Ally leaned against her open locker, half-listening to Luke as he animatedly described their latest science project. "So, we're creating a portrait of a family using a genetic grid," he explained, gesturing enthusiastically with his hands. Matt and Parker nodded along, fascinated by the concept.

"Sounds pretty cool," Ally chimed in, her gaze drifting down the crowded hallway. She spotted Rodney walking alongside Erica, deep in conversation. A pang of something unidentifiable tugged at her heart. "Looks like Rodney and Erica are still going strong. He doesn't seem to have time for anyone else anymore." She didn't notice that Parker was also watching them intently, his eyes clouded with envy.

Matt scoffed. "Does it even matter? The guy's always been weird, and he's with the weird girl. If you ask me it is a match made in heaven." His tone was dismissive, but Ally bristled at his words.

"Rodney was my best friend before I moved here, Matt. His friendship means the world to me," she snapped, her blue eyes flashing with anger. Without another word, she slammed her locker shut and stormed off, leaving her friends behind. Matt hesitated for a moment before following her, calling out apologies as he tried to catch up.

As Parker watched the scene unfold, a question struck him. Was Ally just upset about losing a friend? or was she jealous of Erica and Rodney?

-----

After science class, Parker caught up with Ally near the exit. "Hey, can we talk?" he asked, his voice strained. Ally frowned, curious about his sudden seriousness. She nodded, folding her arms across her chest defensively.

"Look, Um are you jealous that Rodney is with someone else?" Parker blurted out, his glasses sliding down his nose as he spoke. Ally's face flushed a deep crimson, but he pressed on. " I mean you practically ignored Rodney this whole time, choosing Matt over him. But now that he's got a girlfriend, suddenly you act like all you want to do is hang with your apparent best friend."

Parker paused for a breath, his brown eyes locked on Ally's shocked expression. "Rodney had a huge crush on you at the beginning of the year, anyone with eyes could see that. You don't know what it's like to like someone who doesn't like you back, Ally, and it's not fair to keep Rodney around as a backup plan." His voice cracked, and he turned away from her, blinking back tears.

Ally stood there, dumbfounded by Parker's outburst. Her mind raced, was Parker right? She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Before she could find the right thing to say, Parker stormed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts and a newfound realization: she might have feelings for Rodney, which could be the weird feeling she gets seeing him with someone else.

-----

Throughout the day, Ally found herself lost in thought, her fingers idly tapping against the edge of her desk as she stared out the classroom window. The tiny snow crystals danced whimsically in the breeze, she wished she could be free like them. She wished she didn't have to think about what Parker said but it stuck to the back of her mind like they were placed there with superglue.

Ignoring the constant buzzing of her phone, she pondered whether she had truly led Rodney on. When she had first met him, there was a part of her that was drawn to his quiet sensitivity, and she had imagined they might end up together in grade 6 when they spent every moment after school together writing a Doctor Who fanfic. She loved his creativity and how he smiled every time she came up with a great idea. But then his dad, Rodney retreated in his shell, while Matt boldly pursued her affections. But Ally couldn't help but hang on to the way Rodney had made her feel back then.

Finally, the bell rang, releasing her from her self-imposed prison. She collected her things and hurried home, eager for the solace of her bedroom.

"Ugh," Ally groaned as she tossed her bag on the ground, her head pounding in time with her racing thoughts. Desperate for relief, she made some tea with honey, the warm liquid soothing her. As she sipped her comforting drink, Mark, her brother, entered the kitchen.

"Hey. What's wrong with you?" he asked, concern etched in the creases of his forehead.

Ally hesitated, "Have you ever thought something was one way but really it was another, and now that you realize that you wonder if you made a wrong decision? But if you try to fix it you may also end up hurting someone so really you feel trapped in a game you can't win?"

"Um, is there like a dictionary for translating Ally to a regular human?" Mark half-joked, "You are going to need to give me a little more here,"

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Ally sighed "Turns out Rodney liked me, or likes me, I don't know. Well, I kind of knew he liked me but with everything that happened with his dad, he just wasn't the same Rodney." She stirred her tea, watching the ripples flow through the warm liquid.

"Oh, that's a lot," Mark said taking a seat next to her.

"The thing is, a part of me chose Matt so I would stop thinking of Rodney in a romantic way. I guess that is why I have been avoiding Rodney since we moved here too, I could tell he was into me but I wasn't into him, well I mean this version of him. Am I a bad person? What do I do?" She looked at Mark as if he was hiding the answer somewhere on himself.

"That is a tough one. Honestly a first for me, but Ally you have to be you. Trust yourself to make the choices." Mark offered, still unsure of the whole situation.

Ally nodded, feeling a small spark of clarity amidst her whirlwind emotions. She hugged Mark tightly, grateful for his support. "Thanks, Mark. I needed that."

"Anytime," he said, squeezing her back.

-----

Ally walked briskly towards the school entrance as the sun rose in the sky. She clutched her backpack straps tightly, steeling herself for the conversations she knew she had to have.

"Hey, Parker," Ally said, catching up with him just outside the school doors. His messy curls danced in the breeze as he turned to face her.

"Ally," he replied cautiously. "What's up?"

"Look, I wanted to make sure we are ok," she began, her voice laced with sincerity. "You were right. I do have feelings for Rodney, and I wasn't being fair to him, or myself. And you are a true friend for pointing that out to me, I was acting crazy."

Parker studied her for a moment, his eyes searching hers before nodding slowly. "I appreciate you admitting that, Ally. And I am sorry too, I definitely could have gone about it differently."

"Thanks," she replied, her heart fluttering with relief. "And I promise I'll try to be more decisive from now on, and let people know how I really feel."

"Sounds like a good plan," Parker said, offering her a small smile. "Still friends?"

"Still friends," Ally breathed, allowing herself a brief moment to revel in the mending of their friendship before turning her thoughts to the next difficult conversation she needed to have.

-----

As the final bell rang, Ally's pulse quickened, her palms damp and sweaty. She stood near the lockers, scanning the sea of students for Rodney's familiar face. At last, she spotted him, his slight build emerging from the throng, his short brown hair ruffled from the long day.

"Rodney," she called out, her voice wavering slightly. He looked up, surprise registering on his features as she approached.

"Hey, Ally," he said warily, his eyes darting around as if searching for an escape route. "What's up?"

"Can we talk?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Uh, sure," he replied hesitantly, his brow furrowing with concern.

"Listen," Ally began, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "I need to be honest with you. I... I did have romantic feelings for you when we were back in Toronto. And I am sorry that I have been avoiding you this year."

Rodney blinked, his eyes widening in shock. He opened his mouth to speak, but she pressed on before he could find the words.

"The real reason I skipped out on skating with you," she continued, her voice shaking, "is because I felt like it would be cheating on Matt because a part of me still wants to be with you, but I have to let it go. So we can both be happy."

For a moment, Rodney stood motionless, as if caught in a storm of emotion that threatened to topple him over. Finally, he found his voice, though it was barely audible. "Ally, I..."

"Look," she interrupted, blinking back tears, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry, but I still want to be friends. I have really missed my best friend, I don't think I realized it until now."

Without waiting for a response, Ally turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Rodney standing there, alone and speechless, still unsure about what just happened.

"Hey, man!" Derek's voice cut through the fog, snapping Rodney back to reality. His tall, lean figure appeared at his side. "What's up? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ally," Rodney stammered, his voice shaking. "She admitted she had feelings for me, but she's still choosing Matt."

"Whoa," Derek said, his eyebrows shooting up. "That's... Wow, man, congrats on getting her to admit that!"

"Congrats?" Rodney's brow furrowed, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "She just wants to be friends because she thinks I'm dating Erica, but we're just friends."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Derek reassured him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Now that we know Ally has feelings for you, we can work on getting you two together by the end of the year. Trust me, it's clear the two of you are meant to be."

Rodney nodded hesitantly, trying to make sense of everything that just happened. In his mind's eye, he tried to picture himself with Ally, sitting across from her at a dimly lit restaurant. Their hands reached out and intertwined, fingers laced together like a perfect puzzle piece. As they leaned in for a kiss, anticipation crackling between them like electricity, Rodney blinked –And suddenly, it was Parker staring back at him, not Ally. The shock sent a jolt through his entire body, was Ally really who he wanted to be with anymore?

"Uh, so what's the next step?" Rodney asked, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Derek grinned, his eyes lighting up with determination. "First, we say you and Erica broke up and you are really heartbroken about it. Then, Ally comes and comforts you, and the next thing you know you are falling for each other. Trust me, man – we've got this."

As they walked away, Rodney couldn't help but feel a mixture of hope and unease. The thought of being with Ally filled him with warmth, but so did the thought of being with Parker. It was a puzzle he couldn't quite decipher, but for now, he had to focus on winning Ally's heart.