Bi the Way

Chapter 6: It's

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."