Bi the Way

Chapter 18: Feel

Rodney stood at the entrance of the school, taking a deep breath as he prepared to face another day. His heart raced, feeling the weight of the decision he made over the break. As he stepped inside, he spotted Derek leaning against a row of lockers, engrossed in a novel.

"Hey Derek," Rodney called out, walking towards him with an air of newfound confidence.

Derek looked up and grinned, marking his page before closing the book. "Well, look who's back. How was your break?"

"I was amazing actually," Rodney replied, shuffling his feet. "The first time in a long time we actually had fun as a family. I even have video evidence my mom rode the Tower of Terror"

"Really?" Derek raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on his face. "I will need to see said video evidence before making my judgment. I am glad that you had a good time, all we did on mine was fish."

"I thought you loved fishing?" Rodney asked, though doubt now lingered in the back of his mind.

"I never said it was a bad thing," Derek said, clapping Rodney on the back. "Now let's walk and talk buddy, because if I am late for Mr. McLullen's class, he going to sit me in the hallway for sure."

Together, they began walking down the hallway, Rodney was glad to be back talking to Derek, and Marcy was right he had found new friends.

As they turned a corner, they passed by Ally and Matt, who were locked in conversation. Without hesitation, Rodney kept walking, determined not to let his past feelings hold him back.

Ally's eyes widened, surprise etched on her delicate features as she watched Rodney continue down the hall without even stopping.

"Did you just walk by Ally without even a wave?" Derek asked, frowning slightly. "Am I living in Invasion of the Body Snatchers right now?"

"Haha, you are the one who can't be late to class, so I am making sure you get there" Rodney teased, but the slight hesitation in his voice betrayed his uncertainty. "I guess also over the break whenever I was alone, Ally wasn't the person I wished was there with me. If anything what this year has taught me is Ally and I only really work as friends and I am fine with that."

"Uh-huh," Derek replied, clearly unconvinced. the bell rang out before he could finish his thought. "Oh crap, I'm late!" he yelled as he disappeared down the hallway.

-----

After school, Rodney made his way to the workout room, driven by his desire to make some changes in his life. He found Matt at the weight bench, lifting an impressive amount of weight. Rodney approached, unsure what to say but knowing that they would have to share the space.

"Hey, Matt," Rodney began, trying to sound casual. "How was your break?"

Matt grunted, not bothering to look up from his workout. "Fine."

"Listen, I just wanted to clear the air between us." Rodney swallowed hard, feeling vulnerable. "I want you to know that I never wanted to make things complicated between you and Ally. I just wanted to be friends."

Matt finally looked at him, his eyes cold and dismissive. "I don't know what gave you the idea that I wanted to be friends with you, I only tolerate you because Ally likes you. So you go over there and I will stay here and we can both pretend that the other doesn't exist"

"Sorry for bothering you then," Rodney muttered, dejected. He turned to leave, his chest tight and he wondered why Matt's words hurt him so much. He knew Matt didn't like but this still felt like a knife to the heart. He decided he could start working out another day and fled the room.