I'm not sure whether to be insulted...

[ThreeWords]

The story begins in a classroom where, it being nearly the end of term and the teacher being busy elsewhere, we are allowed to lurk and chat. The conversation drifts towards relationships.

A random girl is lamenting over a recent break-up, then looks round the room, before pointing at me and declaring "You and me are the only singles here!"

(I should mention here that while I am no Adonis, neither am I a shriveled specimin of a man. This girl barely knows me, save that I once helped her write some coursework that saved her grades)

I say, quite quietly, "I'm not single", and the girl reacts as if stung, practically yelping "you have a girlfriend?"
I wasn't sure what was more irritating, the assumption that I had no girlfriend, or the disbelief when it turned out I did.

Mainly I just wanted to vent, but now for the discussion bit; has anyone ever assumed that you are some form of pariah?
If so, were insulted by the implication or amused by their ignorance?

Edit: people having been projecting a lot of virtue onto this girl; it should be noted that this is someone who moaned about having a partner on Valentine's Day because "you can't have secret admirers"
I'm not judging, just ... pointing out.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Maybe when she pointed out you and her were the only singles in the class she was hinting at something. Then when you said you were not single she felt down.

 

[Kotaro]

Maybe when she pointed out you and her were the only singles in the class she was hinting at something. Then when you said you were not single she felt down.

That is a distinct possibility.

 

[manaman]

Maybe when she pointed out you and her were the only singles in the class she was hinting at something. Then when you said you were not single she felt down.

I am with this guy. Well not exactly, but the same sentiment.

I think you are reading far to much into that OP. So what, she probably has reason for thinking the way she did, and its probably not the reason you think.

 

[Zac Smith]

It sounds like she's being a ***** to me. Ignore her though, clearly she doesn't know you so you have no need to worry

 

[ThreeWords]

Maybe when she pointed out you and her were the only singles in the class she was hinting at something. Then when you said you were not single she felt down.

This would be nice, but unlikely. The tone was closer "How did someone like you get a girlfriend?" than "How come you're taken?"

 

[TheIronRuler]

She might have hinted that she wants to pursue something with you.
Or on the other hand she might be a *****.
If you're taken disregard the first assumption.

 

[Brandon237]

Maybe when she pointed out you and her were the only singles in the class she was hinting at something. Then when you said you were not single she felt down.

This would be nice, but unlikely. The tone was closer "How did someone like you get a girlfriend?" than "How come you're taken?"

Then she was just being a judgemental... need I say more?
So take it this way: she tried to insult you in her defence, and it backfired, so you should feel an ego-boost knowing that A: you proved someone who tried to insult you wrong (and probably made her look all the worse for her outburst) and B: you even went one ahead of her, making her the only single person in the class, you unintentionally beat her at her own game.

Be happy, she was mean, it backfired, and you are not single

 

[aba1]

I had this happen to me but I think most people just assumed because non of them had ever met my gf because she went to a different school at the time and in highschool most people tend to at least know of everyone else in there grade

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

You should have gloated about it. Maybe arrange a stroll by in the near future.

 

[Artina89]

I wouldn't be insulted by it. If she was being bitchy, I would just ignore her. Anyway, its high school, its not as if your life is gonna end just because you don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend. She was probably being a bit melodramatic.

 

[Caer Seraphim]

In a situation like that, I'd say just flip it around. Say "Of course -I- have a girlfriend. -You're- the only single person." People gain the upper hand when they go on the offense, because it tricks the other people to go on the defense. If you go on the defense, you're losing.

 

[epialesofaergia]

People tend to assume you're not in a relationship unless you come out and say it (I mean, unless they personally know your girlfriend or you're a hot gossip topic). It's nothing to take offense to, although they should probably find a new way of deducing their information, like maybe direct confrontation before he/she looks like an idiot?

Don't be offended; next time, give the person a pat on the head and reaffirm that he/she will, one day, get the hang of this whole "life" thing.

EDIT: Oh yea, I set out to but completely failed to mention that this has happened to me, even pretty recently. I was having a normal chit-chat with a girl that I work with that I normally have those chit-chatty exchanges with. I was talking about how I normally trim my own hair between haircuts (which I know is a boring topic, but she asked) but that the back of it gets atrociously mullet-like unless I go to a barber. Her reply was "That's what girlfriends are for, we need to find you a girlfriend!" She wasn't shocked by the information, just curious for details (while I'm assuming mentally saying "whoops!"). I gave her the benefit of the doubt and didn't assume that it was some passive aggressive female attempt to get me to ask her out, since she's a nice non-sexual female friend to have.

 

[Dapz]

It's impossible to know what she meant for certain, but it can at least be narrowed down:
a) 'I haven't heard about you having a girlfriend' She made the assumption because she hadn't heard about you having a GF and she thinks she knows everything.
b) 'I hope you don't have a girlfriend' It depends what tone she said it in but she may well have been coming on to you.
c) 'Why would you have a girlfriend?' She thinks your hideous and there's no way you would have one. She pointed the 'fact' out just to make casual conversation 'coz she couldn't think of anything better.

 

[jowo96]

I think people generally don't know others as much as they think they do, when what they have assumed to be true is challenged they tend to be surprised. I wouldn't take it personally, I would assume that its more that she was surprised she didn't know it rather than thinking you couldn't get a girlfriend. Most people can get girl friends.

 

[shitoutonme]

The hell's wrong with being single?

 

[the_honey_badger]

I've had a similar reaction, and I was pretty hurt by it. I even held a degree of resentment towards her for the rest of the time that I knew her. Petty? Perhaps.

In your case, it's probably good that you don't know her that well. Its easier to hate someone you don't really know.

 

[JokerCrowe]

My friends do this to me so much they would actually get surprized if I get a girlfriend..
Though I did have a girl be surprized that I haven't had a girlfriend yet so that was a little comforting.

To be honest I got the impression that she wanted you to be single so she wouldn't feel so alone/she could hit on you, and then was upset when she realized she was the ONLY single person in the room. If it happened to me, I wouldn't take it as an insult.

 

[Avistew]

It could be that because you never talk about a girlfriend and you're not seen around with her she assumed you had none. If it was like an assumed fact for her, hearing otherwise would be a shock. That doesn't mean she thinks you're too ugly to get a girlfriend or that everyone would say no to you, either. It could be that she thought you weren't interested in relationships.