Puppy Dog Eyes. {{Rodrick Heffley}}

The Advice

Anna starred at herself in the mirror and with a sigh she began to curl her dark brown hair, once she was done, she ran out of my house "Bye Dad!" as she ran to the Heffley house.

she always went to Greg's house before school, it was their tradition since kids.
"Hey 2nd Family!" she yelled through the catastrophic house.
"Hey!" Greg said from up the stairs, still in his pajamas. She started up the stairs, looking at her feet to make sure she doesn't trip and immediately running into Rodricks bare chest, that feeling she got just came back to her every time she seen, thought, or ran into him. she couldn't help the lump stuck in her throat. He may not have known about her crush but everyone else did.

"oh uh- sorry" she excused herself, he smirked at her and stated "Are you really still stuck with these losers in middle school"
"Shut up Rodrick, i'm in 9th grade" she pushed him as he laughed.

Roderick starred at Anna and Greg for a moment before he began, "Okay look, mom asked me to give you some advice about middle school. Don't talk to anyone. Don't look at anyone. Don't go anywhere. Don't sit down, don't raise your hand.  don't go to the bathroom. Don't get noticed. Don't choose the wrong locker. Don't.. ah who am i kidding? you'll be dead or homeschooled by the end of the year anyway." he said looking Anna in the eyes
"Ive done this before" she scoffed,
"whatever buttmuncher" he retorted
"Buttlicker" she snorted back
"Toelicker"
"Diapereater"
"Bu-"
"Breakfast! " she heard Mrs. Heffley yell

Greg ran down the stairs with Anna following behind but stopped in her tracks when she heard Roderick's voice "But hey...you look good today, Anna. good luck starting freshman year" He laughed walking away to the bathroom.
her cheeks flushed red, she ran down the stairs meeting Greg and the rest of the Heffleys at the dining room table, she drowned out most of the conversation due to Manny sitting on the potty trainer at the table, taking note of Greg's distain. Before she knew it Greg grabbed his bag for school and they began walking. "So after school do you wanna come over and play Twisted Wizard?" Greg started the conversation but all Anna could think about was how Roderick had complimented her and how she looked. She was snapped out of her trance when Greg snapped his fingers in front of her. "Hellloooo? Earth to Anna?" Anna blushed red and Greg face said it all
"You're thinking about Roderick right now aren't you?"
"No..." she said sheepishly.

———

Gym came around when she sat under the bleachers with Angie.
"Why are you still here anyway? "She asked "Held back" her mind began to race to him
"Why?" Angie's confusion threw Anna off, she's doing what she's always done since Angie got here, sat under the bleachers and failed gym class.
"This exact reason, skipping classes with you to read these books. plus i kind of did it to myself."
"What? why?"
All Anna could think about was his dark hair, his chocolate eyes, how they could hypnotize her in way she can't even express.
"Because i got a crush and couldn't focus. i always told myself to keep away from boys because they were a distraction but this one i just couldn't help"
"Gross" Angie retorted
she thought about it, how could anyone ever do that to themselves?
"I know"
how could someone fall in love with the impossible?
but when he smiled at her, when his eye would crinkle at the corners or when he'd be lying, he couldn't keep it serious. you could always tell when rodrick was lying.
only if you knew him the way she did, without ever getting too close, she observed. it's who she was, and she had fallen in love with just the simplicity of observation.

The end of the day came around anna was mad that the first day hadn't gone the way she expected, she expected this year to be different.
it wasn't, it never is.

she had sat in the bleachers by herself and then when 6th period came aroumd Bryce Anderson said she looked like a hot goth in russian.

It was disgusting

she stomped along with the two boys she claimed as her bestfriends
"I don't wanna sit on the floor with Fregley!" she kicked the rocks along the ground
rodricks van had slung past the three friends almost hitting Anna, Greg and Rowley both grabbed her and pulled her into them. "God why can't they just drive like normal people?" Rowley suggested

"They just can't drive. Teenage boys will be the end of me" she scoffed "please don't be 13, guys. you will stop hanging out with me" but the boys only laughed at her "We've dealt with you since we were little. I think we're a little to far into it to give up on you now"
Roderick strolled right over to them, eyes only on Anna which made her rub her arms and shift uncomfortably. It's like his soul purpose was to make Anna go crazy. That's what it felt like anyway.
"How was your first day Buttmunch"
she rolled her eyes "It sucked"
"Annabelle!"
"It's the truth!" she yelled stomping away towards her house

she heard footsteps behind her
"What's your damage?" the voice could've only belonged to rodrick
"Leave me alone turdlicker"
"Why Anna may i be concerned?" he faked concern but a smug look following his feeling of "betrayal".
"No actually Roderick you cant. You're incapable of being empathetic" she scoffed at him and turned around but he grabbed her shoulder turning her around
"Here's some advice, Anna. Stop. Hanging. Out. With. Those. Kids" he shook her back and forth with every word.
she rolled her eyes again for what felt like the millionth time. "You wouldn't understand"
"I wouldn't? " he was confused, how could he have not understood? why couldn't she hang out with boys her age, or why she wasn't in the front seat of his van at the end of the day.

"Nope" she went to turn around again but he stopped her,
"Then...then help me understand" he offered, she softened at just the tone of his voice, the way he almost sounded like he wanted to know.

"I've known you forever, Roderick. why are you just now caring?" she asked him pulling away, but he hadn't let her go just yet. Something in him just didn't want to, not yet. "Because you... Nevermind just come over and help the turds"
"I will after i change"
"Okay" he let go finally, his hand shaking. she took notice of it, she looked at him for a couple of seconds before quickly turning away and going into her house. he watched her scurry away, he smiled to himself. her hair bounced with every step she took, her body movements smooth, and agile. he shook his head walking back to his own home.

she walked over to the house when rowley came running out of the house, mumbling to himself. anna ran in and up the stairs "Rodrick?" he put his finger to his mouth.

she jumped onto Rodricks back "GREG RUN" her voice echoed through the house. He unlocked the door running into the bathroom locking it. Rodrick flipped her so she wrapped around his waist "Get off " he struggled, "Nope" anna tightened her legs he pushed her to the wall holding her there "Look at you" He smirked "I think I'll kill you later" adding a wink "He went in your room? " he nodded

once again rolled her eyes. he looked my lips "I like this" he chuckled "Ew do that in private" Greg said Rodrick gave him an angry look, he ran to his room locking the door. he whispered in her ear "Good luck" he said Putting her down, her chest felt tight, almost like there was no air for her to grasp. she felt nauseous, but in magical way. she grabbed her books and ran out.

That just happened...

———
she went home, but when she arrived no one was home.
she noticed all of the bills laid out on the table, and her dads laptop left opened.

she turned it on, being the nosy and curious teenage girl she is. her dad didn't have anything in his account, they were broke.

it wasn't anything anna wasn't used to, this had been happening since before she was born, and then she was just born with it. burdening her father to take care of another girl he loves.

bad things happen to good people, so there has to be a reason this happened to her.
she was tired of wasting her dads money when he could be spending on better.

that night in bed, she had made my final decision.
the treatments were no longer gonna happen.
there was no reason to be broke, when her father could be enjoying these days, while he can with his daughter, a happy last time, rather than a miserable.

her decision wasn't for her but because it was for the good of her father, and she was doing this because she loved him. she wouldn't let him keep going this way.