The Athlete, the Sweetheart, and the Cynic

An internship

We were now well into freshman year, and the three stooges had ventured into a strange new place as intrepid explorers.  High School was a lot different from Middle School, here in High School we each fit in differently:

-Archie was widely accepted by everyone due to his athletic abilities, and joined the football team

-Betty was the A-student, nice girl who would gladly help you with homework; and I was virtually invisible. Except of course when Reggie, who was also on the football team, would call me out to ridicule me.

-And me? Well, no one really seemed to notice me, which wasn't all bad. I could come in late to class, sit in the back of class, snack on a bag of chips during math lectures, and no one cared.

Archie wasn't hanging out with me and Betty as much, since he had football practice after school. But me and Betty would still hang out after class. One Friday, I worked up the courage to ask her to go to one of Archie's football games with me.

She looked at me blankly. Okay, not exactly the response I wanted...

"But you don't even like football! Why would you want to go to one of his games?"

"Well, we could support Archie... and it wouldn't be half bad if you were there."

She ignored my last statement, and remarked, "It hasn't crossed your mind before to support him at his games. Why does it matter now?"

She seemed super stressed out and grumpy. It wasn't really like her to be this way.

"Because Archie's our friend, and you're my friend as well. I thought it'd be something nice to do for Archie, and for us to hang out," I explained, trying to sound patient, but feeling confused. What the heck was going through her mind?

All the sudden she started tearing up. I had gotten more sensitive to human feeling in the last few years, and I knew instinctively something was going on in her brain, in her life, that was causing her to act this way.

"What's really wrong, Betty?" I questioned her in a quiet voice.

"So, I got an offer. To a summer internship... for... for journalism." She sniffled, then exhaled. "It is a really good opportunity, I would be crazy to turn it down."

"Of course you would! I would kill to get an journalism internship! That's really remarkable you got one, especially seeing we're only Freshmen. I don't see the issue." I was definitely more than slightly confused at her acting up at such a opportunity.

"Yes, I know all that. It's just that I will be gone, all of this summer. I won't see you until right before school starts next year. This is a time in our lives where we are changing, Jughead. We will all grow in one way, and we will either grow together, or apart. I'm afraid if I'm gone during this crucial time in our lives, that we all will grow apart."

"So why ignore Archie? I mean, all your points are valid, but ignoring Archie isn't gonna make your friendship last. Just being honest with you."

"I dunno," She mumbled. "I'm just sick of him letting me pour so much into him-helping with school projects, homework, supporting him at all his games- without him really doing much for me. I know he cares about me and all, but sometimes it seems like he takes me for granted."

"A guy would be lucky to call you his friend, Betty. I can't deny that he doesn't appreciate you for what you deserve, and I'm sorry. Maybe a summer apart will make him realize how much he needs you."

"Aww thanks, Jug, maybe you're right," She smiled.

I'm gonna miss you though, Betty Cooper. I appreciate you, I know I don't deserve such a friend like you. I love you!

My brain repeated these words through my head several times, and the thoughts swirled around like a whirlwind, but I couldn't bring myself to repeat them out loud. I hoped if I repeated them enough in my head, maybe the thoughts would speak so loud and travel directly from my brain to hers, and she would know how I felt for her. It made no sense at all. However, I lay in bed awake at night attempting to console myself with these my own thoughts and musings.

I love you, Elisabeth Cooper. I always will.