The wedding weekend arrived faster than Rodney expected. Ally arrived in a beautiful royal blue full-length dress, with gold accents to match Rodney's dress shirt. They had just enough time to snap a few photos in front of the large pine tree in the backyard before heading out to the church. As Rodney sat next to Ally during the service he worried about how his cousins would act around her. He had two cousins who were the same age as him, Mason and Nellie, and ever since he moved to Strathroy they seemed to act like living in the small town made Rodney an idiot.
"Hey," Nellie called out as she approached Rodney after the service, who braced himself for getting talked down to. "Do you and Ally want to hit McDonald's with us before heading to the reception?"
Rodney was caught off guard by the invite and stumbled through his words. "Yeah... I don't know. I mean sure, sounds fun. I mean if Ally wants to go I'm down." He cursed himself for making things so awkward.
Ally nodded, clearly noting Rodney's awkward behaviour. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind a junior chicken. Shouldn't we tell your mom first though?"
Rodney shot his mom a quick text and she said she would meet them there. Once inside the car, however, Rodney realized Nellie had only invited him to talk to Ally. "So Ally, how on Earth did Rodney talk you into coming with him?" Nellie started the moment the door closed.
"He just asked me," Ally said as a matter of fact.
"Really? That's all it took," Nellie seemed disappointed by her response. She sat back in her seat before shooting up again. "Did Rodney ever tell you about the time he accidentally set our grandma's house on fire?"
"Excuse me, but we did that.." Rodney started, trying to defend himself. He wasn't about to let Nellie embarrass him.
"Don't get so defensive, it is a funny story." Nellie laughed, before launching into how Rodney had put toys in the furnace while playing castle. She was careful to leave out her own involvement in the accident. Rodney rolled his eyes, knowing this was how his whole night was about to go.
When they finally made it to the wedding reception, Rodney couldn't help but feel relieved. Ally was having a blast as she greeted more of his family members at the entrance to the hall. Rodney went to check what table they were at and discovered they were placed at the kid's table, far from anyone their age.
"Sorry Ally but they placed us with the kids," Rodney started, feeling bad that the only people they had to talk to would be 9 and under. But Ally just smiled at him.
"That doesn't bother me," Ally said. "Kids are more fun to talk to anyway." Rodney wished he could be as optimistic as her.
"Well then, may I escort you to your seat?" he asked, holding out his arm for her.
"Why of course, good sir," Ally replied in her snootiest accent. They shared a laugh as they made their way through the hall. While the wedding wasn't great for Rodney, he couldn't help but feel great about Ally having so much fun.
---
The drive back to Strathroy was quiet, with only the hum of the car engine filling the silence. Rodney was passed out, leaning against the window. Ally watched his chest rise and fall as he dreamed, the night had been fun but she did notice that Rodney had drawn into himself. It was like he was before the move, quiet and awkward.
"Ally," Rodney's mom started, catching Ally deep in thought in the rearview mirror. "Are you okay?"
She hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I'm fine," she said looking over at Rodney. "I just... sometimes I wonder if Rodney is ok, you know?"
"You and me both," Sasha admitted gently. "He has been through a lot the past few years. But he still worries more about others than about himself."
Ally considered her words, remembering how he tried to make her feel better when she was sick even though she broke his heart. Ally knew in that moment she wanted to be more than friends, no one else was like Rodney. The thought of losing him terrified her, she had to let him know how she really felt.
"He really does care about people," she whispered, slipping her hand into his. "I wish I hadn't screwed everything up." She remembered the way he looked at her when she said she did have feelings for him and wondered how she could ever fix it.
Sasha sighed "You know Rodnet will forgive you if you just ask him to." She could tell by Ally's voice that she really was remorseful. "Don't tell him I told you this but he has been in love with you since the sixth grade. I don't think there is anything you could do that he wouldn't forgive you for."
"Still I should do something more," Ally muttered, she didn't feel right just asking Rodney to forget about what she said and to be her boyfriend.
"Well if you really want to make it up to him, I have an idea."
Ally looked up to meet Sasha's gaze. "Really? What is it?"
Sasha smiled. "Richard's guitar. It is in a box in our basement, I meant to sell it before we moved but I just couldn't bring myself to do it," she shared softly. "You could clean it up, get it tuned. He would love it."
"Oh, I don't know if I should be the one to do that. I mean that is a gift you should give him."
"Please, if I have to do it I don't know if I will be able to part with it," Sasha admitted. "I have never seen him happier than when he was with you."
"Thank you," Ally said, agreeing to gift Rodney the guitar. She knew this would not only mend things with Rodney but prove she was serious about wanting to be his girlfriend.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
---
On Monday at school, Rodney stood outside Mr. Rogo's office, fidgeting nervously. He knew he needed to talk to someone about how he felt during the wedding, he didn't feel like Ally or his mom would understand and Marcy didn't even go. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
"Come in," Mr. Rogo called out, and Rodney entered the small, cluttered office. The shelves were filled with books about psychology and self-help, and Mr. Rogo sat behind a desk piled high with paperwork.
"Hey, Mr. Rogo," Rodney began, his voice wavering slightly. "I was wondering if I could talk to you about some stuff that's been bothering me."
"Of course, Rodney." Mr. Rogo gestured to the chair across from him. "Have a seat. What's on your mind?"
Rodney sat down, clenching his hands in his lap. "I, um... I went to a wedding this weekend. Everyone was having a great time, and there was music and amazing food. But I didn't feel like you are supposed to feel at a wedding."
Mr. Rogo leaned forward, studying Rodney. "And how are you supposed to feel at a wedding?"
"Well you know, happy. But I felt more uncomfortable and overwhelmed. Is there something wrong with me?"
"There is nothing wrong with you, Rodney. There are no rules about how you are supposed to feel at any given time." Mr. Rogo explained. "Let's try to discover where those feelings of discomfort came from. Is there anything that happened during the wedding that made you feel uncomfortable?" he asked.
"Well I can't think of one thing, it really felt like a whole bunch of little things that kind of piled up." Rodney tried to put words to his feelings.
"Sounds like you have been suffering from a little bout of anxiety," Mr. Rogo explained. "There is nothing to worry about, it is more common than you think. Next time pin point what your mind is worried about and slowly solve the problem or make it seem smaller. We can talk in a week and you can tell me if that works for you."
"Thanks for the help," Rodney said, getting up to walk out. He felt relieved that this was normal.
"Anytime you need me, you know where to find me" Mr. Rogo gave him a wave as he left the office.
Rodney made if way to the cafeteria when the bell rang, taking a seat next to Derek. Matt and Madison quickly joined them and Derek quickly launched into a story about his latest indoor soccer match.
"Man, you should've seen me," Derek said as if he were the MVP. "I juked that defender and the goalie face plants so now I have basically an open net to fire on!"
"Why did the goalie eat dirt?" Matt asked him, clearly trying to visualize the scenario.
"Oh right," Derek said, realizing he left that part out. "He tripped over his own goalpost trying to cover my shot. All that really matters though is I scored the game-winning goal"
Rodney managed a halfhearted smile as he tried to focus on their conversation. But thoughts of his session with Mr. Rogo kept pushing themselves to the forefront. Would what Mr. Rogo said actually work? What happens if it doesn't?
The sound of chair legs scraping against the floor snapped Rodney back to reality as Ally took her seat, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. She beamed at them, blue eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Rodney," she announced, swinging the guitar case off her back and offering it to him. "This is for you."
The table fell silent as Rodney eyed the guitar case, he reached out and cautiously took it from her. He unzipped the case and couldn't believe his eyes, in his hands was his father's blue acoustic guitar. It still had the stitch sticker on the bottom that he had stuck there when he was two. His heart swelled with gratitude for Ally, who had somehow known exactly what he needed.
"Thank you," he said, pulling her into a hug. "This is the best gift anyone has ever gotten me"
Ally returned the embrace, feeling Rodney's warmth envelop her. "You're welcome. It's just my way of saying thank you for forgiving after..."
"That's one hell of an I'm sorry gift," Madison said, watching tears well in Rodney's eyes. "I'm guessing it means something."
"It was my dad's," Rodney said, breaking the hug and wiping away some tears.
Ally smiled and prepared to deliver the second part of her plan. She looked around the table. "I'm glad you like it, Rodney because I was thinking we could go up to my uncle's cottage in Rice Lake this summer, just like we used to. And now you can play us something as we all sit by the fire." She said trying to make it clear everyone was invited.
Rodney noticed how Matt's shoulders tensed at the unexpected invitation. He knew Matt still wasn't ready to be friends with Ally and worried about how this announcement could affect their group dynamic.
"Thanks, Ally," Matt replied, his voice strained but sincere. "But I'll sit this one out. My summer is already full."
"Alright," Ally said, nodding and happy that Matt bowed out. Matt gave them all a smile before gathering his things and heading out of the cafeteria.
"Hey Matt wait up," Rodney called out after him. But Matt had vanished from view.
Rodney went to get up but Ally grabbed his arm, "Actually there is one thing I want to ask you before you go," Rodney looked at her and then in the direction that Matt went off in. He sat back down next to Ally, hoping he could catch up to Matt later.
---
The door to the English classroom swung open, and Jordan entered excited to be a part of their first student council meeting. They couldn't wait to see how these meetings were conducted and meet the people they would be working with next year. Several upperclassmen were already chatting at the front of the room as they entered, discussing the final events for June.
"Hey everyone," Jordan greeted them with a friendly smile, trying to come off as likable on their first day. "I'm really excited to be here today and learn from you all."
Several pairs of eyes glanced his way, offering half-hearted nods before returning to their previous conversations. Undeterred, Jordan made his way over to the group, taking a seat next to a thin girl with classes, just as Hunter arrived.
"Sorry I'm late, what did I miss?" Hunter asked as he strolled up to the group, a mystery box in hand. "I hope nobody minds but I brought some custom doughnuts for everyone from Ethel's Do."
A wave of enthusiasm rippled through the room, as council members dug into the box of baked goods. Jordan couldn't help but feel a little jealous watching how easy it was for Hunter to win everyone over.
"Alright, everyone!" Marcy, the current student council president, called out, clapping her hands to regain control of the room. "We need to focus. We have enough in the budget for one more event before school's out. We are open to any suggestions, even from our new members."
Jordan's heart swelled with anticipation; it was a chance to suggest the school host its first-ever pride event. He leaned forward in his chair, preparing to raise his hand.
"I have an idea," Hunter interjected before any saw Jordan's hand up. "I think we should throw one big end-of-school carnival. My parents can cover any costs that go over budget."
Jordan felt compelled to speak up, not wanting to miss a chance to make the school feel more inclusive. "I was thinking we might do a pride event actually, let students know all are welcome here."
"Oh, I like that," Marcy said, giving Jordan and supportive look. "Why don't we combine your ideas?"
The room buzzed with whispered debates as the students tried to decide whether they wanted to combine the events. Jordan felt nervous as they awaited the outcome.
"Alright," Marcy announced after the debating settled down. "Looks like we'll be combining the two. This will be the first pride carnival SDCI has ever had, so we have a lot of planning to do."
As the meeting drew to a close, Jordan gathered his scattered papers and smiled to himself. They felt acknowledged for the first time in a long time, even if they did have to share the event with Hunter. He left the classroom feeling lighter, and excited to start planning his first event.