Trap Question

“There’s one question you never want to be asked,” announced Parker.

“Have you stopped beating your girlfriend?” asked Renfrew.

“What?” asked Parker.

Simone laughed. “What about, ‘why are you so stupid?’”

“That’s a good one,” said Ariana. “I’m partial to, ‘what have you done now?’”

“Or, ‘is this the best you can do?’” added Simone.

Parker huffed. “It’s none of those.”

“But they’re good, right?” asked Ariana.

“Does this outfit make me look fat?” laughed Renfrew.

An intense glare from Ariana and Simone shot across the room at Renfrew.

“First of all, yes, it does,” replied Simone. “And since you’ll never have a girlfriend, so you’ll never hear that question.”

“Ouch,” said Parker.

Ariana reached out and touched Parker on the arm. “What question did you have?”

“Right,” said Parker, who was now blushing. “Do you remember me?”

Renfrew grimaced. “What’s so bad about that?’

Simone smiled. “I get it.”

“What?” demanded Renfrew.

Ariana nodded back at Simone. “It’s a classic trap question.”

“Why? I don’t get it.” said Renfrew.

“Ren, think about it. The question implies you should remember them for some reason,” explained Parker.

“So?”

“If you forget, you’re a jerk, especially if it was something good,” said Ariana.

“It also means they know more about you than you know about them. Now you have to figure out what they know and if it’s good or bad,” added Simone.

“Why would it be bad?” asked Renfrew.

“Why else would they ask?” accused Parker.

“That’s what makes it a trap,” concluded Ariana.

The three watched Renfrew process the information. “I still don’t get it.”

Simone rolled her eyes. “Are you really as dumb as you look?”

Renfrew’s eyes lit up. “Now that’s a trap question.”