[Anonymous]

hi...i dont know where to start,
i lost my ipod a year ago. i knew my parents would kill me if they found out. it happened that my friend had the identical ipod. so i stole it. it was her dads birthday present to her and she was really upset. i knew it was wrong...but i couldnt help it.
recently she saw it in my pencilcase...and she found out. she checked the serial numbers and of course it matched. she took it back, upset, angry, telling me she had lost all respect for me.
i am extremely paranoid now because i am so scared she will tell other people and i dont even know how to face my schoolmates. i am afraid everyday she is going to tell the school and make it a criminal record...
i am a high performing student, and this is the last term of yr 12. i cant study, i cant think. i am stressed, worried, not knowing what to do. is this stupid mistake going to ruin me forever???
please help me!! thank you in advance.

ruo

[Anonymous]

It'll only ruin you if you let it ruin you.

Congratulations, you have morality. You know you did wrong, the only thing that can help you is to tell the truth. Or else it will eat you alive from the inside out.
Trust me, I've been there time and time again. And I always end up telling the truth.

I doubt your friend will make a criminal charge either, if she was going to do that then she would have done it right away.
Besides, she's got it back now, what could she possibly prove?

Here is what I suggest, tell her you panicked when you took it, that you were only thinking of saving yourself, then beg for forgiveness.
Next, tell your parents what you did.
After that, it's all depending on your situation.

It's tough to own up to mistakes, I know.
But it's either temporary punishment or a lifetime of it.