All too well

His sister's house

It was a cool October day. I had my scarf and favorite plaid shirt on. Your sweet disposition and my wide eyed gaze, we were singing in the car getting lost upstate. Autumn leaves were falling down like pieces into place. The wind blew through my hair, As he almost ran the red light looking at me, we were talking about how we needed a song. Soon enough we made to his sister's house. The front yard had a beautiful orange and red tree in it. A small black cat roamed around. We got out of his old pickup truck. The small cat came over and rubbed her face against me legs. "That's Olivia," he said bending down to pet her. She purred as we followed her up to the front door. A young woman opened the door smiling at us. "Welcome guys! Please come in, make yourself at home!"
When we got in she slammed the door making the wreath on the front bang against the window. The air was cold, but something about felt like home...somehow. We went to her sitting room. The fireplace was so warm and toasty. I took my scarf off because I wasn't cold anymore. "You must be Betty," his sister said sitting down in a chair across from us. I nodded my head yes. "James talks about you a lot you know," and she went on and on about how he used to skateboard past my house everyday last summer hoping I'd be outside. He looked at me blushing, but I thought it was cute. We talked for a couple hours before it was dark and I needed to go home. We said our goodbyes and got into his truck. Wasn't until I got home when I realized I left my scarf at his sister's house.

Stories of old

A few months passed. It was now cold December and everyone was preparing for Christmas. It was the last day of school before Christmas break. James had asked me to come over to his house so I told him I would after I finished my Christmas shopping. When I got there they were in the kitchen. There was a photo album on the counter. I sat at the table with James still thinking about seeing that album. Eventually his mom brought it to the table telling me to look though it if I'd like. I would like. Flipping through were pictures of him as a little kid with glasses sitting on a twin sized bed. Then there was one when his T-ball team. His mom went on about how she thought he had the best t-ball team ever. "Such a shame he doesn't play baseball anymore," she said shutting the album. She left. It was dark and I probably needed to go home. Before I could leave James had opened the fridge to get a drink but the light lit up the whole room like a dance floor. I grabbed his hand and we started dancing around in the light. Then we walked me down his front porch stairs and kissed me goodbye before I got in my car. I drove home thinking to myself how lucky I was for a guy like him.

January

When we started going back to school everything was normal. They scheduled prom and of course me and James would go together. Everything was going so well. Our relationship was a masterpiece. James even said it was one for the ages!

February

Again nothing strange. We had a fantastic Valentines day together. The way he moved is like a full on rainstorm and I'm like a house of cards. And as I looked into his green eyes I told him "Today was a fairytale." He lifted me off my feet and spun me around. He makes me crazy, in a good way!

March

Now this is when things first got questionable. Inez kept telling me that I shouldn't be with him, that he had another girlfriend. I didn't believe her. You can't believe a word she says. But I still paced back and fourth sometimes wondering if she could be right.

April

April went along fine. Inez didn't bring it up again. I just assumed she made it up because she didn't like the lack of attention I was giving her.

May

And here's when it all went bad. Inez told me she'd seen him with another girl the other night. I told her she was wrong. She didn't give it up. By the end of May I finally had the courage to ask him myself. I drove to his house after school without telling him. I pulled up the driveway and knocked on the door. "Oh, dear Betty! It's been awhile," It had been awhile since I visited, " It's such a shame you and James aren't together anymore, how may I help you?" his mom asked me. I was shook. "Excuse me, but we never broke up," I told her. She looked confused. I requested to come in. She said that was fine and I walked into their kitchen to find James with another girl dancing around the kitchen. My heart sank. James looked at me frightened. "Betty? What are you doing here?" "I came because Inez told me you were seeing another girl. I didn't believe her, no one believes her, but she was right!" I stormed out of the house with him chasing me. "Look, Betty, I'm sor-" "Forget it," I stopped him. I drove away crying the whole way home.

June & July

Through the month of June & July I worked very hard to forget him. I enjoyed my summer, peaceful, and free.

August

It was time for us to go back to school. We were seniors now. I got my schedule. And oh wow guess who was in my homeroom? James! Angrily, I requested to switch my homeroom. They let me switch, thank goodness.
James called me. "Listen, I'm so sorry, I had a moment of weakness she had caught me and asked to go on a drive and I don't know what got into me, but every night last summer I dreamed of you, please forgive me," He pleaded. It just broke me more. "Mail back my things," I told him and hung up.
Sure enough he mailed them back. My CDs I let him borrow. Some of my bracelets. And a key chain with my name on it. But I knew what was missing. That scarf from that very first week. It reminded him of innocence and smelled like me. He couldn't get rid of it because he remembered it all too well. I remember it all too well also. Wind in my hair, down the stairs, It was rare. I also remembered it all too well.

September

All through September I avoided him. He skateboarded past my house a few time. I started to plan my Halloween costume party. I put up fliers around the school receiving RSVPS day after day.

My Party

I had almost the whole school at my party. It was a huge success. And then I saw an old pickup truck pull up. James got out with his green eyes staring into the window. I opened the door. "Betty, I won't make assumptions but I think its cause of me. Betty, one time I was riding on my skateboard When I passed our house I could barely breath. The worst that I ever did, was what I did to you. Betty, I'm here on your doorstep, I'm only 17, it's just now sinking in I can't dream about you anymore." And then I kissed him. Right there on the porch in front of all my stupid friends. And as I did that everything came back. I remembered everything all too well. I was never so happy but scared at the same time. All I knew was he was mine again.