Betty, August, and Me

Chapter 8

When Betty got into James's car, the air conditioning was on and it was freezing. It's sometimes confusing why on the day, the weather is really warm but at night it's cold. It's still September, why is it so cold?

"That guy's bothering you?" James asked with a concerned look. 

Betty shook her head. "He's.... just concerned."

"Concerned?" James asked with a frown. "What exactly is he concerned about?"

Betty refused to look at him and looked straight ahead.

"What?" James asked, "can't answer my question?"

Betty clicked her tongue and answered hesitantly, "he's concerned that you're sexually abusing me."

James could not believe it. His facial expression show surprise and amusement.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Betty asked in an irritated tone.

"Why the heck would that guy think that I am that kind of person?" James asked with a laugh and started his car. "Do I look that kind of person?"

"You quite have a rogue reputation in school," Betty replies with a sarcastic smile.

"That does not mean I am," he retaliates and drives away. 

Betty was still freezing, and frowning at his indifference, she clicked her tongue many times, just to show that she's really pissed and wants to turn on the heater, but James, being James, just stared at the road and continues to drive,  humming slightly.

Betty could not take it anymore, so she exclaims, "can you put the goddamn heater on? It's freaking freezing."

"Why the language?" James asks annoyingly, and then, finally much to Betty's joy, turns on the heater, and instantly, the car became warm and Betty sighed with contentment.

"You know," James starts, raising his eyebrows and keeping his eyes on the road, "when you want to have something, you just have to ask nicely."

"Can you ask someone nicely when you're absolutely annoyed with them at the moment you want them to turn on the heater?"

James clicked his tongue. "If you could keep your temper down, you'll make us both happy."

Betty frowned at him, visibly angry. "What is wrong with my temper? I am valid to be annoyed, even at little things, just as long it annoys me. I. Am. Valid."

"I know," James said with a tiny smile, glancing at her. 

Betty no longer spoke to him the whole ride to his house, where they will finish their theater project and he would send Betty home.

When Betty looked at the finish product, she was quite satisfied. It really is pretty. All it needs are curtains on the side to give that theater effect.

"We did a job well done," James said, smiling down at her. 

"It's quite pretty," she replied, wiping the sweat on her forehead with her arm, and when she was done, she heard James laughing. 

"What?" she asks with a furrowed brow.

"You're quite cute with a paint on your forehead," he said, flashing her his sequin smiles that makes her heart flip every single time. 

"I do not know why women are supposed to be so feminine all the time," she said, looking at the bruising sky with little stars on it, "we are expected to be holy virgins when we get married, we need to wear heels and skirts all the time, we are expected to have a good face, a high voice, and we are expected to be at home, tending at the children we never wanted, but because society is so judgmental that women produce babies just so they could stop all the blabberings around them."