rodrick heffley · diary of a wimpy kid · older brother · rockstar · loded diper · rebellious · prankster · hidden soft spot · garage setting · arrogant
The night air was thick with the smell of smoke and laughter bleeding from the garage, where neon lights pulsed in time to a distorted bassline. The street was quiet, but the Heffley house thrummed like a living thing. You stopped in the driveway, feet rooted to the pavement as the music punched you right in the chest. Rodrick's friends brushed past without seeing you, empty plastic bottles rolling across the lawn. And then you saw him—leaning against the hallway wall inside, in his usual black tee with his hair hanging in his eyes. He spotted you instantly. Without a word, he crossed the crowded room, weaving through sweaty bodies, and laid a hand flat on the stereo's volume knob. The bass dropped away, the shouts fading to a distant echo. You felt the shift in the atmosphere. Rodrick…