Bi The Way

Rodney watched the red maple leaves drift gently to the ground as he waited for Ally outside the theater, he still wasn't sure what she had to check on before she agreed to go but he was glad she did. The three faded posters hanging in the windows announced the small theater's film selections, though he knew the only movie worth taking Ally to was her favorite horror movie ever made, Scream. He was already imagining sharing the butter-soaked popcorn as they held hands across the red leather armrests.

"Ally," Rodney smiled, as she came around the corner, "I hope you're excited to Scream on the big screen,"

"Rodney," she greeted him with a small smile, pausing to look at the old poster in the window. Her fingers twirled a strand of golden hair in a gesture that was both anxious and alluring. "I am really looking forward to this, honestly I was a bit nervous about coming. Madison told me that Matt started working here over the summer and I am not ready to run into him."

"Oh," Rodney shifted nervously on his feet, he certainly didn't want Ally to feel uncomfortable. "Is that what you had to check before coming, if Matt was working tonight?"

"Yeah." She bit her lip, her eyes darting away. "I'm sorry, I just had to be sure."

"Hey that's not a problem," Rodney put his arm around her, trying his best to comfort her. "You do what you need to Ally, I'm here for you,"

"Thanks," Ally responded, her blue eyes wide with sincerity. "I know I shouldn't let Matt have this control over me, I should just be focused on going to the movies with my best friend."

The word friend stung Rodney a bit but he didn't want to bring it up, all he wanted was to be with Ally. "Hey," he said gently, "It's alright, I am not exactly on great terms with my ex either. But tonight is about us, not him. This is your favorite movie and anything you want from the snack bar is on me." He motioned to the door.

Ally reached out and grabbed Rodney's hand, their intertwined fingers. She pulled him toward the door with her. "That sounds perfect," She led them out of the cold and into the warm bustling lobby.

As Rodney purchased the tickets he looked back at Ally to see a genuine look of excitement on her face. He knew she had always wanted to see Scream on the big screen, ever since her brother let them watch it with him in grade 6. He hoped tonight would show Ally that he was not only there for her but really knew her, to upgrade from best friend to boyfriend.

-----

The bell rang the next morning, slicing through the quiet morning and sending students hurrying to their first-period classes. Rodney watched as the hallways emptied, he looked down at his phone, it had been days since he had texted Derek. He wanted to talk to him, to apologize in person, but he was scared that he had waited too long and Derek wouldn't want anything to do with him. He needed a reason, something that would distract Derek from the terrible thing he did and remind him how great of a friend he was. The only problem was Rodney had no clue how to do that.

"Hey, Rodney!" Parker's voice cut through the noise, as he approached with a casual stride. "You heading to history?"

"Uh, yeah." Rodney fell into step beside him, hoping a conversation with Parker would lift his spirits. "Just trying not to trip over my own feet today."

"Join the club," Parker chuckled, patting Rodney on the back. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, as they discussed Mr. Brant's impossibly detailed descriptions of historical events. Rodney felt an odd pang in his chest; like he missed his relationship with Parker, but he pushed it down and reminded himself he was with Ally now.

"Do you think Mr. Brant is going to expect us to remember all the dates for every major battle in World War One for that test? If he does then we may need to set up a study date or something." The words escaped Rodney's mouth before he could catch them, his face turning beet red with embarrassment.

Parker noticed his friend's embarrassment and responded quickly, "Hey don't worry about the slip-up, I know what you meant. I would be happy to study with you as friends." with a slight emphasis on 'friends' to make sure Rodney knew he understood.

"Thanks, I think this whole just friends thing is going to take some getting used to," Rodney laughed, feeling his temperature returning to normal.

"No worries, I am sure we are bound to slip up from time to time, but we will find our stride." Parker held the door open for Rodney, who thanked him with a nod before they found their seats.

The day dragged on, moments seemed to drag on for eons. Finally, he was able to sit next to Ally in class. She smiled at him as they jotted down the notes from the board, and seemed to be in a better mood than she was yesterday.

"Hey, Ally," Rodney whispered during a lull in the lecture, leaning toward her. "Dinner tonight? My treat?"

"Rodney, isn't that a bit much?" she asked, chewing on her eraser. "We just went to the movies last night,"

"I know, I just thought last night was so much fun, why not a round two," Robney said confidently.

"Okay," she said, finally, shaking her head and blushing. "Bahn Mi Bites, at 6."

"Sounds perfect, Bahn Mi Bites it is," Rodney confirmed, feeling a high that only comes when you are dating your crush. He was happy about how the date went last night and hoped another great date would only help him win Ally over.

-----

As Rodney made his way to the restaurant that night, he got lost in a daydream about Ally finally calling him her boyfriend. He knew she wanted to take things slow but they had kissed three times now and that had to mean something.

He found himself outside Bahn Mi Bites well before the agreed time and quickly noticed a familiar face inside. Tara, Ally's mom, was sitting in a booth sipping an iced tea. Their eye met and he knew he had been spotted, she waved him over and he awkwardly sat in the booth.

"Rodney! What a pleasant surprise," Tara said setting down her drink with a clink, "What brings you here today?"

"Uh, well..." Rodney stammered, not wanting to explain that he was on a not-a-date date with Ally. Before he could find the words though Ally stepped inside the small restaurant, a look of horror spread across her face when she saw her mom sitting there.

"Surprise, Ally!" Rodney exclaimed with feigned enthusiasm, equally terrified by the situation.

"Rodney, what's this?" Ally's voice trembled, her confusion evident as she looked from him to her mom.

"Oh this," Rodney stammered, looking between Ally and her mother. "We just bumped into each other can you believe it?"

"Oh, I can believe it...," Ally managed a weak smile, her eyes locked on her mother who seemed to figuring out the whole situation.

Finally, a look of realization spread across Tara's face. "Oh, this is a... I will just take my tea to go and you two can have the booth." She said with way too much enthusiasm as she gathered her things. With a wave and a kiss on her daughter's forehead, she raced out into the night leaving Rodney and Ally staring awkwardly at each other.

The dinner after was an awkward and quiet one as both teens were at a loss for words, but Rodney's anxiety slowly increased as he thought about what Ally must be thinking. He assumed she thought that he had set the whole thing up, a total Matt move.

"Together or separate?" The waitress asked finally breaking the silence.

"Oh, um, together," Rodney muttered, "Thank you,"

As plates were cleared and his debit card was swiped, Rodney felt a knot tightening in his stomach. He could tell by the look on Ally's face that the date did not go well, and he was worried about just how bad it was.

"Can we talk?" Ally half whispered as they exited into the cool night air, her gaze now steady and certain.

"Sure," Rodney nodded, preparing himself for the worst. He could already sense the rejection but tried to keep his cool.

"Rodney.... I can't do this," Ally's words spilled out.

"Ally please, I didn't set this up I swear," Rodney fumbled for the right words, his explanation sounding forced.

"I know," Ally said, her arms folded across her chest. "But this feels off right?"

"What do you mean?" He searched her eyes for a reason why she was feeling this way. "We had a great time last night, right? this was just a misunderstanding."

She exhaled sharply, her lips parting as she finally told Rodney about her unspoken thoughts. "I don't know if... if I want to be your girlfriend, Rodney. I mean why did it feel so wrong for my mom to know I am on a date with you? It just doesn't feel right." Her admission hung heavy between them.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you felt that way," he said quietly, wiping the tears from his eyes. His cheeks burned as he turned away from her

Before Ally could utter another word, Rodney took off running for home. With each step, he felt heavier, he felt like he had just screwed up the best thing that had ever happened to him without even trying. He made it home in record time and rushed to his room slamming the door behind him.

-----

The next morning Rodney found himself wandering the library, he needed Derek, he needed his best friend to make him feel just a little bit better about the whole situation. Even thinking about Ally had caused his eyes to water and he felt like his world was ending. How could he ever recover from Ally's rejection?

He spotted Derek hunched over a laptop, clearly focused on the cell biology reading he was scrolling through. Rodney took a deep breath, knowing this conversation could go just as bad as his last one with Ally.

"Hey," Rodney said, his voice wavering as he took a seat across from Derek. "Can we talk?"

"Not now, Rodney," Derek cut in, his gaze never leaving the screen. "I really don't have time to deal with your drama today."

Rodney's face drained of colour, "I am really sorry about not meeting up with you the other night to go over those university programs," he stammered, fidgeting with the strap of his backpack. "A lot was going on that night with Ally and Parker—"

"So you just didn't have the time to shoot me a quick text so I didn't spend the night sitting alone in a library?" Derek finally looked up, a clear look of irritation on his face. "I really needed your help and you promised to be there. Then you bailed and ghosted me all night."

Guilt clawed at Rodney's insides, he felt like he was going to puke. He had really hurt Derek and he didn't understand why he was just now feeling guilty about it. "I'm sorry, Derek, I just..." He searched for an excuse but found none. "What if I help you with them tonight? You will have my total and undivided attention."

"Tonight?" Derek scoffed, running a hand through his short black hair. "They were due two days ago, Rodney. Jordan helped me finish them. You're always so caught up in your own stuff, that you never notice just how selfish you can be."

The words were a slap to Rodney's face, and he knew he was about to cry again. He knew Derek had the right to be mad at him and he had no clue how to fix it. He'd been so wrapped up in trying to be with Ally, that he'd neglected his best friend.

"You're right," Rodney admitted, the fight draining from him. "I'm sorry."

"I think I need some space," Derek suggested, his voice softening slightly. "I am really pissed off right now and I need to come down from it before we can be friends again."

"Of course," Rodney said, nodding slowly. The thought pained him, but he knew he had to respect Derek if he wanted their friendship to survive. "if that's what you need."

As Rodney got up and walked away he couldn't shake the numbing sensation that was spreading over his entire body— walking away felt wrong. But for the first time, this situation was entirely his fault.