The afternoon sun shone brightly through the cafeteria's high windows, as students sat and ate what the school called lunch. Rodney picked at his turkey wrap absentmindedly, his thoughts occupied by Ally and Mark's seemingly perfect relationship. Beside him, Derek took a bite of his pizza, chewing thoughtfully as he considered the dilemma.

"Alright, man," Derek finally said, wiping his hands on a napkin. "I think it's time for plan B. We need to find a way to get you more popularity, you know so you get to Ally's level." He leaned back in his chair, the wheels turning in his head. "What if you threw a massive party? It could really help you get your name out there."

Rodney looked up at Derek, his eyes wide with surprise. "A party?" He hesitated before admitting, "I don't know, my mom is strictly against all things fun and I have never hosted a party. What if something goes wrong?"

"Come on man we are teens, making bad choices is our whole deal," Derek reseasoned "I am sure she would forgive one party, and if you did it while she wasn't there, she wouldn't even know. We could have the place cleaned up before she even got there."

"Well, my mom and sister will be gone Saturday night, so I guess I could do it then." Rodney let slip as he thought Derek's words over.

"Great!" Derek exclaimed, slapping Rodney on the back.

Doubt quickly clouded his expression. "But I've still never thrown a party before, Derek. What if no one shows up?"

"Trust me, buddy," Derek reassured him, grinning confidently. "You throw a killer party, and everyone will be talking about it Monday morning, and suddenly every popular kid wants you at theirs. Just make sure to post about it on Instagram and TikTok so people know it's happening."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch, Rodney couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach. The idea of hosting a party both thrilled and terrified him. What if nobody showed up? What if his mom found out? With every step down the crowded hallways, the weight of his decision seemed to grow heavier on his shoulders.

-----

After school, Rodney hesitantly posted about the party on Instagram and TikTok, his fingers trembling as he hit 'post'. He anxiously refreshed the pages, hoping for a flood of RSVPs, but as the minutes ticked by and no responses came in, his worry only intensified. He imagined himself standing alone in his living room, surrounded by streamers and snacks, the music echoing through the empty house.

"Hey, it'll be fine," Derek assured him as he climbed onto his bus. "Just give people some time to get home and read it. They will start RSVPing soon, I promise."

Rodney dragged his feet as he walked toward the front of the school, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts about the impending party. He passed by a group of girls giggling over their phones, and he couldn't help but notice Ally in the center of it all, her laughter as bright as the sun. She was his best friend, and surely she'd come to his party.

"Hey, Ally," he called out, mustering every ounce of courage in his body. She turned, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

"Hi, Rodney! What's up?" she asked, her voice like music to his ears.

"Uh, I'm having a party this Saturday night, and I wanted to invite you," he stammered, trying to sound casual but feeling anything but.

Ally's face fell ever so slightly, and she shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Oh, Rodney, I don't think I can make it. Matt has to work that night, and I'd feel weird going to a party without him." Her words struck him like a dagger, and his heart sank.

"Ah, that's cool," he lied, forcing a smile onto his face. "No worries!" But deep down, he felt betrayed. Why did she need Matt to go to his party?

As Ally returned to her friends, Rodney shook off the sting of rejection and continued. A thought dawned on him, Parker, he fumbled to pull his phone from his pocket. If anyone could lift his spirits, it was Parker.

"Hey, man," Rodney said, when Parker picked up. "I'm throwing a party this Saturday, and I was hoping you could come."

Parker paused for a moment before answering. "I'd love to, Rodney, but my family has movie night every Saturday. It's kind of mandatory," he explained, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Right, I understand," Rodney said, trying to hide the panic that was creeping up on him. He was starting to feel as though his party would be straight out of a comedy, with the frat house overrun by nerds while the cool kids remained conspicuously absent.

"Thanks anyway," he added, forcing himself out of the terrible vision. "I hope you can make it next time."

"Definitely," Parker promised, his voice sounded sincere and warm.

Rodney saw his mom parked in the lot waiting, his heart heavy with worry. If his own friends couldn't make it to his party, who would? He climbed into the car, worried his party was a failure before it even began.

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-----

The night of the party had finally arrived, and Rodney paced nervously in his living room. He couldn't help but cast a critical eye over the sparse dollar store Halloween decorations that adorned the walls, a few plastic bats, ghost streamers, and one terribly carved Jack'o'lantern. He sighed, checking his phone again and rereading Derek's text: "Sorry dude, gotta take my bro to hockey. I'll be there later."

"Great," he muttered under his breath, anxiety gnawing at him. It was as if all his worst fears were coming true. No one he knew had said yes, he was about to play host to total strangers, with no one there to ease him into it. He could almost feel the panic attack taking hold.

Just as these thoughts threatened to consume him, there came a knock on the door. His heart leaped into his throat, and he quickly scrambled to start the music before rushing to answer it.

"Hey, um, welcome!" he stammered as he opened the door to an unfamiliar couple decked out in Halloween attire. They looked cool and nonchalant, barely acknowledging him before slipping inside. Rodney blinked, slightly confused but grateful anyone had shown up at all. Madison followed close behind them, her eyes taking in the sad state of the party with an air of disapproval.

"Nice place, Rodney. Didn't this party start like an hour ago?" she said flatly, her tone betraying her lack of enthusiasm.

"Um yeah, but there is.... I mean some people are just running late," he replied, forcing a smile. Inside, he cringed at her reaction, wondering if this whole thing had been a mistake.

As the couple settled onto the couch and began making out, Madison occupied herself with her phone, leaving Rodney alone in the sea of inadequacy that was his party. With only three guests, he couldn't shake the feeling that this would go down as the lamest Halloween party in history.

"Maybe a masked killer could burst through the door and end it all right now," he thought morosely, staring at the door as if willing it to happen.

But instead of a killer, it was Ally who walked through the door, dressed as Sydney Prescott from the Scream movies. She smiled and waved when she saw Rodney, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Rodney couldn't believe it, she came, she was really at the party.

"Hey, Rodney!" she called out, making her way over to him.

"Ally! You came!" he blurted out, surprise and relief flooding through him.

"Yeah," she replied with a grin. "I figured I had to see your first-ever party."

Rodney's heart swelled with gratitude, his earlier fears momentarily forgotten. If Ally was here, then nothing else really mattered to him.

"I thought you could go because Matt was busy?" Rodney asked as they stood amid the party's lackluster atmosphere.

"Well I thought about it, and I realized supporting my friends should come first," Ally replied with a warm smile. "Besides, I can have fun without Matt,"

Rodney looked around at the meager decorations and sparse crowd, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him. "I'm sorry this is so... lame."

"Hey, it's not that bad," Ally said optimistically. "And besides, I think I know what to do." She whipped out her phone and tapped away at the screen for a moment. Within minutes, the doorbell rang again and the entire yoga club, dressed in a variety of creative costumes, flooded into the living room. Laughter and chatter filled the air, and Rodney couldn't believe how quickly the party was transformed.

"Nice job, Ally," he said appreciatively, watching as his once-empty house came alive with energy.

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" she joked, giving him a playful nudge.

Just then, Derek burst through the door with a group of grade 11s in tow, adding even more life to the party. He made his way over to Rodney, hugging him.

"Sorry I'm late, dude," Derek apologized. "Had to make a pickup before I came over here."

"Better late than never," Rodney replied, grateful for his friend's support. Derek nodded, then gestured toward a girl named Sky, leaving Rodney to mingle with her. As the night wore on, Rodney talked to Ally about their shared love for horror movies.

"Nothing beats the classics like Friday the 13th, Halloween, and A Nightmare on Elm Street," Rodney enthused, watching Ally's eyes light up in agreement.

"Absolutely!" she exclaimed. "I could watch those movies on a loop."

Ally's phone buzzed with an incoming text. Glancing down, she saw it was from Matt, saying he was free now and that she should come over. A moment of hesitation crossed her face before she decided to ignore the message.

"Anyway," she said, redirecting her attention back to Rodney and their conversation, "did you ever see the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre?"

"Ugh no, I think that one is too bloody with no plot" Rodney admitted.

"that is what makes it scary! I miss watching horror movies," Ally lamented, "Matt hates them so we don't watch them."

"Maybe we can have a horror movie night," Rodney suggested, giving her a slight smile, "So you can catch up on what you missed."

"I would like that," Ally said, her eyes lighting up. Everyone else seemed to fade into the background as their conversation continued.

-----

As the night drew to a close, grateful guests began to filter out one by one. Rodney couldn't help but swell with pride as they left, realizing that despite his initial reservations, he had successfully thrown his first party.

"Hey," Ally said, sidling up next to him once the last guest had disappeared through the front door. "That was really fun, Rodney. Let's set a date for that horror movie night soon, ok."

Rodney's heart did a little somersault at her words. "Yeah, definitely. It was great to have you here."

"Goodnight, Rodney," she said warmly, squeezing his arm before heading home herself.

"Goodnight, Ally," he called after her, watching her retreating figure until she vanished into the darkness.

With a satisfied sigh, Rodney turned his attention to the mess that now littered his living room. As he picked up discarded cups and plates, he couldn't help but replay the night's events in his head, savoring each moment spent with Ally.

A knock on the door pulled him from his memories. He swung it open, revealing Parker standing there sheepishly, a bag of McDonald's clutched in his hands.

"Hey, man." Parker rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks tinged pink with embarrassment. "I'm sorry I missed the party because the whole family night thing. I brought Big Macs as an apology?"

"Come on in," Rodney said, grinning and stepping aside to let Parker enter. "Better late than never, right?"

"Thanks," Parker replied, relief evident in his voice as he followed Rodney to the living room. They settled onto the couch, unwrapping their burgers as Rodney started IT Chapter One on the TV.

"Nothing like horror movies and fast food to end the night," Parker joked, taking a large bite of his Big Mac.

"Agreed," Rodney laughed, he was overjoyed Parker had shown up at all. They bantered and teased each other as they watched Pennywise terrorize the Losers Club.

As they cracked jokes about the dancing clown, Rodney was struck by a sudden realization: this easy, why couldn't hanging out with Ally be this easy?