**Noticing the Unusual**
by All These Roadworks (2020).
“The thing is,” said Jake, “that people don’t really notice things that are unusual. They see what they’re expecting to see, more often than they should.”
“What do you mean?” asked Nicole, walking beside him. She had a mad crush on Jake – one of those crushes girls get sometimes on boys who are assholes, who they *know* are assholes, unable to help themselves from fantasising about winning the affections of a boy who is nothing but poison.
And today was like a date. Here they were, walking through the centre of town, just the two of them, window shopping, people watching. It was almost romantic.
“I mean, people are stupid,” said Jake. “Do you want me to show you?”
She nodded eagerly. She wanted to hear anything that Jake had to say.
But he didn’t have anything to say – just something to do. With one lightning-quick motion, he reached out and ripped off her skirt.
Her eyes widened. She was in public – in daylight – in the crowded city centre – and her panties were showing. Her pretty pink panties, that she’d worn because she would be hanging out with Jake, even though she had known – had assumed – that he would never see them.