Tabitha, the most attractive human being I know, or at least have seen in real life, pulled up a chair beside me one day and asked

“Would you die for me?”

Her words were enough to guarantee my attention, but the fact that they were said in a quiet library gave them more weight than they seemingly already had. Though I was bound to have looked up at her at some point. I certainly wanted to stare at her more than my History book. Tabitha took off her long coat and draped it over the back of the chair so I could see her outfit. That day she had chosen to wear this sleeveless black dress which outlined her curves. It reached just above her knees so when she sat down the light skin of her thigh showed itself off just above dark silky stockings on her legs. It might have been the same dress she wore at that one party. I think I might have talked to her there, but I can’t be sure. My memory from that night is a bit, um, skewed.

I hadn’t given much thought to my death until she asked me that. I could only blink and stare at her while preventing my eyes from absentmindedly wandering to any particular parts of her body.

“Um, can I graduate first?” I asked.

“That depends.” I was unable to tell whether she was taking this question as seriously as I was thinking about it. By this point her attention seemed to be more focused on picking the lint and loose hairs snagged onto that dress than me.

“…On what?” I was almost afraid to ask.

Tabitha propped her thin elbows on the table, considering her question.

“Okay, let’s say hypothetically we're sitting here together minding our business when some big burly guy in a ski mask jumps me. He’s got a gun and says he's gonna shoot one of us and let the other go. He gives you the choice. My question is, are you the type of guy to take the bullet for me?”

“Why does a random guy in a ski mask want to-?”

“I said it’s a hypothetical question. Little details don't matter.”

“…Is there any particular reason you’re asking me this?”

She shrugged her bare shoulders. “Not really. Just curious.”

“Uh… that depends.”

“There are no depends. This dude in the ski mask doesn’t like making negotiations. Either he shoots me or you.”

“Yeah, well, are we dating in this hypothetical universe?”

“What does it matter?” I could sense an annoyed tone beginning to form on the edge of her voice.

“Well, it’s my life we’re talking about here.”

“You’re thinking about it too much. It's a yes or no question.”

Before I could say any more I was stopped when I heard a familiar snickering from the bookshelf behind Tabitha. Looking up, I spotted the engaged eyes of my friend Eric was behind a row of books.

Tabitha immediately noticed my eyes had averted from her and turned to see what I was looking at. Eric ducked before she could see him. It didn’t help. We could both hear his poorly contained laughter behind the shelves.

I could practically hear the thought he was clearly projecting to me. “Say yes! Say YES! You will score so hard if you say just one word! Yes!”

Whether or not Tabitha knew he was there didn’t seem to matter. She turned back to me, anticipating an answer.

“Let me think about this for a second.”

What I meant by that was “Let me weigh out the pros and cons to my untimely demise.”

I knew that the simple answer was yes whether I meant it or not. She would consider me a gentleman, maybe even a hero. Saying that you’ll die for someone is certainly one of the highest complements you can give a person. But what would happen after I said that? Would some kind of relationship develop between us once it’s out there that I would die for her? Is that something I want?

Wait, what am I saying?! Of course I want that! I would be considered a god among men if I walked down the halls with such an angel at my side! But on the other hand, fame can only last so long. I didn’t know anything about Tabitha. She may possess an inner beauty as detailed and wondrous as her appearance or has a soul as shallow as a puddle and I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Though that body of hers is one hell of a distraction from that. That body. Oh, her body. I know many guys who would lose many things for those curves, but I’m not too sure if their lives would be on the same table. Sure, they’d say that they would for the slightest ray of hope of a chance to get with her, but it’s fairly difficult to get into someone’s skirt when there’s six feet of dirt between the two of you.

Wait. I’m thinking too far ahead. Focus. She’s still right there, anticipating an answer. Focusing on her again I realized that Tabitha didn't bring anything school-related with her to the library. All she had was the (admittedly sexy) clothes on her back. She had no reason to be here, so why was she at my table at all? I couldn’t help but wonder what I may or may not have said to her at that party.

"Mind if I ask another question?" Tabitha threw her head back and groaned loudly. I took that as an answer."What does it accomplish I get shot for you?"

She looked back up at me. "Well, you'd be saving my life."

"Yeah, but after the deed is done, even if this guy lets you go, you'd have to go through the rest of your life not only with the death of someone presumably close to you on your conscience but also the guilt that he did it specifically for you. It would scar you more than it would ever save you."

"Sure, but at least I'd be alive." she protested. "It means that you care. I take what I can get. I'd rather have that than be dead and nothing."

"But it would hurt you. I'd be leaving you behind in a lonely life of misery. When you look at it that way I'd be the one getting the better ending. So doesn’t that make the whole sacrifice not only pointless but one hell of an insult? How can you call that love?"

"Who said anything about love? I didn't say anything like that! Y'know what I did say? Don't think about the unimportant things! I could just leave if you're not going to take this seriously!"

That caused me to snap back to reality, where there is no guy in a ski mask threatening to shoot me, only Tabitha and Eric's eyes. I could have a future with this attractive girl and the approval of those around me if I say yes. No one dies. Everyone is fine. But if I say no not only will everyone see me as the fool who not only denied a hot girl but the chances to be with her which, I admit, is a fairly appealing idea.

Though if I did choose my life over hers the rest of the guys would make sure it wouldn’t last very long once they realized their precious diamond went missing. Though they’ll eventually realize there are other gems in the jewelry box.

“Well, would you die for me?” she finally pressed on me.

I turned away from her glace. “No, not really.”

I wanted to keep my eyes away from her, I really did, but I couldn’t help but see the clear anger in Tabitha's eyes. For the first time, I noticed they were brown. “Why not?”

“Because I don’t know your last name.”

Her eyes narrowed, punctuating her anger, but there was something else there. I couldn't quite tell what it was. Thinking back, it might have been dissapointment. I could be wrong and it might have been more anger. Before I could think much about it she swung her arm at my History book, flinging it across the room. I jumped as it loudly crashed to the floor.I wasn't sure what to say to her reaction. Should I be sorry? Sorry I wouldn't sacrafice myself for someone when the sole fact I know about her is that she's sexy? What reason would I have for that? No, I had nothing to say. She stood up from the table, breathing heavily out of her nose. Staring at her for a moment I could see more than just the anger and beauty. A kind of sadness was hidden away in there too.

There was nothing more to say, so Tabitha snatched her coat up from the chair and stormed off.

Once she was a good distance away, Eric finally emerged from behind the shelves, laughing hysterically. He kept looking back at Tabitha's hips swing back and forth while walking away and then to me. “Dude, promise me you’ll never intentionally try to get a girl like that. You are terrible at this kind of game.” I lightly punched him in the arm, but his grin grew wider. "Tabitha got dumped! Her boyfriend cut it with her yesterday after the game. Biggest mistake of his life if you ask me, but it can't come close to yours! She came to you of all people! You just blew the chance of a lifetime, man!"

I didn't even know she had a boyfriend. Just one more apparent fact I seemed to be clueless about. I sighed, picking my History book up from the floor. "It doesn't matter anyway."

Eric's eyebrows shot up as if I threw out a lottery ticket."What makes you say that?"

"Because I don't lo-"

“Bates!” I turned around, seeing Tabitha in the open front door. The long coat she now had on hid the provocative dress but drew even more attention to those slender pair of legs veiled by her dark stockings. "My last name is Bates, damnit! You'd know that if you weren't such a clueless jerk!"

And with that she left, making sure to slam the door behind her.

Once she was gone and Eric had nothing to stare at he turned back to me "If that doesn't satisfy you, you're going to die alone my friend."

I groaned. "I don't need a girlfriend at the moment. If that's my only option, I'd rather be shot."