The school cafeteria buzzed with the usual chatter and laughter as Rodney picked at his turkey sandwich, his appetite lost in the sea of his anxious thoughts. Ally had been avoiding him ever since she confessed she had feelings for him at one point, and he couldn't help but worry that their friendship was hanging by a thread.
"Rodney, man," Derek said, pulling him from his thoughts. "She's just figuring things out. Give it time. After the holidays, I bet everything will go back to normal."
"Easy for you to say," Rodney mumbled. He appreciated Derek's honesty, but right now, he needed reassurance more than anything. "What if she didn't mean all that stuff about staying friends? What if she was just trying to let me down gently?"
"Trust me," Derek said, stealing half of Rodney's sandwich. "Best friends never really give up on each other. She'll come around."
"Thanks, Derek." Rodney offered a half-hearted smile before gathering his lunch tray and heading to class.
As Derek watched Rodney shuffle out of the cafeteria, he overheard Madison complaining animatedly to Chelsea. "Can you believe Ally's throwing an ugly holiday sweater party? I wanted to look cute, not like a walking disaster!"
"Hey, it'll be fun! She has a 50-dollar gift card to Starbucks as the prize for the ugliest sweater" Chelsea replied, her excitement evident. "Besides, it's just one night."
Derek's eyes narrowed as realization struck – Rodney hadn't been invited. He knew something had to be done, and fast or Rodney would be heartbroken.
-----
After school, Derek caught up with Rodney. "Hey, could you help me pick out a Christmas gift at the bookstore for my mom?" he asked, feigning desperation.
"Sure." Rodney agreed, puzzled. "But I thought your mom hated reading?"
"Ah, well," Derek hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "She doesn't hate, she just avoids it at all costs." Rodney laughed and the pair heard out.
They arrived at Readmore Second Hand Bookstore, and Rodney's confusion only deepened. But before he could question Derek's motives, he bumped into Ally's mom, Tara.
"Rodney! What a pleasure seeing you here, it feels like ages since you have been over," Tara greeted them warmly. "Isn't Strathroy a wonderful town? Full of history, perfect for my book."
"Uh, yeah," Rodney stumbled, his face flushing as he tried to mirror her enthusiasm. "It's definitely... interesting."
"Speaking of interesting," Derek interjected smoothly. "I'm Derek and I can't wait for Ally's ugly sweater party. Sounds like a blast!"
"Wait, there's a party?" Rodney asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"What do you mean what party?" Tara exclaimed, taken aback. "I thought Ally invited you. She must have been so busy planning it that she forgot. Here are the details." She scribbled down the details on a Post-it from her purse. "Sometimes I swear that girl would lose her head if it wasn't screwed on tight."
"Thanks, Mrs. Matthews." Rodney managed a smile as they left the bookstore.
"I can't believe Ally was throwing an ugly sweater party and didn't invite me, wait was this your plan all along?" he asked Derek, who simply nodded. "How did you even know Ally's mom would be here?"
"Easy," Derek grinned, pulling out his phone. "I followed Tara on Instagram. That woman practically lives on it."
"Thanks, man," Rodney said sincerely. "This could be my chance to fix things with Ally."
YOU ARE READING
Bi the Way
Teen Fiction(Complete) (Bi the Book 1) Rodney was excited to start high school, he had a plan. He was going to ask his best friend to be his girlfriend, but then everything changed. Now he is moving from the big city to the small town of Strathroy, and new frie...
