folklore

James

Betty's party is today. And I'm going. My plan is to prove that I care about her by doing the one thing I couldn't do for her. The thing I promised to do in the spring but instead I ran away.

Get up in front of a crowd.

In front of all of her stupid friends that I knew she hated, I'd tell her that she was the one for me. That I loved her and do everything I could to make it up to her. How what I did was the worst thing I've ever done. How I dreamt of her the entire summer.

But maybe she would tell me to go to hell.

Maybe she'd take me to her garden, and hear me out.

Could she ever trust me again?

I guess I'd have to find out somehow. I couldn't think about my plan anymore. I think it was the only plan I've ever made.

All I could do was dream about how she'd take me back, kiss me in front of everyone. How she wouldn't be sad anymore and everything would go back to the way it was. Like kissing at streetlights, forgetting everyone else in the world existed.

So I showed up at her party.

I stood in porch light, everything building up into the most crescendo in that single moment.

I turned the knob of her door, people standing around, music faintly playing in the background. Her favorite song, the one she danced with him to.

And then there was her— Betty.

The room grew quite as everyone's gazes pointed to me. Betty turns around, her smile falling as she saw me.

"Betty..." I said.

She simply shoved through the crowd, grabbing my hand. Betty didn't say anything, she simply dragged me to her backyard.

I noticed some of the cobblestone tiles were broken on our way to Betty's Garden. She looked at me with an expectant expression on her face. She crossed her arms and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"What do you want James?" Betty asked.

"Please just hear me out. I'm so, so sorry for leaving you at the dance. I got jealous and I should've called you. I'm sorry, Betty." I said.

She sighs. "Are you gonna say anything about Augustine?"

"I was mad at you, and I promise she meant nothing to me. It was just a summer thing."

Based on the way her face changed, that wasn't the answer she wanted.