Reciprocal Discovery （n.） – Olivia
RECIPROCAL DISCOVERY (N.):
THE EXCHANGE OF DOCUMENTS, LISTS OF WITNESSES, AND OTHER INFORMATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES OF A LAWSUIT OR CRIMINAL PROSECUTION BEFORE TRIAL.
OLIVIA
“Okay, lady.” The burly man at the car pound stamped my proof papers. “I’ll be right back with your vehicle and printed receipt.”
“Thank you.” I moved back.
“I am so sorry, Olivia…” Lindsay pressed her hands against my shoulders. “I thought I told you about this.”
“No.” I stepped back. “You did not tell me you used my license at a ‘few’ traffic stops when I let you borrow my car.”
“Well, I couldn’t use mine, you know?”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I’m in nursing school.” She sighed. “I can’t have anything reckless on my record before I graduate because no hospital will want to hire me.”
“But I can afford to be a criminal?”
“No, but…You have more resources and stuff. Plus, whenever you land your next big job, I figured you’d be able to pay off everything with one check.”
My blood boiled as she stood there looking nonchalant as ever. She’d conveniently dropped this bomb on me during our morning bus ride over here.
I used to think it was kismet that I’d met someone who could pass for my sister, that our becoming roommates six years ago was fate, but now I wasn’t so sure.
Sure, we’d been evicted together, gone through shared growing pains, but this was absolute bullshit.
“What’s your excuse for not telling me about the court warrants that were mailed to the apartment?” I still couldn’t believe this. “The clerk said they mailed out like ten, and I can’t remember getting a single one.”
“I don’t know…” She shook her head. “I’m going to make this up to you, I swear.”
“You could start by paying me half of the fees,” I said.
“I will.” She pulled out her wallet and took out a twenty dollar bill, leaving a thick stack of others behind. “I’ll give you twenty bucks a week starting today.”
“Lindsay, it costs me six hundred dollars.”
“Okay, fine.” She took out two more twenties. “How about sixty bucks a week?”
As much as I wanted to yell at her and smack it away, I took the money and bit my tongue.
“On the plus side, Sam just bought a car so we won’t have to borrow yours anymore.” She smiled. “Isn’t that great?”
I said nothing.
“He’s coming here to pick me up in it since I figured you might be a little too mad to drive me home.” She tilted her head to the side. “Or are you?”
“I think you should walk away from me, Lindsay…”
“Awww, okay.” She shrugged. “Well, when you come home from work later, the gourmet cheese plate and champagne on the dining room table is a special gift from me to you.”
I refused to say a word to her.
“Well, um, bye!” She finally turned away, and I swallowed all the “fuck yous” that were on the top of my tongue.
I pulled today’s lottery ticket from my pocket and checked the numbers on my phone.
34 8 11 2 51 23
Powerball Number: 12
My picks weren’t even close.
The sound of a car speeding along the gravel made me look up.
My gray Nissan was dustier than it was when I left it, and the words “Please Wash Me” were etched on my windshield.
“Perfect…” I muttered.
The attendant parked right in front of me and stepped out of the driver’s side.
“Here you go, Miss.” He tossed me the keys. “I left your receipt on the passenger seat.”
I nodded and stepped forward.
“Oh, and um—” He ran a hand through his hair. “Not that it matters, but you really need an oil change and a tune-up. I know a guy who could do both for about five hundred bucks.”
“Do I look like I have five hundred dollars?” I snapped. “Like, seriously?”
“No.” He smiled, looking me over. “Well, how about a night with me and I’ll get it handled for free?”
“No, thank you.” I moved past him and slid behind the wheel.
I’m not that desperate…
I cranked the engine and glanced at the receipt that had officially robbed my savings account.
I saved my tears for later and steered out of the lot and into the far left lane on the highway. I ignored all the honking that came my way, making my usually twenty-five minute commute forty minutes instead.
I was never going to break a traffic law again…
I pulled into my usual spot at the children’s library.
In desperate need of a break, I grabbed my Belle princess costume from the trunk and rushed inside.
I clocked in and made my way to the towering cardboard castle.
“Oh, hey there, Olivia!” My manager stepped in front of me. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
“Actually…” I sighed. “Can it wait until after my readings? I really just want to start today with something fun, if that’s alright.”
“No, uh…” She shook her head. “We sent out an email cancelling the readings earlier this morning.”
“Oh. Is the air conditioning out again?”
“No, it’s…” She shifted on her feet. “We have to let you go. Effective now.”
“Wait, what?” I stepped back. “You’re firing me?”
“Not firing you. Gently laying you off.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“It’s not personal, Olivia…” She refused to look me in the eye. “We just don’t have money in the budget to keep you on anymore.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me this last week when you were making the schedule?”
“I didn’t want to make you sad,” she said. “I know how poor you are…”
“Yet, you’re still firing me.” I crossed my arms. “How long have you known this was going to happen?”
“Don’t make this hard on me, please…” She stepped over to the sign-in table and picked up a gift bag.
“We made you this in appreciation for all you’ve done.” She held it out to me. “Everyone chipped in and got you something.”
“Thanks.” I was tempted to throw it, but I gently took it from her hands. “I’m still getting paid this Friday, right?”
“Of course.” She nodded. “And I added an extra bag of sour gummies as a huge thank you, too! You really were the best story time actress we’ve ever had here.”
“No hard feelings, right?” She held out her arms for a hug. “You can always come back and read stories for free whenever you feel like it.”
I turned around and stormed toward my car.
“Oh, come on, Olivia!” She called after me. “I thought you were more mature than this!”
I slid behind the wheel and tossed the bag to the passenger seat.
She rushed out of the entrance right as I slammed my car in reverse.
Okay, that’s it! I wanted to scream.
Before I knew it, I was heading back to Manhattan, back to the courthouse to file a complaint against that terrible judge.
Terrible “sexy” judge…
I made sure the meter was paid before rushing into the courthouse, right to the ethics and complaints room.
“How may I help you today, Miss?” The receptionist looked up at me.
“I’m here to file a formal complaint against a judge.”
“What type of complaint?” She tilted her head to the side. “Harassment, bias, conflicts of interest?”
“All of the above.”
She nodded and pulled out a yellow sheet and started writing. “Who did you have on your case?”
“Judge Ashton.”
She immediately stopped writing.
“Is there a problem?” I asked.
“No.” She crumpled the sheet. “You can go home now, though. Have a good day.”
“No, wait.” I shook my head. “Why are you dismissing me?”
“I’m saving you from yourself, lady.” She shrugged. “Go treat yourself to a margarita and forget about ever coming here.”
“Why?”
“Because Judge Ashton’s record is immaculate, and I know he was definitely more than fair to you.”
“He was mean as hell.” I pulled out my charge sheet. “See all this?”
“Would you prefer jail time?”
“At this point in my life, yes.”
“I need you to take my advice on this…” She opened a drawer, then she took out three ‘Free Legal Drinks Happy Hour’ coupons and handed them to me.
“Drink and let it go. For your own sanity.”
“What’s the point in having a complaint board when you don’t take complaints?”
She pushed the coupons closer.
Ugh. I grabbed them and returned to my car.
Enraged, I searched for Judge Ashton online and the first thing that popped up was a Reddit forum.
It had thousands of daily visitors and more than ten thousand followers. Every single thread was filled with people who seemed just as angry as me.
I took the receptionist’s advice and slipped into the nearby bar for drinks while I read through each and every mean slight against him.
But by the end of the night, I was still mad as hell.
And “letting it go” wasn’t an option…