Betty, August, and Me

Chapter 3

Betty walked home, kicking some cobblestones that was on the ground. She never understood why does the neighborhood she lives in has so many cobblestones, even the pavements and lanes are made of it.

In fact, this neighborhood has too many cobblestones, she collected some of it, wrote something on it, and gave it to her friends.

Upon reaching her home, only her mom was there. Her dad is nowhere, probably working late again.

"Hi mom," she greeted as she opened the door, "I'm home."

"Welcome back, honey," her mom lightly greeted. Her mom is always a soft woman, she never yells.

"Where is dad?" Betty asked, looking at her mom intently.

"He'll be back in an hour," her mom replied, "I told him to go buy some sweet potatoes."

"Oh?" Betty said with a raised eye. "What are you gonna make tonight?"

"Some sweet potato chips," her mom said with a smile, "how's your first day of school?"

"Oh, it's fine," she replied and got some chips from the fridge. "I'll be in my room if you need me."

"I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Betty walked up to her room and shut the door lightly. Her house has always been quiet. When she turned sixteen, the house would always be empty on weekends. Her parents will always go to roadtrips, and she will just remain at home, doing her own things. She is not really a fan of long trips.

Betty put her bag down and sat on her study corner, a corner full of the things she needed to study with.

She felt something poking from her pocket. She got it out and saw that expensive pen. She looked at it with furrowed eyebrows, why would he buy a such expensive pen like this? What a waste of hard-earned money.

Her phone rang. She saw that it was an unknown number. She got confused again, because at school no one knows her number rather than a certain amount of very close people, and she always save their numbers once they interact through the phone.

Picking the phone up, she said, "hello? Who is this?"

"Hello Betty," a male voice sounded through the phone, "this is Winston."

Betty was initially shocked, because how did he got her phone number?

"Oh hi," Betty replied, "how did you get my number?"

"Oh, Miss Bell gave it to me," he replied.

"Oh," why is he not talking about serious matters? You could just say it in one saying, you're wasting your time. "What's the matter?"

"Oh there is a small problem about the Theatre Room," he said, "no one knows how to operate the sounds."

Betty's figure frozed. This is a problem she should've known earlier from school, why is he just saying it now?

"Wait, why are you saying it just now?" she asked, she's clearly trying not to sound annoyed.

"I could not find you in school, so I just asked Miss Bell for your number," Winston replied through the phone, "sorry."

"Oh no, it's okay," she said. "I'll find someone, okay? Thank you for saying this early."

"Okay okay, cool, bye."

She ended the call in just a single second. She tried to stay calm, she knows how to operate the sounds, but she can't operate sounds while she's standing on the stage speaking.

She quickly typed a message to Inez, saying, "hey, can you find someone who can work on the sounds tomorrow?"

Inez replied a few seconds later, "I'll ask someone hold on."

Inez was the more social one between the both of them, so Inez knew many people. Betty trusts her, like how she trusts textbooks. And without even an hour later, Inez texts back.

"I found someone," Inez said. "What time do you need the person?"

"From 2 to 3 in the afternoon," Betty replied, "are you sure he knows how to operate sounds?"

"Yes, trust me," Inez said seconds later. "They said he'll be there, he promises."

"Okay okay, thank you so much, I love you."

"Boo, you only love me because you need me."

Betty lightly laughed, and put her phone down and said no more. Inez is like that, very light-hearted.

When the next day came, Betty got out of the school bus and quickly went to the Theatre Room. When she entered, her mates was already there, finalizing things. She said her good mornings, and went to the backstage, there, she saw Winston.

"Oh hey," Winston greeted warmly, "sorry for yesterday, I thought you were pissed."

"Oh no," Betty replied with a smile, "where is the one who will handle the sounds?"

"Oh, he's actually at the left side of the backstage," Winston gestured with a finger, "if you want to see him go there."

Betty nodded and head to the left side, there, she saw a black vintage tshirt. Instantly, she got pissed.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

Before anything else, her arm got pulled and suddenly she was pinned at the wall.

"Why, I'm the one's who's gonna help you," James said looking at her directly at the eyes, "so why is there any reason for me not to be here?"

Betty blinked her eyes briskly. She was in an initial shock of by how their position is, and how mesmerizing his eyes.

"You get away from me before I could punch your face," Betty warned, looking at anywhere but him.

"Why, is my face too perfect?" James drawled with a sequin smile.

"I'm fucking serious!" Betty hissed angrily, "please get away."

James get away from her and turned to the things he needed to do instead. Betty almost wanted to cry out of anger. This is a very wrong way to start het day.

"How come it's you anyways?" Betty asked him from behind.

"Your friend asked my friend if he could find someone that'll help you guys."

"So why did you agree?" Betty asked again, walking to his side, eyeing his side profile.

"It's better than having classes," he said with a shrug, "and hey, you're fun to watch, so it's a win-win situation."

Suddenly, her heart have been moved again. Why is this person giving her some butterflies in the stomach?

"What do you mean I'm fun to watch?!" she asked and hit him on the shoulder for distraction.

"Woah," he said and held her hands, "stop it."

Betty frozed. It was the first time her hand was held by a boy that isn't a family member. So she quickly withdrew her hand and ran.

She got out to the stage and glanced everywhere, thinking about everything, anything but him.

Throughout the program, she tried as best as she can to avoid him. To not look at him, to not hear him, or to not do anything that involves him. But she knew, when Homeroom comes tomorrow she'll have to face him again.

She hold on the mic, preparing to speak at the stage, when she looked at the entrace to the back stage from the stage, there he stood, that sequin smile, that vintage tee, and that Levi's jeans.

She knew, that her whole world will revolve around this boy, called James, and she can't do anything about it.