Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

vintage tee
brand new phone
high heels on cobblestones
when you are young, they assume you know
n o t h i n g

When a parent leaves you, you start to believe that everyone will leave you at some point.

With no evidence to say otherwise seventeen-year-old Betty firmly believed that nobody in her life was permanent. People would walk into her life, but they would never become part of the furniture in her heart. Instead, they would walk in hang around for a bit and leave after spelling their beautiful lies and leaving their promises unkept. Her father has been the first one to prove this theory after he said he was going on a business trip for the weekend and would be back before she got back home from school.

He never came back.

That was over ten years ago but the memory of it plays like a broken record constantly on Betty’s mind. She remembers it vividly, watching as her father’s grey sedan pulled out of the driveway speeding away towards his new life with no remorse about the family he was leaving behind. For weeks Betty believed he was coming back, after all he did promise he would be back, he pinkie promised.

It took two months for Betty to finally accept that he was never coming back. He was her first heartbreak when he should have been there to comfort her after some douchebag broke her heart in two. Refusing to ever experience the same heartbreak of loving someone only for them to leave Betty vowed from the young age of six that she would never fall in love because falling in love only meant heartbreak.

For the most part she had been successful with this ideology. Having grown up with most of her classmates it was hard to separate the people they are now from the toddlers who peed their pants and cried whenever they knocked over their tower of blocks.

It was all going to plan till she moved in from the city.

Betty was sat in her homeroom listening to the endless supply of gossip her best friend was providing when she walked in. Each strand of the chestnut-coloured hair danced freely against the spring breeze as they walked across the room before deciding on a seat. Running a finger through her hair as it reflected the daylight shining through the window.

Betty remembered how the daylight gave them a golden glow, as if they were an angel sent from heaven into her homeroom on that miserable Thursday morning.

As time went on Betty learned that her name was James.

James. It meant supplanter, someone or something that takes the place of another.

The pair mixed in the same social circles and had spoken to each other a few times within their different friendship groups, but they had never been alone together, unless you count the time James asked Betty to re add her to the groups mass group chat after getting a brand new phone, and consequently a new number.

It would be the same tonight at the party. They would both be there, acknowledge each other’s presence before moving onto their individual friends and going about their night.

‘You know’ the voice of her best friend dragged Betty out of her daydreaming trance and forced her to focus on the present as they got ready for Ivy’s part tonight. ‘I heard a rumour that she is pregnant and that’s why she hasn’t been in school for the last four months’ she finished whilst letting out a satisfied hum upon finding the earrings she had spent the last ten minutes searching for.

‘It’s been a week and a half’ the brunette replied with a small roll of her eyes whilst she ran her fingers through her hair in a desperate attempt to find her parting which seemed to have mysteriously disappeared.

‘Week, month same difference’ the blonde shook her hand dismissing her friend’s correction whilst she put her earrings in ‘point is, I heard she was pregnant’ she finished decisively turning to look at her friend who was giving her the same expression she gets everything she retells a rumour she heard around school.

‘it’s true, I swear I heard them talking about in the toilets during maths’ the blonde defended once again.

‘Of course, it’s true nez, you’re never wrong about the rumours you hear in the girls’ toilets’ Betty teased with as a smirk splayed against her painted lips.

Inez had been her friend, no her sister, since infancy. They were neighbours and had grown up jumping on trampolines to speak to each other over the fence. Inez was likely her only friend, they understood each other fluently and were rarely seen apart. The blonde was there to hold hand when her father left and at the father daughter dance, she told her dad to stay at home and danced with Betty so she wouldn’t feel alone.

The blonde rolled her eyes, she couldn’t argue with that, when it came to rumours, she repeated to her friend she was rarely ever right. With a defeated sigh she grabbed her jacket that was thrown carelessly on the floor ‘well she’s going tonight so we can ask then’ she informed grabbing her phone and keys before finishing off her glass of wine.

Nodding her head, the Betty remained silent not wanting to encourage her best friend to go up and ask someone they barley said thirteen words to since primary school if she was pregnant.

As the two made their way downstairs and out the door the brunette couldn’t hold it in any longer ‘nez, you won’t ask her if she’s pregnant, will you?’ she asked anxiously turning to face her best friend who simply giggled in response shaking her head ‘of course not’ she reassured.

Letting out a sigh of relief the brunette linked arms with the blonde resting her head on her shoulder as they walked down the street to the house party. Of course, the moment the school heard someone’s parents were away for the weekend it automatically meant there was a party, and everyone was invited, no questions asked.

It didn’t take long for the pair to find something to giggle about on the walk. The two glasses of wine had made the edges of the world soften and any worries or reservations were replaced with the reminiscence of previous parties and the eruptions of giggled exchanged between the two.

Reaching the street, the party was on, the pair had forgotten about the uneven cobblestone street their classmate lived on. Keeping their vice like grip on each other’s hands they attempted to focus on the street rather than reminisce about past parties. ‘Maybe high heels on cobblestones and two glasses of whatever the hell we were drinking is a bad combination’ the brunette giggled leaning on the other for support as they neared the party house.

Giggling in agreement, the Inez nodded her head letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding once they arrived outside Ivy’s house. ‘Probably not’ she answered with a smile before straightening up and turning to look at Betty ‘ready?’ she asked with a hint of determination in her sapphire eyes.

‘ready’ the brunette confirmed as green irises met blue. An unspoken message that they would stick together was spoken before they advanced knocking on the door instantly being enveloped into a tight hug by their classmate who had clearly found her parents stash of booze.

‘you’re here! you’re here!’ she squealed excitedly pulling back to take in the sight of the two girls she dragged inside.

‘of course, we are, we were invited after all’ Inez’s nudged her gently whilst looking taking in the party scene she had just walked into ‘you really weren’t kidding when you said everyone was invited huh?’ she teased with a small smirk before locating their friendship group on the middle of the dance floor.

‘of course! Everyone was invited and thanks to my amazing party skills they all came’. Ivy emphasised the my making it apparent to the girls that this was all her doing. ‘Anyway’ she shook her hand dismissively pulling the girls further inside the house ‘dancing in the living room, the booze is in the kitchen and the upstairs is of limits’ she briefed pointing in the direction of the rooms she just mentioned before rushing off when she was called back onto the makeshift dance floor.

A soft chuckle escaped Betty’s lips as she watched the hostess dance with the rest of their friendship group. Looking around she realised just how many people had been packed into the house like a tin of sardines. The mountain of people stuffed into the living room consequently left and aroma of sweat and combined with the alcohol out on display, was almost enough to make you vomit.

‘Drink?’ Inez had to practically yell over the deafening sound of music coming from somewhere in the living room. Nodding her head Betty turned around graciously accepting the pink liquid which was in the pitchers across the counter ‘Do you think the football team is here?’ the blonde asked once she had poured herself a drink.

‘Back corner of the living room by the painting’ Betty responded having clocked them almost as soon as they walked through the door. She knew Inez like the back of her hand and knew very well on the small crush the blonde had on the goalkeeper. Turning to look at Inez she couldn’t help the smirk that escaped her lips ‘let’s go dance’ she decided practically dragging the blonde to the dance floor surrounding themselves with their friendship group as they all danced along to the music that could be felt in their hearts.

After dancing through a good chunk of the playlist, Betty excused herself to get a breath of fresh air. Running her fingers through her tangled hair she headed to the back garden hoping to have a breather and collect herself before continuing to party for another hour or so before calling it a night.

Stepping outside the cool air hit her like a slap to the face, taking a deep breathe in she couldn’t help but relax as the midnight air replaced the claustrophobic environment, she was just in. Closing her eyes, she stayed still for a moment relishing in the relative silence the outside had to offer.

The brisk night air returned her cheeks to her usual relatively pale complexion as opposed to the crimson blush she was sporting moments before and completely relaxed her mind and body. Completely unaware of her surroundings she didn’t hear the sliding kitchen doors open till a flicker of a lighter reached her ear.

Forcing herself out of her daydream like state she turned around curious as to who had disrupted her peace. A quiet gasp escaped her lips before being replaced by a small yet genuine smile. ‘James’, she whispered softly taking in the appearance of the other brunette standing a metre or two in front of her.

Chapter Text

Lighting her cigarette James moved to sit on the bench that was haunted by rust creeping up the legs like a disease. ‘What brings you out here?’ she asked exhaling the smoke whilst leaning back so that her head rested against the brick wall behind her. ‘I thought you’d be in there dancing the night away’ she added nodding her head in the direction of the dance floor behind the glass doors.  

‘I was’ Betty replied moving towards the bench before sitting next to the brunette. Accepting the cigarette, she was offered she began to speak again ‘I just needed a little breather, it gets a bit claustrophobic sometimes with all these people in such a small room’. Taking the lighter James offered her she began to light her cigarette whilst the other brunette began talking again.

‘Yeah, I get that’ James turned her attention to the smaller brunette besides her ‘I hate the crowds at these things’ she admitted quietly almost as though she was ashamed of the confession. ‘That’s one of the reasons I started smoking’ she continued focusing on her cigarette watching as the smoke rose before evaporating into the air ‘it gives me an excuse to come outside for a few minutes’ she finished keeping her eyes glued to the floor whilst taking another drag of her cigarette.

Turning her attention to the brunette besides her Betty offered a comforting smile unsure of whether James could see it. She didn’t know if it was the alcohol she had consumed or the crush she harboured for the girl besides her, but she couldn’t stop her mind from focusing on the way her dark locks glistened like a lake under the moonlight. Unable to drag her attention away she couldn’t control how her eyes fell from the brunette’s hair following her delicate jawline all the way to her lips which were slightly parted as she exhaled another round of smoke.

Realising she hadn’t said anything in a while she bit her lip before dragging her eyes away and focusing on the garden in front of her ‘that’s not the worst idea in the world I suppose’ she finally spoke quietly forcing herself to not look at the brunette next to her. ‘It can get quite lonely in there sometimes’ she added a little quitter this time ‘even though you’re in a room full of people you call friends’ she confessed.

‘well, you know what they say’ James almost smirked turning to look at the brunette besides her whose olive green irises caught the moonlight and shone light the in a similar way to how authors described emeralds ‘a friend to all is a friend to none’ she answered in an attempt to mimic their teacher who had spoken those words in their homeroom this morning.

Without a moment’s hesitation a laugh escaped the brunettes painted lips as she turned her attention back onto the brunette who was doing an excellent impression of their teacher.

Leaning her head against the brick wall behind her she let out another soft chuckle ‘I guess he had a point though; you can’t be everyone’s friend’ she admitted. James turned around to look at Betty as she leant her head against the wall there was something about the way she had just spoken, it was a different type of quiet almost as though there was something more to what she was saying.

‘I consider you my friend’ James replied almost instinctively without even having a chance to think. Watching as green irises moved to meet her own James couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread inside her. There was no doubt that this feeling was brought on by the girl next to her, the girl who she had recently discovered she had feelings for.

Holding eye contact with the taller brunette Betty’s cheeks betrayed her as a small, but very visible, blush crept over them. ‘I consider you my friend too James’ she whispered softly forcing her head up from the wall sitting in an upright position again.

She didn’t know what it was, if it was the conversation that hinted at loneliness, the alcohol clouding her judgement, or the silence the outside provided but she found herself leaning closer to James. She could smell the remanence of smoke and alcohol on her breathe and was so close that she could see the freckles discreetly dotted around her face.

She could have sworn that James moved closer towards her as well but never had the chance to know for certain because as quickly as they were leaning closer to each other they were moving apart with the intrusion of others joining them outside.

Exhaling a breath, she didn’t know she was holding the brunette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before smiling at the people who has intruded on their moment. The smile Betty was wearing now was noticeably different to the one she was sporting a few moments ago James notices as she shuffled on her seat turning her attention to the others.

‘There you are!’ one of the girls squealed grabbing Betty’s arm lifting her up from the bench and pulling her into a hug after Betty stubbed her cigarette out. Although she didn’t know her name James recognised the girl, they were in science together. ‘I thought you had gone home’ she admitted sadly keeping Betty wrapped in her arms.

‘Without saying goodbye. I would never’ the brunette gasped keeping her arms securely wrapped around her intoxicated friend so that she wouldn’t fall.

‘Yes well, say your goodbyes because we have to leave now if we want to make curfew’ Inez commented brining Betty to the realisation of just how late it was. The blonde moved slowly untangling Betty from the koala like hug she was trapped in ‘but we will see you tomorrow at school’ she reassured the girl with a warm smile.  

After saying their goodbyes to everyone Betty and Inez began the walk home. Linking their arms together the pair rested their heads against each other ‘so’ the blonde dragged out the syllable ‘I saw you and James were outside alone’ she teased with a small smirk keeping her eyes on the road ahead and not at her blushing friend.

‘We were just talking’ the brunette dismissed quickly causing a soft chuckle to escape from the blonde. Inez wasn’t stupid, she knew that her best friend had a crush on the girl. She had known Betty ever since she could remember, knew everything about the girl and knew how badly she had it for the other brunette.

‘Okay’ Inez whispered softly. She knew why Betty was so hesitant to admit her feelings for the other girl and whilst she was dying to hear her accept her crush, she wasn’t going to push her into confessing anything.

The cool night air helped in sobering the two tipsy girls up a little. Knowing they both had school tomorrow the girls were mindful of how much they drank tonight and by the time they reached Inez’s house they were only a little tipsy.

Quietly making their way upstairs the two girls reached Inez’s room at the back of the house. Silently changing into pyjamas, they both got into the blonde’s bed. Having known each other for most of their lives they would always share a bed whenever they slept round each other’s houses.

Illuminated by the bedside lamp the room was basked in a soft golden light providing a comfort the overhead light could never attempt to achieve. Basking in this comfort Betty turned to face her friend who was lying next to her staring up at the ceiling ‘I think I like her’ Betty whispered softly breaking the silence.

Shifting her body and turning to face the brunette beside her Inez couldn’t help the smile that escaped her lips ‘I think she liked you’ she answered comfortingly. Hearing her response Inez watched the blush return to her best friend’s cheeks as she only giggled in response. ‘She’s not him’ Inez added quietly, Betty didn’t need the name to know who him was.

Even when he wasn’t part of her life, he still influenced it.

‘I know’ Betty replied quietly her voice laced with a sense of vulnerability she only showed around Inez. ‘But she could still leave me’ she added quietly turning to look up at the ceiling in a desperate attempt to stop the tears from escaping.

Leaning on her elbow Inez sat up so that she could still be in the eyeline of the anxious girl beside her. She delicately reached out and rubbed the girls arm soothingly ‘I know that’ she whispered quietly. ‘But she also might stay’ she added hopefully with a small reassuring smile.

‘But’ she continued ‘if she does leave, break your heart, or even thinks about doing either, then I will just have to murder her’ she finished smiling when she heard a quiet giggle escape the brunette’s lips. Turning to meet her best friends comforting gaze Betty couldn’t help but smile ‘I know you would’ she replied reaching for the blonde’s hand and giving it a small squeeze.

Although no words left her lips a silent exchange of thanks was passed between the two as Inez lied back down wrapping her arms around her friend. Shifting comfortably against the mattress and the blonde, Betty got comfortable in her arms ‘I love you’ she whispered as her eyelids dropped.

‘I love you too’ the blonde whispered as she felt familiar arms wrap around her. ‘night’ she added quietly as she easily began to doze off, not before hearing a goodnight from the brunette.

Chapter Text

Swinging on the back of the chair amber irises stared so intently at the clock on the wall they could have burnt a hole in it. Sixteen minutes left till lunch, that was only three five minutes James told herself as she continued to stare at the clock wishing the lesson would just finish and they could go to lunch. Knowing she had a chocolate muffin in her bag only seemed to encourage her hunger pains as her stomach rumbled for the millionth time since sitting down.

Letting out a frustrated sigh she leant forward grabbing a pen and began doodling on the paper she was supposed to be taking notes on the Second World War with. Choosing to spend her time differently than the teacher had intended she began sketching ivy travelling up and down the paper blocking out the discussions of war happening around her.

As she focused on the green leaves that were consuming the paper, she couldn’t help but compare the colour of the ink to the green of a familiar brunette’s eyes. The ink was lighter than the olive-green shade of Betty’s eyes. She wasn’t sure when she had memorised the exact shade of the brunette’s eyes, but she knew it was darker than the ink that was splashed against the page in front of her.

Thinking about the brunette, James couldn’t help the way her mind also noticed that the wooden desk also wasn’t the same shade as the brunette’s hair. The brunette’s hair colour closely resembled the colour of James’s favourite chocolate offering her a sense of comfort and familiarity nothing else could give her. She also knew that in the daylight it held a golden hue mimicking the halos of angles that decorated the history of art textbooks at the bottom of her bag.

Letting the pen fall from her hand James tried to recall when she begun taking note of the brunette’s appearance. From the moment she saw her she knew she was beautiful, but there were so many beautiful people in the town, why was she such an infatuation.

Captivated by the brunette, who she was able to picture perfectly inside her mind, she couldn’t help how her mind thought back to last night. She was certain that Betty leant forward at the same moment that she did and pondered whether they would have kissed if they were not interrupted by Betty’s stupid friends.

The harsh sound of the bell dragged the brunette from her thoughts and looking up at the clock that hung on the wall looking over the class like a watchful eye she realised she had spent a good chunk of the lesson thinking about the brunette and not the reasons why World War Two started.

Shoving her papers and notebook into her bag she rushed out of the classroom happy to be greeted by her friendship group as they headed out for lunch. The group had begun discussing what they were having for lunch and just as James was about to make a sarcastic reply to her friends comment she caught site of a certain brunette across the corridor.

Betty.

Betrayed by her body a smile made its way across her lips as she watched the brunette laugh at something someone had said. That laugh. James could listen to it for hours. Hearing her laugh she wanted to approach her and say something funny just to hear it again and again again.

Fully consumed by the brunette’s laughter James wasn’t aware of her surroundings as she crashed directly into someone. Looking down at the contents on the floor she was quick to apologise leaning down to pick them up ‘I am so sorry’ she apologised before leaning back up to hand them their stuff back. ‘Taylor’ she smiled softly upon seeing a familiar face.

The blonde-haired girl who had just been crashed into accepted her stuff graciously with a smile ‘don’t worry about it’ she replied looking up to catch the brunette’s smile. ‘Thanks for picking them up’ she added watching as James shook her hand dismissively ‘I knocked them over, only fair that I pick them up’ she chuckled softly.

‘That’s true’ the blonde chuckled before turning her attention to her friend who was calling her over to get to the canteen. ‘I’ll see you in geography’ she added before leaving the brunette to continue down the corridor with her friends.

Not hearing the end of the conversation James realised that Betty and her friends had witnessed the commotion that had occurred just moments ago. Being dragged by her friend James made her way down the corridor making eye contact with Betty as she did.

The moment her green eyes met her own it felt like she couldn’t breathe, like all the oxygen in the world had been sucked away. She couldn’t help but take note of the way her chocolate-coloured hair framed her face drawing special attention to her eyes and her button nose. Forcing her eyes away she took in the full appearance of the blonde. She was just wearing a plain shirt, jeans, and a cardigan but managed to look beautiful.

She was effortlessly beautiful.

As the two groups finally reached each other they made their way outside to their regular lunch table by the long-abandoned tennis court. Opting to sit next to her best friend Rebekah James sat at the end of the table only to have Betty sit directly opposite her.

Fully engaged in conversation with Inez, Betty had no idea she was sitting opposite the girl she had been unable to stop thinking about since last night. Sitting down whilst continuing the conversation with her friend she glanced around the table only to be met with amber eyes already looking at her.

Trying her absolute hardest to stop the blush that threatened to escape she pulled her lunch out of her bag and took a bite out of her apple trying her absolute hardest to focus all her attention on Inez as she informed her of the latest gossip, she heard in science this morning.

Despite only being forty-five minutes, it seemed like lunch was dragging on for eternity. It didn’t matter what the topic of conversation was neither brunette couldn’t help but keep some of their attention on the other throughout their time at the table. Signalling the end lunch, the bell screamed across the school causing both brunettes to let out a sigh of relief and quickly rush to their next class.

Having been preoccupied with the other all throughout lunch neither of them realised that they both had art history together next. James had arrived at the classroom and took her usual seat in the back of the classroom by the window so that she could watch the trees dance in the wind rather than listen to the teacher.

As the teacher began the lesson James allowed her thoughts to drift to the trees outside the window watching them dance in the wind. It was like watching a movie through the window frame, watching as the birds danced around the trees singing to each other. So caught up in her daydream she didn’t hear the door open till a voice she had grown to recognise reached her ears.

‘Sorry I’m late I needed to use the toilet and there was a line’ that voice. She would recognise that voice anywhere. Turning her attention away from the nature documentary she was watching outside the window she watched as Betty walked to the back of the classroom sitting right next to James.

The only available seat.

How could she be so stupid to forget Betty was in this class she mentally scolded herself. Offering the brunette, a welcoming smile she moved her books closer to her side of the table to ensure there was enough space for Betty and her stuff.

Sitting down besides James, Betty took her notebook out and began writing the date down doing anything she could to look busy and have an excuse to not give the blonde any attention. Her physical actions were the opposite of her thoughts which were dominated by the brunette next to her.

It didn’t take long for the teacher to ask the students to discuss an artwork with the person they were sat next to. Turning to face each other both brunettes let out a nervous chuckle before looking at the artwork on the board.

As the discussions of other students filled the room the pair in the back stayed silent focusing all their attention on the front of the classroom. Wanting to break the awkward silence that had fallen over them James cleared her throat and sat up in her chair ‘so, what do you think of it?’ she asked curiously before turning to look at the brunette for the first time since she sat down.

‘I like the colours’ Betty replied keeping her eyes on the painting displayed on the board. ‘It looks peaceful, undisturbed by society’ she added before she turned her head to face the girl besides her.

James nodded in response happy that they were at least talking even if it was about art. ‘It reminds me of one of the bars downtown’ she commented casually twirling her pen around her fingers ‘the one at the back where that’s hidden behind the old Italian restaurant’ she added.

‘I don’t think I’ve been there’ Betty replied before letting out a soft chuckle hearing the brunette’s dramatic gasp at her response. ‘Well then I am just going to have to take you so that you see what you are missing out on’ James responded whilst pointing her pen at the brunette besides her.

‘It’s a date’ the words left her mouth before she even thought about it. With a panicked expression Betty bit her lip turning to face James and apologise but the site she was met with prevented her from doing anything.

A surprised smile was splayed against James’s lips as she made eye contact with the brunette ‘it’s a date’ she repeated softly with a reassuring smile before forcing her attention back onto the painting unsure how she would be able to focus for the rest of the school day.

Chapter Text

‘You look absolutely beautiful’ Inez interrupted Betty’s anxiety filled rant about the way her outfit looked once pieced together. It had taken the brunette an hour to find the ‘perfect’ outfit only for her to decide five minutes later that she didn’t like it and opted for another. After six rounds of trial and error she had finally settled on her favourite pair of jeans and a comfortable navy sweatshirt.

Seeing her friend go to take the sweatshirt off once again Inez gently grabbed her hand preventing her from going any further. ‘Betty’ she spoke softly as she turned the brunette around so she could look at her ‘you are beautiful, and you look incredible’ she reassured softly.

Dragging her eyes away from the mirror Betty met Inez’s soft gaze. Knowing she would never lie to her she slowly nodded her head taking in a deep breathe ‘okay’ she whispered quietly finally accepting this would be the outfit she wore on her date.

Her date.

She couldn’t believe it was actually happened. She couldn’t believe that she was really going on a date despite her vow to herself that she would never do anything of the sort. Her lips curled into a soft smile the more her thoughts filled with ideas on how the date would go.

As quickly as it came the smile disappeared cast away with the anxious thoughts that began clouding her mind. ‘What if she doesn’t like me?’ she whispered quietly. Before the anxious thoughts began to settle, she felt familiar arms wrap tightly around her and the familiarity of Inez’s tight hugs.

‘Then she is an idiot’ she whispered softly keeping Betty wrapped in her arms as tightly as she could. It didn’t take a psychiatrist to see how anxious the brunette was. Inez just hoped she was able to sooth her before she walked out of the door. ‘And although that scenario is very unlikely’ she continued knowing that Betty needed to know there was a plan in case this happened ‘You will come back to mine, we will watch crappy films, eat ice cream, scream breakup songs till we can’t speak anymore and cry until we can’t cry anymore’ she reassured softly toying with the ends of the brunette’s hair.

Pulling away softly Betty looked up with a smile ‘thank you’ she whispered softly. As she nodded her head in response and let the brunette out of her sturdy grip, she had a moment of realisation. Releasing the gold chain from her wrist she tenderly grabbed Betty’s before putting the clasp in place ‘just so you know, that even if you’re on the other side of town I still have your back’ she whispered reassuringly.

Looking down at the bracelet Betty’s smile broke into a grin as she wrapped her arms tightly around her best friend ‘you are the best’ she whispered in her ear before the ring of the doorbell forced her to pull away. Turning to look in the mirror one last time she nodded approvingly not missing the way Inez ran to the window to catch a glimpse of the girl who was taking her best friend out on a date.

‘Does she look excited?’ Betty asked anxiously feeling like her feet had been glued to her wooden bedroom floor. Watching the blonde turn and nod her head Betty let out a shake breathe nodding her head. Swallowing the growing lump in her throat she reassured herself it would be fine.

‘Betty!’ she heard her mother yell from the bottom of the stairs ‘she is here’ she added. Getting one last look of approval from Inez, Betty practically ran down the stairs smiling widely when she was greeted by James standing on her porch.

Before she was able to reach the door her mother pulled her into her arms ‘have fun sweetheart’ she whispered giving her forehead a quick kiss before turning to James with a stern gaze. ‘Look after my baby and have her back by eleven’ she warned before leaving the room offering no time for James to argue the decision.

Letting out an awkward giggle Betty stepped outside closing the door behind her ‘she’s just protective’ she reassured hoping that her mother’s comment didn’t bother James too much. Since her father’s departure, betty had grown exceptionally close to her mother, and in response her mother had become notably protective of her only child.

‘It’s fine’ James reassured as the pair walked towards her car. ‘You look beautiful by the way’ James complimented watching the way the brunette’s cheeks heated up and her lips curved up into a smile. Seeing her smile James couldn’t help the way her own lips curved into a smile as Betty thanked her for a compliment before adding ‘you look just as gorgeous’.

Rushing to get to the car before her date James opened the passenger door for Betty. ‘Such a gentlewoman’ Betty teased softly as she got into the other brunette’s car. ‘Only for you’ she heard James’s whisper so quietly she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to hear it. Closing the door once she was inside, James made her way round the back of the car to enter through the driver’s side.

Having a moment of privacy before the brunette re-entered the car, Betty couldn’t help the excited squeal that escaped her lips as she turned her head to follow her date round the car. Although she had nothing but what she had seen in films to compare the date to she thought it was going quite well.

Once back inside the car James turned to her date ‘ready?’ she asked whilst putting the keys in and starting the car. ‘Ready’ Betty confirmed as they headed out the driveway and began heading towards the bar they had briefly spoken about.

The music coming from the radio broke the silence between the two as the car moved down the quiet streets of their town. ‘This is my favourite song’ Betty smiled as the melody reached her ears. Turning to face her for a moment before moving her eyes back onto the road James turned the radio up ‘It is a good song’ she admitted.

By the time the chorus was playing the pair were singing along to the music together wide smiles evident on both faces as they giggled along to the lyrics. ‘I didn’t peg you as liking this sort of music’ Betty confessed keeping her eyes on her brunette driver watching the way her rose coloured lips curved into a smirk. ‘I am full of surprises’ James teased back making sure to keep her eyes on the road.

The smile across Betty’s face only grew as she hummed in agreement ‘It seems so’ she confessed. The golden rays of sunshine coming from the window bounced off James’s chestnut coloured hair giving her that golden halo she had the first time they met. Every time her eyes caught the sunlight, Betty couldn’t help but fall into a trance as the amber irises turned to pools of honey in the sunlight.

Letting her eyes travel down she took in her dates attire for the first time since she came to pick her up. Keeping it casual with baggy black jeans, a grey sweatshirt, and a black and grey flannel shirt on top, Betty’s mind spontaneously began to imagine what it would be like to wear one of James’s sweatshirts. Once this thought clouded her mind, she couldn’t stop the thoughts that followed, all of them centred around the brunette besides her.

She wondered what she smelt like, how her hands would feel intertwined with her own, the way her lips would feel against her own.

‘We are here’ the smooth voice of her date dragged her out of her daydream, and she wondered how long she had been thinking about the girl besides her. Looking around and taking in her surroundings she had a faint recollection of where she was and where this downtown bar was.

Not wasting a single second, James rushed round the car opening the door for Betty. Stepping out she gave the girl a thankful smile before the pair started to walk towards the bar. The closer they were to the bar the more real the date felt. Whilst it was going well, extremely well, Betty’s mind couldn’t help but remind her there was still time for it to go wrong.

Tracing the bracelet Inez gave her she followed the chain till it reached the infinity symbol in the middle. It gave her that extra bit of comfort and familiarity she needed, knowing that if it did all end up in flames, she still had someone in her corner, someone who cared for her and would be there no matter what.

As they stepped into the building Betty was shocked to see how vacant the place was. ‘They don’t serve alcohol till later’ James explained seeing the confusion on her dates face. Nodding her head in response Betty looked around, it was beautifully decorated following a brown wooden theme with little accents of colour here and there.

The walls were scattered with photographs and posters making the room look fuller and busier than it was. The soft glow of the lamps made the place feeling warmer and more comfortable keep Betty’s anxieties at ease as the pair were escorted to their table.

Sitting across from each other the pair sported nervous smiles as they busied themselves with the menu. The waitress came over to take their orders rather quickly and once the orders were taken the two brunettes had nothing to distract them from talking to one another.

‘How did you find out about this place?’ Betty asked as she continue to trace the bracelet around her wrist under the table. ‘Oh, my parents took me here a few weeks after we move’ James explained feeling a little more at ease now that they had a conversation going ‘they wanted to try every restaurant, bar, takeaway, anything that serves food so they could find the best one’ she added.

‘And obviously this one was the best or I wouldn’t have brought you here’ James added with a flirtatious tone in her voice Betty hadn’t noticed before. ‘Oh?’ she replied matching the flirtatious tone ‘well, say this wasn’t the best, say you didn’t like any of them where would you have taken me?’ she asked curiously.

Allowing a chuckle to escape her lips James got up the courage to look her date in the eye ‘I guess you’ll find out on the next one’ she stated confidently. Keeping her eyes on the brunette in front of her James watched as her cheeks heated up and a shy smile spread against her lips before an she raised one of her eyebrows and lifted her eyes to meet James’s. ‘So, there’s going to be a second date?’ she questioned trying desperately to stop the smile already present on her lips from growing.

‘I think I stand a chance at getting a second date’ James replied. The reply wasn’t one of James’s cocky or sarcastic replied Betty was used to. There was a hint of pride in her voice but for the most part it seemed genuine, like she really wanted that second date.

Betty didn’t have a chance to reply as the waitress from before brought their drinks to the table. Thanking the waitress James took a sip of her drink before raising her gaze back to her date ‘where would you have taken me?’ she asked curiously.

Becoming flushed with panic it seemed that words didn’t translate into English anymore. Her mind had betrayed her providing no answer to the question she was asked. Knowing she was supposed to come up with an answer she went through her mind with a fine tooth comb trying desperately to find a suitable answer.

‘A picnic’ she answered before her mind registered what she had said. Wanting to crawl under the table and die from embarrassment she focused her eyes on the table to avoid looking at her date.

‘Would there be a picnic basket?’ James asked keeping her eyes trained on the brunette in front of him. Watching as she kept her eyes glued to the table James watched as Betty nodded her head in response to her question. ‘I’m sold’ she replied confidently hoping it would cheer her up. ‘Can’t have a picnic without a picnic basket, or a picnic blanket and luckily for us I have the perfect picnic basket in my car’.

Upon hearing her response Betty realised that James was being genuine, she wasn’t teasing her or making fun. She really would be happy with a picnic as a date. Finding her confidence once again she lifted her eyes from the table and begun to stir the ice around her glass with the straw ‘of course a picnic blanket is a necessity’ she replied comfortably.

Happy to see Betty feeling more comfortable James nodded and smiled victoriously. ‘So, our third date will be a picnic, any location in mind?’ she asked taking another sip of her lemonade.

‘Did I miss the part where I agreed to a third date?’ Betty questioned relieved that she hadn’t embarrassed herself. ‘Well, we can’t picnic on our second date’ James explained ‘because our second date is where I would have taken you instead of here which leaves the picnic for out third date’ she explained.

‘Third date it is’ Betty nodded her head meeting the amber eyes of her date. The moment she looked into her eyes she felt that warm pleasant feeling she felt days ago in the garden. Interrupted by the waitress brining their food over the pair were forced to look away from each other.

As she moved to place the food down the waitress accidentally knocked the drink in front of James over causing it to spill all over the bench she was sitting on. As she began to profusely apologise James reassured her it was completely fine and nothing to worry about. ‘Let me take you to another table’ the waitress offered already moving to move their stuff for them.

‘Nonsense, you can just sit on this side’ Betty offered meeting James’s gaze again. ‘Exactly, it’s not a problem at all’ James reassured as she moved over to sit next to Betty grateful that they had been seated on a booth and not a table and chairs.

Feeling embarrassed the waitress quickly nodded placing their food down before rushing to replace James’s drink. Chuckling at the event that’s had just occurred James turned to Betty whispering quietly in her ear ‘at least it wasn’t me this time’ she confessed causing a laugh to erupt from Betty’s lips as she turned to meet the brunette’s gaze.

Having leant into whisper in her ear not wanting the waitress to hear James was a lot closer to Betty than before. Before they had a table in-between them but now, there was nothing keeping them apart.

Once again, their moment was interrupted by the waitress who brought another drink over before apologising once again for the mess she had created. Reassuring her once again that there was no harm done the girl left them to their meals.

Whilst the pair ate their food they exchanged conversation about their classmates, their hobbies and anything that came to mind. The conversation flowed like a river between the pair. They made the other laugh and were both having a greater time than they ever could have imagined.

After they finished eating the pair realised that somehow, they had moved closer to each other. So close that Betty could smell the vanilla fragrance she would now forever associate with James. Swallowing the lump in her throat she listened as James narrated a story about the time she fell off her skateboard. Watching her lips move as she spoke Betty zoned out of the conversation as the thoughts from before came flooding back.

The desire to know what James’s lips would feel like against hers was all that she could think about.

Finishing her story James couldn’t help but believe her date was looking at her lips. She didn’t want to assume, she knew she could be wrong, yet despite that she knew Betty was staring directly at her lips.

‘Do you want to order another drink?’ the question was barely audible as James used every ounce of self-restraint to not lean forward and kiss her. Nodding her head Betty swallowed the ever-growing lump in her throat and tried to get her mind to focus ‘I can go and order, what do you want?’ she asked softly as she began to stand up and order at the bar.

‘Just a coke’ James replied watching as she nodded in response before walking over to the bar. Taking a deep breathe in she tried to calm her racing mind. Taking in her surroundings she tried to focus on anything but the girl at the bar, but it proved impossible when all she could think about was the way she smiled, the way her eyes would sparkle when she laughed, she felt intoxicated by the presence of the brunette and even though she was only a few feet away she couldn’t help but miss her.

As she sat back down with the drinks Betty kept herself as close to James as she had been before taking a sip of her drink as she turned to face the brunette once again. Trying her hardest to not look at James’s lips again she tried to think of something to say when a question popped into her head. ‘Have you ever kissed someone?’ she asked curiously watching the ice float around her head.

Shaking her head James wondered the same thing ‘have you?’ she asked anxiously awaiting a response. As she watched the brunette beside her shake her head in response, she felt a sense of relief was over her, if she did get to kiss the brunette at least she would have nothing to compare it to.

‘Unless you count practicing on a pillow’ she confessed causing James to let out a soft laugh at the revelation. Betty’s anecdote had helped the pair back into the comfortable atmosphere they had created before and the conversation soon picked up again.

As they finished their drinks, James got up to pay only to be stopped by a hand pulling her back ‘Let me’ Betty insisted. ‘No, no this was my date I should pay’ James maintained moving to stand up again only to be pulled back down again. ‘Let’s spilt it’ Betty offered. Knowing that they could go back and forth like a tennis match James accepted defeat and nodded ‘We’ll split it’ she agreed as they moved to pay together.

The car ride home was filled with a comfortable silence as the radio played the top hits of the day. The closer to her street they got the faster Betty’s heart began to beat, she really really did not want this date to end.

Stopping at every stop sign James hoped she would be able to drag the date out even longer, however, each stop sign ended up bringing them closer and closer to their destination where they would be forced to part ways.

Pulling up to the brunette’s street James turned to face Betty nervously tucking a strand of her own hair behind her ear. ‘Thank you for an amazing date’ she smiled meeting the olive-green eyes of the girl besides her once again. Over the date James couldn’t help but feel the butterflies in her stomach every time she gazed into those green eyes, and they were still there now despite the last two hours they spent together.

‘It was my pleasure’ Betty whispered quietly although James heard every word.

The pair both subconsciously moved closer to one another till they could feel each other’s breath against their lips. Surprising herself Betty heard herself asking if she could kiss her, not hearing a response she began to panic thinking she had read the situation wrong but before she even had the chance to pull away, she felt the brush of James’s lips against her lips.

It was a soft, gentle brush but Betty was quick to react moving her lips against James’s and moving her hand to rest delicately on James’s waist. James slowly moved her own hand to cup the cheek of the brunette she was kissing as their lips moved in perfect synch to one another.

It felt like their lips were dancing, predicting the others move and going along with it as though they had done this countless times before. Their lips knew exactly what to do and when to do it, like they had been destined to share this kiss together.

When oxygen became a problem, the pair pulled away from each other. Leaning forward slightly James rested her forehead against Betty’s not even attempting to hide the smile that was across the lips had just kissed her date with. With the hand cupping Betty’s cheek, she moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear keeping her eyes firmly focused on the green in front of her.

Knowing what those lips felt like it was hard for her not to brush her own against them again, but she had a question to ask. ‘I had a really nice time with you tonight’ James spoke in barley a whisper. Given how close Betty was she heard every word, she heard how before speaking those next words James took an anxious breath in but before she could question it James lips began to move again ‘will you be my girlfriend?’ she asked not much louder than before.

Feeling her cheeks heat up and the smile she was sporting grow even more Betty instantly nodding her head ‘yes’, she whispered before leaning forward capturing the brunette’s lips once again. Smiling into the kiss James kissed her back relishing in the way Betty’s lips felt against her own.

The pair continued their kiss in the car before they pulled again once again. ‘I should probably go inside’ Betty whispered sadly knowing that their date would have had to come to an end at some point. Nodding her head understandably James pulled away slowing removing her hand from her girlfriend’s cheek.

Her girlfriend. She would never grow tired of thinking those words.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow’ she smiled widely watching as Betty pulled away and reached down to grab the stuff she had tossed in the car as they left the restaurant. ‘I’ll save you a seat in homeroom’ Betty replied with a warm smile as she moved to open the door.

Wanting one last kiss James slowly grabbed her arm before placing a small kiss against the smiling lips of her girlfriend ‘goodnight kiss’ she explained softly. Giggling against the brunette lips Betty nodded before leaning forward placing a small kiss against her girlfriend’s lips ‘goodnight kiss’ she repeated softly.

Pulling away she stepped out of the car offering one more glance to the grinning brunette in the driver’s seat. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow’ she repeated as James nodded affirmatively ‘goodnight, James’ she smiled as she spoke catching the brunettes gaze for the last time.

‘Goodnight, Betty’ James replied still smiling as she closed the door. Waiting until Betty was inside, and the door was closed behind her she finally began to reverse out of the driveway and head home unable to shake the smile from her lips.

Chapter Text

A few weeks had passes since James had asked Betty to be her girlfriend. The pair had built a comfortable foundation for their relationship and had found a rhythm to incorporate time for each other amidst school and their individual friends.

Betty was currently playing with the hand that was intertwined with her girlfriends as they drove to Betty’s home from school. Letting out a content sigh she turned to face her girlfriend with a curious smile ‘you never answered by question’ she recalled watching as the brows of the brunette furrowed in confusion.

‘What question?’ James asked as she tried to recall their multiple conversations of the day and answer her unanswered question. ‘What are you doing this weekend?’ Betty reminded watching as James’s face visibly relaxed upon hearing the question.

‘I’m giving it to you’ she answered casually offering Betty a quick glance before returning her eyes to the road.

‘You’re giving me your weekend?’ the confusion laced her voice as she stared dumbstruck at her girlfriend who only nodded in response. ‘I have no plans’ James began before continuing her explanation ‘so, whatever you want to do we can do’.

‘Oh right, okay’ Betty smiled visibly excited at the prospect of them spending the entire weekend together. ‘Considering you’re spending the night does our weekend start now?’ she asked before continuing to play with their intertwined hands humming along to the beat of the radio.

‘It can start whenever you want it to babe’ James smiled pulling their intertwined hands up to her lips placing a delicate kiss on Betty’s hand before retuning their hands to her. Pulling up to the drive thru James put in their order. It had become one of their many traditions, every Friday night they would order or pick up food and go back to one of their houses and watch a crappy romcom discussing the stupidity of certain characters throughout the entirely of the film.

With the food secured and the drive home spent with James playfully warning Betty to not steal her chips they finally arrived at Betty’s house. Walking up the steps and into Betty’s room, James kicked her trainers off before practically collapsing onto the soft and comfortable bed in the centre of Betty’s room.

Rolling her eyes, Betty set the food on the bed before reaching for the remote and tossing it to James to turn the film on. Grabbing the joggers, she had on the floor and the sweatshirt James had left the last time she spent the night, Betty stepped into the bathroom to change.

Emerging from the bathroom she tied her brown locks up into a messy bun before jumping onto the bed settling herself next to James. Reaching for the food she placed the bags in between the two before focusing on the screen as the movie began.

‘You know he has a point’ James began with a mouth full of food ‘If I were Romeo, I wouldn’t just stand at the bottom of the balcony and call out to you’ she swallowed before continuing ‘I would climb the damn balcony and make out with you there and then’ she stated confidently reaching for more chips from the bottom of the bag.

‘And they say romance is dead’ the brunette reproposed sarcastically before snatching the bag of chips away ‘you got the last mozzarella stick’ she reminded with a serious glare. With a pout James crossed her arms over her chest ‘if I had known it would have cost me the rest of those chips, I would have let you have it’ she mumbled quietly.

‘Tough’ Betty replied with a smug smile finishing the chips in the bag. Once she was done, she turned to find her girlfriend still pouting. She was trying to be mad, but Betty couldn’t help but find it adorable, leaning forward she hooked her fingers under James’s chin forcing her to turn her head ‘you can have them next time’ she promised placing a soft kiss on her girlfriend’s pout.

The moment she felt Betty’s lips against her own James’s pout was replaced with a smile as she nodded her head. As she was about to collect their rubbish and put it in the bin across the room there was a soft knock on the door before Betty’s mother walked in ‘hi Miss Swift’ James greeted continuing to collect the rubbish from the bed.

‘Hi James’, she replied with a small smile before turning to look at her daughter. ‘I am going round to your aunts for dinner’ she explained ‘I should be back before midnight but don’t worry about waiting up, I will drop you a text when I’m back home, so you don’t need to worry’ she assured crossing the bedroom placing a kiss on the crown of her daughter’s head.

‘Okay send her my love’ Betty smiled up at her mum who assured her she would. ‘Be good’ she warned the pair ‘and if you need anything I’ve tol- ‘

‘We will be fine’ Betty interrupted with a reassuring smile. ’We’re gonna finish the movie then probably go straight to bed’ she explained as the mattress dipped along with James’s return. Nodding her head Betty’s mother said goodbye to them both before closing the door and heading out.

Opening her arms out to Betty, James watched the brunette crawl into them before resting her head on her shoulder. As if it was second nature, the pair found themselves intertwined with each other. As James’s fingers threaded themselves through the chocolate locks of her girlfriend, she didn’t miss the feeling of Betty’s arms wrapping themselves securely round her waist.

Letting out a content sigh Betty inhaled the familiar vanilla scent she associated with James and brought her a sense of comfort she never thought she would find. Keeping her eyes on the screen she tried to focus on the plot of the movie they had been watching and not the three words that had been on her mind for a few days now.
So much had changed since their first date. They did, as promised, go on those two other dates they had discussed but they also had built such a comfortable foundation for their relationship. Betty felt so cherished and content whenever James’s arms were around her, like nothing in the world could ever come close to hurting her.

James had shifted her entire world even though they had only been together a few weeks. And the realisation of that terrified every nerve inside her body. Burrowing her face into the neck of her girlfriend her senses filled up on that vanilla scent and the warmth the brunettes body provided.

Continuing to thread her fingers though Betty’s hair, James looked down unable to help the smile across her lips at the sight of her girlfriend so close to her. ‘You want to go to sleep?’ she whispered softly pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Shaking her head Betty shifted so that she could meet James’s adoring gaze ‘do you?’ she questioned quietly.

‘I can hold out till the end of the film’ James reassured.

Nodding her head, Betty shifted her gaze back onto the tv where the movie played. She had stopped paying attention a while ago instead focusing on those three words that swam round her mind like a fish in a fishbowl going round and round with no escape. It seemed every time she tried to think of something else, those three words came back to haunt her.

Focusing on the movie she realised she was a lot more tired than she had originally thought, however, being as stubborn as she was, she determined to make it till the end of the movie. With this in mind she focused all her energy on staying awake at least till the credits started.

But with James’s fingers threading through her hair and her eyes growing heavier and heavier by the second she knew this scenario was less than likely.

‘He is so stupid can’t he see how perfect they are for each other?’ James commented. When no response came from the brunette on her chest, she anxiously looked down to check she was okay.

All anxiety faded from her body when she took in the appearance of the sleeping brunette resting on her chest. Watching her chest rise with every breath James watched the way her lips were slightly parted, and a blissful look of serenity coated the face of the sleeping girl.

Carefully manoeuvring around her as to not wake her, James turned the tv and the bedside light off before slowly shifting into a more comfortable position. Keeping her girlfriend on her chest and continuing to play with her hair, an action James quickly learnt relaxed the brunette, she let out a content sigh.

‘Goodnight Betty’ she whispered placing a kiss on her forehead. ‘I love you’ she whispered softly confident the brunette was asleep and didn’t hear those three words that they hadn’t spoken to each other yet.

----

Sunlight poured through the cracks from Betty’s window causing her eyes to faintly open before squeezing them shut at the intrusion of the bright light. Letting out a quiet groan she rolled over hoping the sunlight hadn’t reached the other side of the room and she could drift back off to sleep.

Upon hearing a soft groan by her ear, she cracked an eye open an instantaneous smile appearing on her lips at the sight that lay before her. Still fast asleep James’s mouth hung slightly agape as soft snores left her mouth breaking the morning silence hanging in the room. The intrusion of sunlight long forgotten; Betty reached her arm out gently tucking a strand of hair behind her girlfriend’s ear.

Shuffling up the bed quietly she lay face to face with James watching as she slept peacefully. She wondered what she was dreaming about, her heart told her that she was dreaming about her, but her brain told her it was either skateboarding or food. She had learned very early on in their relationship that food and skateboarding were very important to James, and she knew they were the most likely choice of dream.

She wasn’t sure how long she spent staring at the brunette, but she was entranced. She loved watching the rays of sunlight dance across her face and how her nose twitched every now whilst she slept. In her state of serenity, she looked so beautiful, and Betty was happy to spend the entire moment basking in her girlfriend’s beauty. She took a mental photograph of the way she looked; James’s morning beauty was something Betty wanted tattooed in her mind for the rest of her life.

‘I can feel you staring creep’ James teased pulling Betty out of her thoughts.

‘I wasn’t starring’ Betty rolled her eyes. James was always able to tell when Betty was watching her sleep even before she had opened her eyes, and she absolutely loved teasing Betty about it every time it happened.

Cracking one eye open before quickly squeezing it shut again, James let out a satisfied hum ‘you are’ she whispered softly as her lips began to curve up into a smile before breaking out into a quiet giggle upon hearing Betty whine ‘I was not’. Even though her eyes were closed, James knew that a pout was evident on Betty’s lips and as she opened her eyes the sight before her confirmed her suspicions.

Pulling the smaller brunette into her arms, James began covering her face in kisses. ‘I never said I didn’t like it’ she whispered with a smile before continuing to kiss all over her face becoming more and more determined to kiss every inch with every giggle that left Betty’s lips.

Turning to face her and effectively stopping James from kissing her face, Betty looked up meeting the amber irises that shone in the sunlight. ‘Good morning’ she whispered quietly leaning forward and capturing the lips of her girlfriend. As their lips moved together in perfect synch, Betty rolled over so that she was now on top of James.

Pulling away to allow oxygen to re-enter her lung James’s lips broke out into a wide smile. ‘You’re right it is a good morning’ she smirked before leaning forward brushing her lips against the brunette atop of her once again. Happily returning the kiss Betty moved her hand to intertwine it with the brunette smiling when she felt James give hers a squeeze once intertwined.

As Betty pulled away James moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear admiring the view on top of her. ‘You’re so beautiful’ she whispered softly as her hands moved from her hair to cup the brunette’s cheek delicately stroking it with her finger. ‘You look like an angel’ she added quietly not wanting to disturb the blanket of peace that they were under.

Trying her hardest to keep in her blush Betty whispered a small thanks. She watched as James’s eyes caught the sunlight turning her amber irises into pools of honey hypnotising Betty into staring at them. ‘What do you want to do today?’ she asked quietly watching as James’s eyes moved from the hand on her cheek to make eye contact.

‘I want breakfast’ she stated earning a hearty laugh from Betty and her to lean forward moving to lie atop James’s chest. Not missing an opportunity to play with her hair, James’s hands automatically found their way into Betty’s hair as she began to twirl the strands around her fingers.

‘That involves leaving the bed’ Betty reminded softly as she closed her eyes in an indescribably state of bliss. ‘hmm’ James hummed in agreement ‘unless I can somehow persuade you to go and get me breakfast whilst I stay here and keep the bed nice and warm’ she whispered quietly watching her fingers twirl around the soft hair of her girlfriends.

‘You wish’ Betty mumbled lightly smacking her arm as she moved to stand up.

Reacting faster than lightening, James was quick to wrap her arms back around Betty pulling her straight back into bed ‘you can’t leave me here’ she whined quietly causing a chuckle to erupt from the brunette’s lips. Moving to sit up Betty gently stroked the stray hairs that had fallen in front of James’s face away ‘if you got up, I wouldn’t be leaving you’ she smirked before attempting, and succeeding, in leaving the bed.

With a frustrated sigh the other brunette sat up stretching her hands up over her head and letting out a yawn. Watching her girlfriend walk across the room to grab today’s outfit she let her eyes fall to the floor wondering where she left her overnight bag and pondering if she could reach it without leaving the bed.

Just as soon as she clocked eyes with it, she felt something hit her face. Looking down at her lap she saw it was one of many flannel shirts, in fact it was her favourite flannel shirt because it was the one, she was wearing when the pair went on their first date. ‘Figured you wouldn’t want to get up’ Betty explained not moving from her spot in front of her wardrobe as she continued to sort through what to wear.

‘I’ve been looking for this for days and it’s been here this entire time’ James spoke mostly to herself knowing that Betty was far too occupied to answer. ‘What else have I left here?’ she questioned looking around the room to see if she could see anything from her place on the bed.

Upon deciding on an outfit Betty turned to face the brunette still in bed with a stern look. ‘You better be dressed by the time I get out of the bathroom’ she warned before heading into the ensuite to get changed and brush her teeth missing the mock salute she got from her girlfriend.

Knowing it was the wisest decision, James got up and changed into her clothes for the day. Running a quick brush through her hair she pulled it up into a ponytail before grabbing her phone from Betty’s desk. As she began scrolling through her various social media humming along to the song that was stuck in her head, she opened the group chat with hers and Betty’s friends.

‘Did you know there was a party on Friday?’ she asked loudly so that the brunette in the bathroom would hear her. ‘No’ she heard a reply muffled by what James assumed was Betty brushing her teeth. Watching as the bathroom door opened and Betty stood dressed for the day with her toothbrush in her mouth, she knew she was correct.

Attempting to ask who was throwing it the words were untranslatable due to the toothpaste and toothbrush in her mouth. ‘Sorry I don’t speak toothbrush’ James’s brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to translate what Betty has said.

Stepping back into the bathroom Betty spat her toothpaste out before rinsing her mouth. Turning the tap off she tried again, ‘who is hosting?’ she asked walking back out into her room in search of her earrings and necklace. Upon hearing the name Alisson in response as James went to brush her teeth, Betty nodded her head ‘wanna go?’ she asked causally putting her earrings in.

Not hearing a response, Betty turned her attention away from the mirror and towards the bathroom her girlfriend had just walked into. ‘Sure’ she heard the flat tone in the reply and bit her lip anxiously making her way over to the bathroom ‘we don’t have to James; we can do something else’ she reassured leaning against the doorframe as James finished brushing her teeth.

‘No, no, I want to go’ James assured turning to meet worried eyes. Letting out a quiet sigh she made her way over to Betty hooking her fingers under her chin so that she had no choice but to look at James. ‘So long as I get to hold your hand’ she began reaching to intertwine her hand with Betty’s ‘I don’t care what we do’ she reassured with a smile.

Chapter Text

Just as James had promised, they spent the entire weekend together. It was now the last day of said weekend and after they spent the last hour or so shopping James was more than happy to go to a drive thru and eat the food in the back of her car.

Throughout their meal they had asked each other questions promising to give honest answers no matter what the question. So far it had gone okay, but as the game progressed the questions became deeper and deeper.

‘Okay okay I got one’ Betty giggled bringing the straw of her milkshake up to her lips almost nervously ‘what do you honestly think of Inez?’ she asked curiously. She wasn’t oblivious, she knew the two didn’t get on eye to eye no matter how desperately she tried to change that. Aside from a few dirty looks here and there, they were able to keep it civil whenever they hung out together and Betty was grateful for that.

‘I think she is an amazing friend to you’ James stated knowing she was on dangerous territory. She would bet on the fact that whatever she said now would have a lasting impact, she knew how much Inez meant to Betty and she would never come in-between that, even if the blond annoyed her to no end.

Meeting Betty’s eyes she knew she wouldn’t be satisfied with that answer ‘fine she annoys me’ she admitted in defeat leaning against the car door. The pair had chosen to sit across from each other and were using the locked doors as the backs of chairs. ‘But I do thinks she is an amazing friend to you, and I would never get between that’ she reassured reaching for another nugget as the brunette nodded.

‘Okay’ Betty smiled softly. Although she would love for the pair to get on, she was realistic and knew it was unlikely to happen. ‘It’s your turn’ Betty reminded taking another sip of her milkshake as she watched the brunette in front of her burrowing her brows in concentration as she thought of a question.

‘Okay’ she began. The anxious tone of her voice worried Betty as she thought about the question on the brunette’s lips. ‘Why have I never met your father?’ James asked quietly keeping her eyes glued to Betty for any sign of panic.

Feeling like all the oxygen had been sucked from the car, Betty swallowed the lump in her throat letting her eyes to focus on the leather seats they were currently sat on. They were filled with scratches from wear and tear, she had learned that this used to be James’s family’s old car before they got a new one and donated the old one to their daughter after she passed her driving test.

‘You don’t have to answer, I’m sorry I should- ‘Betty shook her head stopping the brunette from apologising. ‘It’s fine’ she reassured softly keeping her eyes on the leather fabric as she traced the scratches with her finger and reminded herself to breathe. ‘He left when I was younger’ she whispered quietly, her voiced laced with a vulnerability she had only shown to Inez or her mother before.

She wasn’t sure when James became as important to her as the other two people, but she felt as though she could trust her with this. And so, with the comfort James always provided, she continued ‘he said he would be back after the weekend, but he ever was’ she mumbled as her eyes brimmed with tears. She couldn’t help the way her mind replayed the memory in her head, as though it was the only movie available in the cinema of her mind.

She could see the car reversing out the driveway, she could hear her mother crying when she thought Betty had gone to sleep, she could feel the way her mother held her extra tightly after Betty had crawled into her bed, she could still smell the rosemary cedarwood scent of his cologne, but none of that mattered. None of that would bring him back no matter how much she willed it.

The feeling of familiar arms wrapping around her combined with the familiar scent of vanilla dragged Betty out of the past and into the present. ‘I’m not going to leave you’ she heard whispered in her ear. Those words combined with the comfort of those loving arms around her caused a sob to choke out of her and before she knew it, she was sobbing in James’s arms desperately holding onto her both to ground her and for the comfort she craved that only James could give her.

Whispering sweet nothings in her ear, James stroked her brunettes’ curls pulling her onto her lap. Feeling both the arms and legs of the brunette wrap around her she moved one hand to rub up and down her back keeping the other in her hair as Betty clung to her for dear life.

Burying her face into James’s neck she focused on the vanilla scent that always brought her so much comfort. ‘You won’t leave?’ the question was barely audible that James’s wasn’t entirely sure she had said anything. ‘I won’t leave’ she reassured softly placing a delicate kiss atop the crown of Betty’s head.

Neither of them was entirely sure how long they had sat there. James didn’t dare to move afraid that he would disturb the brunette on her lap. She continued to rub her back soothingly whilst her other hand had moved to intertwine with Betty’s as it rested on her lap.

Betty kept her head against James’s shoulder. She had stopped crying but still hadn’t spoken a word since asking if James would leave her. She was unsure what she was feeling, she had never told anyone about her father before. Nobody ever asked.

Inez was there when it happened, so she didn’t need to explain it to her, and nobody else had ever asked so it remained locked away. She never planned on telling James, she assumed at some point the brunette would know of the situation, but she never planned on how.

Focusing on the hand running up and down her back and the way James’s hand felt intertwined with her own she couldn’t help the small smile creeping out against her lips. She felt as though James had just drawn stars around her scars, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that it was shared between the two of them.

Bathing in the feeling of safety James provided, nothing could prepare her for the words she spoke next.
‘I love you’

Chapter Text

I love you.

James wasn’t sure if she had actually heard those words, or it was just a figment of her imagination. Looking down at the brunette in her lap she tried to desperately to search for anything that would prove she had just heard those words. Taking in a deep breathe, mostly to steady her own nerves she whispered back ‘I love you too’ silently praying that Betty had said it first.

Feeling the brunette pull away from her chest James’s heart began to beat faster than she ever imagined possible. Meeting the olive-green eyes of the girl she had just told she loved she tried her best to remain calm despite the way she was feeling on the inside.

‘You do?’ Betty whispered looking into those amber eyes she had memorised. Watching the brunette nod her head Betty leant forward capturing the brunette’s lips between her own as they began to move against each other.

She wasn’t sure if was because of the events that had unfolded since they began eating lunch, or the fact that it had been a while, but this kiss felt different. It felt like someone had lit a firework inside of her, every atom inside of her craved the comfort only James could provide.

Sure, they had kissed before, but they had never kissed like this.

Pulling away only to allow their lungs to breathe, Betty shifted from her previous position so that she was now straddling James. Moving both hands to the brunettes’ cheeks she pulled her back in for another kiss, the familiar feeling of her lips moving against James’s creating an enchanting, euphoric, almost heavenly feeling to pass through her.

 With the hand already on Betty’s waist, James used her finger to run up and down it whilst the other slowly moved under Betty’s sweatshirt. Feeling the difference in the kiss from the moment they said, ‘I love you’, James felt a euphoric feeling wash over she was sure even the greatest writers wouldn’t be able to describe.

The sharp ringing of a phone pulled the two out of their trance. Not shifting from her girlfriend’s lap, Betty reached for her phone letting out a soft smile as the caller id popped up. Showing it to James before answering she didn’t miss the annoyed sigh that left the girls lips.

‘Hey nez’ she smiled softly moving her hand to trace the patter on James’s flannelled shirt.

Not being able to hear what the blonde was saying, James had to base the topic of conversation from the responses and facial expressions Betty gave.

Quickly growing bored of this, James moved her hand to play with the ends of Betty’s hair. Twirling them around her finger as she listened to her girlfriend talk, she couldn’t help the way she smiled upon hearing that beautiful laugh again. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t the one making her laugh, she was laughing, and that’s all James could care about.

Getting lost in the way Betty’s hair unravelled after she had twisted it around her finger, James hadn’t realised the two best friends were off the phone till she felt a soft peck against her lip and an apology fall from Betty’s lips.

‘She wanted to make sure I was going over before the party’ she explained.

With a small nod of her head, James moved her gaze back to meet Betty’s. ‘Want to come back to mine?’ she asked softly ‘my parents are away for the night; you could spend the night if you wanted’ she added.

‘I would have to double check with my mum, but it should be okay’ Betty replied as she begun to dial her mum’s number. As the phone rang, she moved her hand to cup James’s cheek and her finger automatically began stroking her cheek softly causing James’s eyes to flutter close with a smile.

After having confirmed it with her mother, the pair headed to James’s where they were lying on the couch playing Mario Kart. Well, James was playing Mario Kart, Betty was losing at it and James made sure she was aware of this factor.

‘it’s the remote’ Betty decided with a frustrated sigh after she lost, again.

‘Well then why don’t we switch?’ James offered knowing it wasn’t the remote but her girlfriend’s lack of hand eye coordination. Watching her shake her head James leant her own head on Betty’s shoulder their hands instantly intertwining themselves with one another. ‘Wanna do something else?’ she offered.

Nodding her head Betty placed the controller down ‘teach me to skate’ she decided giggling when she felt the brunette instantly sit up at her request. ‘What?’ James dramatically questioned wanting to make sure she heard right that the girl who had begged and begged for her to wear a helmet, not skate on the road, to be careful, and to not go so fast was now asking to be taught how to skate.

Rolling her eyes at her girlfriend’s dramatics, Betty turned to face her with a determined gaze ‘I want you to teach me how to skate’ she repeated purposefully talking slower to emphasise her point. Watching as James stared blankly at her she was just about to repeat herself for the third time when she heard an ‘okay’ slip from the girl’s mouth. ‘Wait here’ James added before rushing out the living room and upstairs.

Confused as to the sudden exit the brunette made, Betty leant back against the couch turning her head to look at the photo on the side table. The photo captured a young James with a missing tooth smiling the widest smile she had ever seen whilst riding a black and red bike. The younger version of her girlfriend had her hair braided into two Dutch braids and a scab at the bottom of her chin, which Betty knew turned into a scar because she had traced it a thousand times.

Not having any time to observe any more details about the photo the heavy footfall of her girlfriend dragged her out of her thoughts. ‘No way! Absolutely not!’ Betty exclaimed standing up ‘we will be out in public do you want people to laugh at me?’ she cried glaring at James whilst contemplating throwing a pillow in her direction.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs with the most serious look Betty had ever seen her wear was James holding a helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, and every single bit of protection she could find. ‘No’ she replied sternly ‘I don’t want you to get hurt, do you have any idea at the thousands of different ways you could get hurt riding?’ she questioned making her way over to the brunette by the sofa ‘you could fall and scarp knee, or an elbow, you sprain your wri-you could break your arm!’ she exclaimed standing in front of the brunette.

‘I’m well aware of how you can get hurt’ Betty crossed her arms tilting her chin up as to not look shorter than James ‘I remind you of all those ways everything you get on the damn thing’ she reminded with a challenging smirk.

‘I’ve been skating for years’ James dismissed ‘You haven’t’ she reminded gently cupping Betty’s face as she dumped the protection gear on the floor. ‘And we cannot have anything happen to this beautiful work of art we call your face’ she whispered placing a gently kiss against the smaller brunette’s lips.

Pulling away softly Betty couldn’t help the laugh that creeped out ‘that’s so corny’ she teased as the brunette nodded her head in response a mischievous smile on her lips ‘I know’. Gently trailing her thumb under Betty’s eyes James took a moment to admire her girlfriend. Her hair was pulled back into a hair clip leaving a few strands to shape her face, she had small golden hoops in her ears, the pair that James knew were her favourite, and they were paired with a gold necklace with the pendant of a daisy, Betty’s favourite flower.

‘Please wear the stuff’ James whispered softly concerned that Betty would hurt herself. She recalled the time she was first learning to skate, she had fallen of countless times, scraped every inch of her skin until she finally successful skated down the street. It had taken all day for her friend to teach her and although she was in agonising pain and got a telling off by her mother, she had never felt more accomplished in her entire life.

‘I’ll comprised with the helmet’ Betty stated looking down at the scuffed helmet thrown carelessly on the floor. ‘And the knee and elbow pads’ James spoke whilst gathering the stuff she had thrown on the floor. Seeing the brunette shake her head at the request she let out a quiet sigh before an idea came to mind and a smirk simultaneously came to her lips ‘I’ll let you wear my favourite jumper on top’. James’s words instantly caught the attention of Betty ‘nobody will even see the pads under that’ she reassured.

Thinking it over for a moment Betty nodded ‘okay deal’ she agreed.

‘Yes!’ James’s fist bumped the air in victory. ‘Okay, let’s put the elbow pads on and then I’ll get the jumper’ she spoke whilst grabbing one of the pads and fastening it to Betty’s elbow. Quickly moving on the other, James made sure both of them were secure before looking back up at Betty ‘you put the knee pads on, and ill grab the jumper’ she instructed before rushing upstairs to find the jumper.

Reaching her room, she let out a frustrated sigh at the cluttered mess she had left her room in. Searching through the heap of clothed

s pilled on the floor she finally found the jumper she was searching for. With a victorious smile she instantly grabbed it before rushing back downstairs smiling when she saw Betty standing there with the knee pads and the helmet on ‘not a word’ Betty warned before James even had the chance to say anything.

Holding her arms up she nodded her head before handing over the jumper. ‘You look cute’ she teased earning a playful shove from Betty ‘okay okay I’m done I’m done’ she reassured before wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller brunette once she was wearing the jumper. ‘Thank you for wearing the stuff’ she whispered brushing her lips against Betty’s who happily returned the kiss ‘You’re welcome’ she whispered quietly.

Taking her hand, James led the pair outside grabbing her skateboard in the process ‘have I ever told you how good you look in my clothes?’ she asked as they reached the end of the drive. Desperately trying to hide her blush Betty shook her head focusing on the pavement rather than the adoring gaze of her girlfriend. ‘Well, remind me to do it more often’ James hummed placing her skateboard down and moving to stand in front of Betty.

‘Okay so lesson one is standing on the board’ James explained. ‘You’re gonna want to put your left foot forward and keep the other one ever so slightly behind, we will use the right to push off’ She added adjusting her feet as she spoke to give Betty a visual example as well as the verbal.

‘Okay’ Betty moved to place her left foot on the front of the board. Before she got the foot on the board, she felt arms around her waist ‘just in case’ James whispered softly smiling when Betty got both feet on the board ‘well done baby’ she whispered leaning up to place a soft kiss on her cheek. ‘Do you want to try pushing off? Or do you want to roll around like this to get comfortable on the board?’ she asked softly keeping her hands on Betty’s wait.

‘I don’t want to push off yet’ Betty whispered looking at James worriedly the fear of falling off becoming more likely with every passing step. Nodding her head James slowly let go of Betty’s waist, upon seeing the panic in her eyes she quickly reassured her that she was only moving to grab her hands.

The moment she felt James’s hand in her own betty relaxed a little and moved to grab onto James’s arm. ‘Okay, bend your knees ever so slightly’ James instructed smiling when Betty followed her instructions ‘okay so I am gonna move, and all you have to do is keep your balance okay? I am right here, and I won’t let go I just want you to get a feel for what it’s like’ she explained softly as Betty nodded her head.

Slowly, she began to move keeping her eyes glued to Betty to make sure the brunette wouldn’t fall off. Watching as Betty grew in confidence on the board, she slowly let go of one of her hands smiling when she didn’t see the brunette’s confidence falter, not even for a second.

They continued this for a while before James brought them to a stop. ‘Okay, now we have to push off the board like this’ she gently took the board from Betty pushing off the skateboard to show her what to do. ‘You’re gonna wanna keep your weight on the balls of your feet, try not to move around so much cause that’s going to alter your balance-‘ she stopped talking when she heard a familiar giggle. ‘sorry’ Betty whispered convering her mouth with her hand ‘you’re just so cute when you’re all serious’ she explained with a wide smile trying to supress her giggle.

‘Oh really?’ James questioned ‘well maybe I should be more serious’ she added with her signature mischievous smirk watching as Betty stood back on the board. She once again offered her hand to Betty as she turned to face her once again ‘So I just push off?’ she asked. ‘Yep’ James popped the ‘p’ ‘push off and keep your weight in the middle of the board’ she reassured watching the determination settle over her girlfriend’s face.

After a few successful attempts of doing, it with James’s support, Betty was determined to do it herself. James was hesitant to let go; she was growing increasingly anxious that Betty would fall and hurt herself. She saw the determination in Betty’s eyes, and it reminded her of the determination she had when she first begun. She remembered how amazing it felt as the wind rushed through her hair, the closest thing she could compare the feeling to was what she assumed flying was like.

Wanting Betty to have that same experience she hesitantly nodded her head stepping away from Betty and the skateboard ‘okay’ she whispered slowly. Tucking the loose strands behind her ear, Betty gave James a reassuring smile. Exactly as she had been told, she placed her left foot at the front of the board. Bending her knees, she used her right to push off from the floor smiling widely when she successfully pushed off and began gliding down the street.

Moving to place her foot back on the board, Betty misjudged the length of the board and put it a little too far back causing the board to tilt back. As the board tilted, the brunette lost her balance and as she desperately attempted to regain it by leaning forward, she ended up tipping the board too far and falling over the front.

James watched helplessly knowing from the moment she put her foot back on the board what would happen. She watched, paralysed, as her girlfriend fell forward smacking into the solid pavement and the board rolled away from her. The whole thing happened in slow motion; James couldn’t reach the brunette fast enough.

The moment she reached her she fell to the floor wrapping a comforting arm around her. Feeling an arm around her, Betty leant into it ‘I’m sorry’ she whispered quietly. Shaking her head softly and looking her over for anymore scrapes and bruises aside from the one on her hand James placed a soft kiss to the side of her head ‘you have absolutely nothing to apologise for’ she reassured gently taking the injured hand into her own.

Miraculously, Betty had been able to put her hands out as she fell leaving her hands to take the damage and not anything else. Looking her hands over, James couldn’t help but wince every time Betty did. It broke her heart seeing the brunette in pain and she could tell that Betty was trying her hardest to not cry.

Helping her stand she kept one hand around her shoulder whilst the other gently cradled one of her hands ‘let’s get you cleaned up’ she whispered with another delicate kiss to the side of her head. Helping her up the drive and into the kitchen James nodded her head to the counter indicating for Betty to sit on it whilst she went searching for the first aid box.

Looking down at her hands, Betty tried not to cry. It wasn’t a bad fall, but her hands were stinging her and the loss of James’s arm around her caused her to have no distraction leaving her focused on the pain in her hands. ‘Okay, we have antiseptic’ James called returning into the kitchen and moving to stand in front of Betty.

Taking a deep breath in she gently hooked her fingers under Betty’s chin so that she could look into her eyes ‘It’s going to sting’ she spoke honestly and upon seeing the fear in the brunette’s olive-green eyes she instantly regretted it. ‘But’ she continued gently taking both of Betty’s hands into her own ‘I’m right here’ she reassured softly.

‘O-Okay’ Betty whimpered quietly keeping her eyes focused on James.

The moment the antiseptic touched her skin Betty instinctively pulled away with a quiet wine. Expecting this, James tightened her grip around the brunette’s hand, not too tight but tight enough she couldn’t pull away, as she continued to clean the wound. She kept telling Betty how sorry she was as she helplessly watched the tears fall down her cheeks. Seeing Betty in pain was physically breaking James’s heart and she just wanted to make it better.

Focusing on the task at hand, James continued to clean both her hands as quickly and carefully as she could. She wanted this over and done with so that she could pull the crying brunette into her arms and hold her as tightly as she wanted and whisper jokes in her ear until she saw that beautiful smile again or heard her infectious giggle.

The moment she was done, James pulled Betty into her arms placing delicate kisses around her wrist as to not bother the wounds on the palm of her hands. ‘It’s over now’ James whispered looking up at Betty. Sitting on the counter Betty was now taller than James, an advantage she hadn’t had before.

‘Thank you’ she whispered softly smiling as James shook her head ‘anything for my girl’ she replied causing a blush to escape across Betty’s cheeks. ‘Your girl huh?’ she hummed wrapping her arms around the brunette’s neck ‘I like the sound of that’ she admitted quietly. Causing a grin to flash across James’s face as she moved her hands to rest on Betty’s wait gently rubbing her sides with her thumb ‘good’ she whispered before capturing their lips in a kiss.

Eagerly, Betty returned the kiss using her arms to pull James closer to her. It didn’t matter how close she was able to pull her it wasn’t close enough. Pulling away slightly Betty rested her forehead against James’s looking directly into her eyes. Betty swore she could see straight into the girl’s soul with how close she was ‘James’ she whispered softly.

Upon hearing her name, James felt her stomach fill with butterflies. Although no words were uttered between them, they both knew what the other was thinking. ‘Do you want to?’ James began softly watching as Betty nodded her head ‘I do’ she whispered quietly matching James’s smile upon hearing her response.

‘Okay then’ James whispered softly as she helped Betty up the stairs and led her upstairs and into her room. As Betty followed James up the stairs, she couldn’t help but smile, she was completely and utterly in love with the girl. James’s presence was like a blood stain it would always be there no matter what, Betty was more and more convinced that James would stay by her side with every passing second.

Chapter Text

‘I can’t believe it took you a day to tell me’ Inez threw her cushion in Betty’s direction as the brunette laughed grabbing the pillow and resting it on her lap. ‘I thought you would prefer me to tell you in person’ Betty offered as an explanation ‘it’s not exactly something I thought I could casually pop into conversation’ she added.

Wrapping an arm around her, Inez pulled Betty into a tight hug ‘so how was it?’ she asked. ‘Did she treat you right? Was it romantic? Oh my god did she-‘ the rest of her sentence was muffled when Betty’s hand covered her mouth. ‘First of all, my mum doesn’t know, so we have to be quiet’ she reminded ‘and second’ she stopped as a wide smile spread against her lips, and she pulled her hand away from Inez’s mouth. ‘It was perfect’ she whispered; the moments those words left her lips Inez let out an inhumane squeal.

She didn’t hesitate and pulled Betty into another bone crushing hug ‘I’m so happy for you’ she whispered keeping her arms tightly around her ‘even if she is a complete ass’ she reminded earning her a soft punch to the arm. ‘She is not an ass’ Betty corrected as Inez rolled her eyes. ‘I tolerate her for you, and only you’ Inez stood up moving around the room in search of her top for the party they were going to tonight

‘If you weren’t my unbiological sister I would have punched her in the face’ Inez smiled sweetly as Betty rolled her eyes. ‘If I remember correctly, you were the one who told me she liked me back’ Betty reminded smiling as Inez froze dead in her tracks upon this realisation ‘and for that I can only apologise, if I had known her better, I would have spread a rumour that you and I were dating to keep her away from you’.

Throwing the pillow back Betty let out another laugh ‘you wish’ she teased before standing up to get ready for the party tonight. She was excited, it had been a while since she had been to a party, and she was excited to be going with both her favourite people. ‘Please’ Inez scoffed ‘you wish you could date me’.

‘I wish I could escape you’ Betty mumbled teasingly. Looking around Inez’s room she caught sight of one of Inez’s tops that she knew would be perfect for tonight ‘on seconds thoughts I would be lucky to date you’ she changed her mind as she moved to wrap her arms around Inez who was applying her makeup.

Catching her eye in the reflection Inez’s brows furrowed in confusion ‘what do you want?’ she asked sceptically putting her lipstick down. ‘Well,’ Betty began gently playing with the ends of Inez’s hair ‘couples share clothes, and you have an incredible fashion sense and an even cuter red top that would really work with my outfit’ she smiled sweetly as she watched Inez rolled her eyes through the reflection of the mirror.

‘If it gets dirty’ she began only for Betty to dismiss it with a wave of her hand ‘I owe you three new ones I know, I know’ she reassured happily changing into the top before appearing in front of Inez. ‘Well?’ she asked ‘James is a very lucky person’ Inez complimented before standing up having completed her makeup.

‘Thank you’ Betty replied with a bemused smile on her face before grabbing her glass of wine and taking another long sip watching the blonde rush to put her shoes on. ‘So, James is meeting us there?’ she confirmed with the brunette who nodded in response finishing her wine ‘yeah something about’ she suddenly stopped ‘I don’t know what, but I wanted to go with you. I have never attended a party without you by my side and I don’t want to start now’ she stated putting her jacket on.

‘Please, we are going to be ninety and still showing up to parties together’ Inez reassured. As the pair made their way downstairs and out the door, they shouted their goodbyes before linking arms and starting the walk to the party together. ‘So’ Inez began full of determination ‘when are we having our annual summer movie marathon?’ she asked turning to the brunette besides her.

Letting out a quiet hum as she thought Betty bit her lip trying desperately to think of what she had planned. They had broken up for summer this afternoon and she remembered James telling her something about being away for the summer, but she couldn’t place when or where. ‘I’m not sure’ she replied honestly before turning to look at her friend ‘but it IS happening’ she reassured.

Satisfied with the response Inez nodded her head ‘good, it wouldn’t be summer without it’ she smiled. ‘I think we are going away next week so the moment that I am back I am all yours’ she giggled once again the wine causing her to find everything funny even something as simple as explaining her summer plans to her best friend.

As the pair reached the house, they were quick to enter the warmth the indoors provided. Although the alcohol they had both drank kept them warm at first the effects had slowly begun to wear off and the pair were starting to feel the coolness of the night air around them.

Following Inez to the makeshift bar, Betty graciously accepted the drink her best friend handed over whilst looking around to see if James had arrived. ‘Is she here?’ Inez asked practically yelling over the music. ‘I can’t see her’ Betty yelled back trying to sort through the mountain of people already in the house. Being taller than the brunette, Inez had a higher chance of finding her so continued to search for her whilst Betty dropped her a text asking if she was here yet.

Before she had a chance to send the text, she felt familiar arms around her, and a delicate kiss placed on her shoulder ‘miss me?’ she heard whispered in her ear. ‘I found her’ Betty yelled to Inez who simply rolled her eyes in response going back go making herself a drink. Turning around, Betty wrapped her arms around James’s neck ‘You, okay?’ she mouthed over the loud music.

Smiling down at her, James nodded slightly ‘wanna go outside for a bit?’ she asked leaning forward so that Betty could hear her. Betty hesitated catching Inez’s gaze as James spoke ‘yeah sure let me just tell nez’ she replied smiling as she felt a delicate kiss pressed to her cheek. Watching James as she headed outside, Betty made her way towards Inez.

‘I’m going to go outside for a sec’ she stated in her ear. Turning with a frown Inez furrowed her eyebrows in confusion ‘we just got here’ she reminded before the ball dropped in her head. ‘James?’ she questioned watching as Betty nodded her head, she desperately tried to prevent her eyes from rolling but she couldn’t help it. ‘I won’t be long’ Betty reassured with a kiss to the cheek ‘I’m still saving my first dance for you’ she giggled feeling a sense of relief wash over her when she caught Inez smiling.

‘Fine’ Inez mumbled. ‘But please try and be quick, don’t let James steal you away for the entire night She leant even closer to speak softer ‘I know you’ve been looking forward to this’ she reminded. With a quick kiss on the cheek, she left her friend and headed to the centre of the living with the rest of their friendship group feeling a sense of loneliness rush over her as she watched Betty head towards the garden outside.

‘One down, one to go’ Betty mumbled to herself as she stepped outside smiling when she saw James sat on the floor staring up at the sky. ‘See anything good?’ she asked quietly moving to sit next to her. ‘I do now that you’re here’ she teased gently nudging her with a smile. Pulling a cigarette out of her pocket she turned to offer Betty one, shaking her head Betty shifted to lean against James ‘are you okay?’ she asked softly.

‘Yeah’ James reassured as she lite the cigarette up. ‘Just a bit stuffy in there’ she commented. ‘Were you waiting long?’ Betty asked quietly sighing with relief as she taller brunette shook her head ‘nah just a couple of minutes’ she assured.

Assuming that once James was done with her cigarette the pair would go back in, Betty stood up as she stubbed it out on the floor. ‘Where are you going?’ James questioned looking up at the brunette smiling as the moonlight bounced off her hair giving her hair a glimmering glow against the moonlight.

Upon hearing her response of back inside James let out a quiet whine ‘it’s so stuffy in there and I hate the crowds you know that’ James

reminded. ‘I know James’ Betty smiled softly as she moved to thread her fingers through the brunette’s hair as James remained sitting on

the floor. ‘All our friends are in there, and I haven’t even had a chance to say hi yet’ she commented. Rolling her eyes James looked away ‘I

don’t want to go back inside there; it’s filled with bitchy girls who just want to gossip’ she mumbled. ‘I want to just spend my time with

you’ she added with a much softer tone this time.

Frowning at this Betty took a step back instantly catching the attention of the sitting brunette ‘I’m one of those girls’ she commented. ‘No

no NO’ James instantly stood up ‘I didn’t mean it like that Betty’ frowning when she reached for Betty’s arms only for her to pull them

away. ‘Do you really see me like that?’ she asked quietly meeting James’s eyes. ‘Not you Betty, them I don’t like them I told you that from

the beginning i-‘ she stopped talking seeing Betty shake her head.

‘I am them James’ she mumbled looking down to avoid her gaze. ‘I am going back inside’ she added heading back towards the house.

‘Betty wait!’ James called out desperately hoping it would stop Betty from going any further, but instead she simply watched as the

kitchen door closed and watched through the glass as Betty joined the party.

Trying her hardest to ignore the events that had just occurred, Betty downed another drink before rushing over to Inez and the rest of

their friendship group who was dancing in the living room. The moment Betty joined them; Inez knew something was wrong mouthing a

a quick ‘you okay?’ she watched as her best friend nodded before beginning to dance.

As the night went on and people came and went, the girls continued to dance. In a state of drunken bliss, Betty had forgotten about the argument with James that had taken place a few hours prior. Continuing to dance with her friendship group she let out an infectious laugh watching as one of the guys from the football team spun Inez around.

Holding the hand of one of her other friends Betty continued to dance along to the music leaning her head back as she let out another infectious laugh. ‘I thought I heard you’ she heard the booming voice from across the room ‘oh my god what are you doing here?!’ she squealed rushing to the arms of the voice.

‘You think our parents would let my sister have the house to herself for a weekend after last time?’. Betty only giggled in response; the voice belonged to her friend Alexis’s’ older brother Edward. He was two years older so had moved away to university a year ago. He was the reason why Betty became friends with Alexis, after beating up the bully who had taken Inez’s crackers back in primary school.

‘I missed you’ she commented hugging him tightly before pulling away. ‘Of course you did’ he teased with a wide smile ‘I’ he gestured to himself ‘am amazing’ he finished giving a turn for good measure causing another infectious laugh to leave Betty’s lips ‘how could I forget?’ she questioned. ‘This is my favourite song!’ she declared as the music changed and leaving no room for debate, she pulled him onto the dance floor beginning to jump up and down along to the music.

By the time they had reached the chorus, the entire friendship group was dancing along to the music with a wide smile as their laughs almost overpowered the music.

Too consumed by the music and dancing with her friends, Betty didn’t notice as James walked back into the room a frown on her face as she watched her girlfriend dancing with someone she had never seen before.