DEAR ABBY: I don't know what to do. My friend and I were told by someone that stealing is just borrowing without asking and it's OK. So we "borrowed" candy from a vendor and ate it.
We now know this is wrong. What should we do -- apologize? We don't want to get caught. -- MISLED IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR MISLED: For the record, "borrowing" is taking something with the lender's permission and then returning it. In your case, you and your friend ate the vendor's candy and the person suffered a loss. That's stealing.
You owe the vendor an apology and payment for the candy you stole. Ideally, it should be done in person. However, if you are afraid or ashamed to face the vendor, write him or her an anonymous note of apology and include payment for what you took.