Bi The Way

The front door creaked open, and Parker stepped onto the worn-out welcome mat. The air smelled of fresh paint which was odd because his father hated painting. As he tossed his backpack onto the wooden bench in the front entrance, his father emerged from the kitchen, his grey sweatpants stained with beige paint.

"Hey, sport! Got some amazing news," his dad said, brimming with excitement as he pulled Parker in for a hug.

Parker's heart began to race, he had never seen his dad this happy before. "Oh really? What's the news?"

"I was just promoted to head of operations! It's a huge opportunity for us," his father beamed, finally releasing him from the hug. "You should see the place they have set up for us while we get settled, it is right on the ocean. Honestly, this is exactly what our family needed."

Parker couldn't wait to tell his friends about this until the words finally clicked—the ocean—his heart sank as he put the pieces together. "We're moving?" His voice was barely a whisper, caught between dread and disbelief.

"Yeah, the head office is in Victoria BC. Just think of the adventures, a fresh start after the tough year we've had." his tone softened as he realized his son's excitement had vanished and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"A fresh start," Parker repeated, his mind as he retreated into itself. He thought about his friends, how he was just feeling normal again at school, and how he and Rodney were finally friends again. "I can't wait."

His father could sense Parker's hesitation. "You okay with this? You've been doing so well lately."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Parker lied, forcing a smile. "I have a meeting tonight so I need to get ready." All PArker wanted to do was get out of this conversation as the reality of the situation settled in.

"Right of course, get your homework done and we will head out." His father said, watching his son slowly gather his schoolwork from his bag and head to his room. As he watched him go, he hoped he had made the right decision to take this job.

---

The church basement was dimly lit, the circle of fold-out chairs in the center awaiting the teens' arrival. Parker took his seat among familiar faces, his mind still locked on the fact that in a few days, he would never see any of these people again.

"Would anyone like to get us started?" Reverend Tom's voice was gentle, and encouraging.

Parker cleared his throat, his hands clasped tightly as he made his way to the front of the room. "I'm moving in two weeks. Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it."

Murmurs of surprise rippled through the group, and some offered congratulations and words of encouragement. But Parker wasn't sure if he would survive the move and the feeling of being alone in a new place miles away from his friends.

Reverend Tom approached him, placing a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Change can be scary, Parker, but it doesn't have to derail you."

"But what if I don't fit in there? what if I don't make friends? What if..." Parker felt lost in his fears.

"Life is full of what ifs but if you only focus on the negative ones you will always fail to see the positives. What if you move there and you find even more friends and success you have hear?" Tom's voice was firm, grounding.

"You really think things could be better on the other side of the country?" Tom could hear the vulnerability in Parker's tone when he asked the question.

"I believe that someone like you will have no problem finding friends in a new city. If you go try like you do in this group then there is nothing you can't accomplish," Tom suggested. "Remember in this new place you will able to be whoever you wish to be."

"Thank you," Gratitude filled Parker as he realized he could use the move to change how people saw him. He loved his friends but ever since they found out about his drinking problem, they hadn't really looked at him the same way, he could always see a hint of sadness in their eyes.

"I will always be a phone call away should you need me," Tom reassured, clapping a hand on Parker's shoulder and sending him back to his chair.

As the night continued and more people shared their stories, Parker felt a little lighter. He saw a chance to be weighed down by his past mistakes and a little bubble of excitement formed inside of him. A fresh start, he thought, maybe that's exactly what I need.

-----

Marcy checked her phone again, the white numbers read seven fifty-five, as she waited for Derek at their usual booth in the corner of the small pizzeria. The amber glow from the stained glass lamp gave everything an orange hue, making her brown hair seem like it held strands of copper. Derek was running late, which was unusual for him.

"Hey," Derek huffed as he slid into the seat opposite her, his face beet red. "Sorry I'm late, I totally forgot about the lab report that was due for Mrs. K's class tomorrow and had to finish it first."

"Sounds thrilling," Marcy teased, her lips curving into a smile that reached her eyes.

"I mean it was on different types of bonds, though nothing is stronger than the bonds we share." Derek winked, before laughing at his own terrible joke.

"With jokes like those you could have your own Netflix special." Marcy couldn't but share a laugh with her boyfriend.

"Well fame does suit me, but for now I would settle for some pizza," He said, reaching across the table to give her hand an affectionate squeeze.

"The usual?"

"One Broadway special," Derek said, having memorized her order. "Add chicken."

"You really do love me," Marcy said. "And I love you."

"Imagine that." Derek's eyes locked with hers and for a moment they were lost in each other until the waiter arrived at their table.

The pizza arrived minutes later, steam curling up from the bubbling cheese and chicken. As they ate they talked about their hopes of getting accepted to all of the universities and colleges they applied to. They laughed and dreamed about the campus tours they could take together.

Closing time sneaked upon them, and soon they found themselves lingering by Marcy's front door, neither quite ready to end the evening.

"Tonight was perfect," Derek whispered, his breath warm against her cheek.

"Perfect," Marcy agreed, her heartbeat hammering in her ears as she leaned in and kissed him, leading him toward the door.

"Woah, woah are you sure about this?" Derek asked breaking their kiss.

"Mom's on a twelve-hour night shift and Rodney could sleep through a tornado," Marcy explained, "I'm ready if you are?"

Derek didn't say anything, he just leaned in and kissed her again. The step from the porch to her bedroom was a blur of shared whispers and nervous giggles. As they made their way to Marcy's room, caution mingled with desire, and they found themselves surrendering to the moment, the future they had envisioned together fueling their passion.

---

Morning light spilled through the blinds, rousing Marcy awake. She could feel Derek's arms wrapped around her, not wanting to wake him, she gently slipped from his grasp and made her way to the bathroom. No protection, the thought echoed in her head but she pushed it down, it was only one time and she would be sure to use protection the next time. She returned to the bedroom, dressing quietly before sitting on the bed and giving Derek a soft kiss on the forehead.

"Morning," Derek mumbled sleepily, propping himself up on his elbows as he tried to wake up.

"Morning," she replied, feeling both excited and anxious about what they had done the night before. "I hate to do this to you but mom will be home soon, you kind of need to not be in my bed when she gets here."

"Last night was..." He started, a grin spreading across his face.

"Amazing," Marcy finished for him, kissing him again.

"See you at school?" He asked as he got dressed.

"Obviously." She pecked his cheek and walked him to the door. They shared one final kiss before he took off down the street. Marcy watched him go before grabbing her backpack and deciding to walk to school.

As she made her way down the street she could hear someone racing up to her. She could feel her heart begin to race as she turned to see who was pursuing her.

"Marcy, wait up!" Jordan called out as she approached the corner.

"Hey, Jordan," she greeted, relieved to see the familiar face. "How are you?"

"Pretty great, my aunt just had her baby. It surprised us because she wasn't due for another three weeks,"

"Oh, how are they doing?" Marcy asked, cursing the universe for making her have this conversation after what she had done last night.

"They are fine, she said it was the best day of her life," Jordan continued, oblivious to the whole situation.

"That's great, I'm glad," she said shallowly. The thought of being pregnant now entrenched in her mind.

"Are you okay?" Jordan asked giving her a concerned look. "You look kind of pale all of a sudden."

"Fine, just realized I forgot something at home." Marcy excused herself abruptly, leaving Jordan standing there with a puzzled look.

-----

The lunch bell rang as Parker stood with Steven, Luke, and Ally beside the football field. The air felt heavy, Parker hadn't said a word yet but they all seemed to know what was about to happen—they just hoped they were wrong.

"Guys," Parker's voice wavered and he was unable to maintain eye contact with his friends, "My dad just got a promotion."

"Dude, that's awesome!" Luke started but Steven held up a hand to silence him.

"And?" Steven asked, sure there was bad news about to follow.

"And it means we have to move to Victoria... BC," His announcement hung in the air like the last leaf on a tree.

"BC as in British Columbia?" Steven's voice cut through the silence. "But that's... that's across the country."

"I know," Parker said, his gaze locked on the grass, he didn't want to see his friends' sad expressions. "And we only have a week and a bit left before the move."

Ally stepped forward, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "We're going to miss you so much," she said, encircling him in a hug.

Steven lingered back, arms folded as he took note of who Parker was choosing to tell. "Where's Rodney? Have you told him yet? You know he would want to know,"

Parker shook his head, his red hair catching the sun's rays. "I wanted to tell him today but he has a project he needs to work on," he murmured, though the truth was he never sent Rodney a text about meeting up at the field. "But don't worry, I'll tell him as soon as I can, I just want to do it in person." he lied, honestly he didn't want to hurt Rodney again after they just fixed their friendship.

"Good dude, the guy is practically one of us," Luke insisted. "He deserves to know."

"He would be really hurt if you just disappeared without saying anything," Ally agreed softly, just thinking about Rodney made her feel guilty about the way she ended it.

"I know, I know," Parker assured them, trying to get them off his case. "Seriously guys I will take care of it. Now let's make the most of the time we have left ok?"

"Alright, then I suggest we cram in a Smash Bros tournament sometime this week," Steven suggested with a wry smile, though he wasn't fully sure Parker would tell Rodney. He was one of the few people that knew the truth about their dating history and he wondered if Parker could really say goodbye to Rodney.

The friends all agreed to hang out as often as they could for the next week and a half before the bell rang signaling the end of lunch. Parker watched his friends walk away, each step they took was another reminder of the distance that would soon be between them.

---

As the days passed Parker still had no idea how he was going to tell Rodney that he was moving. He had tried several times to muster the courage but each time he just ended up playing video games or watching a movie with Rodney instead. And now it was moving day was tomorrow and there was no time left. As he packed the last of the boxes into the Uhaul, Steven arrived to say goodbye.

"I am going to miss you like crazy, you better text every once in a while." Steven's eyes began to water slightly.

Parker wrapped his arms around his friend. "I promise, we can still game online too."

Steven smiled and tried to shake off the tears. "I am sure you and Rodney cried enough when you told him," he rubbed his eyes. "You don't need me adding to it."

"Actually... I haven't told him yet," Parker admitted "I just could hurt him again."

"Are you serious? So like just leaving without a word is supposed to make him feel better about it?" Steven gave Parker a shove, "You didn't tell him to protect yourself, not to protect him." And without another word Steven sprinted away, knowing Rodney's house was only a few blocks away.

"Rodney!" Steven called out as he pounded on the door, a clear urgency in his voice. He knew Parker and his dad planned to drive to Toronto that night to be well-rested for their early flight the next morning, time was running out.

"Steven, what's up?" Rodney asked as he pulled the screen door open, clearly confused by the commotion.

"It's Parker. He's moving. Like, now." Steven blurted out, breathless from the sprint.

"Moving?" Rodney asked, it took a moment for the information to really sink in. "Since when? Where?"

"All excellent questions but if I take the time to answer them then he will gone so you have to go. It's now or never," Steven urged, stepping aside so Rodney could get by him.

Rodney didn't hesitate. His heart hammered in his chest as he bolted across the sidewalk, his hoodie still tied around his waist forgotten and flapping behind him. Adrenaline fueled his legs, each stride a race against time.

Parker's house came into view, the moving van in the driveway confirmed that this was real. Rodney skidded to a stop, his breath coming in short ragged bursts. "Parker," he shouted, scanning the property for him.

Parker emerged from the house with his suitcase rolling behind him, his eyes met Rodney's and the pair froze for a moment. Each of them trying to take the other in one last time, Parker dropped the case and raced to Rodney, embracing him.

"I am so sorry," He started with tears running down his face. "I wanted to tell you, I wanted to tell you every day, but... I mean how could I..." he didn't know how to find the words to explain it.

"It's ok, I understand," Rodney held Parker tighter and Parker felt reassured by him, "I just wish we had more time, you know?"

"I know, we were just getting back to being friends and now it feels like we are ending things all over again," Parker admitted, he wished that he could have taken Rodney with him.

"It's not over, you are going to move out there and then you are to text me and game with me and everything will be ok." Rodney tried to sound certain but he honestly did not know what would happen next. A part of him really felt like this was the end of Parker in his life, and it was eating him up on the inside.

The pair separated, both wiping away tears. "Right, there are so many ways we can keep in touch." Parker smiled at Rodney. "Thanks for everything."

Rodney looked into Parker's eyes and in that moment all he wanted to do was kiss him one last time. But Parker's father interrupted this thought "Let's go, we need to head out now if we are going to drop off these boxes and make it to the airport in time for our flight."

"Uh, yeah coming," Parker smiled one last time at Rodney "Goodbye," he murmured.

"Until we meet again," Rodney replied, both boys' hearts aching as Parker climbed into the truck. Both unsure if they would ever see each other again.

Rodney didn't leave until the truck had vanished entirely from view, he felt the tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Parker had stayed, would they have become as close as they were before? Now he would never find out, and that feeling threatened to crush him.