Jail Cell Rambles

Part 1

"Dance with me, beautiful."

"Ha." Betty joked, tears falling off her cheeks. Though Betty was reluctant, Gladys slid her arms around Betty's hips until her hands rested naturally on her back.

"You're such a mess Mcrae." Gladys joked.

"Yeah, so what if I am."

"I've got you." Gladys whispered, tears falling softly from her eyes as well. Gladys held Betty and swayed back and forth with her forehead resting down on the blonde's.

"You're leaving soon."

"Wish I didn't have to."

"Me too…" Betty's eyes were closed but she wished she had the strength to keep them open without crying. Looking at gladys was too much for her. Gladys had her freedom and she would be leaving soon.

The jail cell was empty with just them two dancing in the middle.

Part II

When Gladys finally got to Betty after what she'd done.

"I spent my dowry on you."

"What? Gladys? Why would you-"

"Shut up Betty. You're worth it." The silence between them was electric and dangerous. They could each see how much they were breaking each other with each passing breath.

"I can't pay you-"

"I know!" Gladys stopped her, grabbing her hand. "I don't want you to pay me back, Betty. I just want you to be okay."

"It's lookin' too late for that, Princess."

"It's not, Betty."

"Wha- ah… I'm afraid to ask…" Betty mentioned, dropping Glady's hand and taking a seat on the curb to light the cigarettes the police station had confiscated before booking her.

"Don't you think it's a little hot here."

"Yeah, it's hot here but I've gotta face up to what happened."

"You didn't do anything Betty."

"That's not what they think." Betty said, taking a drag of her cigarette and looking back at the precinct and then back to the ground.

"You can leave this place."

"Alone?" Betty asked, as if to say, no thanks.

"I can go with you."

"Gladys, don't. This is my mess, just let me take care of it. Thanks for everything, I can't…" Betty pursed her lips in anger and then swallowed down her feelings. "I can never repay you. You didn't have to help."

"I want to help you Betty."

"Yeah, why?" Betty was looking at Gladys like she was crazy. "I'm a screw up Witham, the stupid poor kid on the wrong side of the train tracks. I'm nothin'!" Betty said, with an anger that hurt Gladys Witham to her very core.

"You! You are not nothing Betty Mcrae. You are EVERYTHING to me, you get that? EVERYTHING!" Betty shook her head, was she really hearing this from the richest and most beautiful girl she had ever known.

"What are you talking about. I'm two days away from being booked into a life in prison. You know as well as I do that I can't escape that."

"You can with me." Gladys said and it was something about the way she said it that stunned McRae.

"You really mean that. You mean that it can all disappear."

"I mean that we can disappear. I know a place."

"Gladys, I'm not letting you ruin your life anymore for me. Turn around and go home." Betty said, standing up and stomping out her cigarette.

"You still think I'm a silly little girl don't you? I'm not, Betty. I know what I want."

"Really?" Betty turned back to her, drawing close to try and stop her anger from drawing attention from on-lookers. "Then tell me Princess, what DO you want?"

"I want YOU Betty." Gladys said, her face dropping into an uncertain state of sadness. She had no idea how Betty would react. And likewise Betty had no clue what to do.

"You- you think you do, but you don't." Betty said firmly, more sure than she ever could be of anything. She turned from Gladys and walked off toward the boarding house just hoping she wouldn't be followed.

"You can't lose me Betty, I know what I want and I want you. Can you hear me, goddamn it!"

"Wha- Gladys, what are you trying to say."

"I'm trying to say that I've known that I wanted you ever since that very first moment I saw you at VicMu. You think you're this nothing but you're not. You're a hero, just like Kate says. You're a hero that no one sees. And I see you. I see you everyday and I hold myself back from telling you how much I love you and how wonderful you are." Betty paused, her friend before her panting with all she had just said.

"Wait- y-you love me?"