BETTY
“Have you seen the new girl yet?”
Betty shut her locker door and turned to face Inez, who was nearly bursting with gossip. The bell for homeroom hadn’t even rung yet.
“I’ve seen her on Jen’s stories for the past two weeks,” replied Betty.
Inez scoffed, “That doesn’t count. I saw her walking in with Lindsay and they were whispering and giggling together. Who does she think she is? Just because she’s supposedly some field hockey prodigy, and she’s been training with the team already, doesn’t mean she gets to be automatically popular!”
Betty suppressed a sigh, “Inez, it doesn’t even matter who’s popular or why.”
“Easy for you to say, everyone loves you no matter what you do. You don’t know what it’s like to have to try to get people to like you.”
“I don’t even know why you want half the people here to like you.”
“You just don’t understand,” responded Inez, shaking her head.
Betty was saved from further arguing by the bell for homeroom.
“See ya later, text me your schedule when you get it,” said Inez.
Betty waved goodbye and made her way to her designated homeroom. She was greeted by Jen, the new captain of the field hockey team, who waved Betty over to where she was sitting. Betty listened as Jen prattled on about the drama that was already unfolding on the first day of school. She gasped and laughed in all the right places, meanwhile inwardly rolling her eyes at her classmates’ incessant petty problems. Betty couldn’t have been happier that it was finally her junior year of high school; only two more years until she could move away to college, and finally start living the life she dreamed of having.
“Hey.”
Betty looked up. Standing over her was the new girl, with her perfectly glossy ponytail and face free of makeup, she was the epitome of a cool girl without even trying.
“Oh, hey James! This is Betty,” said Jen.
“Nice to meet you,” Betty plastered on her friendliest smile.
“The famous Betty, I’ve heard a lot about you,” James smirked. She took a seat in front of Jen and turned to face Betty.
“Are you telling stories about me Jen?” accused Betty.
“Don’t you know by now you’re everybody’s favorite topic of conversation?”
Betty rolled her eyes, “I can’t understand why.”
“Typical Betty,” laughed Jen, “never caring about people liking her, and being perfect anyway.”
“I’m sure she can’t be perfect,” objected James.
Betty felt herself blush and looked up to meet James’ mischievous smile.
“Sounds like a challenge Betty,” declared Jen.
Betty was again saved by the bell, which signaled the start of the morning announcements. James turned to face the front of the room and Betty was left to stare at her perfect ponytail. She felt her cheeks furtively, not quite believing that she had turned red so easily. Usually it was harder to embarrass or surprise her, but James had somehow managed to do so with that one comment. The truth was, Betty felt far from perfect, but no matter how often she brushed off people’s praise, they continued to put her on a pedestal.
The homeroom teacher began handing out the students’ new class schedules as Betty felt her phone buzz in her bag. She reached for her phone when the teacher’s back was turned to read the text from Inez.
-4th period lunch, wbu?
Before Betty could check her own schedule, her phone buzzed again in her hand. This time it was a text from Rob with a picture of his schedule followed by three hearts. Betty ignored his text for now and scanned the page for her lunch period. She texted Inez back,
-I got sixth : (
-fuuuck
Betty swiped the notification away, not exactly upset that she didn’t have lunch with Inez. She knew Inez didn’t really care about her, but more likely hung out with her because she thought it would make her cooler by association. Poor Inez, always worrying about what others thought. Betty felt someone nudge her shoulder and turned back to Jen who was holding out her schedule for comparison. They had two classes together, history and trig. The morning announcements were still playing but the whispered chatter in the room was slowly increasing as students passed around schedules and discussed with each other the coming year. James turned back around towards Jen and Betty.
“Do either of you have first period English with Mr. Howard?”
“Ooo Betty does! Don’t you?” whispered Jen.
Betty couldn’t help but feel her cheeks warm up as she glanced down at her schedule to confirm she did have first period with Mr. Howard.
“Great! Do you mind walking there with me? I barely know where anything is.”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
James smiled before flicking her ponytail and turning her full attention back to Jen to talk field hockey. Betty took the time to look back at Rob’s text. Dammit, she thought, as she saw that he too had sixth period lunch. It would be hard to avoid him now. She shoved her phone back in her bag and counted the seconds until the bell would ring to signal the exodus from homeroom to first period. Betty slung her bag over her shoulder as the bell rang shrilly through the school.
“Don’t forget about me!” said James, as she hurriedly stuffed her schedule in her bag and slipped it on her back. “See you later Jen!”
Jen waved them goodbye, and Betty led the way forward. She was only too aware of James nearly brushing her arm as they were jostled by the crowd of students trying to find their friends and get to class.
“Betty!” yelled someone from down the hall.
“Shit,” murmured Betty.
James swiveled her head to look for whoever had just called Betty’s name.
“Sorry this will only take a minute,” whispered Betty. She watched as Rob strutted toward them, taking his time while students swerved to avoid bumping into him.
“Who’s your new friend?” asked Rob.
“My name is James,” answered James, before Betty had a chance to open her mouth.
“Rob, this is James, she’s the new student this year. On the field hockey team. James this is Rob,” Betty paused, “my boyfriend.”
“Her boyfriend who she basically ignored all summer.”
Betty winced at his blatant statement, but James just laughed.
“I knew she wasn’t perfect,” stated James
“Am I missing a joke?” asked Rob.
“Never mind Rob, I’ll see you at lunch, I’ve got sixth too,” said Betty. She grabbed James by the elbow and steered her down the hall to the stairs before Rob could say anymore.
“Trouble in paradise?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Oh, come on! I won’t tell.”
“Forget it.”
James sighed, “Fine. If it makes you feel any better, I have sixth period lunch too. I can keep him away from you.”
Betty turned to admonish James for her interference, but James simply winked at her, causing Betty to forget anything she was about to say. Betty huffed and picked up the pace so as not to have to answer James.
………………………………………………
JAMES
James didn’t quite know why, but she felt bad for Betty. Of course, she had only met her twenty minutes ago but it was enough time to realize that she wasn’t happy. She had heard so much talk and gossip of Betty and Rob from the field hockey team that she was prepared to meet a drama queen who ruled the school with an iron fist. But that wasn’t Betty at all. It was clear to James that people only saw in Betty what they wanted to see; a girl with good grades, a nice smile, and who did everything she was supposed to do. In that instant, walking behind Betty to class, James decided she wanted to get to know the real Betty, whoever that might be.
They reached the English classroom and Betty made it clear she was finished with James by taking a seat in the front corner and greeting the girl sitting next to her. James walked down a nearby aisle and sat down in the first empty seat available. As the class began James zoned out, not interested in the syllabus or the upcoming curriculum. Instead she stared ahead at Betty, watching the concentration on her face as she took notes on whatever Mr. Howard was saying. James wondered what was up with Betty and her boyfriend. It was obvious they weren’t a serious a couple and it was even more obvious that Betty wasn’t into him. She wondered why Betty bothered to stay with him if she wasn’t interest. James made a mental note to find Betty’s socials tonight and do some creeping; she wanted to know more.
At lunch, James saw Betty making her way into the cafeteria, staring determinedly ahead while Rob and his friends made fools of themselves by laughing and talking loudly.
Before James knew what she was doing, which was usually the case, she shouted, “Betty!”
Betty stopped in her tracks and waited for James to catch up with her. Rob and his friends also halted to see what was happening.
“You again?” Asked Rob.
James didn’t even bother to look in his direction as she said, “Betty, did you forget you said you would come to the library with me?”
Betty’s face was confused for only a moment before she realized what James was trying to do.
“Right, sorry Rob I totally forgot I promised James I would go to the library with her this period. I’ll call you tonight.”
“That’s ruff man, she’s blowing you off again,” guffawed one of Rob’s friends.
“Max shut up. Betty can I talked to you for a sec?”
James looked between Betty and Rob waiting to see if Betty would give in.
“James do you mind waiting for me in the library? I’ll meet you there in five.”
“I’ll be counting down the minutes,” said James. She turned to leave but couldn’t miss hearing Rob’s friends’ laughter in the background.
James chose a table by the window in the library and surreptitiously ate her cold left-over pizza, keeping an eye out for librarians. The “No Food or Drink” sign was glaring at her from across the room. She didn’t actually have anything to do so she took out her planner and doodled all over the first page, waiting to see if Betty would show up.
Closer to ten minutes later, Betty hurried into the library and took a seat next to James. She sat down with a sigh but didn’t make any other sign of starting a conversation.
“So...? What happened?” asked James.
“We broke up I guess.”
“Hmph, you’re welcome.”
Betty glared at James, “I don’t appreciate you interfering with my personal life.”
“Let me ask just one question.”
“Fine.”
“Are you sad at all?”
Another sigh, “No.”
James grinned.
“But that’s not the point! It was just easier to be with him. Now all the other guys are gonna be fighting to ask me out and it’ll be a bunch of unwanted drama,” explained Betty.
“So, let me get this straight. You’re only dating him so other guys won’t ask you out? Did you ever even like him?”
“I guess I did when we first met. Freshman year we had fun together but all last year I just thought about breaking up with him.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Like I said, it was just easier to stay with him. I figured we would break up anyway once we went away to college. And right now, everyone just expects us to be together. Easier.”
“Well if you want my advice, that sounds like a terrible reason to date someone,” said James.
“Well I didn’t ask for your advice or your help and it’s only the first day of school and everyone will be talking about me!”
Just then Betty’s phone buzzed in her bag.
“See! It’s already starting, I’ll bet you anything it’s Inez freaking out wanting to know the details,” said Betty.
“Well I’ll bet you $5 it’s Rob begging you to take him back.”
Betty rolled her eyes, “You don’t know Inez, she’s on top of drama as soon as it happens. And Rob is definitely pissed. It’ll take at least a week for him to beg me to take him back.”
“No offense Betty, but he seems kinda lame.”
“Oh, trust me I know,” laughed Betty, “Also you owe me $5.”
Betty shoved her phone toward James so she could read the text from Inez.
-wtf Betty??? I thought you said you were gonna try to make it work with him??
“Betty W T F is wrong with you??”
“Don’t tease right now this is serious, I don’t know what to say because whatever I tell her will be quoted throughout the school.”
“Tell her that you changed your mind and that you wanted a fresh start for the school year.”
“If you think Inez will be satisfied with that response, you’re crazy.”
“I’d like to meet this Inez, she sounds fun.”
Betty scoffed, “Oh yeah it’s loads of fun not being able to trust your friend because you know she’s gonna repeat everything you say. She’s just your typical fake gossip monger.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a bit harsh?”
“Trust me James, I know more about the people here than you do. You’ve been here for less than a day, I’ve lived with them my whole life.”
“That’s why you’re being harsh. You think you can judge them harder because you think you know them better.”
“Please don’t be deep with me right now, I need to think of a response.”
Betty stared down at her phone for a moment before typing out a response. She then threw her phone back in her bag and zipped it up.
“The bells gonna ring in a minute, I’m gonna get a head start to class. Thanks, I guess for your help even though I didn’t need it,” said Betty
“Always happy to help.”