Chapter 51: Fundraiser
Richard walked into his home, the enticing scent of stir-fried veggies and chicken wafting over from the kitchen to greet him.
Casually, Aiden walked out from the corner, his smile warm as he greeted;
"Welcome home, Pops. How was work today?"
"Hectic as usual, but nothing I can’t handle." the man reciprocated with a warm smile of his own before he then asked in turn;
"How was school?"
"Fun. It was fun." Aiden replied, seemingly recalling a couple nice memories from the day.
In response, his father chuckled a bit as he removed his boots and said;
"I’ve been hearing that a lot from you, recently. It’s good to hear though."
Then, upon walking over to meet his son, he handed over one of the bags in his hand;
"Here you go, Champ."
Having dropped by the tailor on his way home today, he’d picked up the adjusted attire, one he’d previously dropped off a week ago.
Speaking of a week ago, Richard had been very surprised when his son had asked if he could lend him his old suit.
Given he couldn’t fit into it anymore, he honestly wouldn’t have minded if Aiden just up and took it instead.
It’d look far better on the youth than it ever did him, more so now that it had been adjusted to his measurements.
That said, he had been rather curious, hence why he’d asked what he needed it for.
Imagine his surprise when Aiden had informed him that he had to walk a lady down the tracks for Hoco Parade.
Naturally, the man was very proud and even gave his son a sly look with flexing brows... only for Aiden to douse him in a bucket of cold water by saying she wasn’t his date and neither did he have a date to the dance.
In any case,
"Thanks, Pops." Aiden received the now pristinely ironed and neatly packaged suit, his tone appreciative.
Then he asked, his tone a bit hopeful;
"Would you be chanced to make it to the fundraisers tomorrow? It ends by six."
"I make no promises, Champ, but I assure you, I’ll do my best to make it." Richard placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it a few times.
In response, Aiden smiled, his head bobbing slightly in appreciation.
Soon enough, after dinner was over, he was back to his room, his gaze focused on the screen as his fingers rapidly moved across the keyboard.
Having burnt through several of the courses these past couple weeks, Aiden was finally starting to get the hang of things, slowly, but surely.
To that effect, he had even started writing his own codes, though they were nothing particularly impressive and extremely amateurish.
That said, just like his high school teachers frequently tested how much of the curriculum he retained, CodeRPG.dev had a structure in place that did the same.
As a result, Aiden was preparing well-ahead, not just for the upcoming tests from the gamified learning platform, but to also fast-track his knowledge about the craft.
Now more than ever, he needed to begin incorporating his management sim idea into the game. Especially since they’d finally settled on its name.
That said, Aiden was pretty assured that before the end of the month, he would’ve earned the skill and added it to his repertoire.
Until then, it was straight grinding for him.
*
Fridays happened to be the second busiest day of Spirit Week at Silverlake High.
This was largely as a result of the fundraisers which would be happening in the latter half of the day at the school park following the closing hours.
Coordinated mainly by the student council committee, alongside some members of the PTA primarily handling supervision, several concessions stand, booths, games and the likes had been arranged.
That said, asides from the students and teachers whom were set to attend the event, alumni, parents, guardians and even a few notable people in the community were also invited to the event... all in an effort to raise some funds to give back to the community.
At the same time, it would seamlessly transition into Spirit Night, one that would end with each class releasing their spirit lanterns into the skies.
At the same time, it was also the day the gang was planning to reveal themselves to be the culprits of the scavenger hunt.
In any case, the closing bell for day rang and students excitedly filed out of their classes dressed in their school colors--light blue shirts with silver highlights.
Considering the theme for the day was ’School Spirit’, it was to be expected.
As for the students of Aiden’s class, they were currently hanging back to receive their marked test scripts from their homeroom teacher.
At the behest of his colleagues whom were busy setting up and supervising the venue for the fundraising alongside Principal Walters and a couple other staffs, he had opted to share it.
Which was why, as he called the students up, there were varying reactions on their faces upon receiving their scripts.
When it got to the gang’s turn, they all seemed rather satisfied with their scores.
But none could’ve been more satisfied than Aiden whom was literally rewarded for his efforts.
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[Quest Completed!]
⸢Exclusive Quests
› Spirit Week? More Like Study Week.
└ Obtain an A+ in every upcoming test – [3 LP Awarded!]
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Smiling to himself, he then proceeded to head out of the class and off to the computer room, same as his buddies.
With the fundraisers set to kick off fully by 5 pm, they’d figured they could put that time to good use instead of heading over to the park like most students currently were.
This was mostly because Clyde, Larry and Benjamin had created a few dozen tracks and BGMs, one they wanted the rest of the gang to assess and decide upon which was fitting.
As a result, even though the fundraising event had kicked into full-gear by 4:00 pm, the gang were pretty much cooped up in their own world.
Thirty minutes later, they had finally decided on which ones to use, which to discard and which to put on the backburner with plans of circling back to it later.
Filing out into the now mostly empty hallways, all six casually made their way to the park, the mix of lively chatter and the occasional laughter currently echoing across the school grounds.
Amidst their own mundane discussion as they stepped out the backdoor, Aiden felt his phone beep in his pockets with a special tune he’d attached to his father’s number.
Retrieving the device and swiping across its screen, he soon read the contents of the message;
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Pops: Apologies, Champ. I don’t think I can make it. Our employers just walked in, and it might take a while before they leave. Will have to make it up to you some other time.
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Nodding his head briefly, Aiden then replied with an understanding smile;
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Aiden: I understand, Pops. No qualms. Oh, and drive safely on your way back home!
Pops: I will. Take care.
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Tucking the phone into his pockets upon reading the curt response, one he’d long grown accustomed to and was a clear indicator that the man was in fact busy, Aiden and the gang soon arrived at the park.
As one would’ve expected of the lively atmosphere, folding picnic tables and benches were placed all around the park, students, parents, teachers and alumni seated in their respective sections as they engaged in one mundane discussion or the other.
A steady line had already begun forming in front of the bake sale stand, homemade cookies, brownies, cupcakes and small pies disappearing almost as quickly as they were arranged.
At the same time, the aroma of freshly grilled burgers, hotdogs and buttery popcorn drifted through the early evening air, occasionally mixing with the sweet scent of cotton candy as students and adults alike wandered between stalls.
In contrast, several children--mostly toddlers--zigzagged between the rows of tables and chairs, balloons and what nots in their hands as their parents repeatedly called after them to slow down.
And considering their banners were still up, with the one from their class still garnering the most attention, every now and then, the flashes from phone cameras could be spotted as families and friend groups stopped beneath them to take pictures.
Truly, it was an inviting sight to behold.
And it would have been perfect had Aiden not noticed two things.
One, Damian, Megan and Mrs. Delacroix looked rather ticked off as they stood in the center of the park, the duo checking their watch from time to time as Mrs. Delacroix spoke to someone over the phone, a frown on her features.
Two, the student committee members and volunteers kept hurrying back and forth, their movements frantic, tired and frustrated as they carried trays containing snacks, extra folding chairs and boxes of drinks towards the alumni and parents who continuously kept calling out to them without giving them any breathing space.
As if to hammer home that point, Aiden’s system equally updated with a new quest.
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[Ding!]
[Exclusive Quests Updated!]
⸢Exclusive Quests
› Alright, Mr. Management Sim.
└ Optimize the fundraiser – [0.5 LP]
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