Rodrick Rules! - A Fanfiction

Chapter Three: The Pen

Well, school day's over so it's finally time for me to go home and check out. But first I have to do something. Before leaving, I try to find Anya to apologize. I don't wanna end the day on bad terms with my best friend. I head over to our lockers, which are next to each other, maybe she'll be there. As I walk down the hall I see someone near my locker. But it's not Anya.

I just want you to take a quick guess as to who was standing there instead.
Go on, guess.

Well anyway, he's there, talking with his friend when he notices me.
He looks like he wants to tell me something. "Hey! Redhead" he calls out, as he sorta motions for me to come over. I walk up.

"Um, hi" I say, awkwardly.

"I- I just wanted to return this to you" he says, handing me a pen that I've never seen before in my life. "You dropped this earlier."

"That's not my pen."

"Well you dropped it" he says, still holding it out in front of him.
I take it anyway.

"Whatever." I start to walk away but he tries to stop me and gently grabs my wrist.
"Wait" he quickly lets go "I just wanted to say sorry about this morning.."

We look at each other. It is painfully awkward.

"Like when I ran into you-"
"Yeah I remember, I was there."

"Yeah.."

"Yeah."

It's silent for maybe four seconds but it feels like four hours.

"I uh, I've never seen you around before." He speaks up. Why is he so awkward? This is extremely different from the over confident clumsy weirdo I met this morning.

"Okay?" I reply, since I have no idea what else to say. I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah I guess it's weird, you'd think I'd recognize you with that hair." He chuckles and gestures awkwardly to my messy hair. That's kind of embarrassing, I didn't even brush it this morning.
"Oh haha, right. Sorry it's a mess right now."

"No I like it" he interjects. He clears his throat, "It reminds me of Hayley Williams.."

"Like, the singer from Paramore?"

"Yeah" he laughs

"Oh dope, I love their music." I straighten up and start to smile at him.

"You like Paramore?" He looks not that surprised.
"Duh, they're only like one of the greatest bands of our time"

"Well, next to AC/DC" he argues

"I said of our time, dipshit" I say playfully
Wow, he's an idiot. That's hot.

"Oh.."

"But I like AC/DC too" I quickly add.
He nods at me and smiles. Then it's horribly silent again.

"Sorry, what's your name?" he asks, suddenly.

"Right. I'm Valorie. But nobody calls me Valorie, just- you can call me Val." I say, all nervous and jittery. Way to go, this is EXACTLY how to play it cool.

I stick out my hand and he shakes it.
Holy shit why did I do that. What is this, the 1950s?? Who shakes hands anymore?

"Uh I- uh, what- what's your name?"

"Rodrick" he says, still holding my hand.

I pull it away fast, "what kind of a name is Rodrick?"

"The kind for absolute legends, redhead." He says in a way that makes me want to laugh and vomit at the same time. He checks his watch. "Anyway, I gotta go. My mom's making me pick up my little brother from school today."

"Ah, you know, little brothers." I say, trying to be relatable.

"You got any?" He asks, intrigued.

"No."
I'm an idiot.

"Lucky. Well it was nice meeting ya, Redhead."

I notice his stupid, messy hair.
"Until we meet again, Bedhead." I reply.

Aaaaand he's walking away. Well that could've gone worse. Guess I'll have to apologize to Anya tomorrow.

I notice I'm still violently gripping the pen Rodrick gave me. Jesus, was I that nervous? I give it a quick glance and notice there's some tiny writing scratched into the side. I inspect it closer.

It's a phone number.