Bi the Way

Chapter 10: Know

The kitchen was a battleground, the air thick with tension as Sasha stood before her son, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and she gritted her teeth as she spoke. "So, you egged Mr. Greenburg's house?" The words came out like an explosion, echoing in the small space.

Rodney shifted his weight from one foot to another, his gaze darting around the room as if searching for an escape route. He sighed, finally meeting his mother's stare. "Yeah, I did it," he admitted reluctantly. "But, Mom, he wouldn't even let me explain myself and I didn't deserve the grade he gave me." His voice cracked with frustration and pleaded for understanding.

He didn't mention that he felt like his best friend had abandoned him. He also kept quiet about the confusing feelings he'd been having towards Parker lately. His mother already had enough ammunition against him; there was no need to provide more.

"Whether the grade was fair or not, I expect more from you, Rodney." Sasha's voice grew cold, her disappointment clear. "This is unacceptable behavior."

"Fine, I won't stand up for myself next time," he muttered, averting his eyes again. He knew better than to argue when his mother had that particular edge to her tone.

The following day, after school, Rodney spotted Derek leaning against the lockers, chatting with a group of friends. Hoping to confide in him about everything that had been going on, Rodney began walking towards him, only to be stopped by his mother's firm hand on his shoulder.

"Rodney, we're going home right now," Sasha said sternly, her eyes scanning over the scene like a hawk. "I can't trust you to use your free time wisely."

"Mom..." Rodney's voice trailed off, annoyance and frustration simmering beneath the surface. But he swallowed the words he wanted to say, knowing that it would only make things worse to fight her on this. Instead, he gave a resigned nod and followed her out of the school.

As they walked side by side, Rodney's thoughts raced with everything he wished he could say to his mother, but he knew that it was better to leave the boat unshaken. He just hoped that one day, she would understand him a little better.

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Upon arriving home, Sasha crossed her arms and fixed Rodney with a stern gaze. "You're grounded until the end of the semester," she declared, her voice as unwavering as her decision.

"Grounded?" Rodney's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "But why now!"

"Because I needed time to decide an appropriate punishment," Sasha retorted sharply, her eyes narrowing. "You can use this time to focus on your school work. Eighties aren't perfect."

Rodney clenched his jaw, his frustration mounting. He wanted to argue further, but he knew it would be futile, his dad was the one who saw things his way. Instead, he nodded curtly and retreated to his room, slamming the door behind him. As he sat down at his desk and pulled out his textbooks, his mind raced with thoughts of unfairness and injustice and how if his dad had been here none of this would have been happening.

Later that night, Sasha left the house to run errands, her heels clicking briskly on the pavement. As she pushed her cart through the grocery store aisles, she rounded a corner and nearly collided with Tara, Ally's mother. Her heart sank, a mixture of surprise and dread settling in her stomach.

"Hello, Sasha!" Tara greeted her warmly, her smile genuine. "Fancy running into you here!"

"Hi, Tara." Sasha forced a smile, her mind racing. She hadn't known that Ally's family had also moved to Strathroy. "What brings you to town?"

"Didn't Rodney tell you?" Tara asked, her blue eyes sparkling. "We moved here because I'm writing a book, and I needed to research some local history for the mystery plot. Plus, we thought it'd be great for Rodney and Ally to be in high school together since they're best friends."