SHORTS

we don't understand

I started down the hallway after that purple umbrella. That god damn purple umbrella. I turned the corner and the girl was only ten feet away now. Why does she have that opened in school? Is she crazy? I finally spit it out. "Miss!" I half shout as i catch up to her and match her pace. Our eyes meet. Her face holds a soft smile as her brown eyes stare into my eyes patiently. "Hello." She says and looks forward, still walking.
"If you don't mind me asking, why d-"
"Why do I have my umbrella open indoors?" She finishes my sentence as if anticipating this conversation.
"Yes." I half mumble.
She pauses and for a few seconds we walked in silence before she opened her mouth again.
"Do you believe things happen for a reason?" She asked with seemingly genuine curiosity, completely ignoring the question.
I hesitate. "Well, I guess so."
She looks at me and smiles at me as if that was her way of showing she accepted my answer.
"I do too. I think, maybe, people say they believe things happen for a reason because we, as humans, cant stand not understanding something and it allows us to accept that we don't understand something with the promise that they will understand later because it makes us feel like we understand at least a part of it."
"By basically saying that they understand that they don't understand. " I say, trying to make sense of her rant as we turn the corner.
She smile, "exactly."
She heads towards the stairs and i stop. This is well out of my way. She doesn't seem to notice. "You never told me why you have the umbrella." I almost shout.
She stops halfway down the stair and turns towards me. "Can you allow yourself to accept that you don't understand something?"
I fight a smile. "Only if you promise to help me understand later."
She closes her purple umbrella and looks back up at me. "My name is Lila."
"Max."
She gives me one last smile before heading back down the stairs.