Bethany

Bethany is an ordinary girl. Too ordinary. This is her struggle to break free. To find individuality. And to get the boy, of course ;)

Who designed the seats they have in classrooms these days? Thought bitter-Bethany. They couldn't be any less comfortable if they had spikes!

Maybe it's to stop you from falling asleep, suggested clever-Bethany. Every time you drift off, you slump down and smack the back of your head on the top.

She stretched her arms and wriggled in the hard, plastic chair to get the blood flowing again. Somewhere a million miles away Mr Anderson was still droning on and on about some mathematical nonsense that Bethany knew full well she would never need outside of school.

The only people who actually need to know trigonometry, piped up cynical-Bethany, are maths teachers themselves, who teach other people trigonometry.

So if there was a generation that didn't learn it, we could break the cycle and rid the world of it! blurted rebellious-Bethany.

For some reason, that thought made Bethany giggle out loud. She choked the laughter back, but not quick enough.

Drat! butted the voice in Bethany's head she called mean-Bethany. You've done it now, girl!

"Share the joke, Bethany?" asked Mr Anderson with a grin. He was dressed in shorts and a shirt with the top button undone. He was forty, balding, and the kind of teacher who tries desperately to be 'hip' and 'cool' to keep up with the students. He was failing at it.

Bethany hated blushing. It wasn't like when the prettier girls in the class blushed - cute red spots that blossomed like roses on their cheeks. When Bethany blushed it started at her neck and worked its way upwards, like a glass being slowly filled with cranberry juice. What made it even worse was the way her red face stood out sharply from its frame of wild, blonde hair. Her hair was usually the only thing Bethany thought was even remotely attractive about herself, and even then only when she could get it to cooperate into a sane-looking style.

"Bethany? Something the matter, gorgeous?"

It's so creepy the way he calls you gorgeous! I swear he's some kind of sicko, whispered gossip-Bethany.

He calls all the other girls gorgeous too, and besides, he's married! And he's got a kid! came the reply from smart-a*s-Bethany.

By now half the class had turned to look at her. She shrank back into her chair. The half of the class who weren't looking at her were either nearly asleep, or were silently rolling their eyes at that silly girl at the back who was always trying too hard to be cool.

"No, sir. Sorry, sir." she managed to croak out.

Jesus, what happened to my voice? Do I always sound like that? asked paranoid-Bethany. She tried, as always, to ignore this particular Bethany.

"Okay then. Well, can you tell me how I find the size of this angle here?" he asked, pointing at a diagram drawn on the whiteboard in a faint, black marker.

Damn it, Bethany! See what you've done now? You broke the three rules of math: Stay still, don't make eye-contact and don't. Make. A sound. Now you're gonna look like an idiot in front of the whole class, bit mean-Bethany.

She looked at the triangle drawn on the board. A few seconds were all it took for her to realize she wasn't going to be able to solve it. Mr Anderson looked at her expectantly.

Bethany's thoughts wandered to the giggle that had given her away. The single rogue note still rang in her ears.

Oh well, at least she hadn't made that horrible squawk she sometimes did when she laughed suddenly. If she had, Bethany was sure she would have fainted of embarrassment.

"Bethany?"

"Um..."

The bell rang.

Saved by the bell! Thank God for small mercies, thought cheerful-Bethany. It was always nice to hear from her.

There was a sudden commotion as thirty students began to stuff books into bags and rush towards the door, the thought of the weekend pushing them on. Bethany waited for the sound of scraping chairs and clinking backpack zippers to fade away before she moved a muscle. She scooped her textbook up under her arm and shrugged her pink leather satchel (two hundred dollars, months of saving, and not a single boy impressed) over her left shoulder.

She headed for the door, keeping her eyes on her feet to avoid eye-contact with anyone.

Smooth, girl, smirked mean-Bethany.

"Shut up," she whispered out loud.

"What did you say?" came a soft, soothing voice from behind her.

Bethany realized that she had walked on autopilot all the way out of the school gates, and Troy was walking a few steps behind.

Oh damn, oh damn damn damn, cried every last one of the voices in her head as her heart leapt into her throat. Why Troy? Of all people? Why today? There was a zit on her nose, her hair was butt ugly, and of course there had been the humiliation in math.

"Um, nothing. I mean, not... yeah, nothing." Someone was filling the glass with cranberry juice again. Bethany wanted to sink her elbow into the groin of the invisible man holding the pitcher.

Troy laughed. His was a hearty, likeable laugh. The polar opposite of Bethany's.

"You've gone bright red," he told her.

"Sorry"

"What for?" He grinned. She swallowed hard and nearly choked. He was unbelievably hot. And he was talking to her. Of his own accord!

Don't mess this up. Don't mess this up. Don't mess this up, chanted encouraging-Bethany. Say something cute!

"Um... nothing. Sorry. I mean... no..."

He laughed again.

"Okay, then. Well, I'll see you monday, I guess!"

They had reached the corner of Alamaeda Street. Troy's house was left, toward the beach while Bethany's was straight ahead.

Well, you blew your chance, girl, said stating-the-god-damned-obvious-instead-of-thinking-of-a-smart-thing-to-say-Bethany.

"Okay. Bye, Troy. Have a good weekend!"

Well, it's better than 'Merry Christmas', I guess, quipped sarcastic-Bethany.

"You too! See ya later, Bella!" he walked off with a wave and a dreamy smile.

She stood there for a whole minute after he'd left. She hadn't been

able to pluck up the courage to correct him.

Nice one, girl.

Reviews

[Mila]

I loved the dynamics between the different Bethanys! It was very comical and interesting because I do that a lot too in my head. Very enjoyable :) Can't wait to read the rest! :) Well done!

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you so much! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks like that haha ;)

[Mikayla_Stagg]

I liked it, though it was quite confussing in the beginning with all the different Bethannys. Well written otherwise. I look forward to reading more.

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you :) I might tweak it to make it less confusing :P