Assumptions

Sue and I walked down the road, Sue’s dog Max gambolled up and down in front of us getting his paws all covered in mud. For a first date it wasn’t going badly, she seemed to be going okay too, at this rate I might even go on a second date with this girl I thought.

“My favourite subject was always math, probably because Mr Ryan was so good.” Sue said.

“I liked math too.”

“’Cause your teacher was so good?” Sue grinned up at me as Max began digging up a stream by the road.

“Mum was my teacher for every lesson so I guess I liked math because I, liked math," I said

Sue leaned back a look of confusion on her face.

“What?” I asked

“So your mum stayed home and taught you,” Sue said not revealing what she thought about that idea.

“Yeah she wanted to be a homeschooling mum and dad earned enough so she could. It was good.”

“It was good that she missed out on a career and intelligent conversation, and being allowed to go out...”

“Hey! She chose to do our schooling that way, no-one made her.”

“Whatever,” she turned away and looked at plants by the roadside as we trudged past Max who was joyously digging away at the river bank.

The silence kept going. “Did you have to read Lord of the Flies in school?” I ventured.

“Yeah I loved it,” a huge smile lit her face up and a spring re-entered her step. “Golding was such...”

“Get you claws off my property!” Sue and I spun around to see a man tearing down the hill towards Max swinging a large stick in front of him. “I’ll bash your nose in you stupid mutt, destroying my creek.”

Max ran tail between his legs towards us, Sue ran a few steps back to meet her dog then crouched and hugged him round the neck. “Leave off,” she screeched at the man making Max flinch.

“You keep your vermin on a lead and I won’t have to yell at it.” The man stood challengingly for a moment then stalked back up the hill muttering to himself about ruined ecosystems.

“Max isn’t the problem,” Sue chocked to herself just loud enough for me to hear, “you should learn to control your temper you stupid man. Whatever.”

Then she turned her glare on me. My mind raced what had I done wrong? She lifted her chin and marched right on past me.

I stood for a moment trying to puzzle it out then ran after her, “Hey, what did I do?”

She stopped and looked up at me tears streaming down her face. Damn I have no idea what to do when girls cry.

“You didn’t protect me. You should’ve protected me.”

Where the hell did that come from? “But he’s your dog, that man didn’t threaten you.”

“You should’ve defended me.” She walked past me and I let her go

“Oh men should always defend you,” I mocked quietly. “Whatever.” I caught up with her again and began planning a way to get out of lunch.