The school hallways buzzed with excitement as students handed over crumpled bills and envelopes filled with checks, all destined for the Camps of Kids charity. Rodney stood in front of a large cardboard box, watching as it slowly filled with generous donations. Derek leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, an impressed smile on his face.

"Looks like our little note did the trick," he said, nodding towards the growing pile of money.

"Definitely," Rodney agreed, nervously. "But now we've got a different problem on our hands. We need more help to gather and count all these donations."

Jordan overheard the conversation and chimed in. "I know someone who'd be perfect for this. I'll go ask Steven if he wants to help out."

Rodney watched as Jordan walked confidently down the hallway, their unique sense of style drawing the attention of a group of girls walking by. They approached Steven, who stood by his locker, fiddling with the combination lock. As Jordan spoke to him, Rodney could have sworn he saw Steven blushing, and he nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Welcome to the team, Steven," Rodney said as Jordan led him back to the group.

"Thanks, guys," Steven replied, his voice wavering slightly. He glanced at Jordan, trying his best to look cool and collected. "I'm really excited to help out."

"This going to be great," Jordan explained, "Steven is like a math genius, he will able to count it faster than all of us combined." Derek nodded in agreement.

"I mean I am ok with numbers." Steven tried to downplay it, not wanting to embarrass himself if he messed up.

"Great," Rodney said, giving Steven a reassuring smile. "You and Jordan can start collecting donations from the homerooms. We'll regroup here in a couple of hours."

As Jordan and Steven set off down the hallway side by side, Jordan stole glances at Steven, admiring the way his hair seemed to catch the light just right. They cleared their throat nervously, gathering the courage to bring up the kiss that had been playing on a loop in their mind.

"Hey, Steven," they began hesitantly, "I've been meaning to ask you... Why did you kiss me on the cheek after the winter carnival?"

Steven paused for a moment, his eyes twinkling as they recalled the night. "Well, we had a lot of fun together selling beaver tails, didn't we? And I thought you were pretty cute, so I just went for it." He offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry if I crossed a line or anything."

"No, no," Jordan stammered, feeling the heat rise to their cheeks. "I actually, um, liked it. A lot. And I was wondering if maybe... you'd like to go out sometime?"

"Really?" Steven's face broke into a wide grin. "I mean I have never really been on a date before, like a real date."

"Neither have I" Jordan Laughed, "But I would like to stumble through on with you."

Steven's face turned beet red, "I would like that a lot." he said with a smile

With newfound confidence, Steven and Jordan continued their mission to collect donations, an excitement building in them as they anticipated their future date.

-----

Rodney stood in the hallway, absentmindedly fidgeting with his backpack strap as he and Derek collected the envelopes from homerooms.

"Man, we really need more hands on deck," Derek commented, scratching the back of his head. "Why don't you try asking Ally for help again?"

"Ally?" Rodney hesitated, remembering how she had completely ignored the text the first time around and had been acting like she never actually got it. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Maybe we should ask Parker again? They say the third time is the charm."

"Come on, Rodney," Derek urged. "Wasn't the reason for starting all this to impress her? And you never know maybe she actually didn't get the message."

With a reluctant sigh, Rodney agreed. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

After school, Rodney found Ally by her locker, chatting animatedly with a group of fellow yoga club members. The sight of her leaning against the row of lockers made his heart race, and he swallowed hard before approaching her.

"Hey, Ally," he said, trying to sound casual. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure, what's up?" Ally replied, her eyes shining with curiosity as she stepped away from her friends.

"Uh, well, the charity I started has actually taken off, and we need some extra help." Rodney rubbed the back of his neck, feeling exposed under her gaze. "Would you be interested in joining us?"

Ally's expression flickered, and she seemed to be searching for the right words. "I, um, don't think I can," she stammered, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Oh, OK," Rodney said, he wanted to turn and leave but he needed to know why. After all, he thought they had made real progress in being friends again. "Can I ask why? I mean if it is like a time thing I can make sure that you don't have to do too much, maybe just collect donations in the morning. There is only a week left."

She sighed, her eyes downcast. "It's Matt," she admitted. "He is really making progress and trying to be supportive in his own Matt way, but his parents are going through a thing and he kind of just feels really insecure in our relationship right now and I don't want to make it worse."

Rodney's heart sank, but he couldn't fault her loyalty. "Oh, I am sorry. I just thought we were ok, I mean we have been hanging out more stuff."

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"We are ok Rodney, but I don't want to push it. Especially if all the stuff from earlier" Ally whispered, her voice heavy with regret. "I'm sorry." She scooped her backpack off the ground and retreated back into her friends.

As Rodney walked away, his thoughts raced. It felt like they were falling back into the old pattern – and he didn't want to back to feeling like hanging out with Ally was an impossibility. But how could he convince her to join them without jeopardizing her relationship with Matt?

"Sorry" wasn't going to be enough to deter Rodney from trying again. He wanted to spend more time with her and Matt wasn't going to stop him. He just had to find a way to make sure Matt wouldn't get too jealous.

"Wait!" Rodney called out, his voice cracking as Ally and her group started heading for the stairs. She stopped, turning back to look at him with a puzzled expression. He knew he had to act fast, so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "I have a girlfriend, so Matt doesn't need to worry about us hanging out, it is strictly as friends after all."

Ally's eyebrows rose in surprise, her blue eyes studying him closely. "Really? I haven't seen you hanging around any girls lately."

Rodney felt the heat rise to his cheeks, but he couldn't back down now. "Well, we're keeping it casual and haven't labeled it yet," he lied, hoping she would buy it.

She tilted her head and considered this for a moment. "So we would just be working together with no underlying context to it," she said slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle. "Who is the mystery girl?"

He hesitated, feeling a knot form in his stomach. "Oh uh, well I said I wouldn't tell anyone about us until she was ready," he admitted, careful not to confirm it outright. Something in Ally's face shifted, and Rodney held his breath, waiting for her response.

"Alright then," she said finally, her demeanor warming. "If that's the case, I'll help out with the charity." Relief washed over Rodney, and he tried to hide his grin. Ally pulled out her phone and quickly sent a message to Matt, "OK, we should be good to go."

"Great! Let's meet up at my house, I still have some money that needs counting and could use the help if you have time?" Rodney suggested, trying to sound casual as they walked side by side out of the school.

"Sure, I can swing that," Ally replied, with a smile that made Rodney want to melt.

As they sorted through the piles of donations, Ally's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You know, we should all go on a double date sometime. I want to meet the girl who won you over," she proposed, clearly eager to get to know Rodney's supposed girlfriend.

Rodney felt his heart race and a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. He wasn't actually dating anyone, but admitting the truth would surely ruin his chances of hanging out with Ally. So, he swallowed hard and nodded. "That sounds like fun," he agreed, trying to sound enthusiastic while secretly dreading the thought.

"Perfect! Let's plan for this weekend," Ally said with a grin, her eyes alight with anticipation. Rodney forced a smile, on the inside it felt like someone lit him on fire, by this weekend Ally would he lied to her, and their friendship would ruined.

-----

The school corridor seemed unusually brighter the next day, as if the fluorescent lights were mocking Rodney's predicament. He spotted Derek leaning against a row of lockers and hurried over, his mind racing with the events of yesterday.

"Hey, Derek, I really need to talk to you," Rodney blurted out, his eyes darting around nervously.

"Whoa, slow down there, buddy," Derek replied, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to Rodney's frantic energy. "What happened?"

"Okay, so... I lied to Ally about having a girlfriend so she'd join our charity, and we could hang out together. And then she suggested a double date this Friday with her and Matt, and I agreed to it!" Rodney explained in a single breath, his voice cracking at the end.

Derek raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by the situation. "You agreed to this?"

"What else was I supposed to do? I panicked," Rodney admitted, his face flushing with embarrassment. "Now what do I do?"

"Simple, just say your date is sick on Friday," Derek offered, but Rodney shook his head.

"That's a one-time excuse, Derek. What if they want to reschedule? If Ally finds out I lied, forget dating, she will never want to see my face again!" Rodney countered, his anxiety creeping back in.

"Alright, then let's find you a fake girlfriend," Derek suggested, as if it were the most obvious solution. "Someone who'll pretend to go out with you."

"Who would even do that?" Rodney asked skeptically.

"Ask Erica," Derek offered. "You guys are friends, right?"

Rodney hesitated, recalling how he left Parker behind to meet Erica. Erica but he always felt unease around her, like she was always analyzing his every move. "I guess, but we haven't really talked since I was grounded."

"Then now's the perfect time," Derek encouraged, giving Rodney a reassuring pat on the back. "Either that or tell Ally the truth and accept the consequences."

"Alright," Rodney didn't want to do it but what other choice did he have?

Later that day, after gym class, Rodney caught up with Erica in the hallway. Her vibrant red hair framed her face in loose waves, and she was taking a drink from the fountain. Rodney's heart pounded as he approached her.

"Hey, Erica," he said, trying to sound casual. "We haven't hung out in a while. Maybe we should now that I'm not grounded anymore."

Her face lit up, and Rodney felt a wave of relief wash over him. "I'd love that! I've missed hanging out with you."

"Great!" Rodney replied, encouraged by her enthusiasm. "Actually, there's something else I wanted to ask you. I need a huge favor... Would you go on a double date with me this Friday?"

He quickly explained the situation, watching Erica's eyes widen with amusement as he recounted his lie about having a girlfriend. To his surprise, she agreed without hesitation.

"Sounds fun! I am always down for a free meal," she said, grinning.

"Thank you so much, Erica. You're a lifesaver," Rodney sighed, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders.

-----

The next day, Rodney met Erica before the bell rang. He knew that he and Erica had to sell their fake relationship convincingly, or his lie would crumble around him.

"Ready for our debut?" she whispered, a playful smirk gracing her lips.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Rodney replied, taking a deep breath as they approached Ally and Matt. The two stood by a row of lockers, completely engrossed in each other's company, making it all too easy for Rodney and Erica to saunter past them.

"Hey Ally," Rodney called out casually, catching her attention. "Hey Matt."

"Hey, guys," Ally responded, her eyes flickering between Rodney and Erica's intertwined hands. She nudged Matt with her elbow, nodding towards the couple. "See? I told you nothing is going on, Rodney is dating someone and is happy."

Matt, however, looked unconvinced as he appraised the pair. "Who'd want to go out with Rodney after all the weird stuff he's done this year?"

"Matt!" Ally scolded, her cheeks flushing with indignation. "I wish you wouldn't talk about my friend like that."

"Relax, babe," Matt replied, attempting to placate her with a charming smile. "I'm just saying I heard they already gave it a shot and it didn't work, why would they try again."

"I don't know but you should change your attitude before our double date," Ally warned, clearly unhappy with his behavior.

As Erica and Rodney continued down the hall, Parker and Madison caught sight of Erica and Rodney holding hands. Madison beamed with pride, eager to take credit for their union. "I set those two up, you know. My matchmaking skills have always been on the mark."

"Really?" Parker asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "I don't know if I buy it. They're so different. Rodney's weird in a good way, with all these layers to who he is as a person. Erica has a YouTube channel devoted to different shades of eyeliner."

"Are you jealous?" Madison teased, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were into Rodney."

"Of course not," Parker scoffed, his cheeks reddening slightly. "I'm just looking out for my friends."

"Uh-huh, sure," Madison said, grinning. She leaned in and pressed her lips against Parker's to halt the conversation, leaving him momentarily breathless. "I am just teasing you, babe," she said as she pulled away. She headed to class and Parker stared at the spot where Rodney once stood.