Stories Based On Taylor Swift Songs

FOLKLORE: 131. Betty

The love triangle is a common thread in folklore. The proper order for reading the stories in is as follows: August, Illicit Affairs, Cardigan, and Betty.

131. Betty (10/26/20)

Betty wasn't in homeroom.

I usually sit behind her, so of course I noticed when there was an empty seat. I tried not to think about it too much as I recited the national anthem and listened to the morning announcements, but I couldn't stop glancing at the empty seat. I was so used to seeing her, her blond hair and her coordinated outfits, that I couldn't imagine not having her here.

I had an inkling of why she wasn't in homeroom. It probably had something to do with the text I received from the girl I spent all of August with. It was cryptic at first, but then it dawned on me. "I never want to see you again" meant she had seen Betty and me behind the mall, our usual hangout spot. Everything was crumbling around me, and I didn't know how to stop it.

As soon as the bell rang, I was out of my seat and rushing down the hallway. I needed to find Betty, if she even was in school today. But I knew she never liked to miss class.

I thought I caught a glimpse of blond hair, but was so distracted that I nearly ran into Inez. The class gossip was dressed in a red turtleneck and black jeans. Her black curls hung around her face.

"Inez, do you know where Betty is?" I asked her, my eyes scanning the hallway.

Inez's face was set in a hard frown. "Shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself?"

My stomach fell to the floor. "Wha...what do you mean?"

Inez grabbed the sleeve of my sweater and pulled me into the bathroom. "What the hell were you thinking, cheating on Betty like that?"

My face burned up like a wildfire. I hadn't yet admitted to myself that I had made a mistake. But seeing Betty dance with Joey Hamilton, of all people, at that dance in the community center had made me do terrible things. Including the summer I spent with that girl, and the secrets we kept in August. But when Betty returned, I found myself walking back to her with no consequences.

"How do you know about that?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

"So it's true?" Inez's eyes were wide, as if she just woke up on Christmas morning to find a pile of presents under the tree.

"I thought you knew?" I crossed my arms against my chest.

"I figured it was true, but I didn't want to believe it." A sad smile was glued to Inez's face. "You and Betty are cute together. Why did you do it?"

Her words brought me back to the end of May, when the community center hosted a dance for the high schoolers and their families. I didn't want to go - I hate crowds - but Betty encouraged me to attend. So I prettied myself up for her, only to find her dancing with Joey Hamilton at the dance. It didn't dawn on me until now that she could've done it for appearances sake, but it still stung. It proved to me that she didn't take our relationship seriously, and that she wasn't comfortable being seen with another girl.

I had walked out, the breezy air hitting my skin. And there she was, in her blue convertible, driving slow next to me. She asked me if I wanted a ride home. After that, we spent the whole summer together, even though I was still seeing Betty. In August, when Betty was at the beach with her cousins, I decided to sleep with the other girl. It was a mistake, I knew that, but I was willing to face everything head-on. I left everything behind.