Bi the Way

Chapter 11: What

The heavy silence of the cafeteria was finally broken by a collective exhale as the first semester finals drew to a close. Rodney sat alone at a table, tapping an idle rhythm on the cold plastic surface while he waited for Derek to finish his last exam. He had been grounded for what felt like an eternity, and now that he was free again, he was eager to make up for lost time.

"Freedom tastes sweet, doesn't it?" Rodney whispered to himself, trying to ignore the laughter coming from a nearby table. His gaze flickered over to the source of the sound, finding Ally, Matt, Luke, Steven, and Parker all sitting together in a tight circle, their faces glowing with relief and excitement. Since being grounded, he hadn't really talked to any of them for weeks. He didn't exactly feel bad about it, since Parker and Ally were both busy with their significant others anyway.

Then, in the midst of their animated conversation, Matt's eyes locked onto Rodney's. Caught staring, Rodney quickly averted his gaze, focusing intently on the patterned linoleum floor beneath his feet. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of his neck, and he prayed that Matt wouldn't come over.

"Hey guys!" Ally exclaimed, her voice ringing across the cafeteria. "We should have a movie night to celebrate the end of exams! My place, tonight?"

"Sounds great," Steven agreed, adjusting his hoodie strings with a smile.

"Can I bring Madison?" Parker asked hesitantly.

"Sorry, Parker," Ally replied, biting her lip. "My parents are in Toronto, and they told me I can only have four friends over."

Rodney continued to stare at the ground, but he was very aware of the conversation happening next to him, trying to make himself invisible. He could still feel Matt's gaze on him, making his skin crawl. He knew Matt didn't like him, and he knew the gears were turning in Matt's head to make Ally feel the same way, and ensure there really is nothing between them.

"Hey," Matt said suddenly, surprising everyone. "Why don't we invite Rodney? I mean didn't you say earlier Ally that he had been grounded until the end of the semester, well the semester's over right?"

"Really?" Ally asked, looking at Matt with surprise. Inviting Rodney was the last thing she had expected from her boyfriend. "you would be ok with that?"

"Sure," Matt lied smoothly, his eyes never leaving Rodney. "I think it would be good for me to get to know him better, after all, he is your best friend babe."

"Alright," Ally agreed, nodding. She turned to face Rodney, who had been listening intently to every word. "Rodney, would you like to join us for a movie night at my place tonight?"

"Uh, yeah!" Rodney stammered, his heart racing. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"Great!" Ally beamed, genuinely happy to include her friend who she had been missing for a while now. "I'll text you the details later."

"Thanks, Ally," Rodney replied, trying to keep his voice steady. A chance to talk to Ally and hang out again was more than Rodney could've hoped for. It was a chance to finally feel like he belonged in her friend group too, and he wasn't about to let it slip away.

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"Can you believe it?" Rodney exclaimed as he walked alongside Derek, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the sidewalk. "I was invited to Ally's movie night!"

"Really?" Derek raised an eyebrow, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "But didn't you say it was Matt's idea?"

"Yup," Rodney replied, kicking an ice chunk off the sidewalk with the toe of his boot. "Maybe since I haven't been hanging around so much he isn't worried about Ally and I hanging out together."