Bi The Way

The sun streamed through the hallway windows, casting a blinding light on the lockers as Rodney listened to Ally's laughter. It was a sound he had come to cherish, and lately, it seemed like she was always around him. Even though she was still dating Matt, Rodney found that he could tolerate the guy for now, especially if it meant more time with Ally.

"Hey, check this out," Ally said, pulling her phone from her pocket as they stood by their lockers. She tapped on the screen, bringing up a TikTok video of a man handing out winter hats to homeless people. "I just love the giving nature of some people, you know?"

Rodney nodded, his eyes fixed on Ally's smiling face. He couldn't help but think that if he could do something similarly generous, maybe he could reignite the feeling she had for him. But what could he do? The seed of an idea began to take root in his mind – a charity event big enough to get Ally to really see him.

At lunch, Rodney sat with Derek, his tall, lean figure hunched over a tray of cafeteria food. Rodney picked at his own meal, his thoughts consumed by the potential charity event.

"Hey, so I've been thinking," Rodney began hesitantly, "about doing something for charity. You know, like that TikTok Ally showed me earlier where they were handing out hats to the homeless."

Derek looked up from his burger, curiosity piqued. "Oh yeah? What kind of charity thing were you thinking?"

Rodney shrugged, his brow furrowed in thought. "I don't know yet. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Maybe we can brainstorm some ideas together? After all, this could be what wins Ally over,"

"Sure thing, buddy." Derek leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "How about a clothing drive? People always have clothes they don't need anymore."

Rodney wrinkled his nose. "That's too basic. I want to do something different. Something that'll really make an impact."

"Okay, okay." Derek tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What about a raffle fundraiser? People love those."

Rodney's face fell. "Neither of us have anything worth raffling off, though."

Derek laughed, throwing out a series of increasingly ludicrous charity ideas – a dance-a-thon on stilts, a bake sale with only one giant cookie, a dog fashion show. Rodney couldn't help but join in the laughter, but deep down, he knew none of these ideas would work.

"Wait," Rodney said, suddenly struck by the memory of Ally going on and on about how she loved being a camp counselor in grade 7. "What if we raised money to send kids to camp over spring break?"

Derek's eyes lit up. "That's actually a great idea! It's unique, and who can say no to helping kids, you would have to be heartless. Ally would definitely be impressed."

A warm sense of hopefulness filled Rodney at Derek's words. Maybe this was the key to winning Ally's heart after all.

---

Rodney's heart raced as he stood outside the principal's office, clutching a folder filled with his charity proposal. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door and heard the muffled invitation to come in.

"Ah, Rodney, what can I do for you?" Principal Jenkins asked, peering at him over the rims of her glasses.

"I have an idea for a charity event, ma'am," Rodney said, opening the folder and presenting it to her. "It's called 'Camp for Kids.' We want to raise money to send kids to camp over spring break."

As Principal Jenkins leafed through the paperwork, her eyes sparkled with interest. "This is an excellent idea, Rodney. I'm impressed." She handed the folder back to him. "I'll support this initiative. You'll be in charge of making announcements, gathering volunteers, and collecting funds."

"Thank you so much, ma'am!" Rodney beamed, feeling a surge of pride.

However, as he left the principal's office, the weight of responsibility began to sink in. There was so much to do, and he wasn't sure where to start. All he had was an agreement with the school board to distribute all funds raised to the families that needed them. He felt his chest tighten, and his vision blurred as panic threatened to take hold. Desperate for guidance, he found himself in Mr. Rogo's office.

"Mr. Rogo, I need your help," Rodney blurted out, his voice tight with stress. "I've started this charity, but there's so much work, and I don't know how to handle it all. I don't know why I thought I could do this."

"Take a deep breath, Rodney," Mr. Rogo said calmly, motioning for him to sit. "First things first, have asked your friends for help."

"Not really, honestly things have been going great with my friends and all," Rodney sighed, rubbing his temples. "But I feel like I would taking advantage of them."

"Rodney you are not taking advantage of them by asking for their help, helping is what friends do for each other," Mr. Rogo explained, a gentle smile on his face. "Give it a try."

Feeling a little more hopeful, Rodney pulled out his phone and sent a group message to Ally, Parker, Jordan, Madison, and Derek, explaining the charity idea and asking for their assistance.

"Hey guys, I'm working on a charity called Camp for Kids," he typed, his fingers flying across the screen. "We're raising money to send kids to camp over spring break. Would any of you like to help?"

Derek's response was almost immediate: "I thought I was already the CEO of this, lol!"

Rodney's heart soared at Derek's support, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed as the hours ticked by without any other replies. The next day, however, Jordan sent him a message: "I'd be happy to help, Rodney! This sounds like a great cause."

"Thanks, Jordan. It means a lot," Rodney replied, relief washing over him. At least he didn't have to do it on his own, and it could be fun, since Jordan was so easygoing. But the lack of response for Ally was troubling, after all, she is totally into this kind of thing.

Rodney shook his head, trying not to dwell on the lack of response. He had a charity to run, after all, and there was no time to waste on hurt feelings.

---

The next day at school, Jordan's artistic talents were on full display as they meticulously crafted vibrant posters for the charity. Rodney watched in awe as splashes of color and realistic scenery came to life under Jordan's skilled hands. Each poster depicted happy kids at different camps with slogans like "Send a Kid to Camp, Change a Life" and "Camp for Kids: Making Dreams Come True."

"Wow, Jordan, these are amazing," Rodney gushed, his eyes wide with admiration.

"Thanks," Jordan replied with a grin. "I just hope they'll catch people's attention and help us raise some money."

Meanwhile, Derek had taken it upon himself to go on the morning announcements every day that week, spreading the word about Camp for Kids and urging students to bring money to their homeroom teachers. He spoke with enthusiasm and conviction, it also helped that Derek was by all accounts a good-looking guy.

Rodney did his part by delivering forms to each homeroom teacher, ensuring they knew how to track the funds collected and who the donations were from. As he went from classroom to classroom, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride swelling within him. For the first time since moving to this new town, he felt like he was making a difference.

"Here you go, Ms. Jenkins," Rodney said, handing over a stack of forms. "And if you have any questions, just let me know."

"Thank you, Rodney," she replied with a warm smile. "This is such a wonderful cause. I'm sure we'll be able to raise a lot of money."

But at the end of the week, when they tallied up the donations, the boys were disappointed to discover they had only raised a meager two hundred dollars. Frustration bubbled inside Rodney as he stared at the pitiful amount. It wasn't even enough to send even two children to camp.

"Maybe we should ask Parker for help again," Rodney suggested, knowing they needed all the assistance they could get. But when he approached his friend, Parker just shook his head.

"Sorry, man," Parker said apologetically. "Between my family, my job, and schoolwork, I barely have enough time to do the things I want to do."

Feeling a twinge of betrayal, Rodney turned to Madison, who was standing nearby. "What about you? Would you be willing to help?"

"Uh, no thanks," she replied dismissively, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I don't think it will look good on a college app to be a part of a failed charity, you understand." Rodney rolled his eyes and walked away feeling defeated.

As Rodney walked home with Derek that day, he couldn't contain his frustrations any longer. "It's so hard to get the money we need and no one else seems to want to pitch in!" he ranted. "We're trying our best, but it's not enough. Maybe we should be talking to the parents. They're the ones with the money, after all."

Derek mulled over the idea, nodding thoughtfully. "You know what? You might be onto something there. Call Jordan and see if he can come over tonight."

"OK," Rodney agreed, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "Are you going to fill me in on the plan here?"

"You said it yourself we need to get the message out to the parents," Derek said, clapping Rodney on the back. "All it takes is a guilt trip in the form of a letter and parents line up to give."

---

Later that evening, Rodney, Derek, and Jordan huddled around the dining table at Derek's house, brainstorming ideas for their letter to the parents. The room was bathed in a warm, golden glow from the overhead chandelier, casting playful shadows on the walls.

"Dear esteemed guardians," Rodney began, his pen hovering over the paper as he furrowed his brow. "We humbly beseech you to consider the importance of—"

"Whoa there, Shakespeare," Derek interrupted, grinning. "You're trying way too hard. We need something that'll grab their attention. Like, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!" he laughed.

Jordan fidgeted nervously with their sleeves, eyes darting between Rodney and Derek. "I-I don't know how to help," they admitted, their voice barely above a whisper. "I hate writing letters,"

Derek leaned back in his chair, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "What if we just make up reasons why kids should go to camp over spring break? The real reasons, like having fun and being safe, are boring. We need something catchy."

Rodney seemed a little worried by the suggestion. "What do mean? Are you saying we lie and say things like 'Not sending your kids to camp will make them so lazy they will never get a job.'"

"Close but that is not quite scary enough to really get the money flowing" Derek responded.

"I wasn't being serious,"

"Oh, you are thinking more like with outcamp your child will start drinking and smoking out of boredom!" Jordan proposed, their eyes twinkling with mischief.

Derek's smile broadened as he started typing away on his laptop. "And all that drinking and smoking will turn them into vandals and arsonists!"

"Ha! Don't forget murderers!" Jordan added, laughing.

"Right," Rodney said, finally conceding to the fun the other two seemed to be having. "And they'll spend their lives in and out of prison."

The three friends shared a good laugh over their fake letter, their earlier frustrations momentarily forgotten. "Okay," Rodney said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Let's get serious and work on the real letter now."

"Tomorrow," Derek agreed, still chuckling. "I am afraid I have to kick you out, parents have a strict no-one here past ten policy."

Jordan and Rodney left Derek's house, feeling lighter despite the fact they hadn't actually written a letter to the parents they could use.

----

The following Monday, Rodney's heart dropped when his teacher handed him a letter to take home to his parents. The familiar lines of their joke letter stared back at him, sending a shiver down his spine. Panicked, he rushed to find Derek, clutching their apparent joke letter.

"Derek! Why did you choose to send our joke home with the entire student body?!" Rodney demanded, his voice cracking.

"Relax, man," Derek said calmly, resting a hand on Rodney's shoulder. "I thought about it a lot and this letter is going to do exactly what we need it to do. Money for the kids and a successful charity that Ally won't be able to ignore, it's a win-win"

Rodney hesitated, torn between anger and trust. He knew Derek only wanted to help, and it was too late to take back all the letters anyway. With a deep breath, he nodded, hoping against hope that this gamble would pay off.