Rodney Thompson's heart did somersaults as he stood on the cherry wood front porch of Ally's house, a two-story home with faded white siding and a picture-perfect front lawn. Every tree and shrub was carefully placed by Ally's father to advertise his landscaping business. Now, as the late August sun dipped low in the sky Rodney found himself pacing as he waited.
He had spent the summer counting down the days until Ally returned from her family trip to British Columbia. Her brother, Mark had accepted the the offer from UBC and her family had decided they would take the summer to move him up there and get him used to the area. They had spent the summer video-calling and texting each other but the last few weeks seemed to have slowed to a halt as Rodney waited anxiously for Ally's return. The blue Buick Enclave rolled into the driveway, and there she was, her wavy blonde hair catching the light, those familiar blue eyes meeting his with a mix of excitement and something else—confusion?
"Ally, I missed you," Rodney greeted, he practically lept off the porch as he raced to meet her.
"Hey, Rodney..." Ally trailed off, biting her lip as he leaned in for a hug. She stood stiff as a board as Rodney wrapped his arms around her, though he quickly pulled back when he realized she wasn't returning the embrace.
"I'm sorry, I—" She began, her fingers nervously twisting a strand of hair. "I'm just exhausted from the trip home. Over eight hours of sitting is surprisingly tiring." she half smiled at her small joke.
"Oh, Sorry," Rodney blinked, trying to mask the sting of rejection. "If you want we can just hang out and catch up tomorrow." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to mask his disappointment.
"Oh no you don't have to go," she rushed to explain, realizing she hurt Rodney. "I could use a walk to stretch my legs if you want to join me?"
"Totally," Rodney said, a little too excitedly. "But don't you have to unpack first?"
"It's fine, let the adults take care of it, you two go and make up for lost time." Ally's mom called from the other side of the vehicle.
"Just remember it's a school night so don't be home too late, OK?" Ally's Dad reminded them as he pulled the suitcases from the trunk.
"Will do," Ally replied with a wave as Rodney followed her down the driveway.
The two decided to head out for a casual dinner at McDonald's, the only place still open in the small town of Strathroy after 9 pm. They settled into a booth, and the scent of salt and fried food filled the air, Rodney shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he awaited what Ally was going to say.
Ally picked at her fries, her gaze distant. "Hey sorry I got so awkward after our kiss at the dance. I just kind of felt guilty since Matt and I just broke up and you just went through a breakup yourself. It felt like I was taking advantage of the situation you know?"
Rodney relaxed a little, finally understanding why things had felt sort of off the entire summer. He reached across the booth and took her hand. "You didn't take advantage of me at all. Honestly, I had wanted you out from the start but Matt beat me to it."
"Ugh, I just hope he doesn't make things weird," Ally sighed, tracing the rim of her soda cup. "His Instagram has been dead since the dance, he's always so dramatic you know."
"Right," Rodney agreed, "But I do have a question, what are exactly? Are we friends who kissed or are we maybe more?" Rodney felt scared asking the question but he didn't want to repeat the mistakes he had made with Parker before.
"We are Ally and Rodney," she smiled squeezing his hand. "Best friends who kiss sometimes."
Rodney smiled, but he still wasn't totally sure what she meant by that. His relationship with Parker had also felt confusing, tucked behind closed doors and hushed whispers. A part of him felt in that moment he would have to repeat it all again with Ally.
"This year is going to be amazing," Rodney said, mustering enthusiasm. "It's going to be great, we have English together this semester so we'll see each other every day."
"Definitely," she replied, though her eyes flickered away for a fraction of a second too long.
They finished their meal in comfortable silence, the employees began to mop the floor and clean the tables, signaling it was time for them to return home. As they walked back to Ally's house, the streetlights lit their path, and Rodney could not help but feel like something was on Ally's mind but he didn't want to press her for it. At her doorstep, she glanced around quickly before tiptoeing up and giving him a swift kiss goodnight.
"See you tomorrow," she whispered, the familiar warmth returning to her eyes.
"Goodnight, Ally," Rodney said, watching her disappear into the house. He lingered there, alone with his thoughts under the star-speckled sky, wondering if Ally was finally going to be his girlfriend after all this time.
-----
The lamps sprung to life in Victoria Park, the amber light filtering through the leaves and dancing on Marcy's hair as she and Derek meandered along the winding path. They weren't sure exactly how it happened but as Derek hung around the house more and more over the summer, their attraction blossomed. Their hands were intertwined, as they approached the small bridge over the almost dried up stream.
"Do you remember when we went to the Turkeyfest a few weeks about and you totally crushed me at the ring toss?" Derek began, his voice carrying a hint of nervous excitement, "Well there's been something I've wanted to ask you ever since."
Marcy glanced up at him with a playful arch of her eyebrow. "Oh and what question would that be?"
"Will you be my girlfriend?" The words tumbled out in a rush—not nearly as smoothly as he had hoped.
Marcy couldn't help but laugh a little. "I thought I already was."
"Ah, but we haven't made it official, have we?" Derek's eyes twinkled under the streetlights.
"And how exactly do we make it official?" Marcy teased, placing the word official in air quotes.
"How does any teen make their relationship status official." Derek pulled out his phone, the screen a burst of blue in the dimming light. "We update our socials."
"Social proclamations, huh?" Marcy laughed again, "There really is no going back from that."
"Yep, it's the modern way," Derek said mockingly placing one hand over his heart, his thumb hovering over his phone.
Just then, his phone vibrated with an incoming text. His expression shifted as he read the message, his brows knitting together slightly. "It's Rodney," he murmured, "he needs to talk. Right away."
"Rodney?" Marcy asked clearly concerned for her brother. "Is everything okay?"
"I'm not sure," Derek replied. "Your brother texts in like five-word sentences at best."
"Yeah that's Rodney, you better go see what he needs," Marcy said, though a twinge of disappointment flickered across her face. "Facebook can wait for now." She joked.
"I suppose your many suiters can have one more day of hope," Derek smiled. He leaned in, pressing a swift, reassuring kiss to her lips—a promise sealed in the quiet of the evening. "I owe you one."
"I'll add it to the list of ones you owe me," Marcy managed a grin, a mixture of warmth and worry settling in her as Derek jogged away, his figure growing smaller until it vanished from view.
"Rodney, what's going on?" she murmured into the empty space, a little jealous her brother had turned to Derek instead of her.
-----
Rodney sat in the swing at St Vincent de Paul Catholic School, slowly swaying with the breeze. Derek took his seat in the swing next to his best friend, Rodney's gaze fixed on the distant stars sparkling in the night sky.
"Hey, man," Derek said as he pushed off, his swing squeaking to life.
Rodney glanced up, his smile weak but genuine. "Derek. Thanks for coming."
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"Of course," Derek said, tilting his head back to share Rodney's view. "So, what's the SOS?"
Rodney let out a sigh, his breath visible in the night air. "I saw Ally tonight, it felt..... off. I tried to figure out what exactly we are, you know relationship-wise, but she didn't really give me a straight answer. I just wish I knew if we are just friends or dating or boyfriend/girlfriend or anything really."
"Ah, that's tough." Derek frowned, as he dragged his feet to stop his swing. "But maybe she doesn't know either. I mean you two kissed then she was whisked away to BC for two months so it isn't like you two had time to talk about it."
"Right which is why I tried to talk about it tonight," Rodney replied, still staring off into space. "But I don't think she wanted to think about it."
"Rod," Derek turned to face him, his brown eyes earnest. "She just got back from BC like internally a few hours ago and the first day of school is tomorrow, she is probably just nervous and tired. Maybe you should give her a few days to get back into her normal groove before talking about your relationship." Derek tried to reassure him.
"Yeah, maybe it wasn't my best idea to try and figure out the whole relationship as soon as she got back. I'll let her decide when she is ready to talk about it. Thanks, Derek." Rodney said, his voice tinged with concern. "I honestly don't know what I going to do without you next year."
"Man, if only there was some way we could keep in touch while being in two different places," Derek joked, "Curse the limitations of today's technology." Derek shook his fist at the sky.
"Ok ok, I get it," Rodney laughed, feeling hopeful his friendship with Derek would survive him going away to University next year. They sat in silence, basking in the final night of the summer.
-----
The following morning, Rodney stood before the glass doors of SDCI, his heart drumming a nervous beat. His eyes scanned the sea of students, searching for familiar faces amidst the blur of backpacks and chatter.
"Rodney!" Jordan called out, their hand raised in greeting.
"Hey!" Rodney joined Jordan and Steven, noticing Steven's sun-kissed skin—a souvenir from their camping adventures. "How was the camping trip? I saw some of the stories you posted"
"It was awesome, Jordan's dad taught me how to drive the boat," Steven boasted, his grin wide.
"Damn that does sound amazing," Rodney responded, genuinely happy for them.
That's when he spotted her—Ally, her blonde hair catching the morning light as she weaved through the crowd. As she drew near, Rodney's stomach knotted with anticipation. But instead of greeting him, Ally locked eyes with him for a moment before she turned and headed straight passed them.
"Uh, Ally?" Rodney ventured, and he half waved to draw her attention to them.
"Hey, sorry but I am late to register the yoga club as an official club this year. See you guys later ok?" Ally said hastily, and without another word, she slipped inside the door.
"Wow, that was..." Jordan began, trailing off.
"Weird?" Rodney finished for him, his mind wondering if his questions about their relationship status had made Ally uncomfortable.
"Totally," Jordan agreed, as they exchanged a look with Steven.
Rodney shook his head, feigning indifference. "I am sure she is just worried about getting her club registered on time, you know how much the yoga club means to her."
"Right of course," Steven said, giving Rodney a pat on the back. "Jordan and I are going to meet up with Luke in the weight room if you want to join us."
"Oh, thanks for the offer but I already promised Derek we would meet up before classes start. I'll see you around." Rodney replied with a nod to his friends, he strode off, his thoughts racing.
"Where are you?" Rodney texted Derek as he navigated the crowded hallways, in search of his friend.
"Library. What's up?" came the quick reply.
"Meet you there."
As Rodney made his way to the school Library he couldn't help but chastise himself for pushing the relationship status issue the night before. He pushed through the library doors, spotting Derek hunched over Twilight.
"Hey," Rodney greeted, taking a seat across from Derek.
"You look worried, is everything ok?" Derek asked, closing the book with a thud.
"Ally blew me off, she saw me and she just kept walking. I don't think she would have talked to me if I hadn't said something to her," Rodney admitted, his freckled cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Well maybe she is feeling just as weird about last night as you are," Derek suggested, leaning back in his chair. " She could be feeling like she messed things up and isn't sure what to do about it."
"Maybe," Rodney conceded, though it didn't really put his mind at ease. He exhaled deeply, trying to get his anxiety under control. The bell rang out as he finally started to catch his breath, just like that grade ten had finally begun.
-----
The day passed like any other school day until lunch finally arrived, Rodney scanned the cafeteria for any sign of an open table. His gaze lingered on a group of guys a few tables away, the one with red hair reminding him of Parker. With that thought he thumbed through his phone, finding himself rereading old messages from Parker. He hadn't seen him since the dance and his texts had gone unanswered all summer.
"What with the concerned look?" Derek asked as he sat down and started unwrapping his sandwich.
"Just thinking about Parker, I just realized I haven't seen him at all today," Rodney replied, "Do you think he's avoiding me?"
"Could be anything, Rod. Maybe he is just sick today," Derek offered, though he knew Parker had ghosted Rodney after the dance.
The afternoon dragged on, each period stretching longer than the last. Rodney was present but disconnected, notes in his binder a jumbled mess of half-thoughts. The final bell couldn't come soon enough, releasing him from his funk.
"Do you need a ride home?" Derek clapped Rodney as they left the school.
"Um, no I think I need a walk to clear my head," Rodney muttered, as he scanned the school parking lot looking for any signs of Parker or Ally. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure thing," Derek said with a nod before heading to the van his mom let him borrow for the first day of school.
-----
Rodney began to wander out of the parking lot when he noticed the familiar lanky frame of Luke just a block away. Rodney rushed over to him, knowing he was one of Parker's best friends. If anyone knows where Parker is, it's Luke he thought.
"Luke!" Rodney called out, waving him down as he approached. "Have you heard anything from Parker? I didn't see him at all today."
Luke shook his head, shifting the strap of his backpack. "Nah, man. I've been up at the cottage all summer—no signal that far north. Besides I'm pretty sure he was sick today."
"So you haven't heard from him all summer?" Rodney's brown eyes were filled with worry.
"Sorry, dude. But hey, Parker's like a cat; he disappears from time to time. But he always pops back up," Luke reassured him, though Rodney wasn't convinced.
"Thanks, Luke. I was just hoping to catch up with him, we kind of lost contact over the summer." Rodney offered a half-hearted smile before stepping away and calling Derek.
"Hey, Derek, it's me," Rodney said when the call connected. "I... I am kind of worried about Parker, turns out no one has really heard from him all summer. I was thinking maybe stakeout his place just make sure he is ok?"
"I don't know if stalking your exe is such a good idea?" Derek's voice was tinged with hesitation.
"Please, Derek," Rodney pleaded. "All I want to do is make sure he is ok, once we see him in one piece we can leave."
"Alright, I'm in," Derek conceded after a heavy sigh.
-----
Parked outside Parker's house, Rodney and Derek sat in silence, their thumbs tapping on their phones as they engaged in a virtual game of chess. Rodney moved his bishop, trapping Derek's king in a textbook checkmate.
"Nice move," Derek said, glancing up from his screen. "You know it is getting pretty late, maybe we should turn in for the night?"
"Just a few more minutes," Rodney pleaded, his gaze fixed on Parker's front door. "I have been thinking about it all day, and I don't think I saw Parker during finals week in grade nine either, something isn't right."
"Rodney, I get it. He left you at the dance and ghosted you, if I were you I'd want an explanation too," Derek said softly. "But not everyone gets the answers they want after a breakup."
"I know, it's just—"
He cut himself short as the front door opened. Parker and his father stepped out, locked in conversation with each other. Rodney watched, heart racing, as they got into the car. His fingers moved swiftly, sending a text to Parker: "Missed you at school today, everything alright?"
"Sent him a message," Rodney murmured, watching intently as Parker glanced at his phone and then, with a slight shake of his head, ignored it.
"Man, I'm so sorry," Derek said gently, reaching out to squeeze Rodney's shoulder. "No one should have to see their text getting screened."
"No, Derek, something's clearly wrong," Rodney insisted, his voice strained. "Maybe his dad found out about us and won't let him see me."
"Rodney, that feels like a bit of stretch doesn't it?" Derek tried to talk some sense into him, but Rodney's resolve was unshakable.
"But look at him, he doesn't look sick at all so why wasn't he at school today?" Rodney said firmly. "If he's in trouble, I need to know."
With a deep breath, Derek started the engine. "OK but once we know for sure what they are up to, we go home alright?"
"Agreed," Rodney nodded, settling into his seat as they pulled away from the curb, following the taillights of Parker's father's car toward downtown.
-----
The church loomed ahead, dull light still escaping from its windows, a small crowd of young people heading up its stone steps. Derek's car idled quietly a street over, where they had a clear view of the entrance. The headlights of Parker's father's car faded as the engine shut off and the doors opened.
"I knew something was up," Rodney said, his voice filled with conviction as he watched Parker step out of the car. "Parker doesn't go to church, it makes him uncomfortable. We should go in and see what is going on."
"Rodney, hold up," Derek cautioned, gripping the steering wheel. His knuckles whitened from the pressure. "I think we should call it for tonight. Clearly, Parker is fine and I think this is more about you trying to distract yourself from the weirdness with Ally."
"Derek, this has nothing to do with Ally. I am really worried Parker, the one person he didn't want to find out about us most was his dad. What if he found out and this is some kind of punishment?" Rodney's words cracked, his imagination running wild with worst-case scenarios. He pictured Parker sitting inside that church, being told he needed to change who he was.
"I think I have a better idea." Derek's phone glowed in the darkness of the car as he scrolled through the church website until he found the church schedule. "It's not conversion therapy or sinister. They've got a youth addictions group on Tuesdays. That's what's on tonight."
The revelation hit Rodney like a cold wave. "Addictions?" he echoed, disbelief painting his face. Parker, the boy with the disarming smile an addict?
"Man, I'm sorry. You were right, Parker is clearly going through some stuff." Derek's voice was heavy with guilt. "We really should go, he'll come back to school when he is ready."
Rodney sat frozen, his mind churning. He thought of Parker's drinking at the spring formal, the unanswered texts over the summer, and the fact it was clear Parker was hurting. He couldn't help but feel pushing Parker to be out with him may have caused him to turn to drinking. "Yeah... yeah, you're right," he finally murmured, slumping back against the seat.
"Let's head home." Derek's hand fell onto Rodney's shoulder, a silent promise of support. The engine hummed back to life, and they pulled away from the church, Rodney watched it vanish in the rearview mirror and Parker along with it.