Bi The Time

Chapter 2: Don't

The moonlight sliced through the blinds, casting a glow across Rodney's room as he lay in a tangled mess of sheets. His body was twisting and turning as if fighting off an invisible threat. In Rodney's dream, an accusatory Parker stood before him—red hair disheveled, his glasses fogged and his shirt stained. In one hand Parker held a can of beer, swinging it back and forth as he scolded him.

"Look what you did to me, Rodney," Dream-Parker slurred, as he stumbled forward. "I was happy being with you in our little world... but you had to ruin it. You had to force me out, you couldn't just be happy being us."

"No... Parker I.." Rodney tried to reach out, to explain, to apologize, but the right words seemed out of reach. Parker pulled away from him and Rodney tumbled backward into the darkness.

With a start, Rodney awoke, trapped in his tangled mass of sheets. Beads of sweat clung to his skin, his pajamas glued to his back. He pulled himself free from his blankets and sat up, his mind replaying the dream for him as he stared into the dark corners of his room.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry," he whispered into the darkness, he could feel his cheeks burning as the tears started to stream down his face. "I'll keep your secret safe, Parker. No matter what."

-----

Rodney shuffled through the crowded halls of SDCI like a zombie, still exhausted from the nightmares the night before. Locker doors slammed shut, echoing through the halls causing him to snap back to reality for a few moments before slipping back into autopilot.

"Hey, Rodney!" Luke called out, sidling up next to him with Steven in tow. "You know how you were asking about Parker the other day? Well, I was talking to Steven and he hasn't heard anything from him either. Weird right?"

"uh yeah, weird," Rodney managed, not fully taking in what Luke had said. "But like you said... um, you know that thing about the cat." As Rodney tried to wrack his sleep-deprived brain for the information, Luka and Steven shot each other concerned looks.

Derek appeared seemingly out of nowhere, slinging an arm around Rodney's shoulders. He hid his worry about Rodney's current state under his usual charismatic smile.

"Sorry to cut in but I need to borrow Rodney," Derek chimed in. "Marcy is looking for him, apparently he grabbed her lunch this morning." Derek began to lead Rodney away from the pair.

"Oh yeah, no worries," Steven said as he watched them go. "Oh, but we were thinking about walking over to Parker's after school to check on him. If you want to come, Rod,"

"Can't," Rodney interjected too quickly, his mind racing for a plausible excuse. "Dentist appointment. Then chores. My mom's been on my case about them."

"Can't you put off the chores until Saturday dude?" Luke asked, Rodney could see the confusion on his face.

"You know how my mom gets, if I don't them I risk getting grounded for the next month," Rodney lied, feeling guilty. He could feel the weight of their stares, the unspoken questions hanging between them.

"Alright then," Steven said, though his tone suggested he wasn't entirely convinced. "We'll let you know if we find anything out."

"Thanks," Rodney replied keeping his gaze firmly on the floor, Derek guided Rodney down the hall away from them. As Rodney went, he could hear Luke and Steven wondering aloud if he was okay.

"It's ok," Derek said as they turned the corner, "I didn't sleep much last night either. I had no idea Parker was going through that, I can only imagine what you are feeling. Maybe you should try to get your mind off it, do something fun and distracting tonight."