Bette On It: Weird Adolescence

Bette Wheelan is growing up. She is growing up through a world of changes, friendships, boys, confusion, sex, and heartache. Her childhood years molded her with teasing and bullying but got through it with a couple of good friends and two loving parents. And now she’s about to break the mold through her teenage years. Like all teenagers, she learns what gives her power and who makes her weak in the knees. This is one girl’s story from 7th Grade to graduation. Being a teenager is weird. You can bet on it!

This story is a love letter to my adolescence through rose-colored glasses. This is a story inspired by some of the people I knew, a few who never existed, and some I wish who did. There are lots of things that didn't happen to me and a few things that did. I leave you to sort out which are real and which are not.

This story is dedicated to those who find some resemblance of themselves in it. Unless you're a 'Keith', you suck. You will find out why soon enough.

And a special thanks to my Darling 'Noah'. I couldn't have made it through any of this with out you.

BETTE ON IT: WEIRD ADOLESCENCE

Prologue:

June 2, 2004

Bette Wheelan walked out to her mom's car. It was early, barely seven AM. She had graduated high school barely twelve hours earlier and had left the school-organized all night party for the newly graduated seniors. She stopped in the parking lot to retie her loose shoe. She wore her back pack on one shoulder, and it slipped off and fell to the pavement. As she finished, she stood and swung her backpack back over her shoulder, she heard a familiar voice cry out, "Whoa. I remember that swing. I should have let you know I was coming." Much closer than she realized, and towering over her as he always did, was Ozzy White.

She held up a hand to correct him, "I only take a swing at people when corrective action doesn't work the first three times."

"I remember," he said suppressing a laugh and looking across the lot to a group of boys: Jason Kaye, Norman, Brock A.

"Not my finest moments." She quickly looked around to everyone else leaving the event center.

"Mine either."

"What?"

"Nothing that's important now."

She let it go. "Did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah. I beat Tylor and Greyson in mini golf. But they beat me in bowling. Sang some karaoke. You?"

"I had so much nervous energy about graduation; I think I was in the batting cage for an hour. Then Jenna and I hit up the costume and photo booth and got our hair braided. We were on the inflatable games over the last hour." She ran her hand over the braids. "I haven't done karaoke-"

"Since we did karaoke?"

She tried to change the subject, "Or the last time I saw you on stage-"

"Since I went off-lyric and got banned from school talent show?"

"Right," she awkwardly replied.

Across the lot, Tylor yelled, "You riding with us Oz?"

"I'll be there in a sec."

Bette spat out her question, "Would you want to write in my yearbook before you take off?"

"Only if you write something in mine," retorted Ozzy. He signaled to Tylor and Greyson what he was doing.

They traded books. She opened up his to see messages of well wishes and congratulations from classmates they had known for years. She flipped to the back of the book, turned back a page to find an empty spot where no one had written.

Ozzy-

Click to Continue to Part 1: 7th grade

Part 2: 8th grade

Part 3: 9th grade

Part 4: 10th grade

Part 5: 11th grade

Part 6: 12th grade

Part 7: Graduation/Epilogue

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