A Summer Love - Folklore Love Triangle

Chapter 1 - Sweet Tea in the Summer

It was a typical Saturday, the summer breeze was crisp, and Betty and James were fooling around in Betty's yard. The two children giggled as they ran around the grass playing hide and seek. Rebecca, otherwise known as Betty, a small girl with dirty blonde hair tied in two buns, wore a brand new cardigan that James had gifted her for her seventh birthday, which was a few weeks ago. James, a small little boy with brown hair and green eyes wore his typical T-shirt and sports shorts.
    "Ok James it's time for you to go", exclaimed Betty's mom from inside the house. "I have to take Rebecca somewhere!" James nodded and he walked down the street, down a few houses and arrived at his.
    "Mom, where do we have to go?" asked Betty, curiously. Her mother was silent, so Betty asked again. "Mom, where do we have to go?"
    Betty's mother took in a deep breath and then said, "For a small drive honey, to clear our minds." Betty was confused, but then looked inside and saw her father, sitting on the couch, angry and frustrated. It all made sense to her now. Betty hopped into the car, and they drove for three hours in silence.
    The next day, James came over again. However, it was raining today so they played inside Betty's room. As Betty and James were pretending to be pirates, they hear yelling downstairs.
    "Ignore it", Betty tells James, looking a bit upset. The yells get louder. Betty squeals and runs into her closet, motioning for James to come too. James doesn't run in however, and instead listens closer to the yelling and shouting.
    "Betty," James starts, "I've been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted."
    "What?" Betty asks with fright.
    "Your dad is always mad and that must be why. I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates!" he jokes. Betty smiles a bit then starts laughing, and James does too.
    "Please don't tell anyone about my dad." James nods. Betty continues, "Cross your heart won't tell no other?" James nods again. The two go back to playing pirates with the yelling and shouting continuing.
    Later that night, after James had left, Betty sits in her room, in her cardigan, playing with her dolls.
    "THATS IT!" She hears from downstairs. "I'M DONE!" Betty runs into her closet. An hour passes, and Betty gets the courage to leave the closet and go downstairs. "What happened mom? Where's dad?" She sees her mom sitting on the couch, emotionless.
    "Honey, he just left for a bit don't worry" her mother tells her daughter.
    A few months pass. A few years pass. Betty is now in high school, and her dad hasn't came back.
    "I'll see you after class, Inez!" Betty shouts across the hall to her best friend. Inez, the brunette girl with a high pony nods. Betty wasn't popular in school, and she always felt like nobody wanted her. However, there were two people who made her feel loved. Betty finds James and the two of them walk to Chemistry.
"You know, James?" Betty begins, "You're one of the best friends I have". James shyly smiles. "We're hanging out tonight again, right?"
"Yep, just like always," he responds. James and Betty had been hanging out almost every day for their whole lives. They were the best of friends.
It was night and the two had set up a nice picnic blanket around Betty's backyard. They lie down and smile at each other.
"Betty", James starts, "I have to tell you something. I've been keeping my feelings for years...but I think there's no right time to let them out so I'll just let them out now." Betty sits up with a smerkish look. "I-I love you, Betty. And I've loved you since we were kids."
Betty smiles. Her smile slowly enlarges. "I know James", she responds.
"You do?" The two stare at each other for a straight minute, then go back to lying on the blanket next to each other. James turns over and now their faces were facing each other. The moon was bright and the stars aligned, and James kissed her.
James jumps up, grabs Betty by the sleeve of her cardigan, and they run to James's car. He opens up the trunk and the two of them see some drinks in there. They drive around past midnight, drunk under streetlights, kissing in the car, and all the pain Betty ever felt had just disappeared. Her scars turned into stars and the vision of losing her dad had almost vanished. Betty knew someone like James could never leave. It's now two AM and they stop at the woods. Betty and James sit on a nice rock with his hand under Betty's cardigan, holding her close. They watch the sun rise and push the moon away, then eventually decide to drive home.
"I love you" whispers Betty to James. James smiles again.