I apologise for the really long wait, I'm so sorry, I had other fics creating chaos, anyway, I hope this is okay.
Enjoy.
If you want to see the video I made for this copy the link (found on my profile)
Betty swung her hands in her pockets as the pair made their way down another street, it must have been the fifth.
Grates upon the pavement spewed a fog of rising air and the distant beep of a car horn proved to be the extent of night life in this side of town.
"I don't wait" Betty finally spoke, clicking her teeth together from the irritation of not having a cigarette to puff on.
Gladys made a small, feminine grunt in acknowledgement. Only taking in the words and not their meaning.
Not until they turned another corner and through the silence, Gladys felt she had to speak, to keep their spirits high.
"You don't wait?" she repeated, her voice innocent with wonder.
Betty inhaled through her teeth and lolled her head back, only then to finally let out an almost bitter chuckle.
"Yeah, I don't" she shrugged. "Sharks don't stop"
"Sharks?" Gladys puzzled, the heels of her feet began to ache and throb, but she pressed on.
"Yeah, sharks" Betty waved her hands above her head, teasing that it was the most common thought in the world. It was shortly rewarded by the two women laughing. The tremolo of their temperamental joy shook through the air and drifted down wind, only to echo back to them. Betty shied a peek at Gladys, by casting her glance downwards then peering through the corner of her eye. Gladys walked with her eyes to the sky, her lips curved into a daydream smile.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Betty stopped in her tracks, leaning on a street corner to gaze out onto the other side of the street.
Gladys shrugged, a tiny blush made all the difference to her frosty pink cheeks. Betty's eyes glinted with the reaction and she pressed upon the matter.
"Come on, Princess?"
"What if-" Gladys twirled on her heel, as if dancing in slow motion. Then the dance turned into more of a squirm, directed by her embarrassment.
"Yeah?" Betty nibbled at the loose skin upon her bottom lip while waiting for the response.
"I was just wondering-" Gladys paused again to laugh in disbelief. "Would I be happier with a woman?"
Betty furrowed her brow.
"Pretty girls shouldn't be talking like that"
"Why not?" Gladys darted her chin upward and prodded Betty's shoulder, as if she were suddenly drunk of the thought.
"Pretty girls don't like other girls" Betty stated bitterly and kneaded her numb hands in need to replace the emptiness with a cigarette. She regretted not bringing even one.
Gladys's eyes were large with wonder, she was soon viewing the world much like a teenager again.
"You're pretty and you like girls"
"I'm not fishing for complements and don't go shouting it down your horn" Betty wafted her hand. "It's a statement"
"I'm just telling you the truth" Gladys shrugged and rested back on the wall next to Betty.
Betty made a sound similar to 'psssch'.
"Betty?" Gladys hummed her name, it vibrated though her throat, raspy and pregnant with intention.
"Yeah?"
"Don't say you're not pretty" Gladys's voice was soft, laced with honesty. She turned to the blond and looked her up and down, the scope was slow, meaningful.
Betty rolled her jaw and scoffed, she clapped one foot the wall, letting her knee jut outwards.
She looked to the sky, as much as she knew Gladys was staring at her, she didn't need her as a complication.
"Just stick to James, Princess"
Gladys narrowed her eyes the peered to the floor, her hands fidgeted with the hem of her coat. She clamped her teeth together, effectively making her lips thinner.
It was a guilty, almost hurt look.
Betty chewed on the inside of her cheek for a few moments before she spoke.
"What? You're actually considering me?" Betty snapped, her nose turned up in disgust at herself. "I'm broken. Besides, I hardly think your hoyty- toyty higher class society would like me" she peered at the ground through her lashes and chuckled icily, it was a dark sound.
"What if-" Gladys frowned and gulped thickly, her mouth went dry in an instant. She knew if she spoke, her voice would be weak, it wouldn't convey how much she was actually feeling.
"What if, you just leave it be" Betty pushed off the wall and began to walk down the street, she was thankful for the space, but hated the distance from Gladys, the woman was on the brink of God damn tears.
"W-where are you going?" Gladys sucked up her nerves and span on her heel to watch Betty stand at the end of the street.
"My feet are cold, I'm cold, can we call it quits-"
"No! We have to keep looking!"
"I mean for toni- shit" Betty's eyes fell upon a girl, a woman stood under lamp light. There she was illuminated with an a orange glow. Betty motioned for Gladys to hush and back up.
"What is it?" Gladys soon forgot about her awkward confession and crept to Betty's side. Then she saw her.
"That's-oh my lord that's-"
"Shut your trap" Betty slammed her hand over Gladys's mouth, smearing the woman's lipstick across her palm. It was too late, the girl had spotted them, Kate had spotted them.
Kate stood terrified, her eyes were wide, like a deer caught in the head lights.
Betty let her hand fall from Gladys's mouth.
Neither party moved.
"Get her" Gladys hissed, but Betty remained still, so did Kate.
"I-I, I don't want..." Betty felt her heart sink and her eyes fill with tears, her eyes stung as she denied them to fall. Gladys looked franticly between the pair.
Kate looked to her left as a voice broke the silence. It echoed through the street, past the apartments and crawled along the bricks. Kate flinched, she huddled her coat closer to her body then bowed her head to the ground.
"What are you waiting for?" Gladys whispered, she was about to stride over, her heart bold as brass, but Betty wrapped her hand around her wrist. The flash back hit her harder than her heart could really cope with.
"I used to sing to feel something, now I feel something and sing"
Betty took Kate's palm and planted a steady kiss upon it, as if she were placing her heart there to let Kate hold.
"I really like you Kate"
"I like you too Betty"
Before it could submerge her completely, Betty lurched forwards, she wanted her heart back.
"Betty!" Gladys hissed as she watched helplessly as the blond marched across the street, Kate stood in shock as Betty drew closer. Kate felt fear sweep across her, her Father was near, he would punish her if saw Betty with her. He would assume she'd contacted her.
"Betty-" Kate began, her voice a mere whimper as Betty stood in front of her, but the sound of flat footed stomps broke their reunion. Kate recoiled from Betty.
"Betty, go" her voice cracked, but Betty was busy glaring past Kate, to face her Father.
"Who is this deviant?" Kate's Father halted in his tracks as he saw who the stranger was. "You"
"Yeah me" Betty turned and held her arms out around her. "Nice to see you again fella" she mocked bitterly and rolled her jaw.
"Thou hast-"
"Thou hast I don't give a damn, tell that to your God" Betty growled and walked forward to him.
"Betty, you're not supposed to be here" Kate whispered as she backed away, to her Father's side, a place that would assure her no safety, but she had to protect the ones she loved, even if it meant staying with him.
Betty dropped her arms.
"Kate, come back" Betty groaned, not wanting a repeat of the last time. "I came to find you, to save you"
"Only the Lord can save my daughter" her Father cut in. Kate cowered.
"I don't want you" she stammered as her Father pressed her back.
"You say that, but your eyes are telling me a different story-" Betty lolled her head back and breathed. "I'm not just going to let you go again, I didn't stay in the cold because I like it, I don't want you as a lover, I need you as a friend, I don't care, I just need you here, with me" Betty stammered.
"You'll leave" Kate's Father stood in front of her and jutted his finger out in some aimless direction.
Gladys hung near the wall, her chest welling with the urge to fight.
"I'm not leaving without Kate"
"Marian" her father spat.
"Kate!" Gladys shouted and finally rose from her state of shock to confront them, to back Betty up. "We need you"
Kate shook her head and mouthed. 'I can't'.
"Come along Marian" her Father began to drag her down the street, she went willingly, much like a rag doll.
"Kate!" Betty ran up to them, her heart was launched into her throat and her breath caught as her Father turned in a flurry and slapped her across the face. Betty felt her bottom lip burst and she stumbled sidewards. Gladys roared with anger and grabbed Kate's arm.
"Kate" she ducked her mouth to Kate's ear. "Tell me"
Kate's Father made short work of shoving Gladys back and Kate whimpered as he grip tightened around her wrist.
"My Mother" she whimpered and her Father crossed the road as a night bus cut across.
"Don't touch her!" Betty spat out a wad of blood but they were gone, before either women could register which way they had retreated.
"DAMN IT TO HELL" Betty ran a shaky hand through her hair. "This, this is messed up" she cried and began to walk back to Gladys's car.
"Betty?" Gladys caught up with her, her heels clipped upon the sidewal roughly.
"Don't, okay" Betty held her hands out in front of her as she twirled around. Her lip dribbled blood down her chin. "Just, don't, don't speak to me"
"Why are you so easy to give up?"
"Oh for Gods sake Gladys" Betty turned, her face red and blotchy with lividity. Their voices screamed out into the night air. "It's over, Kate isn't coming back and I don't want her any more" Betty sobbed, tears streamed down her face and she backed into a wall, collapsing against it.
"I can't take it, not every damn story has a happy ending, even if you are a damn fucking Princess"
Gladys bit down on her lip and peered at her feet.
"You call me Princess, I don't want to be one" she bristled to Betty's words and walked past the blond, she was soon just a figure as she walked down the street. Betty kicked the wall and hugged herself, struggling to let out any emotion other than anger and regret.