Bi the Way

Chapter 13: Do!

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."