondering why it was taking me three minutes to get a soda. You asked my friend for his name, he looked confused but he answered you. You then proceeded to yell at him, telling him that he needed to pay for my drink. I told you that I could pay for myself and that none of this was necessary. You didn't like my response. You told my friend to get his money out and that he was going to pay for me. My friend responded by saying that I had money and that I could pay for myself. He was right. I practically begged you to just give me my soda.

You then told me that he should pay because we were on a date. My friend and I yelled no at you. I shoved my money into your hand and grabbed my soda from behind the counter. I stormed off. I was mortified.

I have never been more embarrassed in my life. It was a funny misunderstanding to me at first, but now that I've had some time to process everything that happened, you were so incredibly rude to me and my friend. What made you think that you could yell at my friend like that, or that you could even assume in the first place that I was with him? What made you think that it was okay to embarrass a teenage girl, not only in public, but at a high school football game? But most of all, why wasn't it acceptable for me to pay a dollar for a soda?

Stop trying to make my generation look more toxic than adults like you already think it is. Stop assuming that anyone who is with someone of the opposite gender is dating. And stop trying to make girls like me feel like we need to be bought for approval.

Sincerely,
Me