Tuesday's Tales - The Thesis

Today's Tuesday's Tale is inspired by a chilling story of some dropkick (soon to be ex-) boyfriend who attempted to delete his (probably now ex-) girlfriend's Honor's Thesis. Dude, you just don't do that. Also inspired by this semester's essay, which is nearly done. Nearly.


Amanda stared at her computer. Maybe she didn't see right? Or maybe she clicked the wrong link?

No. Maybe it got accidentally renamed?

Search: no result.

Amanda's stomach sank. The hum of the dorm outside her doorway faded into the rushing sound in her head. She drew a deep breath before it overwhelmed her. "Where the hell is my thesis?"

"Oh," said her boyfriend Tom. "I deleted it." He sat on the bottom dorm bunk, his thumbs twiddling over his phone.

Amanda blinked and turned around. "You.... what?"

His gaze didn't leave his smartphone. "C'mon. You didn't need it."

That rushing sound came back. "Didn't... need...?" She had to put her head between her knees. Surely he didn't...

His thumbs stopped tapping. "Look, Mandy. You're spending too much time on that crap. You really should be spending more time on me."

That made her whirl around in her desk chair. "More time? We spend enough time as it is."

"Seriously?" he replied. "Look. I'm sitting here on the bed playing Angry Birds while you poke at that keyboard. We should be going out for drinks or something."

She flung a hand in the direction of her computer. "This was due in three days. Three. Days!"  Tears filled her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. "My degree--" Her throat closed up.

He shrugged and went back to his game. "So?  Now you have three days to spend with me."

Amanda's breath shuddered as she drew it in to her chest. Slowly she rose from her chair. "You want to spend more time with me?"

He didn't reply; his focus was on the phone.

"How about this? I kill you. We have you cremated, and I keep your urn on the table here."  Her hand moved across the formica of the dorm desk.

Tom didn't react until he'd won level 37. Then he looked up. "What was that?"

* * *

Google Docs had saved Amanda's life. Nothing could save Tom's. Two days later, she emailed her advisor asking if it was okay to turn in her thesis a day early. "I've had some bad news. I need to attend a funeral on Friday."

Her advisor granted her request. Even offered to extend the date of her defense.

Amanda turned it down. "It wasn't as if we were close."


_________________________
Her Grace is grateful for modern technology.