Hometown

Monday

    We all go through the apartments and chose ours.

Hallway

Cheryl and Tonis apartment

Veronica and Sweetpeas apartment

Betty's apartment

Mine and Archies apartment

    I sit cross-legged on my bed and Betty bursts in holding what I believe to be the cutest puppy in the world and sobbing dramatically. I jump up and run to her as she sobs. Archie speeds into the room with a worried expression on his face.
    "Betty, what's wrong?"
    "He's so cute." She sobs and I chuckle. "Do you have any chocolate?" Archie passes her a bag of Hershey kisses he had been holding and she thanks him. "I'm going to name him Hershey, and I would love to be your girlfriend, Juggie."
    Joy fills me up, warming my chest. "Really?"
    "Why hide from something that I've wanted since I was a kid?"
    I cup her face in my hands and kiss her, leaving space between us for the puppy. "This is great."
   She smiles wide. "Yeah." She pauses. "Well, I'm going home, but I'll see you guys tonight for the show?"
    Archie and I nod and she walks out of our apartment and into hers. I sigh, my eyes following her as she leaves.
    "Dude, just go hang out with her," Archie says, resting a hand on my shoulder.
    I walk out of my apartment and knock on her door before pushing it open. She's sitting on the floor, playing with Hershey and eating chocolate. I get down on the floor next to her and she smiles, passing me a rope toy. Hershey clamps down on it and tugs on it, sticking his butt up in the air. I chuckle and lightly tug it back, which causes him to slide into me. Betty giggles and let go of the toy. Betty pulls Hershey into her arms and he licks her arm. I give her a kiss and rest my forehead on hers.
    "You okay?" I ask, referring to her panic attack at school.
    "Yeah, just anxious."
    "I'm sorry."
    "It's not your fault."
    "It kind of is, remember?"
    She smiles. "I try not to."
    I press my lips against hers again. "I'm sorry."
    "Juggie, I know you are. You don't have to keep apologizing."
    "I just feel bad. I was an asshole."
    "Yeah, but you're different now. Maybe it's because you like me now."
    "Betty, I've always liked you, maybe not the way I do now, but I didn't realize what I was doing to you. What I was putting you through. I can never take that back."
    "Juggie, the way people reacted to a girl being sad was the problem. Maybe if I wasn't so sensitive..." Her words trail off.
    "Hey, no. I treated you like shit and you did nothing wrong."
    She smiles sadly and rests her head on my shoulder.