The Dropout

Birthday Present

"Marley Emerson, female, brown hair and...blue eyes?" The officer furrowed his brow behind his sunglasses staring into Marley's obviously dark brown eyes. 

"I forgot to take my contacts out," Marley admitted, grimacing with guilt. She ran her hands across the wheel, thinking of all the profanities her mother would shout when she got back home. 

"Hmm..." The officer straightened back up and looked over her license again. "Twenty two years old, birthday June seventh...oh! Not a good birthday for you, is it?" Marley sighed. No, it wasn't. 

After waking up late for work, Marley rushed out the front door still wearing her pink bunny slippers. As she changed into her correct footwear, a pair of black flats, she closed the car door on her jacket, and took a good seven minutes removing it. Her mother waved goodbye from the front door in her bathrobe and hair curlers, narrowly missing her farewell. Giving a half-hearted wave in return, she sped down the street to the town library. But as her luck would have it, a police car had parked itself behind a cluster of trashcans and noticed her reckless getaway. 

Marley really hated Mondays.

"I'm  real sorry about this," the officer replied."

"No, I shouldn't have been speeding," Marley said. What she should have done, was set her alarm. 

"I'll be right back." The officer took her license with him back to his car, leaving Marley alone to beat herself up. Two years working at that library, and not one day had she been late. Called in sick sure, but never behind time. Perhaps she'd be let off easier then? She could only hope. 

Marley leaned back in her seat, the sun glaring through her windshield.  Her car was still running, Marley's secret hope that she'd be let off the hook and could quickly get back on the road to work. Reaching for the dial, she turned the volume up on the radio, a scratchy voice on the other end. 

"...Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, seems everyone is listening to Led Zeppelin nowadays, doesn't it, Marcie?"

"It does! Just the other day I was cooking dinner and called my daughter in to eat when she came out of her room holding a Zeppelin record, it reminded me of my younger days with my Buddy Holly records, you know what I mean, Jim?"

"I sure do. Now! Next on the list is a band from the underside of the globe, by name of AC/DC, they've really brought a new kick to the rock and roll sound, haven't they, Marcie?"

"I haven't been to any of their concerts, Jim, but I've heard them enough to know they're good..."

Marley's memory from a year ago came rushing back. Annie Benson, her blonde best friend came hopping over her fence one day with the urgent news to turn the radio on. Apparently, the greatest band in the world since the Beatles was playing, and Marley must not miss it. Sitting on Marley's bedroom floor with the radio playing between them, Marley had to admit they weren't bad. This lead to a quick check at the nearest record store for any leftover albums. Annie took High Voltage letting Marley grab Powerage, with the idea that they could swap records and listen to as many songs as possible on their low wages.

"...this Friday they're playing a concert in Los Angeles, and tickets for the eight o'clock show are still available for anyone trying to get a seat..." Marley wondered how on earth the band hadn't sold out yet, being one of the most famous in the running. Annie would be begging Marley to go with her, to spend her entire paycheck on two tickets for the concert, plus two plane tickets for a flight from San Francisco. Not to mention a motel room. Librarians didn't make enough for such luxuries. "...here with their hit song, Sin City-"