Just the Way you Are 2

High School Blues

From my Tropetember 2022 collection.

Her office.

Hetty poured herself some tea and began to tell Granger a tale of what happened when she was in high school.

Despite her popularity due to beating up a bully, Hetty was quite a bit shy when it came to boys trying to ask her out.

1 day, when she was at her locker getting her books, a boy named Jack walked up to her.

'You're that girl Hetty, right?' He asked.

'Yeah, why?' Hetty replied.

'Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come bowling with me on Saturday night?'

'Um, well. I don't know.'

'It'll be fun!'

As suspicious as she was, she decided o say yes.

On Saturday, they went to the bowling alley. Hetty won the game easily, much to Jack's surprise.

They enjoyed their night so much, they started talking more at school. And that Friday night, they went dancing and singing.

People started to wonder if they were perhaps dating, but Hetty didn't want to say if they were, she was just busy having fun.

Then one day, Jack said he had to go away for a while, but promised to write frequently.

They exchanged letters for a while, until one day, the letters stopped coming.

Worried, Hetty wrote to his parents asking if he was okay. A week later, she got a letter from his parents: Jack had died of cancer. He had been sick for a while, and they went to another state to try and get him help.

Hetty was so hurt by it all, she vowed to never date another boy throughout high school again.

'Was he your first love?' Granger asked.

'In a way, he was. He was different from the others. He didn't call me weird names, or try to date me on a dare. He just, wanted to get to know me because he thought I was cool.' Hetty replied.

'Well, he sounded like a great guy.'

'He was. He was.'