Rainy Days ▸ BUGHEAD

chapter four

That night, I met up with the beautiful blonde. It was almost a dream come true. Expect it wasn't a date. It felt like one, but it wasn't. It was just a simple outing.

Just an outing

Those words repeated in my mind, as I tapped my pen on the booth table. I knew it wasn't a date, but apart of me wanted it to be. Pretty dumb right?

Sometimes I am such an idiot.

But the point of this outing wasn't for myself. Well it was but wasn't.

Suddenly a face with striking beauty entered the diner door. Her curled blonde locks, and stunning velvet lips put my thoughts in a trance. Something about seeing her out of school made this moment more special.

Betty walked over to the booth where I was sitting at. "Can I sit?"

"S-sure." I shuttered.

She set down her purse and scooted onto the left side of the booth. I stared in awe. Somehow every time I see her, her beauty becomes more apparent. It's truly an incredible feeling.

She somehow gets under my skin, but it's a good feeling. Possibly even amazing. Not even amazing something even more than...

"Juggie?" Betty said, snapping me back into reality.

I suddenly realize I was getting lost in my own thoughts again. "Oh sorry."

Betty laughed. "It's okay, silly."

The air suddenly filled with awkward tension. I watched as Betty messed around with one of her curls. I didn't know what to say to her, especially when she looked this pretty.

This outing certainly did feel like a date

"Hey I'll be right back." Betty said, breaking the tension. "I need to use the little girl's room." Betty stood up and walked towards the restroom.

Now was the perfect opportunity.

I waited until Betty was out of sight, so I could grab her purse. I need to check to make sure she was tagging a long anything suspicious.

I knew at some point Betty would get up to use the restroom. That girl drinks so much water, I can't believe her body keeps up with all that liquid.

I didn't see anything too suspicious at first. Just average things you find in a teenage girls purse, lip gloss, wallet, phone, etc. However at the bottom of the typical girl stuff, was a pill bottle.

I sat there motionless as I grasped the bottle in my hands. I look down at the prescription, they were antidepressants.

Since when did Betty need antidepressants?

I made sure to put Betty's purse back where it was, before examining the pill bottle. But then I saw Betty coming back to the booth.

That's when a rush of panic hit me. I looked down at the pill bottle. What was I going to do with it? In a rush of panic you can never get ideas. It's like a drought to your brain.

As a quick reaction, I slid the pills in my pocket, hoping Betty wouldn't see. I mean if they were in my pocket, she wouldn't know they were gone, right?

She can't possibly know.

That's when I looked up and saw Betty standing above me. "Is everything okay Juggie?"

I shallowed down the guilt. "Definitely."

I watched as Betty sat back down at her. The first thing she did was look in her purse. Something told me she was going to find out the pills were missing.

I was truly screwed.

"Everything okay Bets?" I ask her.

"Yeah," she answered. "I think I forgot something though."

I feel my face go pale. She must have been talking about the pills I found in her purse. I was truly screwed.

I couldn't tell her I had them, because then she'd know I went snooping in her purse. But it wasn't right to lie. I was in such a rush to make a choice.

A shallowed down another batch of guilt. I had to tell the truth. It was only fair.

"Well I'm sure it's nothing." I lie to her.

But lying is the easier route. And sometimes I don't like the hard way out. I just wish I didn't lie, especially to Betty.

Betty gives me a funny look. "Everything okay Juggie, your acting a bit... strange."

I push out a fake laugh. "What? Everything is perfect. Just fine. Swell. Better than ever."

Betty's weird face becomes more apparent. "Something is going on Juggie. Just tell me."

"Like I said Betty," I told her. "Everything is fine. Lemme spell it out so you get the point. F-I-N..."

"I get it!" Betty said, angrily. "Something is obviously bothering you, I understand. We can do this some other time." Betty begins to stand up. "Goodbye Juggie."

I watched her as she walked away. I couldn't believe she was leaving. I couldn't let Betty get away, not this time. I was not going to let this plan go to waste.

"Betty wait!" I called after her, but she was gone.

Well I really screwed that one up.

She was gone in the blink of an eye, faster than the speed of light. I was ashamed of what had happened, but I wasn't going to let one bump in the road stop me.

Clearly this plan was not the answer. But there was still a way. It was risky, but it could possible work.

There was only one person I knew who would help me. She would listen to anything I'd say, bring back any information I asked, and plus she makes a really good batch of chocolate chip cookies.

What? A man deserves a fresh plate of cookies when it comes to solving mysteries.

Cookies and Mysteries are a perfect match.

But more importantly she would help. And for Betty I was willing to put up with her. But this would be for Betty purposes only.

And that girl I was talking about, was Ethel Muggs.