folklore/evermore: a collection

betty

"betty"

My heart pounds nervously the entire way to Betty's party. Betty, the girl who hates me. I don't blame her, but I can't let another day pass without trying to fix us.

I pull my pontiac up to the big crowded house. What I wasn't expecting was to see Betty on her porch, alone. She looks up from her lap and her I see her deep brown eyes look across the street towards my direction. Her hair long auburn hair is in a loose braid and her cardigan wrapped around her tightly to warm her front he cool September air.

I hesitate to get out of the car, unsure if she would want that or not. I look away from her and stare at the steering wheel instead. My leg bounces up and down nervously. Do I stay or go?

My decision is made for me because Betty walks down her porch steps and crosses the road illumined with street lights. I roll my window down when she's close enough to talk to.

We both stare at each other, not knowing what to say or who should talk first. Again, Betty makes the decision.

"What are you doing here?" She asks.

"Betty...I won't make assumptions about why you switched your homeroom but I think it's cause of me."

She raises her eyebrows. "Typical, you make everything about you."

"I...no no that's not what I meant. I know I've screwed up, okay? I miss you."

Wind starts picking up, making Betty shiver. She reluctantly gets in the passengers seat of the car. "Did you come here just to try and make me fall for you again? It won't work."

"No...or maybe I don't know. I just really want to at least be friends again?"

.

.

.

It's the first day of eight grade and I'm sitting in the back classroom during homeroom. As I look to the front, a bouncy head of curls take her seat. She turns her head, and I see that it is Betty O'Connor with her usually straight hair wound tightly in a fresh perm. Although we have never spoken, I've watched her waltz into homeroom everyday since kindergarten. I always thought she was cute but no one would dare to be openly gay in Lexington, South Carolina.

I put my walkman in my backpack and wait patiently for the teacher to start class. I check my watch to see there's still ten minutes to go.

"Betty, look at Jack." I hear my classmate Inez say.

"What about him?" Betty laughs.

"He clearly hit the gym up a lot this summer." Inez smirks.

"And you have a boyfriend!" Betty whisper/yells.

"I knowww but you don't." Inez nudges Betty. "I think you should go talk to him. Or I can for you."

"No, absolutely not. I'm not interested. He's not even my type." Betty defends herself. I quirk my eyebrow.

"What is your type then if it's not tall and hot?"

"I don't know... I just know Jack isn't it."

"I've literally never heard you talk about a boy. You're thirteen! Why don't you get crushes!" Inez pushes.

"I just don't like anyone. Maybe no one is the right one for me here." Betty shrugs.

I tune the rest of their conversation out as I think about what Betty said. She's never had a crush on a boy? Maybe I'm not the only gay girl in this town after all.

After school I have big plans with myself, so I tie up my high tops and ride my skateboard over to the local music store where the special edition "Night at the Opera" vinyl is on sale. Freddie Mercury is my gay hero.