Just a Summer Thing...

by thebageltrio

Summary:

This is my take on Taylor Swift's Folklore Love Triangle because I hate the ending. I'm autistic and Taylor is my special interest so please just be kind. I'm also a student so posting new chapters can be hard but I thank you for your patience <3

Notes:

YES IVE LISTENED TO THE SONGS NO THIS ISNT CANNON LET ME LIVE
*PLEASE CHECK THE NOTES FOR THE CHAPTERS TW*
Written by Peanut Butter

Chapter 1: Just a Summer Thing... -Chapter 1 (Augustine's Perspective)

I slide my shirt over my bra, I chose the lacy one I know James likes. I chose it just for him. I do most things for him in fact, even though he has a girlfriend... YES I KNOW IT'S WRONG BUT HE SAYS HE'LL BREAK UP WITH HER... eventually...

The shirt I'm wearing is the ugliest thing I've ever laid eyes on, but it's my uniform so I don't have much of a choice. I was forced into this job by my mother but surprisingly I like it. I'm pretty good with kids, unlike Betty. James says I'm so much better than her, for multiple reasons, including that. I slide on a ripped pair of jean shorts. James says they make me look sexy. I think they show off my stretch marks and cellulite, but he likes it, so I wear them. I look in the mirror, I grab my stomach, it's fucking huge. It's fine though, I just won't eat, no food today... again. I can feel my eyes start to water, I've already lost my period because I don't eat but it's fine. I'm fine.

"Don't cry... don't cry... don't ruin your mascara..." I repeat over and over to myself.

I throw back my hair into a ponytail, just messy enough so it looks like I didn't try. I tried. I tried really hard.

I look at the time after throwing on a pair of high-top black converse. 7:11. Fuck. I'm late again. See James is lucky ok, he lives just a ten-minute skateboard ride away in the rich part of town, personally I live an hour and a half away. We aren't BROKE but I have a single mom and I'm DEFINETLY not rich. My mom leaves at 7 for work, she put out cereal for me to eat, she knows I don't unless I'm coaxed. I put the cereal back on the shelf without eating any. I jump in the used, broken-down, ass car my neighbor let me borrow for the summer and start playing Snow Angel by Renee Rapp. Messy starts playing first. James says it reminds him of our love. I don't know how to feel about that.

Miraculously, I get there with 10 minutes to spare. That's a first! Usually, I get there either just on time or about 5 minutes late. I see the Camp Folklore sign and almost start crying with excitement. I have really strong feelings if that wasn't obvious. I run to the counselor cabin and there I see James, brushing out his hair, he doesn't talk to me. He just gives me a kiss on the head and walks away. His eyes are red. He's either been crying or high. He's definitely high. James likes to pretend he doesn't smoke constantly but everyone knows he does. The only reason he hasn't gotten fired yet is because his uncle owns the place.

I love him. I don't think he loves me back.

We look at the chart for today's activities and write our names next to the one we want to lead that day. James chose skateboarding, obviously (I think it's an obsession at this point). I see friendship bracelet making is open, so I decide to go with that for today. I figure it'll be easy and quiet. I don't mean to be stereotypical but the only kids who actually choose friendship bracelets are usually girls, with the exception of a few bullied gay boys, and I mean that literally. It's probably some dumb ass social thing. I don't know, I'm too fucking stupid to understand. It's being held right outside the mess hall and skateboarding is being held on the basketball court. With the way the camp is set up, James will be forced to see me. He'll talk to me then. I'm sure of it.

Once I sign my name I see Dorthea pop around the corner. She's a mutual friend of Betty's. She's friends with Inez who I don't know personally but I've heard stories and Jesus Christ is she a gossip. Dorthea is nice enough, I guess. She's just quiet. She has long dark wavy hair that cascades down her back like a waterfall. I like her hair. It's a lot prettier than mine. Mines just dirty blonde and pin straight. I move out of the was once I finish dotting my i with a little heart in Augustine. James says it's cute when I do that so now I do it all the time. After she finishes up writing her name, I see she signed it on the spot next to me. So I'm doing an activity with a girl Betty's sort of friends with? Ok I guess? I don't know how I fell about that. It's fine.

When we finally get to stations and Dorthea's already there, setting out the string. She starts making hers with an orange palette, it's not my taste but it's cute. James comes over and asks if we're still on for tonight. I say yes. Him and his asshole friends are all carrying their skateboards, the last one of tugging a wagon filled with them. They ask him what we're doing tonight and he says we're just friends, but I don't think they believe him. None of them go to school with him, thank god, so none of them can tell Betty.

After a long day of work he loads his skateboard into the back of my car. We drive for a while until we stop at the lake. There we park the car right in front and climb into the back seat. There he slowly lifts up my shirt, exposing the lacy bra I picked out just for him.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2-Just a Summer Thing... (Betty's Perspective)

Summary:

Betty's side of the story <3

Notes:

TW: HOMOPHOBIA, ABUSE, DV, DADDY ISSUES, SUICDAL IDEATION, SELF HARM

Made by Peanut Butter

Inez tells me James isn't trustworthy. She's full of shit. Apparently, her friend Dorthea told her something about him and this other girl "flirting"? Yeah right. I've known James since we were seven and he’d NEVER do something like that.

So, some background on my life, I guess. My dad left when I was nine, it’s sad but he’s a fucking bitch who’s never coming back. I accepted that long ago… on the bright side that’s how me and James became friends. My dad used to beat me, and James let me spend the night at his house. It started when I was younger, and I did the stereotypical sapphic thing of looking up “girls kissing”. He found out. I hid in the closet that night. It was only then when I (A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD) had to sneak over to the neighbors by climbing the tree next to my window long after my dad had fallen asleep. I ran down the road as far as my legs could carry me before finally stopping at a big house with a blue door that still had its porch light on. I knocked. James' mom answered.
Long story short I spent most of my nights there.

I’m fine now though, well not fine exactly, but a hell of a lot better. The fact Inez would lie to me about someone who does that is absolutely horrific and her little bitch of a friend needs to chill out, I don’t care what she thinks she saw it wasn’t real. I wasn’t the only one who got something out of this relationship either though… I was there for James when he was considering suicide. He almost drove off a cliff but came to me instead. I truly believe that’s the bravest thing he’s ever done. He’s a LOT better now though. He’s on medication and his mom and I have been there every step of the way.

I guess I get why she doesn’t think he's trustworthy. He was pretty pissed when he saw me dancing with Nate at my party. I wouldn’t say I’m popular necessarily… ACTUALLY NO I WOULD! I’m pretty popular at school, James has had to fight for me more than once. I threw one party every month during junior year last year so naturally the one in June was the biggest, it was the last for a while. Everyone came, and I mean EVERYONE. Crowds usually make James anxious, so he usually skipped out on them. He didn't tell me he was going that time either, so I didn't mention the fact that me and my boy best friend usually dance together at them. When he walked in and saw an attractive guy spinning me around on my tip toes, I guess that could look like we were flirting. He stormed out. I ran out in my cardigan and explained. We're cool now.

Sometimes the thought crosses my mind that maybe he is cheating on me with the girl Inez says he is, but I know he isn't. As much as I love James, he’s pretty insecure about me leaving him so he does the best he can at pleasing me. That night I sit on my bed and mindlessly scroll on TikTok until I get a notification. It’s a screenshot from Inez with a text attached. “HOLY SHIT I FOUND HER INSTAGRAM” the text read. Above was a screenshot of a random blonde bitch’s Instagram. “nice idgaf tho 👍”. I send it and wait for her response. I get none, I check the clock and 11:47 shines back at me, I figure she probably fell asleep. I log off and start playing music. “Good Luck, Babe!” by Chappell Roan starts playing. I fall asleep to it, but not before sending James a “good night ily 💕” first.

Chapter 3: Chapter 3- Just a Summer Thing... (James' Perspective)

Summary:

Here's James' Perspective of the whole situation :/ (gross)

Notes:

TW: BULLEMIA, BEING USED FOR YOUR BODY, SUICIDAL IDEATION, ANOREXIA

I am NOT the bad guy here. Listen, I know Betty would be pissed but I swear what me and Augustine have is purely sexual. I know that, she knows that, we're both super aware of it. Besides, I'm basically not even cheating. My life at school and camp are totally different. At school I'm James, not bad looking necessarily but definitely not even CLOSE to looking like the other guys at school, I'm the off-putting guy who listens to "girly" music and get asked for wrists checks in the middle of the hallway, Jesus Christ I thought we moved past that shit in middle school. I feel bad for Betty to an extent if I'm being honest... she has her pick of guys and she chose me. I guess that's why I'm doing this. I'm trying to prove to myself I can cheat if I want to. At camp I'm not just James. I'm the sexy guy who Augustine hooks up with in front of the lake... and in the lake... on and the sand... and at both of our houses when our parents aren't home... and even once behind the mall... IT'S FINE THOUGH I SWEAR!! Betty's done a lot for me I will admit and at points I do feel bad, but I guess I sort of got addicted if that makes sense.

I had met Augustine last year; we were in the lake swimming and she looked pretty hot in her bikini. It was the first year we were both councilors instead of just CITs so I got her number but I didn't plan on doing anything with it. At that point Betty and I were talking but we hadn't made anything official yet. When I saw Betty dance with fucking Nate I lost my shit, she explained and I pretended to understand but I didn't. That night I called up Augustine and her mom had a late shift. When I got there she smelled like vomit but told me to give her 20 minutes. When she came out, she smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. Betty uses the same scent combination. I guess that's what led me to taking her virginity that night. Admittedly I did feel guilty about it but I also wasn't thinking straight and now... well... I just can't stop. We've had sex pretty much 2-3 times a week sense then. Each and every time she says she loves it. I will say though a few times she has asked me to break up with Betty and I gave some pretty mixed signals, mostly just "uh-huh"s and "yeah don't worry about it babe..."s. Mostly just so she'll drop the subject. Augustine isn't stupid. She knows I have no intention of dropping Betty for her. I think the only reason she wants me to leave her is because she feels guilty or whatever. It's so stupid though. SHE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HER!!!

I try to be pretty lowkey about our relationship at camp. There's no one I go to school with there but there's people that I know are friends with people I go to school with. Despite being an atheist I go to bed every night praying that no one ever finds out. The school I go to is a relatively gossipy one but I can't complain. It's a prep school so I mean it's setting me up for the future, it's just scary to think about the future... I try not to. It's pretty old though, made in the 1950s, everything is basically falling apart (don't believe anyone if they say private schools are fancy, they're a fucking liar). I am NOT looking forward to the new school year. It's senior year, just one more then BAM college. God, what I wouldn't give just to go back in time and just be a little kid again. To have sleepovers every night with Betty, playing videogames in my basement while our moms are wine drunk talking about how we're destined to grow up and get married while we would gag at the idea of even possibly liking each other.

I hate myself... if I'm being completely serious. I was successful although out elementary and middle school but when I got to high school it all crumbled. That's why I smoke so much. I try to make the pain go away. I tell Betty I'm better every day, I've convinced her, but the truth is the cliff I almost went over still haunts me. Every. Single. Day. Augustine doesn't know I almost drove off it but I think she'd understand better than anyone else. Everyone knows she starves but no one brings it up. Everyone's seen her either give away her lunch, throw it out, or eat it and then.. well... throw it back up...

I felt bad for blowing her off today right before skateboarding, but Dorthea was RIGHT THERE, AND I KNOW FOR A FACT SHE'S FRIENDS WITH INEZ! I couldn't risk it. Instead, I made it up to her in the car by the lake, we mostly pay attention to me (it's her choice) but I made sure she was feeling loved tonight, well as loved as you can feel for a sex-only relationship. Afterwards, we go to her place and watch Mean Girls, I'm not a big fan but I owed it to her. I fall asleep on her couch but not before I see a goodnight text from Betty. I fall asleep before responding.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Just a Summer Thing...