In Taylor Swift’s “august” storyline, James is also connected to Betty.
“august” is commonly understood as the middle chapter of Folklore’s teenage love-triangle narrative. The unnamed narrator recalls a summer relationship with James, while the broader story establishes that James has a relationship with Betty.
The connected songs are “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.” Each presents a different perspective or moment in the same fictionalized narrative, although Swift leaves room for interpretation rather than spelling out every event literally.
A common mix-up is treating the narrator of “august” as Betty. Betty is the person James returns to in the story, while “august” is voiced by the unnamed girl involved with him during the summer. Inez, another Folklore name, appears in “betty” as a character who tells Betty about the situation.