chapter 6 ~ exile

                                    

                                          
JAMES & BETTY
James - I could see her standing in the middle of the darkened room, my girl, with another boy's arms around her body, laughing at some stupid joke he made, which probably wasn't even that funny. I can't believe she's here at Homecoming with him and not me.
It took Betty like 5 minutes to wash her hands of me after that stupid gossip Inez told her about Augustine. She left me in the hallway with all our love as if it was nothing.
Have I been exiled from her? She is my homeland, my town, the one I have always defended.
This feels like the end of one of those cheesy films Betty always forced us to watch on dates. And I don't like this ending.
Betty - I could see him staring, as if this boy was just an understudy, as if he would fight over me. As if he would willingly get his knuckles bloody for me.
Once upon a time, perhaps I would have wanted it.
I would give him a million chances, I always have. Every time he flirted with Inez, I forgave him. But this was too far.
Our love was like a growing, expanding, beautiful tree, but the branches were dying, and we were balancing on branches half-broken. I realize now we have always walked such a thin line.
His eyes do add insult to injury. He hasn't got a right to me after what he did.
He was the crown of my life, my love. But haven't I exiled him? He isn't my problem anymore. I broke up with him. Who am I offending now? 
He was walking toward me, eyes desperate and begging.
"You didn't even hear me out, Betty!" James yelled.
"And why should I?" I scream back.
"You - you never gave me a warning sign!" 
"I gave so many signs! I literally broke up with you!" 
"Well, how am I supposed to read your mind?"
 "With time, we work together, love each other, and you learn how to read my mind! Or you leave without looking back. That's how it works, if you're going to cheat on me! You could have turned things around, could have told me, instead I had to hear from my best friend that you've been fucking another girl!" 
"I couldn't turn things around-"
"Then that's your fault."
There was silence. We'd caused a scene.
"Betty-" James started.
"No. You can go fuck yourself, James." I said, leaving out the side door of the gym.
People say they want a love like the movies, all the plot twists, the angst...but god, this hurts beyond comparison. I never wanted us to end like this.