Bi The Way

The light from the rising sun snuck across Ally's face as it slipped through the crack in her curtains, gently waking her from her slumber. She rose from her bed feeling like she could breathe for the first time in days, she looked over at the empty latte cup on her dresser and smiled to herself.

"Time to thank him for working his magic," she murmured to herself, grabbing her phone off her tissue-covered nightstand. She snapped a photo of herself and was relieved to see the colour had returned to her cheeks, finally a filter wouldn't be required to share this pic, she thought.

"I should really share how amazing Alex is with the world." She twirled a strand of her golden hair around her finger as she thought about what to say, hesitating only a moment before tapping out a caption filled with gratitude. "My Latte Hottie sent me the perfect get-well gift. Thanks for working your magic, I feel a million times better" She made sure to tag Alex before uploading it all to Instagram.

Leaning back against her mountain of pillows, Ally watched as likes and comments began to populate beneath the post. Reading each one as it appeared, and she couldn't help but grin, all filled with praise for Alex and happiness that Ally was feeling better.

"Thanks, Alex," she whispered, truly grateful that she wouldn't have to skip the school fashion show after all, "you really saved the day."

---

"I'd love to go and see you at the fashion show Madison but I am stuck here with Lola today," Rodney lamented, his gaze never leaving the flashing images on the TV screen. Lola happily picked away at a strawberry on her pancakes.

"Rodney, come on, Lola can come too. It's just for an hour," Madison's voice crackled through the phone speaker as she tried to convince him to come to the high school.

"I don't know. This babysitting thing is harder than I thought it would be and Lola is... well she has spirit," He had spent most of the morning chasing her around the house trying to get her to brush her teeth.

"Well Matt is coming so maybe you can both keep an eye on her. You know, the whole two heads are better than one thing."

"I don't that saying really applies here," Rodney started before his phone buzzed with a small notification, alerting him that Ally had updated her story. "I'll think about it, maybe if Derek gets back early I can make it."

"I'll save you a seat," Madison said, all too certain that Rodney would show up to the show to support her.

Rodney checked Ally's updated feed to find her giving Alex the credit for the Latte he sent her last night. "Shit!" he said loud enough to get Lola to turn her head and for Madison to go silent. "Oh no, no, that wasn't about you Madison. Sorry," He gave Lola an apologetic look but she had already turned back to her show.

"Then what was that about?" Madison asked, her tone taking on a note of concern. "Did you burn yourself or something?"

"It's stupid really, but I sent Ally a latte last night when I found out she wasn't feeling well." He started to explain, leaning back against the leather couch cushions. "I know we haven't talked since she..."

"Broke your heart," Madison finished. "Is she upset about the latte of something?" Madison sounded confused through the phone.

"No, I didn't tell her it was from me, I thought that would be too awkward," he said, cursing himself for trying to be selfless in the moment. "Anyway, she just gave Alex all the credit for it and now everyone is going on and on about how amazing he is. But it wasn't him at all."

"You know Ally is one of the models at the show too, if you come here then maybe you can let her know it was you," Madison suggested, though her ulterior motives were clear.

"I guess, but I mean should I really care this much about setting the record straight? Maybe I should let it go." Rodney felt torn, unsure if he wanted to tell Ally because he was jealous of all the praise Alex was getting for the act or because he wanted to actually start mending their friendship.

"Rodney!" The sharp command cut through his thoughts, and he found himself blinking at the six-year-old only a few centimeters from his face, her curly black hair in disarray, pajamas rumpled. "I want to go to the park."

"Madison, I'll have to call you back," Rodney muttered as he hung up the phone. "You'll have to get dressed before we go." He said as he trailed after the pint-sized dictator to the front entrance, she was already struggling to force her foot into her princess boots. Rodney watched as she clearly ignored him and continued to dress herself to go out into the snow.

"You need to get me my hat, the pink bunny one," Lola instructed, sitting on the floor and pointing at the top shelf of the closet.

"Sure thing." Rodney reached into the hat bin on the top shelf, his hands exploring the different fabrics until he felt the fluffy ears of the desired hat. He freed the hat from the bin and handed it to the waiting girl.

"Thank you," Lola chirped, placing the hat on her head with all the grace of a six-year-old.

"You're welcome," Rodney replied absentmindedly, as he fastened the buttons on his own coat. His mind was still locked on the fact Ally had thought Alex was the one who gave her the latte.

"Ally is one of the models" Madison's words echoed through his head.

He tugged on his own boots and zipped up Lola's coat for her. He knew babysitting Lola was his first priority and that this misunderstanding didn't really matter but it still didn't sit right with him. There was a park close to the high school, maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

"Hey, Lola," Rodney ventured, "You like pretty dresses, don't you? I know where we can go to see a bunch of real princesses wearing them,"

"Can we get ice cream?" Lola cut in, clearly interested in the idea of seeing real princesses.

"Sure we can get ice cream," Rodney agreed, willing to do anything to get her to agree.

"Okay, let's go!" She said excitedly, shuffling her way to the door.

"Great." Rodney smiled, feeling a plan form. It was risky, sure he would have to look after Lola the whole time, but he only needed a minute to clear things up with Ally. Alex was already her boyfriend, and Rodney was the one who needed the friendship points to show things were getting better between them. Besides, they would be there for an hour tops and then be home before Derek and his family ever knew.

"Alright let's go see princesses," he said, as Lola finally was able to use her mitten-covered hands to open the door.

"Princesses!" She giggled, as the cold air entered the home.

Rodney watched her, a grin tugging at his lips. Life was simpler when you were six and your biggest concern was getting ice cream. He half wished things could have stayed the simple forever as they headed out into the snow.

Stepping into the bustling stage area, Rodney held Lola's hand firmly, not wanting to lose sight of her for a second. Backstage was filled with high schoolers dressed in outfits that had been donated by local stores, excitedly preparing for their walk down the runway.

"Look at all the lights!" Lola squealed as she pointed to the shifting specks dancing on the wall from the projectors that lined the stage.

"Stay close," Rodney murmured, his gaze darting through the crowd. He spotted Madison and Steven talking in the corner, waving them over with a nod.

"Hey, you made it!" Madison said, showing her uncertainty that he would. "I haven't seen Ally but she is on the list so she will show up sooner or later."

"She's really excited about today, she helped design the outfit she is wearing," Steven added, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Well even if she doesn't make it I'm happy to see you two walk down that stage," Rodney said, trying to convince himself that he meant what he said.

"Can we get snacks?" Lola interjected, pigtails bobbing as she tugged on Rodney's arm.

"Uh, sure, there might be some—" Rodney started, but Lola was already on the move. She slipped her hand from his grasp, her small form weaving through the crowd with a determination to find something to snack on.

"Wait, Lola!" Rodney's call was lost in a new track booming from the speakers. He looked back to Madison, panic searing through his guise of calm. "I have to find her."

"Don't worry Rodney, there is only one place to get snacks here." Madison reassured him. "they are selling popcorn and cotton candy just out front of the library, she will most likely end up there."

"Thanks, Madison."

Rodney made his way out of the room, finding Lola was all he could think about, as he made his way through the auditorium. The first model took the stage as he squeezed his way through the crowd on his way to the library entrance.

In the wings of the stage, Ally arrived, a nervous flutter tickling her stomach as Alex walked beside her. She was excited and worried about her turn on stage, Alex squeezed her hand to relax her but never looked up from his phone screen.

"Chill out Ally, everything is going to be fine," Alex muttered distractedly, as he read through a Reddit post.

"Thanks, babe." Ally leaned in for a quick peck on his cheek, lingering for just a second to savor the moment before heading towards the drama room.

"Break a leg," Alex replied, finally looking up to smile at her, as he sauntered off to find a seat.

Rodney was too busy to notice Ally's arrival, he had made it to the library entrance and scanned the space for any sign of Lola. He felt Matt's presence as he arrived beside him.

"Matt, Lola is-" Rodney started, his voice low.

"I know, Madison texted me on my way here," Matt reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her, she is only six after all."

Rodney nodded but wasn't nearly as confident as Matt was about finding Lola. He followed Matt toward the gym, leaving behind the sweet scents emanating from the cotton candy machine. The hallways echoed with their footsteps as the music from the fashion show faded behind them.

"Rodney," Matt said, his tone gentle yet firm, "I think we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Yeah," Rodney breathed out, he knew Matt was right. "sounds good."

His mind, however, churned with scenarios, like some creepy old man luring Lola into his white van. As he rounded the corner toward the cafeteria, Rodney prayed that they would find Lola safe and sound trying to free a chocolate bar for the vending machines there. But the cafeteria was empty, so he decided to circle back to the auditorium after all he never really saw her leave it.

The auditorium's air was thick with the scent of cologne and perfume. Spotlights crisscrossed over the runway as a pulsing '80s synth-pop track set the stage. Rodney walked the aisles, his eyes scouring each row for any sign of the little escape artist. It was starting to feel hopeless and he wished he had just taken her to the park like she had asked in the first place.

Ally's name was announced by the emcee, his voice booming over the speakers.

Ally emerged, her blonde hair braided with small yellow flowers, wrapped in a neon yellow jacket and matching skirt. She strutted down the runway with confidence as she hit her poses. Her blue eyes sparkled under the bright lights, as members of the audience took photos.

"Wow, she's totally rocking the whole '80s vibe," Matt whispered to Rodney, as he appeared beside him.

Rodney managed a smile, she really did look happy up there. "Yeah, she... she looks great." He realized that telling her the truth could take some of that happiness away from her and he didn't want that.

Alex sat a few rows ahead, his expression soured as he watched Ally make her way down the runway, he watched as the audience took photos of what he deemed the fashion disaster. The color drained from his face as thought about the comments that would be generated once the photos were posted online. He squirmed in his seat, he had spent a long time carefully crafting his image online, and this could ruin it.

"Man, what's she wearing? Is she trying to signal the mothership?" one guy whispered to a group of his friends within earshot.

Alex turned sharply, his hand nervously raking through his perfectly styled hair. "Not cool, dude," he muttered, more to himself than to them.

The show eventually came to an end, and the models took their final walk. Ally beamed at the applause, oblivious to how Alex felt about her outfit. As the crowd began to leave the auditorium, she stepped out of the wings, searching for her boyfriend among the sea of faces.

"Alex!" she called out, her voice laced with excitement.

"Ally," Alex said, not making eye contact, meeting her halfway. "We need to talk."

"Sure! Did you see me up there? I felt like a supermodel!" Ally's excitement faded when she saw the uneasy look on his face.

"Listen, Ally... I don't think this is going to work. I mean you know that pictures of you in that outfit are going to end up everywhere right? I can't be associated with that," Alex confessed, his words slicing through the confidence she once had.

"Wait, what? But you're the one always saying people need to embrace who they are," Ally stammered, her mind whirring. "And you really care about people, you sent me tea when I was sick..."

"Tea? I didn't send any tea. And yeah be true to yourself but like don't advertise to the whole world how weird you are," Alex cut her off, turning on his heel and walking away.

"Asshole!" Ally yelled down the hallway at him. She hated him, he had taken such an amazing afternoon and ruined it for her. Then another thought passed through her mind, he didn't send her the tea latte, and if he didn't send it, who did? Who cared enough to try and make her feel better?

"Rodney! Rodney!" Madison's voice broke through his thoughts, as he sat with his head in his hands feeling defeated.

"Please tell me you found her," he begged, he felt like the universe was trying to make sure Derek would never be his friend again.

"Nothing. She's like a tiny Houdini," Madison replied, taking a seat next to him.

"Where could she—" Rodney's question was interrupted by the sight of Lola holding Matt's hand as the pair came wandering out of the cafeteria, her cheeks stuffed with cookies, crumbs trailing behind her like breadcrumbs.

"Why are you sad?" Lola asked Rodney innocently as Matt brought her over to him.

"Because, Lola..." Rodney began, relief washing over him as he knelt down to her level. "You can't just wander off like that. You had us scared."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you sad," she said, offering him a crumbling cookie from her pocket. "You can have one of my cookies."

"Let's just get you home," Rodney sighed, pushing himself up off the chair, he could finally feel his heart rate returning to normal. He hugged Matt, thanking him for all his help in the hunt for Lola, before leading Lola out of the school and back home.