Jim Wants Book

You can probably guess a couple of things about this story: (link: "1. Your name is Jim.")[1. Your name is Jim. You are twenty-one years old and a senior at your university. You are known as a bit of a teacher's pet and a goody-two-shoes. You'd like to think that you're at least average in terms of general attractiveness, whatever that means.] (link: "2. You want a book.")[2. You want a book. Not just any book. It's *The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter 9th Edition.* You need it for your required English class this semester. Also, the first meeting for that class is starting in thirty minutes. As a model student, you absolutely must get it in time. Why don't you have your required class material? [[I ordered it, but it hasn't arrived yet.|excuse 1]] [[I forgot to order it.|excuse 2]]]

As always, you had tried to be a responsible student and order your books ahead of time, but a combination of mail delays and a cancellation by the first online seller you ordered from caused the delivery date to be delayed until next week. You've been freaking out about this so much that you had forgotten until now that you still need the book. And now you're kinda screwed! [[Anyway...|where to]]

I know, I know. I'm disappointed in you, too. You're not typically the kind of student who forgets to order their books, and actually doing it had upset you so much that you spent the last two hours bawling in a corner. [[Anyway...|where to]]

Considering you do not have much time before your class starts, what are you going to do about your lack of book? [[Go to the campus library.|Library]] [[Find a bookstore nearby.|Bookstore]] [[Go to class without the book.|Go to class]]

You head to your university's library. After finding the "American Literature" section, you begin quickly scanning the library shelves for what you need. Fifteen minutes later, you still haven't found it. That's when you spot *her.* She's sitting at a table, not too far away from you. And she's reading a book. [[It can't be.]]

A bookstore? Are you kidding me, Jim? There's hardly any physical bookstores left nowadays. What makes you think there will be one close enough to your college? Ignoring everything I said because I'm just a construct in this story, you pull out your phone and search online for bookstores. What do you know? There actually *is* one, and it's right down the street. [[You set off in the direction of the bookstore.|Outside Bookstore]]

Really? I mean, sure. A lot of students would probably just go to class without the books on the first day. It's syllabus day, after all. You're 99% sure that at least one or two of your classmates also don't currently possess *The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter 9th Edition.* You wouldn't be alone. But the whole point of this game is that you want a book. It's in the title. Are you seriously going to ignore your titular desire and go to class without making any effort whatsoever towards your goal? [[Yes|Yes (end 1)]] [[No]]

Fine. Suit yourself. You head off to your English class early and find a spot in the back row. Hopefully your professor won't notice that you don't have the *Anthology* and you can lie low until you get the book later. As the other students file into the classroom and take their seats, you realize something: they all have the book. You sit in horror as you watch every single one of them take it out of their backpack and put it on their desk. Soon enough, the English professor walks in. "I see you all have the book," she says, taking out her class materials. "Good, good. We're going to jump right into our first lesson today, so you'll need it." You faceplant into your desk. This is going to be the worst class period of your life. [[~End 1: No Longer Teacher's Pet~|Title]]

Good. That's what I thought. Now... What are you going to do about your lack of book? [[Go to the campus library.|Library]] [[Find a bookstore nearby.|Bookstore]]

<span style="font-size: 200%">JIM WANTS BOOK</span> A story about...well, you read the title. By Julia Nelson [[Begin|Start]]

Oh, but it is. Making sure that she doesn't notice you, you sneak over to where you can see the title of the book. *"The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter 9th Edition."* [[Of course.]]

By the way, you should probably know who this mystery girl is. Well, she's a fellow classmate of yours. She's also pretty much the last person in the world that you'd like to ask for the book. Why is that? [[She's my ex.|Ex]] [[She's my little sister.|Sister]]

Your ex, Gloria. Things did not end so well with her. She's currently wearing a black leather jacket and has shaved half her head since the last time you saw her. Oof. This'll be rough, man. [[You're telling me.]]

Regardless, she's currently reading the only copy that the library has of the book that you need. And I'm pretty sure you'd rather go to class naked than without that book. What will you do? [[Go up to her like a normal person and ask for the book.|Ask for book (ex)]] [[Abort mission and go to class.|Abort (ex)]]

Easier said than done, you dummy! Did you forget that you guys had a big fight at the end of your relationship? She totally hates you now. ...What's that? As the narrator, I should be encouraging your choices? Fine, go talk to her. It's your funeral. You cautiously approach Gloria and give her an awkward smile. "Hey, Gloria." Gloria glares up at you and mutters, "Jim." She then goes back to reading. "How've you been?" "Fine. Not that you would care." "Uh...right. So..." You point at the book she's reading. "*The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter 9th Edition.* Good book, huh?" "What do you want?" [[Tell Gloria that you need her book for class.|Truth]]

You decide that you don't want to deal with Gloria today and begin tiptoeing towards the library door. "I see you, Jim." Oh no. You slowly turn around and see Gloria staring straight at you with a look that could burn a hole through a sheet of metal. "Oh, hey, Gloria! Funny seeing you here..." You put on your best awkward smile. Gloria's expression doesn't change. "What are you doing?" [[Tell Gloria that you need her book for class.|Truth]] [[Sprint away!|Sprint (ex)]]

"Oh, I was just wondering if you were going to be done with that book anytime soon because I sort of need to check it out for class, and I'm kind of in a hurry--" Gloria laughs, and you imagine it's what an evil demon might sound like. "Dean's List student Jim didn't buy his own copy?" "I-I could say the same to you," you say, deflecting to try and make yourself look less dumb. You're totally blushing, though. "Didn't need it for class. I'm reading it for fun." "For *fun*??" "Yup. And I'm just getting to the *good part*, so I'm not giving it to you!" Well, what did I tell you, Jim? You better have an idea of what to say next, or you'll be stuck book-less. [[Get down on your knees and beg.|Pity (end 3)]] [[Consult the internet for advice.|Internet (end 8)]]

You sprint out of the library and down the street as fast as you can, hoping to get as far away as possible from Gloria. Yes, she has the book you need, but having to deal with her isn't worth it! When you finally stop running, you realize that you've left campus and are standing right out front of a bookstore. [[How convenient.|Convenient]] [[Approach the bookstore.|Outside Bookstore]]

You are currently in front of the bookstore. It's a small building with large flower pots out front and a striped awning over the front door. Glancing inside, the only other person you can see is the one working behind the desk. [[Go inside.|Inside Bookstore]]

Gloria scoffs at you. "Seriously? You think I owe you anything? You're the whole reason why I broke up with you, you know." Even though you definitely don't think that's true, you don't have the time to argue over it right now. But still... [[Get mad.|Mad]] [[Agree.|Agree (end 6)]]

You get down on the floor and start begging. "Please, Gloria! You're the last hope I have of getting the book I need before class starts." Instead of having the desired effect, your prostration elicits only mocking laughter from Gloria. "Geez, Jim. I didn't think you could get any more pathetic." She stands up and gathers her things. "Now that I see how desperate you are to have this book, I'm seriously not giving it to you. Have fun in class, you jerk." She then leaves you lying on the carpet in the middle of the library. You feel so pathetic that you end up staying there for the rest of the day, missing all your classes. Might want to work on your convincing techniques, buddy. [[~End 4: Only Works in Japan~|Title]]

You really don't have time for this, but you can't let Gloria get away with what she's saying. "That's totally false, and you know it!" "Oh yeah?" she says, getting all up in your face. "Name anything that caused problems in our relationship and I'll tell you why it's your fault." You blurt out the first thing that comes to mind: [["You lied to me so many times about what you were doing back when we were together."|Clingy]] [["You always said you were busy when I asked you to hang out."|Clingy]] [["You never answered any of my calls when I tried to check up on you."|Clingy]]

You really need to get to class soon, so you'd better just let her hear what she wants. "Okay, Gloria. I'm still not really sure what I did wrong, but I get that you're upset about it. I'm sorry." Gloria stares at you, looking throroughly unconvinced. "Are you really?" "Yes. I didn't want to hurt you," you say, hoping she believes you now. "...Fine." She slides the *Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition* across the table to you. "Here. We'll talk later." You thank Gloria and hurry off, arriving at your classroom right on time. You still feel like things with Gloria are pretty unresolved, but you decide to stop thinking about that for now. Maybe you'll run into her again later and you can talk it out then.

"Only because you were so clingy!" Gloria shouts at you, totally disregarding the fact that you're in a library. "I had to do something, or I'd never have been able to do stuff without you constantly breathing down my neck. Do you know how many times a day you called to 'check up on me?' How many times an hour? It was ridiculous, Jim! I couldn't have any sort of a life unless you were involved." "Gloria, I-" "You can't give me back all that time I spent in your control. It's a full year of my life that I wasted with you, and I'll never get it back." [[Continue to deny your responsibility.|Deny (end 3)]] [[Admit that you were wrong.|Admit]]

"Get over yourself," you spit at her. "As if I've ever done any of those things. You're just trying to excuse your own behavior." **SMACK!** Nice going, you charmer. You just got slapped. On top of that, Gloria quickly gathers her things and storms out of the library. On top of the top of THAT, the clocktower in the middle of campus chimes, indicating that you're officially late for class! There's literally nothing that could make this day any worse.

"Gloria...I honestly didn't realize I was that bad." Gloria looks down at her feet. "Yeah, well..." "You're right. I wasn't thinking enough about you. And I'm sorry." "Finally. That's what I wanted to hear." She tries to sound tough, but you hear her sniffle a little. What's your next move? [[Ask Gloria to try your relationship again.|Date (end 4)]] [[Help Gloria find closure on your relationship.|Closure (end 2)]]

"Gloria, I still care about you a whole lot. I didn't realize what I was doing wrong, but I can change now that I do. Do you think you could possibly give me another chance?" Gloria thinks it over for a good, long while. Then eventually: "Fine...but just one more." You smile and wrap Gloria in a hug. She hesitates for a moment, but hugs you back. Then she gives you the book. Hooray! So the two of you get back together--for a little while, at least. It's hard to break a habit, and you end up slipping into your previous controlling behaviors more than a couple times. Eventually, Gloria gives up and leaves you again. Sorry, man. Some things just aren't meant to be.

"I know it's too late to start things over," you begin, "but do you think maybe we could get together some time and talk it out? We shouldn't just end things the way they are now. I promise I'll actually listen this time." Gloria takes a second to digest this and looks up at you. "You promise?" "Yes." And so the two of you make plans to discuss your failed relationship over coffee in the near future. It goes as well as it could have, and you feel like the two of you have finally achieved a sense of closure. Oh, right--Gloria gives you the book, and you make it to class on time. Hooray!

The inside is pretty much what you would expect for a small bookstore. There's many shelves of books. Couple shelves of magazines. Assorted knick-knacks on the counter next to the cash register. The person standing behind the counter looks up at you with blank eyes. They have on a nametag that says 'Ellis.' "Welcome," they say, not seeming very enthusiastic to be welcoming you. "Can I help you with anything?" Ellis looks really bored. It might be nice to give them something to do. On the other hand, they might end up being completely useless, in which case it would be better for you to find the book by yourself. [["Yes, can you help me find *The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition?*"|Help (end 2)]] [["No thanks, I'm good."|No Help]]

"*The Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition?*" says Ellis, showing their apparently impeccable memory. "Uhh...that doesn't sound like the sort of thing that we would carry." You stand there in silence as Ellis types a variety of things into their computer. It feels like it's taking forever. Eventually, they nod. "Well. I guess we do have it. It's in the back room. I'll go grab it." Good thing you asked! You would've never been able to find that book by yourself. Ellis comes back with the correct book and rings it up. "Alright. That will be $206.25." You're so shocked that you nearly choke, despite the fact that you aren't drinking anything. "T-two hundred and six??" Ellis shrugs. "It's a textbook. It's new. And you're desperate." Only now do you look closely at Ellis's nametag and see the words 'Store Owner' under the name. They give you a devious smile. And thus, you have no choice but to pay a ludicrous amount of money for the *Norton Anthology*. At least you have it now. I'm sure you'll be fine living off of only instant ramen for the next month, right? [[~End 2: Something Something Bookstore~|Title]]

Ellis promptly goes back to ignoring you as you walk further into the store. All of the shelves are labeled with the genre of books that they carry. Which one might house the book that you're looking for? [[Learning]] [[Adult]] [[Non-fiction]]

This section ends up being a bunch of self-helps and how-tos. Nothing remotely resembling textbooks. Where to next? [[Adult]] [[Non-fiction]] [[Bestsellers]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

Yeah...this section is only fiction books. It is comprised mainly of those cheap romance novels with hot people on the cover. Where to next? [[Learning]] [[Non-fiction]] [[Kids]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

The only things that you can find here are biographies and scientific stuff. Where to next? [[Learning]] [[Adult]] [[Magazines]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

That was quite a bit more difficult than you were expecting. Exhausted and sweaty from the search, you finally decide to throw in the towel. As you shuffle to the exit, shoulders slumped, you hear a faint chuckle behind you. "Find everything okay?" says Ellis, a hint of amusement in their voice. You ignore them and head out the door, deciding that you might as well go to class despite being unable to obtain the book. When you arrive at your classroom, you find that there is nobody else there. Only then do you check your watch and realize that you missed the entire class while you were searching the bookstore. You trudge back to your apartment and collapse on the bed, feeling like an utter failure in all regards. [[~End 4: The One That Got Away~|Title]]

Why would it be in the magazine section? You throughly examine the area anyway and confirm that it is not there. The shelves seem to go on and on forever. Where to next? [[Learning]] [[Adult]] [[Non-fiction]] [[Kids]] [[Bestsellers]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

I think you're getting desperate. The shelves seem to go on and on forever. Where to next? [[Learning]] [[Adult]] [[Non-fiction]] [[Magazines]] [[Bestsellers]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

Textbooks certainly do sell a lot of copies, but they're apparently not what this bookstore considers to be "bestsellers". The shelves seem to go on and on forever. Where to next? [[Learning]] [[Adult]] [[Non-fiction]] [[Kids]] [[Magazines]] [[Give up|Give up (end 4)]]

Yup, your immature little sister who likes to terrorize you is now a freshman at your university! Her name's Katie, and she's absentmindedly eating from a bag of cocoa-flavored graham cracker bites as she reads. [[Hooray...|Rather not 2]]

Regardless, she's currently reading the only copy that the library has of the book that you need. And I'm pretty sure you'd rather go to class naked than without that book. What will you do? [[Try to convince Katie to give you the book.|Ask for book (sister)]] [[Abort mission and go to class.|Abort (sister)]]

Look, sometimes you just gotta bottleneck instead of branching. You know what I'm saying? [[Fine, fine...|Outside Bookstore]]

Okay, but this is *your sister* we're talking about. You're probably gonna want some sort of strategy going into this, or she'll never give you that book. What's it gonna be? [[Bribe her with chocolate.|Chocolate (end 5)]] [[Sincerely ask her to give you the book.|Sincere]]

You decide that you don't want to deal with Katie today and begin tiptoeing towards the library door. "I see you, Jim." Oh no. You slowly turn around and see Katie staring straight at you with a sneaky grin on her face. You have a feeling that she knows you're up to something. "Oh, hey, Katie! Funny seeing you here..." Katie's expression doesn't change. "Yeah. So, what's up?" [[Try to convince Katie to give you the book.|Ask for book (sister)]] [[Sprint away!|Sprint (sister)]]

Good thinking, for once! Chocolate is your sister's biggest weakness. She's sure to give you the book if you promise her some later. Confident in your approach, you sit down at the table across from her. "Nice book you've got there, Katie." "Oh, this?" says Katie, holding up the book with her typical sly smile. "It's just the *Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition*. Why are you so interested in it, hmm?" "Doesn't matter, I really need it," you say. "What're you gonna give me for it?" says Katie, holding out her hand like a cashier who's ready to take your money. "I'm glad you asked," you say, relieved that she's on the same page. "How about I buy you a couple of chocolate bars if you give it to me?" "Hmmm...ten chocolate bars," she counters. "Katie, I'm a broke college student. Five chocolate bars?" "Fiiine," she says. "Five it is. There's a vending machine right outside, so go buy me some candy!" Katie waves you off, and you purchase the agreed upon five chocolate bars from the agreed upon vending machine. When you come back inside the library, you stop in your tracks. Katie is gone, and she took the book with her. Looks like messing with you was more important to her than chocolate. You end up having to go to class without the book, drowning your embarrassment in chocolate the whole time. [[~End 5: Deal...or No Deal~|Title]]

You sprint out of the library and down the street as fast as you can, hoping to get as far away as possible from your sister. Yes, Katie has the book you need, but having to deal with her isn't worth it! When you finally stop running, you realize that you've left campus and are standing right out front of a bookstore. [[How convenient.|Convenient]] [[Approach the bookstore.|Outside Bookstore]]

Uh...you think that's gonna work? Well, alright. I won't stop you. You walk up to your sister and sit across the table from her. "Nice book you've got there, Katie." "Oh, this?" says Katie, holding up the book with her typical sly smile. "It's just the *Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition*. Why are you so interested in it, hmm?" "I'll be honest with you--I need it for class," you say. "Yup, I know," says Katie. "I knew you weren't gonna have it for class, so I took the library copy to mess with you." You're somewhat taken aback by this. "How did you find out about that?" "Wouldn't you like to know?" says Katie, giggling behind her hand. "But you're lucky today, Jim. There's something I need from you, and I'll give you the book if you cooperate." Hey, that's convenient for you. "What is it?" Katie lowers her voice and leans in closer to you. "There's this party I want to go to tonight, but Mom and Dad have been calling me every single night since I moved into the dorms. Trying to make sure I'm still okay with living on my own, or something. Could you tell them that I'm gonna hang out at your place tonight so they don't need to check up on me?" Well, dear Jim, it looks like you have a moral dilemma on your hands. As an upstanding moral student, you absolutely abhor parties and the presumed underage drinking that takes place there. You'd love to tattle to your parents so Katie gets punished for trying to get away with something like that. On the other hand, you still really need the book... [[Agree to lie to your parents.|Lie to parents (end 6)]] [[Refuse to lie to your parents.|Truth to parents (end 7)]]

It's a difficult battle between your hatred of college parties and your desire to be a model student, but the latter wins out in the end. You begrudgingly agree to Katie's plan. She demands that you text your parents right then and there, to make sure that you can't back out of it. You oblige and your sister gives you the book. The rest of your day proceeds smoothly, but you're constantly feeling guilty about what you've done. At night, you lie awake in bed, haunted by the knowledge that you weren't able to save your sister from a life of college debauchery. You're not sure if you'll ever be able to make up for this lapse in judgement, but you decide to start by doubling your weekly community service hours and patrolling the university every night in search of other parties to report. [[End 6: Mega Goody-Two-Shoes|Title]]

As much as you need the *Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition*, your morals come first. But that doesn't mean you can't be a little sneaky. First, you agree with Katie's plan. She demands that you text your parents right then and there, to make sure that you can't back out of it. You oblige and your sister gives you the book. Later on, you inform your parents about Katie's plan to go to a party, and they are furious. They contact the university, and Katie promptly gets punished by the Disciplinary Committee. Your sister now hates you for life, but hey! You got the book, and that's what really matters. [[~End 7: Morally Ambiguous~|Title]]

Stuff from the first draft that isn't currently being used. It's here in case I want it again.

You decide that the best course of action is to get out your smartphone and search 'how to get things back from your ex' on a self-help website. Sure, the book was never exactly *yours* in the first place, but still. **-Step 1: Wait for the two of you to stop being mad at each other.-** You glance up at Gloria. She's looking a little confused as to why you suddenly started messing with your phone in the middle of your conversation, but you're pretty sure she's still mad at you. "Jim, what the heck are you doing?" "I'm following instructions from the internet," you say. **-Step 2: Schedule a time with your ex to retrieve your belongings.-** You turn to Gloria. "If you're right at the 'good part' of your book, how about I come back to pick it up in twenty minutes?" "Seriously, Jim?" she asks. **-Step 3: Make sure your ex knows exactly what you want back.-** "Gloria, I would like the *Norton Anthology of American Literature--Shorter Ninth Edition* from you. Do you agree to this?" Gloria shakes her head. "Okay, this is dumb. Take the stupid book, I'm leaving." Well, what do you know? Your quest appears to have ended in success. Because of this, you decide to consult the internet for each and every one of your important decisions in the future. This produces some...very interesting results, but that's a story for another day. [[~End 8: The Internet is Always Right~|Title]]