Betty Before X

While making New Year’s resolutions a year later, Betty and the Malloys count their blessings and tell stories about the past year. Everything is going well for Betty, and the Housewives’ League has more recruits than ever. Betty is surprised to realize that she has too many blessings to count.

A girl named Loretta is Phyllis’s new best friend. Betty still misses Phyllis but doesn’t dwell on it. Betty and Suesetta go to the record shop to buy music, since they can’t listen to Phyllis’s collection anymore. Betty thinks with excitement about when she’ll be grown up and how she’ll dress. They buy records with Betty’s savings. On the way home they talk about the next month’s boycott. Suesetta is nervous because this time they’ll be at the actual business they are boycotting, asking people not to shop there. No matter what happens, they think it will be worth it. Betty reminds her that Mrs. Malloy often says, “Some people have to feel the pain in order to believe in the medicine” (168).

There’s an ambulance in front of Suesetta’s house when they arrive. Uncle Clyde had a fever and has collapsed. Inside, Betty puts on the Billie Holiday record and listens to the sad music as she worries.