You Must Remember This

Chapter 17: I Want To Be A Producer

Beth's breakup with Behrooz came suddenly and without any ceremony. Beth arrived a few minutes late to her usual lunch spot with Behrooz, in the hallway not far from Ms. Baldwin's classroom, and delivered the news. John happened to be nearby and watched: Beth's scant tears, Ted walking up to John and elbowing him conspiratorially, Behrooz's face filled with panic, Beth walking away, and finally, Behrooz crying.

"Should we go console him?" John asked Ted, who winked at Beth as she passed by.

"Nah, he doesn't need it. He's a tough kid. He'll be fine."

On a normal day, Beth would have immediately ran to Regina and Juliet for emotional support, but she didn't think they would understand. Her courtship with Ted had been exhilarating, made all the more so by her simultaneous relationship with Behrooz. Behrooz would sit next to her with his hand over her shoulder, all while she was texting Ted sweet nothings and gooey poetry she had written herself. When he left her at the bus stop, Ted would emerge from the shadows and they would embrace. Few noticed, not even John, who often mixed up Behrooz and Ted anyway. A few nights after Beth began dating Ted, she had a dream that they were walking together through a park on a cold winter's day. There was snow, which reminded her of a trip her family took when she was still in elementary school. Ted helped her build a snowman, and together they furnished it with cute button eyes and a carrot nose. They then made snow angels and had a little snowball fight, where Ted apologized for his good aim after winning handedly. It wasn't until Beth woke up that she realized this was the park she went to with Behrooz. But by then, she had already filed away that very real date and instead chose to remember a happy winter wonderland.

In the moment, Behrooz could do nothing but glare at Beth's vanishing frame and Ted, who stood across the hall with a knowing smirk. Everything made sense in retrospect: Beth had mentioned once that Ted was a new arrival to the club meetings Behrooz could never attend, but nothing after that. Who knew how many times Beth spoke falsehoods, claiming to be enjoying the moment with him while really imagining someone else? He could accept that for some reason, she did not love him anymore. What he struggled to understand was why she lied to him, and he thought the two people best equipped to answer that question were Alan and Frank, who by that time had both heard what happened.

"I can tell you are somewhat displeased with this situation, Behrooz. What bothers you most?" Frank asked before sitting down, inviting the others to do the same.

"She lied, sir. She has always lied. I don't think she ever spoke a word of truth. But when she spoke, I believed her."

"Impudent strumpet!" Alan shouted in a fit of frenzied epiphany. He did not know why he took Behrooz's side so naturally, in particular against one of his own. "We ought to excommunicate her!"

"Let's not go so easily to hysterics. It doesn't suit us. I believe everything happens for a reason, and sometimes the universe conspires to test our faith. It gives us a good pounding, bruises us a little, just to see if we bounce right back up and ask for more. You're a reasonable man, Behrooz. You're an ordinary man, who desires nothing more than just an ordinary chance to live exactly as he likes, and do precisely what he wants. You're an average man, of no eccentric whim, who likes to live his life free of strife, doing whatever he thinks is best for him. Just an ordinary man."

"Well put, Frank," Alan interjected, now sounding collected.

"Lerner and Loewe deserve more credit than I, but I hope you get the point, Behrooz. I think this is the universe doing you a favor, unshackling you so you can return to those pure and simple times—once again, those good old-fashioned values—that brought you happiness."

"She's so deliciously low, so horribly dirty!" Behrooz exclaimed triumphantly. "How could I see an uncut gem in her? And why did I think I needed her anyway? How greedy of me! I can do without her. I can do without anyone! I have my own soul, my own spark of divine fire!"