"…A friend to all is a friend to none

Chase two girls, lose the one

When you are young, they assume you know nothing…"

James was late again. It was fine, Betty often reminded herself. They were close as can be, staying out late at parks and just talking, sitting on a bench and licking ice creams.

That magical moment was just one of the things that made her and James' relationship so extraordinary. He told her everything. Betty trusted him.

She thought she might love him.

#

Betty slammed her locker shut. Inez was talking her ear off. Summer break was over and life was back to normal. James had been off on vacation at some town a few hours from their hometown of Howard, Michigan. Some cottage on the lakeside where his parents owned a time share. Betty knew a few people form school who had time shares near the same area. The time share people really tried to sell you on those lakeside villas. It had obviously worked for James' parents.

"…some girl on the lakeside." Inez finished. Betty walked off toward a drinking fountain, Inez following close behind.

"You don't have anything say about that? The whole school knows."

Betty turned to face her shadow. "Inez, I'm sorry, but I don't really listen to your gossip. What did you say that was so important?"

Inez shriveled. "Oh. Um…" Betty glared at her.

"Inez?"

"Well, Betty, James…I mean, When he was on the lakes…He met some girl in the sophomore class."

Betty's heart froze. Her whole world began to spin. James…Cheating?

"Augusta. He's been going out with her all summer. Sam told Yuri who told Catherine who told Eli who told me that he saw James kissing her behind the mall."

Betty tried not to believe her. But suddenly she was conscious of the looks people were throwing her, of the whispering group of freshman girls who looked away when she stared at them, the boys leaning against the lockers who had stopped their conversations when she had passed.

She walked numbly to homeroom, Inez trailing behind, apologizing and trying to give James the benefit of the doubt. Every time she passed a group of sophomores she wondered which one was Augusta. James had kissed Betty in private. But in public, he had dared kiss this…girl.

Why?

#

Betty avoided James' gaze the whole homeroom and entire school day. She hid in the bathroom during lunch. That next school day she went to the principal and switched her homeroom. She told Inez she was dumping him. Inez spread the word so widely that she didn't even need to break up with him.

She hoped she'd broken James' heart.