folklore

Betty

I knew he would show up. I knew he'd come back to me.

Because I knew him.

When he told me that Augustine meant nothing to him, he was putting me on. Lying to my face, maybe he didn't know that he was lying, but I did.

"James... what do you want from me?" I simply asked.

"For everything to go back to the way it was!" He had a small smile on his face, he tried to grab my hands, but I pulled away.

"James we— us. We're over. There's nothing you can do to change that, we're too different. When you left, you ran fast. You left me to hate you forever." I tried not to cry, but it was hard to look at him. Especially because he was wearing the jeans we wore at the dance.

"Betty don't say that! If it's about her... I swear that you were the only one on my mind."

"That's the problem, James. You got bored with her and then decided to come back to me. I'm not okay with that." I said.

"Betty—"

"Stop saying my name," I snap. "You need to grow up James, you can't just toy with people's feelings."

"So what do you want me to say? What can I do to make it any better?" He asks.

"Apologize to her, Augustine. Take this as a lesson learned. For whatever girl comes next, talk to her, don't get mad at her like you did to me. And don't leave her behind. Be better for her." I said.

"Okay. Thank you, Betty. And I'm really sorry for everything, truly." He looks at me sadly.

I turn away to return to the party but I stop myself.

"I never hated you, James. Not really, anyway."

So I went to find Augustine. I needed to clear the air with her, that way she wouldn't have to look at me with the sad puppy dog eyes.

She was standing in the corner, sipping a soda.

"Let's talk outside, okay?" I said softly, kind of herding her outside.

The two of us sit on the porch and I sat there silently, not saying a word.

"What'd you want to talk about?" She asks pensively.