Bi The Way

Rodney sat uncomfortably on the cold metal bench at the Strathroy Middlesex arena, shivering slightly from the chill in the air. His breath formed a small cloud as he exhaled, staring down at his phone screen. The time read 6:30 pm, making him frown in confusion. He scrolled back through his texts, searching for the one from Ally who had told him to meet her there at 6 pm sharp.

"Where is she?" he wondered out loud, his voice barely audible over the chatter and laughter of the families gliding around the rink. Trying to calm his nerves he decided to do a few laps around the rink before the Free Skate event was over.

As Rodney got off the bench, he clumsily bumped into Parker, who was skating nearby with a knitted scarf slung over his shoulder. They both seemed equally surprised to see each other.

"Hey, Parker," Rodney stammered, trying to recover from the unexpected encounter. "Did you come here with anyone?"

Parker shook his head, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Nah, I actually prefer to come alone. Skating helps me think better, you know? Everything just flows when I'm in motion."

"Ah, I get it," Rodney replied. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Not at all," Parker said with a smile.

The two boys glided around the ice, enjoying the quiet companionship that came with not needing to fill the silence with words. As they skated, Rodney couldn't help but think about Ally's absence, and his mind conjured up an elaborate fantasy. In it, Ally was trapped in a tower guarded by a fearsome dragon, and Rodney donned a suit of golden armor to storm the castle and rescue her. The horrifying dragon prepared to blast Rodney with flames as he charged the massive beast, sword drawn.

The loud, jarring clang of the bell announcing the end of Free Skate snapped Rodney back to reality. Parker looked amused, skating a little closer to him.

"Where do you go when you zone out like that? You looked like you were a million miles away," Parker teased.

Rodney laughed it off, feeling his cheeks grow warm in embarrassment. "Maybe one day I'll let you in on my secret daydreams."

"Deal," Parker grinned, before hesitating for a moment. "Hey, there's a cultural food festival happening this weekend. Do you want to go?"

"Sure, sounds fun," Rodney replied, trying not to sound too eager. "Who else is coming?"

Parker scratched the back of his neck, looking almost shy. "Actually, I was thinking it would just be the two of us. I'd really like to get to know you better, Rodney."

At that moment, Rodney felt an unfamiliar warmth bloom in his chest, and he blushed furiously under Parker's gaze. The feelings bubbling up inside him were ones he had only ever experienced with girls before now. He stammered out a response, his heart pounding in his ears. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see you there."

As Rodney skated away from Parker, his thoughts raced, trying to make sense of these strange new emotions.

-----

Rodney slouched at the library desk, fiddling with the corners of his notebook as his thoughts raced back to Parker. Was their outing to the food festival a date? Did he want it to be a date? His stomach churned in knots as asked himself why he would even think it was a date.

"Hey, Rodney," Derek said, sliding into the seat next to him. "You look like you're lost in thought. What's up?"

"Ally stood me up last night at the arena," Rodney blurted out, his voice cracking slightly. He chewed on his bottom lip, unsure if he wanted to share more.

"Ouch," Derek winced. "That's rough, man." He paused for a moment, studying Rodney's face before offering some advice. "Maybe it's time you tried dating someone else? I'm not saying give up on Ally, just suggesting you see what else is out there. Plus, it could make Ally jealous, which would make her realize she has feelings for you."

Rodney considered Derek's words but couldn't shake the feeling that maybe he could just distract himself with Parker instead. "Yeah, maybe you're right," he conceded hesitantly.

"Trust me, Rodney," Derek said with a knowing grin. "Go talk to Madison. She's practically a matchmaker. She'll find you a date and in no time at all Ally will realize what she is missing out on."

-----

After school, Rodney spotted Madison walking home, her brown hair bouncing with each step. As he approached, she looked up and smiled. "Hey, Rodney."

"Oh, uh hey," he replied, his heart pounding in his chest. "I heard you're kind of a...matchmaker?" He scratched his head awkwardly. "I'm looking to um maybe try dating."

Madison raised an eyebrow, clearly flattered. "Well, I might be able to help. But I'll need to observe you around the school. You know, to figure out who you are before I recommend someone goes out with you."

"Uh, sure," Rodney agreed, feeling a little uneasy about the prospect of being watched. They exchanged phone numbers and parted ways.

As Rodney walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in his stomach at the thought of someone following him around and assessing his every move. He pulled out his phone and typed a quick message to Madison, saying he'd changed his mind. But in his haste, he entered her number incorrectly, and the message never reached its intended recipient.

-----

A few days later, Rodney found himself standing at the entrance of Victoria Park. The lively chatter of people exploring the cultural food festival filled the air, accompanied by the enticing aromas of various cuisines wafting through the park. He glanced around nervously, searching for any sign of Parker.

"Hey, Rodney!" Parker waved from a short distance away, his curly hair bouncing as he jogged over. He was dressed in blue jeans and a buffalo plaid button-up that seemed to make him even more endearing in Rodney's eyes. But just as quickly as the thought entered his mind, Rodney shook it off, determined not to let these confusing emotions he'd been having get the better of him.

"Hey, thanks for inviting me," Rodney said, trying to sound casual. "So, where do you want to start?"

Parker flashed a warm smile. "Let's check out the food trucks. I'm starving."

As they wove their way through the bustling crowd, Rodney couldn't help but steal glances at Parker as he led the way. Finally, they ended up in line for a Thai-Mexican fusion truck called The Thai Volcano.

"Two orders of pad thai tacos, please," Parker said, turning to Rodney with a grin. "My treat."

"Are you sure?" Rodney hesitated, feeling a sudden rush of warmth in his cheeks. Parker was being really nice to him and Rodney couldn't help but feel like was in a more than just friends kind of way.

"Absolutely," Parker replied, handing over some cash to the vendor.

They found a bench to sit on and began eating their spicy concoctions.

"So Mr. Fitz has me sweating about this upcoming math test," Parker started as he eyed his tacos, trying to figure out his plan of attack.

"Mr. Fitz?" Rodney tried to think about all the teachers he had met at the school, he could count them all on his fingers. "Wait is he the one who acts like a squirrel sometimes?" Rodney silently thanked Derek for telling him about the odd teacher earlier.

"The one and the same," Parker laughed.

"Seriously, what's up with that guy?" Rodney chuckled, taking a bite of his taco.

"Who knows? Maybe he's part squirrel," Parker joked, causing Rodney to laugh even harder. "Be right back just have to hit the washroom."

Parker disappeared into the crowd leaving Rodney's thoughts to wander. He imagined leaning in and kissing Parker, feeling his soft lips against his own, their hands entwined. The vividness of the fantasy took him by surprise, leaving him both excited and terrified. Was it normal to feel this way about another guy?

His phone buzzed and he dove for it, desperate to stop thinking about Parker this way. A text from Madison appeared on the screen: "I was talking to a friend about you. Her name's Erica. She totally wants to meet you ASAP."

Rodney paused, a girl was interested in him. He looked back toward the bathrooms and saw no sign of Parker. His thoughts spiraled, dating a girl was normal, and every movie he saw told him so. He didn't know why he was feeling the way he felt about Parker and honestly, he didn't want to put any more thought into it.

"Sorry, Parker," he muttered under his breath, quickly finishing his tacos and leaving the park. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he just wanted to get out of there. He sent Parker a quick text about feeling sick as he fled the park.

-----

The school bus came to a halt, and Rodney stepped off, his backpack heavy with textbooks. He took a deep breath, hoping for a fresh start to the week.

"Rodney!" The familiar voice of Parker cut through the air like a knife, making Rodney's heart race. As he turned around, he saw Parker storming towards him, his curly hair disheveled and his eyes filled with anger.

"Hey, Parker," Rodney said cautiously, trying to keep his voice steady. "What's up?"

"Where were you?" Parker demanded, his hands balling into fists. "I went to your house to see how you were doing and your mom said you weren't there. Did you lie to me about being sick!"

"Uh, I... I just walked over to the convenience store for some meds is all," Rodney stammered, his face flushing with embarrassment. He didn't want to admit that he'd left because he was having confusing feelings for him.

"You expect me to believe that?" Parker snapped, staring at Rodney with a hurt expression. "You know what? Forget it. Come talk to me when you are ready to tell me the truth."

Before Rodney could say anything, Parker turned on his heel and stormed away, leaving Rodney standing there, feeling like he'd just been punched in the gut. Guilt twisted inside him, and he swallowed hard, fighting back tears.

"Rodney, are you okay?" Ally's soft voice pulled him from his thoughts. She seemed genuinely concerned, her blue eyes wide with worry.

"Ally," Rodney forced a weak smile, trying to brush off the encounter with Parker. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry if you heard any of that,"

"Yeah.... Sorry, I've been so flakey lately," Ally said apologetically. "Matt's been going through some stuff, and he really needed me. What happened between you and Parker?"

"Um, we're fighting over a girl," Rodney lied, not wanting to reveal his feelings for Parker. He knew Ally wouldn't judge him, but the idea of sharing such a vulnerable part of himself terrified him.

"Really?" Ally raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't know you were interested in anyone."

As if on cue, Erica appeared, her dark hair pulled back in a messy bun. "Hey, Rodney," she greeted him with a smile. "Would you walk me to class?"

"Sure," Rodney agreed, torn between relief and regret. "Ally, I'll tell you more later, okay?"

"Okay," Ally said, watching as Rodney and Erica walked away together. A pang of jealousy through her chest, and she found herself wanting to be the one walking beside him. She couldn't help but miss his laughter filling her ears. With a deep breath, she pushed the thought away, chiding herself for letting her imagination get the best of her. Shaking her head, she turned her attention to Matt, who stood waiting for her a few feet away.

"Let's go, Ally," he said, a hint of concern in his voice. "We don't want to be late for class." She nodded, forcing a smile onto her face, and hurried to join Matt, trying to ignore the lingering image of Rodney and Erica walking away hand in hand.